Heauen opened VVherein the counsaile of God concerning mans saluation is yet more cleerely manifested, so that they that haue eyes may come and se the Christian possessed and crowned in his heauenly kingdome: which is the greatest and last benefit we haue by Christ Iesus our Lord. Come and see. First, written, and now newly amended and enlarged, by Mr. William Cowper, minister of Gods word.

Verse 25.

But if wee hope for that which we see not, wee doe with patience abide for it.

THe Apostle here concludes not onely this his* 1.1 last purpose, vvherein he hath taught vs, that the very nature of hope leades vs to looke for some better thing which is to come, but also he concludes his first principall argument of com∣fort; making this to be the end of all, that it becomes vs with patience to abide our promised deliuerance. And al∣beit for memories sake wee haue reduced all that hee hath spoken, into one principall argument, yet may wee see how vnder this one, many particular reasons are heaped vp toge∣ther, tending all to this one conclusion; that we should abide it with patience. First, wee haue heard that the nature of* 1.2 our sufferings are so changed, that they are now made suf∣ferings with Christ. Secondly, that the end of them is to be glorified with Christ. Thirdly, that the glory to come doth farre exceede in waight and eternitie our present sufferings. Fourthly, that the creatures haue a feruent desire of the re∣uelation of that glory. Fiftly, that they also vvho haue re∣ceiued the first fruites of the Spirit, are wearie of their pre∣sent misery, and wait for the redemption to come. And last, that in all our troubles we are saued, and sustained with the hope of that vvhich is to come, and not vvith a present

possession of that which we would haue. In all these respects, it becomes vs not onely to be of good comfort for the pre∣sent, but also patiently to looke for a better. The Apostle brings in his conclusion vpon his last argument, but we are to consider that it hath an eye vnto all that goes before, and that euery one of those reasons aforesaid, serueth to streng∣then this conclusion, that if wee hope for that which is to come, then will we with patience abide for it.

We haue first to marke a difference betweene the Chri∣stian* 1.3 and the Worldling: the Worldling hath his affection on things which are seene, hee cannot mount aboue them; hee hath receiued his consolation on earth; his portion is here, and he possesseth his best things in this present life. It is farre otherwise with the Christian, for in his affection hee transcends euery thing which is subiect to sense, hee is not now a possessor, but an expectant by hope of his best things, hee hath them not in re, but in spe: therefore may he say to the Worldling, as our Sauiour said to his Kinsmen, your time is alway, but my time is not yet come. The Christian is that good husbandman, who hath more comfort in that seed, which he hath sowen, and couered with earth that he seeth it not, than he hath in that, which hee sees lying be∣fore his eyes in the barne, for he knowes that the one, at the last, shall render him manifold greater encrease, than the other.

It is not an vnpleasant Allegorie which Augustine makes* 1.4 vpon these words of our blessed Sauiour. If a Sonne aske bread of any of you that is a Father, will he giue him a stone? or if he aske a fish, will he giue him a Serpent? or if he aske an egge, will he giue him a Scorpion. The Lord Iesus being the highest Doctor that euer taught, doth teach in the lowest manner, applying himselfe to our capacitie; by homely si∣militudes of earthly things, he labours to bring vs in all his doctrine to the knowledge of things heauenly: I know that the end of these parables is to confirme vs in this assurance, that if we seeke good things from the Lord, we shall obtaine

them, specially saith that Auncient, if we seeke Faith, Loue,* 1.5 and Hope; three principall graces which we ought to craue from our heauenly Father, not vnproperly represented by the Bread, the ••ish, and the Egge. For as Bread nourishes the hungry, and serues principally to preserue the life of man: so loue is of that nature that it delights to nourish the needy, and to doe good vnto others, for loue is bountifull: the con∣trary* 1.6 hereof is the stone, which helpes not the life of man in his necessitie, figuring the stony hearts of those who being void of Charitie are vnprofitable to others.

The Fish againe not vnproperly represents Faith: for it* 1.7 swimmes not onely in the calme but also in the storme, in the midst of most turbulent waues it abides whole and can∣not be ouercome: the enemie hereof is that olde Serpent, who seekes by all meanes to quench our Faith, that being borne downe by the waues of stormy tentations, wee might perish in insidelitie.

