grief to some, a sport to others, and fall under the scorn and contempt of all. Let us think with ourselves, how unseemly is the wild and extravagant fury of a distracted person! why, an impatient man is distracted; and, like such, he flings abroad, at random, firebrands, arrows, and death. And, therefore, our Saviour Christ exhorts us, Luke xxi. 19. In your patience, possess ye your souls; intimating to us, that an impatient person hath lost the possession of himself: he is a man bereft of his reason; and, as we use to say, besides himself.

(2) Conside the Vanity and Folly of Impatience.

To what purpose is it, that thou vexest and torturest thyself? Couldst thou ease or relieve thyself by it, this might be some plea and reasonable pretence. But, was it ever heard, that the body was cured of a fever, by putting the soul into one? was it ever heard, that the disordering of the mind composed a man's estate? or, that raising a tempest within, should lay a tempest without? Nay, rather, impatience adds a mighty weight to our burdens, while we must bear both them and it too.

(3) Consider, that Impatience is not only unseemly and foolish, but it is Unchristian too.

There is nothing more directly contrary to the true spirit and genius of Christianity, than murmuring and repining: for, what is Religion, what is Christianity, but only a due resignation of our wills unto the sovereign and holy will of God? now, for us to vex and fret at the accomplishment of his will and purposes upon us, what is this else, but so far to renounce Christianity, to rebel against God, and to withdraw ourselves from under his dominion and jurisdiction? And, therefore, I beseech you, O Christians! as you would approve yourselves to be such, that you would earnestly strive against that fond niceness and delicacy of spirit, which will, else, be a great snare unto you, and tempt you to usurp upon God's prerogative, and wickedly to invade his government: for, whosoever is not content with what God allots him, would willingly ravish from him his power and sovereignty, and set himself in the throne: he doth but tacitly upbraid God, that he wants either wisdom, or goodness, or both. And, therefore, confirm and harden your minds against all adversities that may befal you: fix your resolutions, that thus it ought to be, and that thus it is best for you: and, whatsoever portion God carves out to you, receive it with thankfulness if it be prosperous, as your food; if adverse, as your physic.

2. Another great hindrance of patience, is a fond Love and Admiration of these Creature-Enjoyments.

Indeed, were these things certain and durable, they would only be perpetual comforts to us: but we see, by every day's experience, that they are transitory, and mutable, and of no continuance: and, therefore, when we eagerly set our hearts and affections upon them, to be sure, we shall, either in the loss of our enjoyments or the disappointment of our hopes, find cause enough for grief, and temptations enough to impatience. Let the comforts we prize thus immoderately, be what they will, we shall find it a very difficult labour to keep ourselves from murmuring against God, when he is pleased to cross us in them for all the passions of the soul take their measures from love that is the master and leading affection: and, therefore, according to the intenseness of your love, such will be your sorrow, and your anger, and the fretfulness of a discontented soul, when God takes away the object of your fond love from you. So it is said of Jonah, chap. iv. 6. that he was exceeding glad of the gourd: he mightily pleased himself in the shade and the shelter, that it afforded him: and, therefore, when God had prepared a worm to smite and wither it, you presently see what a violent and exorbitant passion he falls into: and, when God graciously condescended to expostulate with him, “Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? is this fit for thy reason, or religion, or profession, to be so transported for the fading of so small a thing, as this gourd, the mean offspring of the earth?" we see, that discontent and passion so blinded him, that he flies in the very face of God himself, and gives the Almighty the most saucy peremptory answer, that certainly ever proceeded out of the mouth of a good man: v. 9. he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death: alas, peevish man! that so little a matter, as the withering of a poor shrub or weed, should put him into so violent a passion! But, so it is, when we immoderately prize the enjoyment of any comfort on earth, we shall likewise immoderately bear the loss of it: when God comes to touch us there, all within us is presently in an uproar; we estuate, and fume, and exclaim against men, and quarrel at Providence; accuse one, and revenge ourselves upon another; and, in the turbulency of our passion, can scarce abstain from God himself.

Now, to cure and remove this cause of impatience, let me beseech you to sit loose from the things of this world. Let

them not concorporate with your hearts; for, believe it, if once the soul and affections be glued to these earthly concernments, whenever God shall take them from you, it will be a violent tearing and rending of your very hearts, to part with them. Bring yourselves into a holy indifferency of all things here below; and, then, whatsoever happens, nothing can fall out much amiss. If you have no vehement affections for the enjoyment of these things, you will have no violent passions stirring in you for their loss. If thou didst truly estimate what this world is, how vain, how empty and insignificant, how vexatious and cumbersome, thou wouldst find abundant reason to conclude, that it is not much material, whether thou be high or low, rich or poor, persecuted or favoured, despised or honoured: for, all these things are but dreams; and, as dreams, they vanish and pass away. Our true interest lies not here, but in peace of conscience, serenity of mind, staid and sedate affections, a generous virtue, and a pious life; and if these were thy care, crosses and afflictions would be less thy troubles. Think with thyself, how momentary thy life is: thou wert but of yesterday, and mayst not be to-morrow: when it is stretched out to the uttermost, it is but a span long: and what needst thou, then, trouble and perplex thyself about so many concernments and such a multitude of affairs, and engage all the strength and vigour of thy affections about such vain things, that continue not, nor canst thou continue to use them? What need so much provision for so short a journey? Let us take the Apostle's direction, 1 Cor. vii. 29, 30, 31. The time is short: it remaineth, therefore, that both they, that have wives, be as though they had none; And they, that weep, as though they wept not; and they, that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they, that buy, as those that purchased not; And they, that use this world, as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away. And, certainly, could we but bring ourselves to this excellent indifferency, we should not be much molested, nor grow fretful and impatient, for any losses or disappointments in things which we look upon as of no great concernment.

