Hof. s.15.

Things which afflict our Confciences in the Day of Adverfity and Diftrefs: Then we recollect how vainly and foolishly we have lived we are much troubled that we offended God in any great inftance; and neglected the Duties and Inftitutions of his Religion. We must confefs, to our Shame, that we feldom feel our Need of, and Dependance upon God, when all Things that our Hearts can defire, are round about us, in great Affluence and Variety. When we are full, we are too prone to forget God; but in our Affliction we feek him early. Continual Eafe and Fulness, incline us to be proud, conceited, and humourfome. And if God fhould let us alone, we fhould cause great Vexations to our felves, out of the smallest Disappointments. When Afflictions do happen, our Impatience under them is an Argument that we wanted them, to bring us to Wisdom, and a good Temper; to Submiffion and Refignation to the Divine Will, God's Trials foften, and take down our Haughtiness, and make us bear with Patience what we once could not endure to hear of. They correct the Intemperance of our Defires, and the Peevishness of our Spirits: They bring our Contentment within a narrow Compafs, and make it more. eafy to us: And therefore faith St. Paul, We glory in Tribulation; knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience. Why then fhould we murmur, and take it ill from God, that he afflicts, fince it is for our Good? Do we use to blame a wife Phyfitian, when he prefcribes us a very P bitter

Rom. 5.3.

bitter Potion, in order to the prevention of a Disease, or for the Recovery of our Health? God is our wife Phyfitian; 'tis for the Health, and Improvement of our Souls, that he gives wholfom, though fharp Medicines. And thus much fhall ferve for the Second Head of Difcourfe. Proceed we now to the

III. The Wisdom and Security of Refignation to the Divine Appointments, because the Good we enjoy, and the Evil we fuffer are both from the Hand of God, shall we receive Good at the Hand of God, and fball we not receive Evil. This World is fuch a confused Mixture of Good and Evil; here we meet with fuch frequent Occafions of Dejection and Sorrow; fo unconftant are the Enjoyments; fo deceitful the Interefts; fo flippery the Friendships of it, that were it not for the inward Supports of Faith and Confcience, I confefs, I thould not know how to apply my felf to a Man, languishing under the afflicting Hand of God: The Troubles of this Life would be above the Power of Argument and Prov. 18. Perfwafion; but the Spirit of a Man will fuf

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Heb. 12.

11.

tain his Infirmities; and the Arguments of Religion, are at once, a fafe Retreat, and a fufficient Confolation. Doubtlefs, there is a godly, and a fanctified Ufe to be made of the fevereft Providences which befall us. Tho' no chaftening for the prefent, feemeth to be Foyous, but rather Grievous; nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable Fruits of Righteouf

nefs to them that are exercised thereby. For confider we,

1. That the patient bearing Afflictions will engage Almighty God to fupply us with fuitable Strength; and to fupport us with Comforts of a better Kind, than thofe he takes from us. The Heathen Seneca could fay, --Ecce par Deo dignum, Vir fortis cum malá Fortund compofitus. It is a Spectacle, worthy the Compaffion of God; a good Man patient, and compofed under his Misfortune. If he hereby makes us more conformable to his Will, and to the Image and Example of his Son; if we hereby get more fanctified Paffions, and a better Confcience than we had before 5 if by leffening our Love of this World, he increases our Faith and Hope of Heaven; in a Word; if under the Diftrefs of our outward Condition, he affords us more and more of the Affiftances of his good Spirit: Then although there are Worldly Evils to be born, yet there are also fpiritual Confolations to fupport us. The Apostle affures us, that God 1 Cor. 10. will not fuffer us to be tempted above what 13. we are able, but will with the Temptation make a Way to efcape, that we may be able to bear it. 'Tis true, the Apoftle was there speaking of the Primitive Chriftians, who, doubtlefs were favoured with more than ordinary Affiftances of the Divine Spirit, or, (as he elsewhere fpeaks) were ftrengthened with Might, by his Spirit in the inner Man. Yet it

is ftill the fame Righteous and Gracious God, who will not forfake his Servants in Adverfity: Who will adminifter Grace, fuitable to the Trials he brings them under: Who declared concerning his antient People, (and furely he is not lefs compaffionate under the merciful Terms of the Gofpel) That in all their Ifa. 63.9. Afflictions he was afflicted, and the Angel of bis Prefence faved them: In his Love, and in his Pity be redeemed them, and carried them all the Days of old.

2dly, Confider we further, That it is very much for the Honour of God, and the Intereft of Religion if we bear our Afflictions with Chriftian Courage and Patience. How did fob outwit the Devil, and baffle him in his Mafter-piece of Policy, by continuing unbroken under all his Afflictions? What a glorious Teftimony did he thereby bear to the Divine Providence? How great an Influence muft his Example needs have upon all the Religious Men, that lived in thofe early Ages of the World? The fame Effect, the patient Sufferings of good Men have to this Day; this fhews the Power and Sincerity of our Faith that our Religion is not Mercenary and Counterfeit; when no Worldly Lofs, no outward Pain can beat us from it; Men will conclude, that we ferve a good Mafter, when we will fuffer fo much in Obedience to his Command; that we are in good Earneft fixt for Heaven, when we will fubmit to all the

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Calamities of Earth, rather than deftroy our Hope of it. In a Word; hereby we declare that without this Worlds Comforts, God alone, and his Favour is a fufficient Reward. This the Primitive Chriftians were fo far from looking upon as a Reproach, or a Judg ment; that they thought it a Mercy, and the greatest Honour they were called to. And they departed from the Prefence of the Coun- Ads 5. 41. cel, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to fuffer Shame for his Name.

3dly, and Laftly, This does not only tend to the Glory of God, and the Advancement of Religion; but alfo it conveys unto our felves good Grounds of Comfort and Affurance. For, though I grant, that without thefe Trials, a good Man may have a reasonable, and fatisfactory Affurance of his own Integrity Though he that is careful to keep a good Confcience, and to difcharge his Duty to God and Man, in all the Inftances of

need not queftion, but that he is in the Divine Favour, even when the World fmiles upon him: Yet it can't be denied, but that he has a more coinfortable Affurance when he retains his Integrity; and goes on to de-. pend and confide in, to Love and worThip God, under the heaviest preffure of Affictions Upon this Trial we can't doubt, but that it was for God's Sake, that we laid a Restraint upon our Natures and Paffions;

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