; as

prefent, than all the Deceitful and Unfatisfying Pleasures of the most Diffolute and Voluptuous Life. This is that Peace which the World cannot give, which paffes all Understanding, which it is more Happy to Feel than it is easy to Exprefs. This is that which makes all a Chriftian's Enjoyments truly Comfortable, and that allays the Bitterness of the most afflicting Croffes, that animates against the sharpeft and most dreadful Conflicts with all outward Evils. Let a Man live under the Senfe of God's reconciling Love, and he paffes undauntedly and cheerfully thro' whatever befalls him when this is withdrawn, he is presently Overwhelm'd with Darknefs and Horror, the Sweetest Bleffings are Taftlefs, and the Lightest Afflictions Intolerable. But to a Mind Conscious of its Own Integrity and God's Favour, nothing can be wanting to perfect its Felicity. In His Favour is Life, fays the Pfalmift; but not content with so mean an Expreffion, in another place he fays, Thy Loving Kindness is better than the Life itfelf. And a Soul thus affur'd of God's Love, and relying upon his Goodness, and Establish'd upon His Truth, what can be able to unfettle or difcompofe? Thus is the Juft Man's inward Peace fecur'd, and his Humility and Condefcenfion, and Gentlenefs and Charity, and all the rest of those Chriftian

Christian Virtues, that fo admirably dispose People or Societies to live in Peace and good Understanding with their Neighbours, fecure his Outward Tranquility as much. These are Difpofitions of Mind that the leaft of all expofe us to Affronts or Injuries from abroad, never offend nor provoke the powerful or the great, great, but engage the Love, and attract the Good-will of all round about us; and as St. Peter speaks, Who is He that will harm you, if ye be Followers of that

which is Good?

But befides this Natural Effect of Righte ousness, and the Exercise of all the Duties of Religion, there are Secondly, Many Express Promises of the Divine Favour and the Protection of his good Providence, watching over and defending all them who truly trust in him, and Confcientiously Obey his Holy Will and Commandments: The Eyes of the Lord are over the Righteous, and He will keep him in all his Ways. He has engag'd himfelf to be their Shield and Defence, to preferve the Obedient from, or fupport them under, or deliver them out of all their Trouble; and of this his Careing for the Righteous he has given us fo many and fo Emphatical Declarations in his Word, that it would be needless to inftance any, and endless to instance all; we need but open N 3

the

the Bible and read to find 'em, and to cry out with Holy David, not only, O how plen tiful is thy Goodness, which thou haft laid up for Them that fear Thee! (Provided for 'em in the World to come) but also as it immediately follows: and that thou hast prepar'd for them that put their Truft in Thee, even be fore the Sons of Men!

But in Oppofition to all this, it will be, and often has been urg'd, that the Contrary to what we have been afferting is by Expe rience rather found to be true; that Good Men are fo far from being exempted from the Misfortunes and Croffes and Calamities of this Life, that they are as much, if not more, expos'd to them than the Wicked; and that often for their being fo, for the fake of that Virtue and Piety, which we have been endeavouring to prove is their Security and Defence; and that on the Other fide, the Unjuft and the Sinful part of Mankind feem to enjoy the moft Worldly Profperity, and to be the most free from the Afflictions and Croffes of this present Life. They come in no Misfortune like other Folk, nei ther are they plagued like other Men, Pl. 73.5.

To which may be anfwer'd, that first, This Obfervation, that Good Men are the moft unhappy in this World, is not fo generally true as it is believ'd, even in the outward Appearance of things. For feeing God

allows

allows us all the reasonable Defires of Na ture, and has only forbid us what is Unrea fonable and Unneceffary; He that looks after the Happiness of a future Life, does not lofe any of the real Conveniencies of This; tho' indeed He that places His Happiness here, cannot find it in this World, and is fure to be miserable in Another. But it is no difficult Task to fhew, that God forbids nothing but what is really repugnant to Our Well-being here. And upon the Forbearance of what is fo, join'd with Our Entire Dependance upon Him for it, he hath made the gracious Offer of Eternal Happinefs. It is true in Extraordinary Cafes of Perfecution he requires more, but then he proposes Extraordinary Rewards to make abundant Recompence for it, and affords Extraordinary Affiftance to give fufficient Support under it; but in the common Or dinary Course of Mankind, he requires no more than the avoiding thofe Excelles in pleafing our Appetites, which even Nature itself and Right Reason condemn. And further it is certain by Experience, that even of thefe Worldly Goods many good Men have their Share, and that more of the Wicked than the Juft fall into the moft grievous and infupportable Calamities of this Life; in fupportable indeed to them,becaule brought upon 'em by their Own Sins. For when

Guilt and Affliction lye heavy upon a Man together, they add to each other's Weight; whereas Affliction meeting with a Confcience clear from Sin or cleans'd by Repentance, is always tolerable, for the moft part advantageous and comfortable.

Therefore 2dly, The true Answer to this Objection of the Mileries of the Righteous and the Profperity of the Wicked, is this, That they that make it are generally mistaken in the Nature of Good and Evil, and have not the True Measures of the Truth of this Propofition of my Text, That no Evil happens to the Juft. For the Divine Difpenfations, whether of Comforts or Croffes, are so far beneficial or hurtful, as they are receiv'd and us'd by Us.

That

is truly Relatively Good that makes a Man the better, and that truly Evil that makes a Man the worfe. If therefore Profperity and Success make aMan Thankful,and Charitable and Beneficent, then is Profperity good for him; but if it make him Proud, Infolent, Vain-glorious, forgetful of God and Oppreffive of his Neighbour,then whatever feemingly it may be, it is really Evil for him. So, if Adversity makes a Man Clamorous, Murmuring, Envious, Spightful, Injurious, then 'tis Evil indeed to him that fuffers it; But if it makes him Humble, Sober, Patient, and relying upon God, then