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felves into us, what wifdom, what virtue are we like to SERM. have?

XXXIX.

Seeing then adverfity is fo wholesome and useful, the remedy of fo great mifchiefs, the cause of fo great benefits to us, why fhould we be displeased therewith 9? To be displeased with it, is to be displeased with that which is moft needful or moft convenient for us, to be displeased with the health and welfare of our fouls; that we are rescued from errors and vices, with all their black train of miferies and mischiefs; to be displeased that we are not detained under the reign of folly and wickedness, that we are not inevitably made fools and beafts. To be disgusted with Providence for affliction or poverty, is no other than as if we should be angry with our physician for adminiftering a purge, or for prescribing abstinence to us; as if we should fret at our chirurgeon for fearching our wounds, or applying needful corrofives; as if we should complain of the hand which draweth us from a precipice, or pulleth Jude 23. us out of the fire. Many benefits, faith Seneca, have a fad and rough countenance, as to burn and cut in order to healings: fuch a benefit of God is adverfity to us; and as fuch with a gladfome and thankful mind should we receive it.

James v. 1.

If with a diligent obfervation we confult experience, we shall find, that, as many have great cause to bewail that they have been rich, that they have been blinded and Luke vi. 24. corrupted with prosperity, that they have received their Amos vi. 1, confolation here; fo many have great reason to be glad &c. that they have been poor, that they have been difappointed, that they have tasted the bitter cup; it having inftructed and corrected them; it having rendered them fober and confiderate, industrious and frugal, mindful of

¶ Gratulari et gaudere nos decet dignatione divinæ caftigationis-O fervum illum beatum, cujus emendationi Dominus inftat; cui dignatur irafci, quem admonendi diffimulatione non decipit. Tert. de Pat. 11.

Ὁ ἁμαρτάνων κἂν μὴ κολάζηται, πάντων ἐςὶν ἀθλιώτερΘ, &c. Chryf. Ανδρ. 5. * Η νοσώντων ἰατρείαι, ἢ ὑγιαινόντων γυμνασίαι. Simpl.

Κρείττων εὐημερίας ἀχαλινώτε νόσο φιλόσοφΘ. Νaz. Εp. 66.

• Beneficia multa triftem et afperam frontem habent, quemadmodum urere, et fecare, ut fanes. Sen. de Benef. v. 20.

:

SERM. God, and devout toward him and what we may rejoice XXXIX. in when past, why should we not bear contentedly when prefent? why fhould not the expectation of such good fruits fatisfy ust?

Why should not fuch a condition, being fo plainly better in itself, seem also better unto us? We cannot, if we are reasonable, but approve it in our judgment; why then are we not fully reconciled unto it in our affection?

Horrorem operis fructus excufat. Tert. Scorp. 5.

Let our condition be what it will, we are the fame. It doth not change us in our intrinfic worth or ftate. It is but a garment about us, or as weather. Ego utrum

Nave ferar magna an parva, ferar unus et idem. Hor. Ep. ii. 2.

SERMON XL.

OF CONTENTMENT.

PHIL. iv. 11.

I have learned in whatfoever ftate, &c.

1.

XL.

5. BUT farther: Let our state be, as to quality, what it SERM. will, good or bad, joyful or unpleasant, we may yet confider, that it cannot be desperate, it may not be lasting; for there is not any neceffary connection between the present and the future: wherefore, as the present, being momentary and tranfient, can little trouble us, fo the future, being unknown and uncertain, should not dismay us. As no man reasonably can be elevated with confidence in a good state, prefuming on its duration, (Boaft Prov. xxvii. not thy felf of to-morrow, for thou knoweft not what a day may bring forth;) fo no man fhould be dejected for a bad one, in fufpicion that it will abide longa; feeing neither (confidering the frequent viciffitudes that occur, and the flux nature of all things here) is each of them in itself ftable; and the continuance of each abfolutely dependeth on God's arbitrary disposal; and as God often doth overturn prosperity, to human judgment moft firmly grounded, fo he moft eafily can redrefs the to appearance moft forlorn adverfity; and he, being especially the helper of the Pfal. Ixxii. helpless, doth frequently perform it: as he poureth contempt

• Multa intervenient quibus vicinum periculum vel prope admotum aut fubfiftat aut definat, aut in alienum caput tranfeat. Sen.

12. cvii. 9. x. 4. cvi. 9. Job xii. 21.

Pf. cvii. 40.

XL.

