Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_500.lzh/D_594.TXT

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594                                                      OF PATIENCE.                                                         BOoK I.

good and perfect gift comes; and as th,s ,s a gift, as
every grace is, and a good one in its nature, use, and
consequences; and is a perfect one, when it has its
perfect work and effect, it must come from God; and
hence %e is called, The God of patience, because he is
the author of it, as well as requires it, and it is exer-
cised towards him, by whom seems to be meant God,
even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Ram. xv.
5, 6. We read also of the patience of Christ, and of
being directed into it, as well as into the love of God,
2 Thess. iii. 5. and which may signify, not only the
patie,ce exercised by Christ in his human nature,
amidst all his afflictions and sufferings; bnt what he
works in the hearts of his people, and encourages them
to exercise; for as he is the author and finisher of
faith, so of patience; and the saints are companions
of one another in the kingdom and patience of .lesus
Christ: and even his patience as man is the exemplar
and pattern of theirs; for he haqs left an example of
it, that they may tread in his steps; and certain it is,
that long-suffering, or patience, which is the same, is
a fruit of the Spirit, Gal. v. 22. so that all the three
Persons are concerned in it.    .2. The instrumental
causes of it are the scriptures, and word of God and
Christ; which are written, that we through patience
and comfort of the scriptures might have hope; which,
as they are the means of instruction and consolation,
so of patience. The word of God encourages to it,
furnishes with arguments for the exercise of it, and
gives instances and examples of it, exciting there-
unto; he,,ee Christ calls it, the word of his patience;
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, Rev.
iii. 10. and this word, accompanied with a divine
power, and received into a good heart, made so by the
Spirit ?f God, bringsforth.fruit w,?h patience, and pa-
tience ,s one of its fruits, Lnke viii. 13.--3. Afflic-
tions themselves are a means of increasing it, for af-
flictions try faith; and the trying of faith works pa-
tience, and brings that into exercise, and inures unto
it; yea, it ,s expressly said, that tribulation works pa-
tience, that is, when sanctified; otherwise it produces
impatience and murmurlogs, James i. 3. Ram. v. 3.
I proceed to observe,
Thirdly, The usefulness of this grace, and the exer-
cise of it. As,
1. It makes a man comfortable and happy in him-
self; without this a man cannot enjoy himself, his
mercies and his fi'iends; hence the advice of Christ
to his disciples, In your patience possess ye your souls,
Luke xxi. 19. an impatient man can have no enjoy-
ment of himself, nor of any thing he has; he is always
restless and uneasy, and has no peace in himself;
whereas a man possessed of patience, and in the exer-
cise of it, has a peace which the world cat, neither give
nor take away, a peace in the midst of tribulation.- .
-2. It is of great use in running the christian race;
Let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb. xii. 1. by the race is meant the christian's course
of lifo in this world, and what still remains of it to be
run out; the prize run for is the prize of the high
calling, the heavenly glory, the crown of life, glory,

and righteousness, laid up in heave,,; this race is sei
before us, the way is marked out in which we are to
run; the rubs, the troubles, the impediments to be
met with in the way are appointed; the mark to direct
and steer the course by, and which is always to be had
in view, is Christ, who is the hope set before us in the
gospel; the length of the course to be run is fixed,
the whole time of life, every year, month, day, and
moment: and it requires patience to run it; partly
through the length of the race, which sometimes ap-
pears tedious; and partly because of the troubles, dif-
ficultieS, and discouragements in the way; and like-
wise because of the prize saints long (o be in the
enjoyment of..    3. There is need of it, and of its
exercise, in doing the will of God, in order to receive
the promise, Heb. x. 36. by doing the will of God is
not so much meant obeying the preceptire will of
God, as to submit to the will of God respecting afflic-
lions and sufferings for his sake; for it is given, and
it is the will of God, not only that men should believe
in Christ, and follow him, but that they shoulid suffer
for Ms sake; and to do this requires patience, and a
quiet submission to the will of God; which is the way
to be quiet, patient, and humble under his mighty
hand, whilst suffering according to his will, 1 Pet. iv.
19. and so patience is necessary to receive the pro-
mise, the promised glory, after the will of God is done
in a way of suffering; for the promise is made to him
that endures patiently; Blessed is the man that en-
dureth temptation, afflictions with patience; he shall
receive the crown of life; obtain the promise, as Abra-
ham did, and through faith and patience inherit it,
James i. 12. Heb. vi.' 12, 15.--4. Another use of the
grace of patience is, that when it has its perfect work,
saints become perfect also, James i. 4. this grace is
imperfect, as all others are, faith, hope, love, know-
ledge, &c. and even in the best, and in such who have
been most eminent for it, as Job particularly; and yet
what impatience was he guilty of at times ? though it
may be increased, as every other grace; for as there
is such a thing as growing in grace in general, so in
any grace in particular, and in this also: when it is
said, that tribulation works patience, the meaning is,
that it is the means and occasion {2} of increasing it.
And it may be said to be perfect, when it appears to be
sincere and genuine, as it does by its heine tried by
afflictions; and it has its perfect work when it is con-
stant in its exercise, and continues to the end; and
then will the saints be perfect, which they are not now
in themselves, only in Christ their head; but when
this grace, and every other, shall be perfect, then will
they be perfect in holiness and happiness, as they will
be at the resurrection in soul and body, and be entire,
complete, and want nothing.
Fourthly, The motives or arguments exciting to
the exercise of this grace, may next be considered,
1. It is what God calls his people to; as to suffer
for well-doing, so to take suffering for well doing pa-
tiently; For even hereunto were ye caged, that is, to
take it patiently, ! Pet. ii. 21. hence these freqnent
exhortations to it; Be patient in tribulation; be patient

a Calamitas virtutis occasio est, Seneca de Providentin, c. 4.