fhall perceive equal Reafon to be eafy and contented, in that our Affairs are lodged in the Hand of his Providence, which is much better and fafer, than to have the Management of them in our own Power. We are apt to imagine, that, if God would give us Leave to carve out our own Condition, we could make a most admirable Provision for ourselves; that if we could gain fuch a Point, and compass fuch a Defign, we should be made for ever; when alas! we never confider how many Inconveniencies would follow apon fuch a Suppofition. The fair Appearances of Things invite us, and we are hurried on by a blind and eager Defire; but, whether we are able to manage our Choice, we are wholly ignorant. We never confider what Dangers and Difficulties we shall meet with, what Snares and Temptations lie in our Way; how our Humours and Paffions are apt to vary with enlarged Circumftances, and what a great deal of Circumfpection and Steadiness is neceffary to fecure our Virtue. So that, next to the Providence of God, we often owe our Safety to our Impotence, and are only happy, because we have it not in our Power, by changing our Fortune, to make ourfelves miferable. One Man fancies, that, if he could but raife his Fortune to fuch a Pitch, no one could be happier than himfelf: But he does not feem to be aware, that many are Masters of much more than he defires, and yet are visibly uneafy and discontented. He never confiders, that the Care of keeping, and the Defire of increafing Riches, does often fo bufy and perplex Mens Minds, that they have no Leisure to enjoy them. He never thinks how many falfe and fantastical Appetites they are apt to excite in us, and to create more Wants than they are able to fatisfy; otherwife he would perceive, that the Happiness of a Man's Life confifteth not in the Abundance

Abundance of the Things which he poffeffeth. Another imagines, that there is a strange Felicity lodged in Authority, and is mightily troubled to fee himself fhut out: "If he was once in Power, "if he had a publick Stage to act upon, he would "make an illuftrious Figure, and rectify many of "thofe Disorders which disturb Society: But he "is fo unfortunate as to be confined to a private "Station; he is buried in an obfcure Retreat; "he has not Room enough to display his Parts "and Sufficiency; not Opportunities to fhew the "Greatness and Generosity of his Mind." But were he fenfible how dangerous a Thing it is to be great, how fteep and flippery an elevated Station is, and how much it lies exposed to Malice and Envy, he would rather dread the Precipice, than be eager to climb the Afcent.

Since then the moft tempting Conditions, that Men can propofe to themselves, are fo likely to make them unfortunate, is it not more prudent, as well as more pious, to refign up our Choice to the Providence of God; to acquiefce in his Difpofal, and to think thofe Circumstances moft proper, which he has placed us in? For, fhould God yield to the Importunity of our Complaints, his Favours might undo us, and, as the Heathen Poet obferves, the Succefs and Grant of our Requests would prove our Ruin. 'Tis a very difcreet Form of Prayer therefore, which one of the greatest of the Heathen Sages teaches us; "That God would give us fuch Things as were convenient for us, "though we did not ask them; and deny us fuch as were not, though we did." God has a perfect Knowledge of the Capacities and Inclinations of his Creatures, and what Effects every Condition will have upon them; he foresees what Miseries we shall be plunged into, if we are trufted to chufe for ourselves, what Rocks we should run upon, if

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he allowed us to steer to our own Point; and therefore, in pure Mercy, restrains us from fo dangerous a Freedom, denies us our fatal Wishes, and makes us happy against our Wills. Since then we are much more fecure in God's Hands, than we are in our own, how unreasonable, how ungrateful muft it be, to murmur at his Allotment, and be diffatisfied with the Refults of his Wisdom, merely by adhering to our own vain Imaginations! Nay, how vain and ridiculous is it to oppose our Wishes to the Divine Counfels, and to fret and fume at That, which we can by no Means help: For behold, God taketh away, fays holy Job, and who can hinder him? Who will fay unto him, what doft thou? If he will not withdraw his Anger, the proud Helpers do ftoop under him: How much less fall I anfwer him, and chufe out my Words to reason with bim? Whom, though I were righteous, I would not anfwer, but would make my Supplication to my Judge. And this will lead us,

