tend and conduce to our good; acknowledging the truth SERM. of those divine aphorifms: Happy is the man whom God XLII. correcteth; whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, even as a Job v. 17. father the fon in whom he delighteth. As many as I love, IJam. i. 12. rebuke and chaften.

Prov. iii.

12.

Rev. iii. 19.

4. An entire fubmiffion and refignation of our wills to Heb. xii. 5. the will of God, fuppreffing all rebellious infurrections and grievous refentments of heart against his providence; which may difpofe us heartily to fay after our Lord, Let Luke xxii. not my will, but thine be done; with good Eli, It is the 42: Lord, let him do what Seemeth him good; with David, 18. Here I am, let him do to me as feemeth good to him; yea, 2 Sam. xv. even with Socrates, If fo it pleaseth God, fo let it be.

1 Sam. iii.

26.

5. Bearing adverfities calmly, cheerfully, and courageously, so as not to be difcompofed with anger or grief; not to be put out of humour, not to be dejected or difheartened; but in our disposition of mind to resemble the primitive faints, who were ὡς λυπούμενοι, ἀεὶ δὲ χαίροντες, as 2 Cor. vi. grieved, but always rejoicing; who took joyfully the spoil- Heb. x. 34. ing of their goods, who accounted it all joy when they Jam. i. 2. fell into divers tribulations.

10.

7. xxvii.14.

6. A hopeful confidence in God for the removal or easement of our afflictions, and for his gracious aid to support them well; agreeable to thofe good rules and precepts: It is good that a man should both hope, and wait Lam.iii. 26. quietly for the falvation of the Lord; Reft in the Lord, and Pfal.xxxvij. wait patiently for him; wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall ftrengthen thine heart; according to the pattern of David, who, in fuch a cafe, thus roufed and stayed himself: Why art thou caft down, O my foul, and Pfal. xlii. 5. why art thou difquieted within me? hope thou in God, for Ifhall yet praise him for the help of his countenance; and after the holy Apoftles, who in their most forlorn estate could fay, We are troubled on every fide, yet not distressed; 2 Cor. iv. 8. we are perplexed, but not in defpair; perfecuted, but not for faken; caft down, but not deftroyed.

7. A willingness to continue, during God's pleasure, in our afflicted state, without weariness or irksome longings for alteration; according to that advice of the Wife Man:

XLII.

SERM. My fon, defpife not the chaftening of the Lord, neither be weary of his correction; and that of the Apostle, backed with our Lord's example, Confidering him that endured Heb. xii. 3. Such contradiction of finners against himself, left ye be weary and faint in your minds.

Prov. iii.

11.

8. A lowly frame of mind (that is, being fober in our conceits of ourselves, fenfible of our unworthiness and meanness, of our natural frailty, penury, and wretchednefs; of our manifold defects and mifcarriages in practice; being meek and gentle, tender and pliable in our temper and frame of fpirit; being deeply affected with reverence and dread toward the awful majefty, mighty power, perfect juftice and fanctity of God; all this) wrought by our adverfity, effectually, according to its défign, quelling our haughty ftomach, foftening our hard hearts, mitigating our peevith humours; according to St. 1 Pet. v. 6. Peter's injunction, Be humbled under the mighty hand of God; and God's own approbation joined with a gracious Ezek. Ixvi. promife, To this man will I look; even to him that is of a poor and contrite fpirit, and trembleth at my word.

2.

19, 20.

9. Reftraining our tongues from all difcontentful complaints and murmurings, all profane, harth, unfavoury expreffions, importing displeasure or diffatisfaction in God's dealings toward us, arguing defperation or diftrust in him; fuch as were those of the impatient and increduPf. lxxviii. lous Ifraelites: They Spake against God, and faid, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he fmote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the ftreams overflowed; can he give bread alfo, can he provide flesh for his people? Such Ifa. viii. 21. as they used, of whom the Prophet said, When they fhall be hungry, they will fret themselves, and curse their King, and their God; fuch as they were guilty of, whom St. Jude 16. Jude calleth yoyyusas, xai μμμoípovs, murmurers, and querulous perfons, (or fuch as found fault with their lot,)

that which is ftyled, charging God foolishly; for abftaining from which, notwithstanding the preffure of his most grievous calamities, Job is commended, (where it is Job i. 22. faid, Job finned not, neither charged God foolishly ;) that which the Prophet condemneth as unreasonable in that

expoftulation, Wherefore doth the living man complain? In SERM. such cases we should smother our paffions in a still and XLII. filent demeanour, as the Pfalmift advised, and as he prac- Lam. iii. tifed himself: I was dumb, faith he, and opened not my 39. mouth, because it was thy doings. Yea, contrariwife, pa-7. xlvi. 10. tience requireth,

Pfal.xxxvii.

iv. 4.

Pf. xxxix.

10. Bleffing and praifing God, (that is, declaring our 9. hearty fatisfaction in God's proceedings with us, acknowledging his wisdom, justice, and goodness therein, expreffing a grateful fenfe thereof, as wholesome and beneficial to us,) in conformity to Job, who, upon the lofs of all his comforts, did thus vent his mind: The Lord gave, Job i. 21. and the Lord hath taken away; bleffed be the name of the Lord.