And Hope may very well be compared to the Egge,* 1.8 wherein there appeares nothing to looke to but a dry and barraine shell, vnprofitable for nourishment, yet is there in it not onely meet nourishment, but also the greatest fowles which God hath made for the pleasure and profit of man, are procreated of it. The contrary hereof is the Scorpion, which hath his sting in his taile: if we keepe vs before it, the sting thereof shall not reach to the breaking of our hope, then onely is our hope wounded when we goe back, looking with the Wife of Lot vnto Sodome, or with the carnall Israe∣lites, to the flesh-pots of Egipt. Let vs therefore with the holy Apostle forgetting that which is behinde, endeauour our selues to that which is before, following hard toward the marke for the prise of the high calling of God in Christ Ie∣sus, with constant hope and patience abiding those things which yet we haue not seene.

And here if the louers of this life and pleasures thereof,* 1.9 obiect vnto vs and say, what folly is this in you, that forgo∣ing pleasures which are seene, yee waite vpon those which

are not seene? were it not better for you to enioy with vs, these present things which are certaine, than to deferre your ioy for things to come, which are vncertaine, for who euer came againe from the dead, to tell you that there is such a ioy abiding you, as ye looke for? To these Atheists we an∣swere, that it is no vaine nor vncertaine thing for which we waite: he that raysed Lazarus from death the fourth day, and rose also himselfe from the dead the third day, being not to dye any more, hath come from them with a testimo∣nie which we know is true: for he is that faithfull and true witnesse; thou that beleeuest not hast the wrath of God abi∣ding vpon thee, but he that beleeues hath euerlasting life: he hath forewarned vs of the endlesse miserie of the one, in the person of that rich glutton, and of the endlesse ioy of the other, in the person of poore Lazarus: he told vs euen after his resurrection from the dead, that he was to ascend vnto his Father, as he hath done, and that hee will come againe, that where he is there also we may be, and this we rest assured that he will doe.

But as for you who are faithlesse men, and by your scorn∣full* 1.10 speeches would extenuate the hope of the children of God, you neither haue certaine pleasures present, nor yet to come; you count vs foolish, because we waite on pleasures which are to come, but what are yee, who rest presently in that which indeede is not? speake in truth and tell vs, where are your pleasures wherein you delight? vvhat enioy you this day of these carnall pleasures, for which you haue of∣fended your God? in the moment wherein you had them, what were they? tell if you can; and now if you g••e to seeke them, where are they? are they not gone from you, and so gone from you, that they haue left behinde them a sting of guilty Conscience to torment you? doth not the pleasures of one day deuoure and swallow vp the pleasures of another? those dayes of thy life which were intended to thee before hand for dayes of pleasure and triumph, are they not now vanished? and is there not comming vpon thee a

day of death, which will be to thee a day of darknesse, and dolefull displeasure, which shall swallow vp with one gape, not onely the sense, but also the remembrance of all thy former delights?

Where then are your pleasures O worldlings, wherein* 1.11 yee reioyce? present pleasures yee haue not, those which are past are vaine and comfort you not, and those which are to come are vncertaine: in the smallest things how oft are ye deceiued? yee looke for a faire day and a foule comes vpon you: yee looke for continuance of health, and sicknes vnawares seales vpon you: yee comfort your selues with the hope of a good successe of your affaires, and an euill successe ouerturnes incontinent all the counsels of your heart: thus the good for which yee looke to come, in your owne expe∣rience you finde it deceiues you. Call not therefore any more vpon vs to follow you and to drinke with you of your perishing pleasures, we haue had a proofe of yours, & found them to be vanitie; but if yee will, come and take a proofe of ours, will you taste of those delicates whereunto GOD hath called vs? will you eate of the fruit that growes vpon the tree of life, discouered by the Gospell, vnder the shadow whereof wee delight to sit? righteousnesse shall breed you peace, and peace shall breed you ioy in the holy Ghost, and these shall in such sort delight you, that in regard of them, your soule shall loath all your former vaine pleasures where∣in you delighted before.

Of this we may see further, that as Faith procreates hope,* 1.12 so hope procreates Patience: so that the want of Patience in trouble bewrayes the want of Hope. What made Saul who in his first beginning draue Witches out of the land, in his latter end to make his refuge to them? surely because all hope had failed him that the Lord would answere him any more. When Samaria was besieged and straited with Famine, as long as Iehoram had any hope hee waited with patience vpon the vvord of Elisha, that there should be great plenty shortly in Samaria, but when by the womans

complaint hee vnderstood that the Famine was encreast to that height, that his subiects were forced to eate their chil∣dren, his hope failed him, and he concludes to attend no lon∣ger vpon the Lord, but vowes in his impatience to cut off the head of Elisha. Thus the cause of all impatience in trou∣ble, that driues men to seeke deliuerance by wicked and vn∣lawfull meanes, is onely the want of hope.