3. Another great hindrance to patience, is Pride and SelfLove.

For, while we are fond of ourselves, we shall be shrewdly tempted to murmur at whatsoever crosses and thwarts our appetites or our interests. Those, that are great admirers of themselves, think that all things are due to them: and, if any

thing fall out contrary to their expectations and overweening conceits, they presently judge themselves wronged; and storm and rage, as if their bitterest passions were but just resentments of the injury done them. Never was there a proud person in the world, but he was also impatient: for it is the very nature of pride, not to endure to be crossed; and those, who are inordinate lovers and admirers of themselves, must needs take it for a mighty injury, if all things go not according to their mind and will.

And there is a Twofold Pride, which is the cause and root of all our impatience: a Natural and a Spiritual Pride.

(1) A Natural Pride.

When we think ourselves eminent for some natural gifts and endowments; and, thereupon, expect, that all others should say as we say, and do as we would have them: and, if any presume to do otherwise, we look upon ourselves as affronted, and cannot bear such a contumely; but presently burn in choler, and seek to wreak our revenge and spleen upon them. A proud man is his own idol, and his own idolater: and, as Nebuchadnezzar grew wroth and furious, hot as his fiery furnace seven times heated, when the three heroes refused to fall down and worship the image which he had set up; so these proud persons grow presently enraged, if all do not bow and fall down before them. If they meet with any so stubborn, as to thwart and oppose them, presently their Diana is despised; and all their passions are in an uproar and a tumult, to vindicate their honour. Only from pride, saith the Wise Man, cometh contention: Prov. xiii. 10. and wherever contention is found, impatience is first the mother of it.

(2) There is a Spiritual Pride, which is the root of impatience.

And this spiritual pride may be, where yet there is a great deal of natural modesty and weakness. Now, this pride consists in having an unbroken and unhumbled heart for sin; when we have never been deeply affected with our guilt and vileness, and that most wretched and deplorable condition in which we all are. And, therefore, whensoever God afflicts such a proud person as this, he is apt to think himself punished beyond his desert; and to question and quarrel at the equity and justice of God, in bringing such heavy and sore sufferings upon him, who thinks himself a very innocent and righteous person. And this spiritual haughtiness and pride makes him fret against God's dispensa

tions; and makes him think that God himself turns persecutor, when he afflicts him.

Thus you see, that all our Impatience is from Pride; whether our sufferings be immediately from man, or from God himself: for, proud flesh is very tender, and cannot endure the least touch.

Now, the only Cure for this distemper of soul, is Self-Denial and Humility. That man is most secure from impatience, who entertains but mean and low thoughts of himself: for, what strong temptation can there be to any great excess of impatience, so long as we suffer only in that, which we do not highly value? Why should I vex or fret myself, that such a man speaks ill of me? alas! he speaks not worse of me, than I speak and think of myself: shall I be discomposed, because he hath done me such an injury? why I shall but gratify him by that means; and, perhaps, he did it with that very design: and, besides, he hath far more injured himself than me, so long as I can keep my patience entire. Or, shall I murmur and repine, because God hath brought upon me such a calamity? alas! this is a favour and mercy, in respect of what I have deserved at his hands: when I consider, what I have done against him, all that he hath done against me is nothing my sins merit no less than eternal death and eternal damnation; and, certainly, I have no reason to complain, so long as I am out of hell: God were infinitely gracious and merciful to me, though he should redouble his strokes, multiply my sorrows, and increase my sufferings; and I were the most ungrateful wretch alive, if I should repine at bearing so little, when I have deserved so much. Thus, I say, humility, a contrite and broken frame of spirit, will preserve us from being fretful and impatient, whether we lie under injuries from men, or afflictions from God.

4. Reflecting too much upon the Instruments of our Sufferings, is oftentimes a mighty hindrance to the composure and patience of our spirits.

For this frequently puts a sting and aggravation into them, to think, that we suffer from such or such. And many will be ready to say, "This cross I could bear well enough: the affliction, though it be in itself heavy, yet is it supportable: but, when I consider the occasion of my sufferings, the unworthiness and base disingenuity of those that have had a hand in it, this makes it intolerable; and, it wounds me to the very heart, that ever such and such a person should deal thus with me."