11. Abstaining from all irregular and unworthy courses toward the removal or redress of our croffes; choofing rather to abide quietly under their preffure, than by any unwarrantable means to relieve or relax ourselves; contentedly wearing, rather than violently breaking our yoke, Jer. v. b: or bursting our bonds; rather continuing poor, than striving to enrich ourselves by fraud or rapine; rather lying under contempt, than by finful or fordid compliances attempting to gain the favour and respect of men; rather embracing the meaneft condition, than labouring by any turbulent, unjust, or uncharitable practices to amplify our estate; rather enduring any inconvenience or diftrefs, than fetting Jer. xlii. 15. our faces toward Egypt, or having recourse to any fuccour which God difalloweth ; according to what is implied

in that reprehenfion of St. Paul, Now therefore it is utterly 1 Cor. vi. 7. a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another: Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather fuffer yourselves to be defrauded? and in that advice of St. Peter, Let them that fuffer according to the will of God, 1 Pet. iv. commit the keeping of their fouls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

12. A fair behaviour toward the inftruments and abettors of our affliction; those who brought us into it, or who detain us under it, by keeping off relief, or sparing to yield the fuccour which we might expect; the for

19.

'XLII.

SERM. bearing to exprefs any wrath or displeasure, to exercise any revenge, to retain any grudge or enmity toward them; but rather even upon that score bearing goodwill, and fhewing kindness unto them; unto them, not only as to our brethren, whom, according to the general law of charity, we are bound to love, but as to the fervants of God in this particular cafe, or as to the inftruments of his pleasure toward us; confidering that by maligning or mischiefing them, we do fignify ill refentment of God's dealings with us, and in effect, through their fides, do wound his providence: thus did the pious King demean himself when he was bitterly reproached and curfed by 2 Sam. xvi. Shimei; not fuffering, upon this account, any harm or requital to be offered to him: thus did the holy Apostles, 1 Cor. iv. who being reviled, did blefs; being perfecuted, did bear it; being defamed, did entreat: thus did our Lord deport him1 Pet. ii. 23. felf toward his spiteful adversaries, who being reviled, did not revile again; when he fuffered, did not threaten; but committed it to him that judgeth righteously.

7.

12.

iii. 9.

9.

13. Particularly in regard to those, who, by injurious and offenfive usage, do provoke us, patience importeth,

1. That we be not haftily, over-eafily, not immoderately, not pertinaciously incensed with anger toward them, Jam. i. 19. according to those divine precepts and aphorifms: Be Ecclef. vii. flow to wrath; be not hafty in thy Spirit to be angry; for Prov. xvi. anger refteth in the bofom of fools. Give place to wrath, 32. xiv. 17, (that is, remove it.) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil Speaking be put away from Eph. iv. 31, you, with all malice. Ceafe from anger, let go difpleasure, Col. iii. 8. fret not thyself anywife to do evil.

29.

Rom. xii.

19.

26.

Matt. v. 21,

24.

8.

2. That we do not in our hearts harbour any ill Pf. xxxvii. will, or ill wishes, or ill defigns toward them, but that we truly defire their good, and purpose to further it, as we shall have ability and occafion, according to that law, (even Levit. xix. charged on the Jews,) Thou shalt not bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; and according to that noble comMat. v. 44. mand of our Saviour, Love your enemies, pray for them Luke vi. 27. which despitefully use you and perfecute you.

18.

XLII.

3. That in effect we do not execute any revenge, or for SERM. requital do any mischief to them, either in word or deed but for their reproaches exchange bleffings, (or good words and wishes ;) for their outrages, repay benefits and good turns; according to thofe evangelical rules: Do good to Mat. v. 44, them that hate you, bless them that curfe you: Bless them Rom. xii. that perfecute you, blefs and curfe not: See that none render 14. evil for evil: Be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering evil for 15. evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwife bleffing: If 1 Pet. iii. 9. thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink : 21. Say not, I will do to him as he hath done to me; I will Rom. xii. render to the man according to his work: Say thou not, IProv. xxiv. will recompenfe evil, but wait on the Lord, and he shall fave thee.

1 Theff. v.

Prov. xxv.

20.

29. xx. 22.

14. In fine, patience doth include and produce a general meekness and kindness of affection, together with an enlarged fweetnefs and pleasantnefs in conversation and carriage toward all men; implying, that how hard foever our cafe, how forry or fad our condition is, we are not therefore angry with the world, because we do not thrive or flourish in it; that we are not diffatisfied or difgufted with the profperous eftate of other men; that we are not become fullen or froward toward any man, because his fortune excelleth ours, but that rather we do rejoice with them that rejoice; we do find complacence and Rom. xii. delight in their good fuccefs; we borrow fatisfaction and pleasure from their enjoyments.

In these and the like acts, the practice of this virtue (a virtue which all men, in this state of inward weakness and outward trouble, fhall have much need and frequent occafion to exercise) confifteth; unto which practice, even philofophy, natural reason, and common sense do suggest many inducements; the tenour of our holy faith and religion do fupply more and better; but nothing can more clearly direct, or more powerfully excite thereto, than that admirable example, by which our text doth enforce it: fome principal of those rational inducements we shall curforily touch, then infift upon this example.

It will generally induce us to bear patiently all things

15.