Againe, if yee looke to those vvho in prosperitie layes* 1.13 downe the raynes of their affections with all licentiousnesse to goe after their desired pleasures, yee shall finde the onely cause thereof is the want of hope, hee that hath (saith Saint Iohn) this hope in himselfe that he shall see God, purges himselfe, euen as God is pure. And this our Sauiour teacheth vs more clearely, in the Parable of that seruant vvho because hee thought within himselfe that his Maister would not come, began to beat his fellowes instead of feeding them. So that the ground of all the Atheisme of our time, is pointed out to be the vvant of hope: there is no sinne committed but through impatience, all proceedes of this, that mans vnre∣generate and proud nature cannot contayne the selfe within the limits prescribed vnto it by the Lord: he that is gouer∣ned with patience is easily kept both in peace and vvarre from etremitie of affection. If any man prophane like Esau sell his birth-right for a messe of pottage, that is, forgoe eter∣nall life for the perishing pleasures of this life, it is because he hath no hope; and therefore no meruaile if with pati∣ence hee abide not for a better, but rather in impatience breake after his affections, to embrace those things which are present.

Among all the graces of the Spirit, this praise may be* 1.14 giuen to Patience, that it is the keeper of the rest: if our patience be not first broken, wee cannot be induced to the committing of any sinne. Sinfull concupiscence proceedes from the impatience of continencie; couetousnesse from this that wee are impatient of our sober estate. Therefore did Tertullian call Patience such a gouernour of the affaires

that concerne God, vt nullum oput Deo complacitum perpe∣trare extraneus a Patientia possit, that it is not possible for him, who is a stranger from patience, to doe any worke acceptable vnto God, for impatience is so great an euill that by it, optima quae{que} suff••cantur, the best things which are in man are choked; where impatience hath place, the grace of Prayer is silent. A man in the perturbation of his affect••on can neyther heare any wholesome admonit on, nor doe any duetie of loue to them vnto whom he oweth it, therefore saith the Apostle, ye haue neede of Patience, that after yee haue done the good will of God, yee may receiue the promise.

The patience of a Christian consists eyther in a suff••ring* 1.15 of our present euils, or in a patient expecting of our good that is to come. Our present euils are crosses and afflictions, euils of their owne nature, being fruits of sinne, yet changed vnto vs by the suffering of Christ. These crosses are eyther such as come immediately from God, or mediately from men; when they come immediately from God, we should receiue them with thanksgiuing, as a cup, suppose bitter, yet wholesome, giuen vnto vs out of the hand of our heauenly Phisition: where otherwise they are sent vnto vs by the hand of men, wee are there also not to suffer our affections to be disquieted, by consideration of him who brings it, but glo∣rifying God who sent it to receiue it with patience, so Dauid not looking vnto Shimei the bringer, receiued the cup of his curses as sent from God.

As the Israelites wanted not Cananites to be pricks and* 1.16 thornes in their sides; so the godly in this life, liue where they will, shall not want wicked men to crosse them, which are vnto them as thornes in their sides to stabbe them, and waken them to call vpon God. The Popple growes in the field of God with the good wheat, neyther is any man able in this life to sunder the one from the other, it being the Lords dispensation, that both should grow till the day of haruest, and then the good wheat shall be gathered into the

barne, but the Tares shall be bound in sheaues and cast into the fire. In the meane time, let the Godly remember that euery wicked man among whom we liue, is a tryall of our patience. As a skilfull Artificer vseth Lead to melt Gold, so the Lord vseth the drosse of the earth, which are the wicked, as meanes to purifie and perfect his owne children.

They are rods whereby he corrects vs, they are thornes* 1.17 whereby he wakeneth vs, therefore haue we neede to be ar∣med with patience, and to walke circumspectly: the Lord will not haue them now to be weeded out of his field, he will haue them to remaine in the face of his visible Church to the end of the world. Patienter ita{que} ferendum, quod non est festmantur ••uferendum, we must therefore beare that patient∣ly which we may not sodainly take away. And of this patient suffering our Sauiour hath giuen vs a notable example; he knew that Iudas was a theefe and a traytor, yet he offered vn∣to him his blessed mouth, euen then when hee came to be∣tray him; he knew that a fearefull woe did abide him, yet did he beare with him patiently, till his time came, for euery wicked man hath a particular day of iudgement assigned vn∣to him, wherein he shall be rooted out, as a noysome weed, by the hand of God, beside that generall destruction which abides them all.

