SERM. adoring it; which fwayeth in hell itself, the curfed fiends XXXVI. trembling at it and fhall we alone (we pitiful worms crawling on earth) presume to murmur, or dare to kick against it?

18.

It is the will of our Maker, who, together with all our other faculties, did create and confer on us the very power of willing and fhall we turn the work of his hands, the gift of his bounty, against him?

It is the will of our Preferver, who, together with all that we are or have, continually doth uphold our very will itfelf; fo that without employing any pofitive force, merely by letting us fall out of his hand, he can send us and it back to nothing: and fhall our will clash with that, on which it fo wholly dependeth; without which it cannot fubfift one moment, or move one step forward ́in action?

It is the will of our fovereign Lord, who, upon various indifputable accounts, hath a just right to govern us, and an abfolute power to difpofe of us: ought we not there1 Sam. iii. fore to say with old Eli, It is the Lord, let him do to me us it feemeth good to him? Is it not extreme iniquity, is it not monftrous arrogance for us, in derogation to his will, to pretend giving law, or picking a station to ourselves? Do we not manifestly incur high treason against the King of heaven, by fo invading his office, ufurping his authority, fnatching his fceptre into our hands, and fetting our wills in his throne?

It is the will of our Judge, from whofe mouth our doom muft proceed, awarding life or death, weal or woe unto us: and what fentence can we expect, what favour can we pretend to, if we prefumptuously fhall offend, oppofe that will, which is the fupreme rule of justice and fole fountain of mercy?

It is the will of our Redeemer, who hath bought us with an inestimable price, and with infinite pains hath rescued us from miferable captivity under most barbarous enemies, that obeying his will we might command our own, and ferving him we might enjoy perfect freedom: and shall we, declining his call and conduct out of that

unhappy state, bereave him of his purchase, fruftrate his SERM. undertakings, and forfeit to ourselves the benefit of fo XXXVI. great redemption?

It is the will of our best Friend; who loveth us much better than we do love ourfelves; who is concerned for our welfare, as his own dearest interest, and greatly delighteth therein; who, by innumerable experiments, hath demonftrated an excess of kindnefs to us; who in all his dealings with us purely doth aim at our good, never charging any duty on us, or difpenfing any event to us, fo much with intent to exercise his power over us, as to express his goodness towards us: who never doth afflict or Lam. iii.33. grieve us more against our will, than against his own defire; never indeed but when goodness itself calleth for it, and even mercy doth urge thereto; to whom we are much obliged, that he vouchfafeth to govern and guide us, our fervice being altogether unprofitable to him, his governance exceedingly beneficial to us: and doth not such a will deferve regard; may it not demand compliance from us? To neglect or infringe it, what is it? is it not palpable folly, is it not foul difingenuity, is it not deteftable ingratitude?

So doth every relation of God recommend his will to us; and each of his attributes doth no less: for,

It is the will of him, who is most holy, or whose will is effential rectitude: how then can we thwart it, without being stained with the guilt, and wounded with a sense of great irregularity and iniquity?

It is the will of him, who is perfectly just; who therefore cannot but affert his own righteous will, and avenge the violation thereof: is it then advisable to drive him to that point by wilful provocation; or to run upon the edge of neceffary severity?

It is the will of him, who is infinitely wife; who therefore doth infallibly know what is best for us, what doth moft befit our capacities and circumstances; what in the final refult will conduce to our greatest advantage and comfort: fhall we then prefer the dreams of our vain

SERM. mind before the oracles of his wifdom? fhall we, forfakXXXVI. ing the direction of his unerring will, follow the impulse of our giddy humour?

It is the will of him, who is immensely good and benign; whofe will therefore can be no other than goodwill to us; who can mean nothing thereby but to derive bounty and mercy on us: can we then fail of doing well, if we put ourselves entirely into his hands? are we not our own greatest enemies, in withstanding his gracious intentions?

It is, finally, the will of him, who is uncontrollably powerful; whofe will therefore muft prevail one way or other; either with our will or against it, either fo as to bow and fatisfy us, or fo as to break and plague us: for, Ifa. xlvi.10. My counsel, faith he, shall stand, and I will do all my pleafure. As to his dispensations, we may fret, we may wail, we may bark at them; but we cannot alter or avoid them: fooner may we by our moans check the tides, or by our cries ftop the fun in his career, than divert the current of affairs, or change the state of things established by God's high decree: what he layeth on, no hand can remove; what he hath destined, no power can reverse : our anger therefore will be ineffectual, our impatience will have no other fruit, than to aggravate our guilt and augment our grief.

Dan. v. 23.

As to his commands, we may lift up ourfelves against them, we may fight stoutly, we may in a fort prove conquerors; but it will be a miserable victory, the trophies whereof shall be erected in hell, and stand upon the ruins of our happiness; for, while we insult over abused grace, we must fall under incenfed juftice: if God cannot fairly procure his will of us in way of due obedience, he will furely execute his will upon us in way of righteous vengeance; if we do not surrender our wills to the overtures of his goodness, we muft fubmit our backs to the ftrokes of his anger: he must reign over us, if not as over loyal fubjects to our comfort, yet as over ftubborn rebels to our confufion; for this in that cafe will be our doom,

and the last words God will defign to spend upon us, Thofe SERM. mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over XXXVI. them, bring them hither, and flay them before me.

Luke xix.

Heb. xiii.

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead 27 our Lord Jefus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through 20, 21. the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift: to whom be glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

VOL. II.

SERMON XXXVII.

OF CONTENTMENT.

PHIL. iv. 11.

̓Εγὼ γὰρ ἔμαθον ἐν οἷς εἰμὶ, αὐτάρ xns sivas.

I have learned in whatever ftate I am, therewith to be

content.

SERM. IN these words, by the example of an eminent faint, is XXXVII. recommended to us the practice of an excellent duty, or

virtue; a practice in itself moft worthy, very grateful to God, and immediately of great benefit to ourselves; being indeed necessary towards the comfortable enjoyment of our lives it is contentednefs; the virtue, which, of all other, doth most render this world acceptable, and conftituteth a kind of temporal heaven; which he that hath, is Taurag- thereby ipfo facto in good measure happy, whatever other πες τίθεμεν, Move things he may feem to want; which he that wanteth, aigsToy To doth, however otherwise he be furnished, become miferaτὸν βίον, κα μndevòs ivde, ble, and carrieth a kind of hell within him: it cannot Arift. Eth. therefore but well deferve our beft ftudy about it, and

i. 7.

Τὸ εὐδαιμονῶν ἀπέχειν δεῖ

care to get it; in imitation of St. Paul, who had learned in whatever ftate he was, therein to be content.

In difcourfing upon which words I fhall confider two particulars: first, the virtue itself, (contentedness in every ftate,) the nature of which I fhall endeavour to explain; then the way of attaining or producing it, implied by St. Paul in the words, I have learned.

I. For explication of the virtue : the word here expressTára ding it is avτágxax, which fignifieth self-sufficiency, or