It is a true observation, that meekness inviteth injury, but al- ways to its own cost. And it was evidently verified in the suffer-
* Ingenue prqfiteor Mud ipsum caput adjtdem Christianam me addtixissey nam plus ?«i7- lies Ulud caput perlegi. Hornbcck contra Jud. lib. 6. cap. I. p. 408.
t 7731*3 Respondil. Humiliavit. Demisit. Depressit. tl*>3 ExegU. Buxtorf.
\ That he may the more commend Christ's patience and meekness, as his glo- rious ornament, he compares him to a sheep and a lamb, yfurlori in Uc.
358 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SEUM. XXIX.
ings of Christ. Christ's meekness triumphed over the affronts and injuries of his enemies, much more than they triumphed over him. Patience never had a more glorious triumph, than it had upon the cross.
The meekness and patience of his spirit, amidst injuries and pro- vocations, is excellently set forth in 1 Pet. ii. 22, 23. " Who did " no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth : who when he " was reviled, reviled not again ; when lie suffered he threatened " not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously."
In this point we have these three things to open doctrinally.
1. The burden of sufferings, and provocations that Jesus Christ was oppressed With.
2. The meekness and admirable patience with which he sup- ported that burden.
3. The causes and grounds of that perfect patience which he th(ffl exercised.
First, The burden of sufferings and provocations which Christ supported, was very great ; for on him met all sorts and kinds of trouble at once, and those in their highest degrees and fullest strength. Troubles in his soul, and these were the soul of his troubles. His soul was laden with spiritual horrors and troubles, as deep as it could swim, Mark xiv. 33. " He began to be sore " amazed and very heavy." The wrath of an infinite dreadful God beat him down to the dust. His body full of pain and ex- quisite tortures in every part. Not a member or sense but was the seat and subject of torment.
His name and honour suffered the vilest indignities, blasphe- mies, and horrid reproaches that the malignity of Satan and wick- ed men could belch out against it. He was called a blasphemer, seditious, one that had a devil, a glutton, a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and harlots, the carpenter s son, this fellow. He that was GooTs fellow, as you heard lately, now this fellow. Contempt was poured upon all his offices. Upon his kingly office, when they crowned him with thorns, arrayed him with purple, bowed the* knee in mockery to him and cried, " Hail king of the Jews." His prophetical, office, when they blinded him, and then bid him " prophesy who smote him." His priestly office, when they re- viled him on the cross, saying, " He saved others, himself he " cannot save."" They scourged him, spit in his face ; and smote him on the head and face. Besides, the very kind of death they put him to, was reproachful and ignominious ; as you heard before.
Now all this, and much more than this, meeting at once upon an innocent and dignified person ; one that was greater than all ; that lay in the bosom of God ; and from eternity had his smiles
SERM. XXIX. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 359
and honours; upon one that could have crushed all his enemies as a moth ; I say, for him to bear all this, without the least dis- composure of spirit, or breach of patience, is the highest triumph of patience that ever was in the world. It was one of the greatest wonders of that wonderful day :
Secondly, And that is the next thing we have to consider, even this almighty patience and unpatterned meekness of Christ, sup- porting such a burden with such evenness and steadiness of spirit. Christian patience, or the grace of patience, is an ability or power to suffer hard and heavy thing*, according to the will of God.
It is a power, and a glorious power, that strengthens the suffer- ing soul to bear. It is our passive fortitude, Col. i. 11. " Strength- " ened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all " patience, and long-suffering with joy fulness ;" i. e. strengthened with the might or power of God himself: Or such as might appear to be the proper impress and image of that divine power, which is both its principle and pattern. For the patience which God exer- cises towards sinners, that daily wrong and load him, is called power, and great power, Numb. xiv. 17. " Let the power of my " Lord be great, as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long- " suffering, forgiving," &c. Hence it is observed, Prow xxiv. 10. That the loss or breaking of our patience under adversity, argues a decay of strength in the soul. " If thou faint in the day " of adversity, thy strength is small."
It is a power or ability in the soul, to bear hard, heavy, and dif- ficult things*. Such only are the objects of patience. God hath several sorts of burdens to impose upon his people. Some heavier, others lighter; some to be carried but a few hours, others many days ; others all our days : some more spiritual, bearing upon the soul ; some more external, touching or punishing the flesh imme- diately ; and the spirit by way of sympathy : and sometimes both sorts are laid on together. So they were at this time on Christ. His soul burdened as deep as it could swim ; full of the sense, the bit- ter sense and apprehension of the wrath of God : his body filled with tortures : in every member and sense grief took up its lodg- ing. Here wras the highest exercise of patience.
It is a power to bear hard and heavy things, according to the will I of God. Considering it in that respect, patience, the Chris- tian grace, differs from patience the moral virtue. So the apos- tle describes it, 1 Pet. iv. 19. " Let them that suffer according to " the will of God,11 &c. i. e. who exercise patience graciously, as God would have them.
* These two virtues, viz. uto/xov/j, i. e. patience, and {AaXfoQ-j/Utict, i. e. meekness, are inseparable concomitants of that strength and fortitude, which the Spirit bestows on us Daven.
360 Till-: FOCNTA1X OF LIFE. SESM. XXIX.
And then our patience is, as Christ's most exactly was, according to the will of God ; when it is as extensive, as intensive, and as protensive as God requires it to be.
First, When it is as extensive, as God would have it. So was Christ's patience. It was a patience that stretched and extended itself to all, and every trouble and affliction, that came upon him. Troubles came upon him in troops, in multitudes. It is said, Psal. xl. 12. " Innumerable evils have compassed me about.'1 Yet he found patience enough to receive them all. It is not with us. Our patience is often worn out. And like sick people, we fancy, if we were in another chamber, or bed, it would be better. If it were any other trouble than this, we could bear it. Christ had no exceptions at any burden his Father would lay on. His patience was as large as his trouble, and that was large indeed.