But here, least vnder pretence of that which I haue said,* 1.18 men foster that Patience which is meeter to be destroyed, let vs consider what this true Patience is, which here is re∣commended: wee may this manner of way define it out of Augustine, Patience is a grace of the Spirit flowing from Grace and Hope, qua aequo animo mala toleramus, ne ••niquo bona illa deseramus, per quae ad meliora peruentamus, whereby we so suffer things that are euill, that wee forsake not those things which are good, by which we may attaine vnto those that are better: this excludes foure sorts of men from the praise of Christian Patience.

First, it excludes Ethnicks: euen those chiefe Philo∣sophers renowned for Patience; it is true their ordinate

behauiour may conuince the vnbridled affections of many* 1.19 professed Christians. In vvhich sence Basile commended Socrates: yet cannot their patience deserue the praise of true vertue; for neither did their suffering proceed from the Spi∣rit sanctifying their hearts by Faith, without which it is im∣possible to please God, nor was the end thereof directed to his glory; albeit as saith the Apostle, after a sort they knew him, yet did they not glorifie him, and though they seemed omni virtutum genere praeclari, to excell in euery kinde of vertue, yet herein are they conuinced to be vniust, quod dona Dei non retulerunt ad suum authorem, that they returned not the gifts of GOD to the Author thereof, but rather abused them to their owne vaine-glory; and so fayling both in the beginning, as also in that end whereunto they should haue beene directed, they cannot haue the praise of acceptable vertues to GOD, but are rather to be accounted shadowes of vertues, than vertue indeed. Quid enim illis cum virtutibus, qui Dei virtutem Christum ignorant? what haue they to doe with vertue, who are ignorant of Christ the true vertue of God? Certe verus Philosophus est amator Dei: but the most excellent thing that euer they did, flowed rather from a loue of themselues, and their owne glory, than from any loue of God.

The second sort of persons excluded from the praise of* 1.20 true patience, are worldlings: who howsoeuer they endure very much, and sustaine great distresse in their bodies, and restlesse cares in their mindes, yet haue not this end propo∣sed to them, that by the good which presently they seeke they may attaine vnto better. Our Sauiour hath recommen∣ded to vs that patience whereby we possesse our soules; hee counts not of those sufferings, which men endure that they may possesse things which are without them: for what is that possession worth whereby men possesse those things which are without them, they themselues being possessed within of worse than themselues? They are called Lords, and are the seruants of seruants; haue Villages, Cities and

multitudes of men vnder their commandement, and they themselues are captiued slaues vnder the seruitude of Sa∣than: but that Patience is praise worthy, whereby we possesse our soules in patience, euen then when we sustayne greatest losse of things that are without vs: yet certainely all those cares of worldlings, which causes them to endure the ne∣cessities of hunger and thirst, the heat of the day, and cold of the night, seemes to be but licitae quodammodo insaniae, that is, lawfull and tollerable suries, if they be compared with others.

This definition doth also exclude from the praise of this* 1.21 excellent vertue those miserable Atheists who sustaine great stre••••e and painefull labours, that they may commit euill. These are they of whom Salomon saith, they cannot rest vn∣lesse they haue done wickedly. And of this sort were those Iewes who vowed they would neither eate nor drinke, till they had the Apostles life; and those pharasaicall spirits, of whom our Sauiour saith, they compasse both sea and land to make one of their owne religion, and vvhen they haue done, makes him ten times more than himselfe the childe of Sathan; this is wicked Patience. Vera enim patientia est amica bon•• conscientiae, non inimica innocentiae: as in like man∣ner, that losse of goods, vvant of rest, and enduring of shame, which men suffer to obtaine the sinfull pleasure of their lusts. For Patience is not famula concupiscentiae, the handmaid of inordinate concupiscence, but comes sapientiae, the companion of godly wisedome. And last of all here is secluded that Patience, by which men in the hardnesse of heart, endure most stubbornly the punishment inflicted vp∣on them for their sinnes, which is miseranda potius durities, quam miranda aut laudanda patientiae, rather miserable hard∣nesse to be pitied, than patience worthy to be praised: for then is patience good when the cause for which we suffer is good▪ It is not poena sed causa quae facit Martyrem, euery strong suffering of torment makes not a man a Martyr, but the good cause for which hee suffers: therefore are wee

commanded not to suffer as murtherers, theeues, or euill doers but as Christians.