II. To caft our Eyes upon ourselves, and to reflect a little on our own particular Condition, in order to establish our Content. And, to this Purpose, let us, in the first Place, afk ourselves, what are we? Creatures, that are naturally indigent and impotent, that have no just Claim to any Thing, nor any Poffeffion maintainable by our Power: All we have, or can have, comes from pure Courtefy and Bounty; and therefore, how little foever is allotted us, we have no Wrong done us, or any just Cause to complain. Nay, if we rightly furvey ourselves, and take into our Account the Depravities of our Nature, as well as the Enormities of our Lives, we fhall think any Thing good enough for us; and with all Humility confefs, that it is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not confumed, because bis Compaffions fail not. For fhall we, who are confcious to ourselves of fo many

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great Sins against our God, who, by wilful Tranfgreffions, and flothful Neglects, have fo much abused and affronted him; fhall we, I fay, affect to live in Eafe, and fwim in Plenty, and flourish in a brave and splendid Condition, when it is a Favour granted us, that we are permitted to fubfift? It is not, furely, for fuch Perfons to be diffatisfied with any Thing in this Life, but to blefs God's exceeding Mercy, that we are still on this Side of the bottomless Pit. I will bear the Indignation of the Lord (fays the Church, by the Mouth of the Prophet) because I have finned against him; and much more then fhould we acknowledge the Righteousness of God in all his Difpenfations, and account our Condition, though much more deplorable than it is, ten thousand times better than our Iniquities deferve.

For, indeed, what Condition can we figure to ourselves fo wretched and deplorable, as not to have fome Comforts to alleviate its Griefs, fome Advantages to place in the contrary Scale against its Inconveniencies. Poverty indeed may, at first Sight, feem a very fore Evil; but, if we confider it a little more attentively, what is it, but the Abfence of a few fuperfluous Things, which if we did not affect, we should not want; but, at the fame Time, the Abfence likewife of many Cares and Distractions, many Dangers, many Temptations, many Distempers both of Body and Soul, to which a plentiful and large Fortune is known to be expofed? 'Tis a State, which many have borne with great Chearfulnefs, which wife Men have voluntatily embraced, which the best Men have been known to endure, which God has expreffed his Regard to, and which the Son of God has dignified by his Choice, and fanctified by his Participation; and can such a State countenance our Murmurings and Complaints? We have but a fcanty Allowance S 2

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perhaps of the Neceffaries of Life, but then we eat the homely Morfel we have with a good Appetite, and fleep, when we are weary, without Disturbance; for the Sleep of a labouring Man is Sweet, eat he little, or eat be much. Together with our Poverty we have Health; and Health, and a good Eftate of Body, fays the wife Hebrew, is above all Gold; we have a quiet Mind, which all the Riches in the World are not to be compared with; a free Use of our Time, which the greatest Minifter of State would be glad to taste of; and an unfullied Reputation, which is more than can be obtained by the most splendid Fortune. Add to this, that our Confcience is easy, our Appetites within Rule, and our Faculties in their Vigour; that we have none of the Burthens, the Diseases, the Vices of Sloth and Luxury, and, if our Condition be really calamitous, feldom fail of the Compassion of Men, which is certainly much better, than that Envy, Ill-will, and Obloquy, which usually attend on Wealth and Profperity.

These are some of the Things, that God has made the Bleffings of a low Eftate, and we do manifeft Injustice to his Mercy and Goodness, when we overlook the comfortable Part, and fix our Attention upon nothing, but the Inconveniencies of it. For, fuppofe these Inconveniencies never fo great, and ourselves funk into the very Abyss of Calamities; yet, as there is no neceffary Connection between the present and the future, who can tell, what a Day may bring forth? The fame God, who maketh fore, bindeth up, who weakenetb the Strength of the Mighty, raifeth the Poor out of the Duft, and lifteth the Needy out of the Dunghill, that he may fet him with the Princes: And, therefore, fince nothing happens without his Determination; fince he knows our Calamity, and, as it were, fympathifes with us; above all, fince we