Assured Christians, must be patient Christians. [ 1270]
IT is mentioned, that in the time of that Marian persecution, there was a wo∣man,* 1.1 who being convened before Bonner, (then Bishop of London) upon the try∣all of Religion; He threatned her that he would take away her Husband from her; saith she, Christ is my Husband; I will take away thy Childe; Christ, saith she, is better to me then ten Sons; I will strip thee, saith he, of all thy outward com∣forts; yea, but Christ is min••, ••aith she, and you cannot strip me of him: The thoughts of this bore up the womans heart: spoil her of all, and take away all, yet Christ was hers, and him they could not take away. Thus when the soul lives in the assu∣rance of Gods love,* 1.2 and of its calling to Grace and glory, it cannot but make a Man very patient, to endure with chearfulnesse whatsoever of opposition he shall meet with here below; There is a remarkable phrase in that of the Prophet,* 1.3 The Inhabitants of Sion shall not say, I am sick, the People that dwell therein shall be for∣given their iniquity: A strange passage! He doth not say, They were not sick, but the Text saith, They should not say so; And what's the reason? Why should the People forget their sorrowes,* 1.4 and not remember their pains? This was it that did it, The Lord hath forgiven them their iniquities; The sense of pardon took a∣way the sense of pain; And thus should all of us walk to shew, that trouble can not daunt us, nor any any way startle us, but as assured Christians to be patient un∣der all sufferings whatsoever.