And last of all are excluded from this praise of Patience,* 1.22 those professors, who being neyther hot nor cold, can suffer with patience to see the Lord dishonoured, and not be grie∣ued thereat, fierie in their owne particulars, when they are crossed; but more than colde and remisse in the cause of God: this is not Patience but effeminate feeblenesse. It is the praise of the Angell of the Church of Ephesus, that he could not suffer nor forbeare them that are euill, and it is the dispraise of Eli that when he knew his sonnes did wickedly he stayed them not. The Lord Iesus the most rare example of patience that euer liued in the world, was greatly commo∣ued when hee saw the house of God prophaned with mar∣chandise: though we be but priuate men▪ yet the rebukes of those who rebuke the Lord should fall vpon vs: if wee loue the Lord, we cannot but be commoued when we see him of∣fended; for no man can suffer that to be contemned which he loueth deerely: if we can doe no more, at least our eyes should gush out riuers of water when we see how the wicked will not keepe his Law.

But as for those whom God hath placed in publike au∣thoritie,* 1.23 there is more required of them, because more is giuen them, they ought to plead with an holy anger the cause of Gods glory, following the good example of Moses, who had this praise, that he was the most meeke man vpon earth; yet when the Lord was dishonoured by idolatry, his anger so encreased, that he brake the Tables, thereby de∣claring the people to be most vnworthy, with whom the Lord should keepe any couenant, he stamped their Calfe to powder, and executed the idolaters vnto death. That same holy Spirit, who once descended in the similitude of a Doue, did afterward discend in the similitude of fire, to teach vs his two-sold operation: in some cases hee maketh those vpon whom he descends like vnto the Doue, simple, meeke, pa∣tient, without any gall or bitternesse, and that is in offences

done against our selues; otherwise in offences done against our God he makes vs hot and feruent. Thus farre haue we spoken of Patience, which seeing it is so necessary a grace of the Spirit, we are to seeke it from the Father of light, from whom euery manner of good gift doth descend vnto vs.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The conclusi∣on of his first principall argu∣ment of com∣fort against the crosse.
• * 1.2

  Sixe seuerall reasons of com∣fort, lurking vnder this one.
• * 1.3

  The world∣lings comfort is in things that are seene, the Christians not so.
• * 1.4

  Augustines Allegorie on the words of Christ. Luke. 11. 11.
• * 1.5

  Wherein hee compares Loue to Bread that nourishes.
• * 1.6

  1 Cor. 13. 4.
• * 1.7

  Faith to the Fish that swims aboue.
• * 1.8

  And Hope to the Egge, wher∣in there is more good than appeares.
• * 1.9

  The fectlesse obiection of worldlings to Christians.
• * 1.10

  The foolishnes of worldlings rebuked by Christians.
• * 1.11

  Worldlings haue no pre∣sent pleasures: such as are gone are lost, such as are to come are vn∣certaine.
• * 1.12

  Impatience in trouble pro∣ceeds from the want of Hope.
• * 1.13

  Licentiousnes in prosperitie proceeds from the want of hope.
• * 1.14

  Without pati∣ence no grace can be preser∣ued.
• * 1.15

  Best medicine of our present euils is patience
• * 1.16

  The Christian be where hee will▪ shall not want cursed Cananites to crosse him.
• * 1.17

  They are left for our tryall and our Saui∣our by his ex∣ample teaches vs how to suf∣fer them.
• * 1.18

  What Chri∣stian Patience is.
• * 1.19

  Ethnicke Phi∣losophers ex∣cluded from the praise of true Patience.
• * 1.20

  Worldlings su∣stayning great distresse for gaine, are also excluded from the praise of true Patience.
• * 1.21

  Atheists who pine them∣selues to com∣mit euill, exclu∣ded from the praise of true Patience.
• * 1.22

  Carnall pro∣fessours patient when God is dishonoured, excluded from the praise of true Patience.
• * 1.23

  The holy spirit hath appeared somtime in the similitude of a Doue, somtime in the simili∣tude of fire, tea∣ching vs, &c.