the path, if ye flay them not. They will not fuffer you to fleep upon the couch of a peaceful confcience, and will rob your. heart of all repofe; for these are they that difturb the peace of Ifrael; that is, of the faithful Soul, which defireth to fee GOD. I have fore-warned you. Wherefore fee that ye walk circumspectly, because the days are evil: And abstain from all appearance of evil. СНАР. V. Of the Examples of the Prophets and Martyrs, by which Patience is taught. I. I Have propofed to you the Patriarchs; and if that be not fufficient, I will alledge the Prophets, because they met with many tribulations in this wicked world. The first faith: I have found trouble and heaviness: And have called upon the Name of the Lord. Tribulation and anguish have taken hold of me: Tet have I not forgot thy teftimonies. Great are the . Ephef. v. 15. b Thef. v. 22 d Pfal. cxix. 143. Kk 4 troubles troubles of the righteous: But the Lord delivereth them out of all. The Prophet, you fee, pafs'd his life in troubles and forrows: But in all preffures, he had recourfe to GOD for deliverance: When I was in trouble, I called upon the Lord: And he heard med Another faith: I weep bitterly, and mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should reI was lieve my foul, is far from me. a derifion to all my people, and their fong all the day. He hath filled me with bitternesses, he hath made me drunken with wormwood, He bath alfo broken my teeth with gravel-ftones, he hath covered me with afhes. And thou hast removed my foul far off from peace: I forgot profperity. And I faid, my ftrength and my hope is perifhed from the Lord. Nevertheless he found confolation; for he addeth; The Lord is my portion, faith my Soul, there fore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the foul that feeketh him. For the Lord will not caft off for ever. A third faith: Wo is me, for I am as the gatherer of the d Pfal. cxx. I. Pfal, xxxiv. 19. e. Lamen. i. 16. 8 V. 24. c. Summer Summer-fruits, as the grape gleaner of the Vintage: There is no cluster to eat: My foul bath defired unripe figs. The merciful Man is perished out of the earth; and there is none upright among Men. Yet he comforteth himself faying: But I will Look unto the Lord: I will wait for the GOD of my Salvation: My GOD will hear me. When I fit in darkness, the Lord Shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have finned against him. He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his Righteoufnefs Behold the teftimonies of the Prophets, how their hearts were wounded with compunction, and how their spirits were comforted and refreshed in GoD. Ye know alfo the Patience of Job: A noble pattern doubtless, and mirrour of Patience, given unto all my feryants for a folace of their griefs and pains. Other fufferings alfo, and temptations of my Saints ye cannot be ignorant of. For all thefe and efpecial ly the Holy Martyrs, were prov'd by fevere trials, and horrible torments, and by Faith and Patience triumph'd over the cru elty of their Perfecutors. If ye confider the thing aright, is any one worthy to be crowned, that doth not strive lawfully? For the proof of a good foldier is in the combat. Lay afide the combats of temptations and conflicts of tribulations, and there will be no victory: And if no victory, no crown of reward is of right due to any one. Therefore faith St. James the Apoftle: My Bre thren, count it all joy, when ye fall into divers temptations. Aud St. Peter: If ye fuffer for righteoufnefs fake, happy are yem. And St. Paul: For unto you it is given in the behalf of Chrift; not only to believe on him, but also to fuffer for his fake". Do thou alfo, admonifhed by their Examples and Precepts, preferve at all times Patience in thy heart; and in every tribulation and distress refign thy felf unto me. Who is he that will harm yon, if you be a follower of that which good? Behold, thy fighs and groans are all numbred: And thou fufferest nothing fo fmall and inconfiderable, but thou fhall be crowned for it. When thou lieft in tribulation, remember that this is the Road of the Saints, leading directly to the Kingdom of Heaven. * 2 Tim. ii 5. 1 James i. 2. mr Pet. iii. 14. • I Pet iii. 13. CHAP. CHAP. VI. Patience is recommended from the confideration of Profit, by a comparison of the Momentarinefs of the Pain, and the Eternity of the Reward. I. NOmfort thy felf alfo, in that thou art hereby made like unto Chrift Jefus thy Lord; and render thanks, that thou art in fome fort enabled to make him fome fmall retribution. I fay unto thee, that it is more meritorious to fuffer adverfities, than to do good works. I seem to have abundance of fervants; yet they can bear but little. They are caft down by an ordinary tribulation; they are provok'd by flight affront; they are fcandaliz'd upon the least occafion; they are full of complaints when injuries are done them; they caft about for excufes, when they are reprov'd. This is no good way, and far different from what I and all my Saints have trod. Some alfo fay, that they have little peace; and I fay, that therefore ye have not peace, because ye keep not Patience. Therefore ye have not peace, because ye give your felves up to your own will, be caufe |