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whence follows impatience and troublesome vexation upon every occasion, like the raging sea, which with every wind does foam and rage, and cast up nothing but mire and dirt, Isaiah lvii. 20. And, as James saith, Whence are wars and fightings, James iv. 1, so I say of all other fruits of impatience, but from your lusts which war in your members? Take away the causes of impatience, then you have made a good advance towards gaining Christian patience.

Secondly, Lay a good foundation of patience by being humble and low in your own eyes, through an apprehension that you are less than the least of God's mercies, and that your greatest punishments are less than your iniquities have deserved, Ezra ix. 13. As Christians abound in humility so will they abound in patience, witness the examples of Abraham, Moses, Job, David, and others.

Thirdly, Labour to gain and improve the Christian graces of faith, hope, and love: all and either of these calm the heart, and keep it steady in adversity. For besides that, they quiet the heart in the assurance of God's love in Christ: For being justified by faith, we have peace with God, rejoice in hope, Rom. v. 1, 3, 4; whence proceed joy and patience in tribulation. And who can be impatient with him whom he loves with all his heart and strength? These graces also furnish the Christian with an ability of spiritual reasoning and disputing with a disquieted soul, whereby it may be happily composed, and brought to possess itself in patience under any adversity.

Wherefore the fourth means of patience is, to do as David did. Whensoever you find your heart begin to fret and be impatient, you must, before passion or grief has got the mastery over you, ask your soul what is the matter; and why it is so disquieted within you, Psa. xlii. 11. This do seriously, and your heart will quickly represent to you such and such afflictions aggravated by many circumstances of distress. All which you must answer by the spiritual reasoning of your faith, founded on the word of God, whereby you may quiet your heart, and put your grief to silence.