the Bible and read to find 'em, and to cry out with Holy David, not only O how plentiful 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 haft prepar'd for them that put their Truft in Thee, even before 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 Experience rather found to be true; that Good Men are so 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 seem to enjoy the moft Worldly Profperity, and to be the moft free from the Afflictions and Croffes of this prefent Life. They come in no Misfortune like other Folk, neither are they plagued like other Men, Pf. 73. 5.

To which may be anfwer'd, that firft, 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

1

allows us all the reasonable Defires of Nature, and has only forbid us what is Unreafonable and Unneceffary; He that looks after the Happiness of a future Life, do's not lose 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 Ordinary Course of Mankind, he requires no more than the avoiding thofe Exceffes 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; infupportable indeed to them, because 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 Conscience clear from Sin or cleans'd by Repentance is always tolerable, for the moft part advantagious and comfortable.

Therefore 2dly, The true Answer to this Objection of the Miseries of the Righteous and the Prosperity of the Wicked, is this, That they that make it are generally miftaken 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 fo 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 worse. If therefore Profperity and Success make a Man Thankful, and Charitable, and Beneficent, then is Prosperity 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 Adverfity make 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

it

it is good for him. So that the greatest Affliction in the Opinion of those that fee no further than the Outside of things, when it falls upon a truly good Man, who has learnt out of God's Word to make the Right Use of all his Difpenfations, when, I fay, Affliction falls upon fuch a One, becaufe it cannot make him Evil, it is by his Goodness overcome, and itself converted into Good. It lofeth the malignity of its Nature, lighting upon Him, and instead of a Curfe becomes a Bleffing. To the Juft Every Affliction is a preventive of Sin, a Corrective of Corruptions, an Exercise of Grace, a Conformity to Christ, an Evidence of his being a Son of God, an Affurance of his Father's Love, and a Preparative for Heaven.

For thefe and the like are the Defigns of God in inflicting, and the Ufes that his Children make in bearing, the Evils that come from his Hand. For from thence they wifely confider that they come, that Affli Ation cometh not forth of the Duft, neither doth trouble fpring out of the Ground, They know that troubles fall out to em, not by blind Chance, but by God's determinate appointment, not according to the Fury of the Wicked, but according to the Will of their Father, a Father that in very Love and Faithfulness doth correct, that hath a Heart

of

of Compaffion even when he seems in his Providence to frown upon 'em, and has prepar'd Strength to fupport, and Grace to improve and Glory to reward all their Sufferings. And he who by Faith is affur'd that any difafters befalling him are not inflictions of Wrath, but expreffions of Love towards him, by God in kindness dispens'd as Trials of his Faith, as Exercifes of his Virtue, as occafions of acquiring more plentiful rewards, will count it, as St James fays, all Foy when he falleth into divers Temptations, James 1. 2. and Rejoice that he is counted worthy to fuffer for the Name of Chrift.

For Afflictions have a great Influence and Tendency towards the begetting a Secret and a Spiritual Joy within the breafts of the Faithful and the Juft. For from their Conformity with Chrift here, in Suffering grievous but short Afflictions, they affuredly gather their Conformity, with him hereafter, in the fruition of Everlasting Glory; According to that of St Paul Rom. 8. 17. If fo be we Suffer with him, we shall be alfo Glorify'd together; and that of St Peter, 1 Pet. 4.13. Rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Chrifts Sufferings that when his Glory hall be reveal'd, ye may be glad alfo with exceeding Joy. They glory therefore that they are thus made like to their bleffed Mafter, and as Luther elegantly enough expreffes it,

embrace