SERM. upon princes, and weakeneth the ftrength of the mighty; fo he raifeth the poor out of the duft, and lifteth the needy out Ifa. xxv. 5. of the dunghill: he cafteth down the mighty from their seat, Job v. 11. and exalteth the humble and meek: he fendeth the rich Pfal. xviii. empty away, and filleth the hungry with good things. He maketh fore, and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

Ifa. ii. 11.

27.

Pfa. cxiii. 7.

evii. 41. Job v. 18.

1 Sam. ii. 7.

30.

Luke xxi.

Confidering therefore the reason of things, and the nature of God, if our state be at present bad or forrowful, we have more reason to hope for its amendment, than to fear its continuance b. If indeed things went on in a fatal track, merely according to a blind and heedlefs chance, or a ftiff and unalterable neceffity; if there were no remedy from God's providence, or fupport by his grace to be expected, (although even then there would be no reason to grieve or complain; grief would be unreasonable, because unprofitable, complaint would be vain, because fortune and fate are deaf,) yet our infirmity might fomewhat exMatt. x. 29. cufe that idle proceeding; but fince not a sparrow falleth to the ground, not a hair of our head perisheth; nothing at all paffeth otherwise, than by the voluntary difpofition of a moft wife and gracious God; fince he doth always ftrictly view, and is very fenfible of our griefs, yea doth in a manner fympathize with them, (according to those Hof. xi. s. pathetical expreffions in the prophets: His bowels found, Jer. xxxi. and are troubled; his heart is turned within him; In all Ifa. Ixiii. 9, their afflictions he was afflicted :) fince he farther hath by Luke xii. promife obliged himself to care for us, to support and fuccour us; we have all reason to hope, yea firmly to believe, Matt. vi.33. (if at least we can find in our hearts to hope and to bePhil. iv. 6. lieve,) that we fhall, as foon as it is good and expedient for Pfal. Iv. 23. us, find relief and ease; we shall have that suxaipov Bondsav, xxxvii. 5. that feafonable fuccour, of which the Apostle to the HeHeb. iv. 6. brews fpeaketh.

18.

20.

15.

29, 31.

Heb. xiii. 5.

1 Pet. v. 7.

b Tois

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νῶν ἔχεσι και σώφρονι λογισμῷ κεχρημένοις ἐδὲν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἀδόκητον,

ἐδὲν γὰρ τούτων σαθερὸν ἢ βέβαιον, &c. Theod. Εp. 14.

Sperat adverfis, metuit fecundis,

Alteram forteni bene præparatum pectus. Hor. Carm. ii. 10.

13.

Hope lieth at the bottom of the worst condition that SERM. can be: The poor, faith Job's friend, hath hope; and the XL. rich can have no more; the future being equally clofe to Job v. 16. both, the one can have no greater affurance to keep what he hath, than the other hath to get what he needeth; yea clearly the poor hath the advantage in the cafe; for God hath more declared, that he will relieve the poor man's want, than that he will preserve the rich man's ftore: if then we have in every condition a hope prefent to us, why do we grieve as those who have no hope? having 1 Theff. iv. ever ready the best anchor that can be to rest upon, (for in this rolling fea of human affairs, there is no firmer anchor than hope,) why do we let our minds be toffed with difcontentful folicitudes and fears? why do we not rather, as the Apostle enjoineth, rejoice in hope, than grieve out Rom. xii. of despair? why do we not, as the Prophet adviseth, hope Lam. iii.26. and wait quietly for the falvation of the Lord? The effect of fo repofing ourselves for the future on God's providence. would be perfect content and peace, according to that of the Prophet, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whofe Ifa. xxvi. 3. mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee; and that

Heb. vi, 19.

12.

of the Wise Man, A patient man will bear for a time, and Eccl. i. 23. afterwards joy fhall Spring up unto him.

The truth is, and it feemeth very observable, in order to our purpose, that most discontent arifeth, not from the fenfe of incumbent evil, but from fufpicion, or fear of fomewhat to come; although God at present dispenseth a competency of food and raiment, although we are in a tolerable condition, and feel no extremity of want or pain, yet, not defcrying the way of a future provifion for us, anfwerable to our defires, we do trouble ourselves; which demeanour implieth great ignorance and infidelity : we think God obliged in kindness, not only to bestow upon us what is needful in its feafon, but to furnish us with stores, and allow us fecurities; we must have fomewhat in hand, or we cannot truft him for the future: this is that which our

• Πολλῆς μικροψυχίας ἐσὶν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὕτερον συμβησομένων, ἢ μηδὲ ὅλως συμβη cquívæv càv ådvμíav ñòn xagrãoda, y nízkoda. Chryf. ad Stagir. 2.

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