the moft cafual; Prov. 16. 33. and a Sparrow falling to the Ground, or a Hair, the most trivial Things.

If there was no Providence, we fhould want. one of the beft Antidotes against the Fear of what is to come, and the Sorrow for what is paft; for, as Bishop Patrick observes, all the Care would then lie upon ourselves, and be too much for us. But when we think of infinite Wisdom and Power governing all things, one need not be at a Plight, as if we and Chance were to govern the World. Some have fatisfied themselves with the Thought, that it is in vain to be troubled, fince things must be as they will be; but this is cold Comfort, to be content on mere Neceffity, though it is the Main of what the Heathen Comforters afforded. Thanks be to God, we have fomething better. That the World is not governed merely by the Will of God, but alfo by his Wifdom and Goodness. And he difpofes of all things, not only as abfolute Lord, that we may be fenfible of his Power, but as a loving Father, that we fhould be fenfible of his Goodnefs. It is a Dif 'truft of God to be over-troubled at what is to come: It is Impatience to fret at what is prefent, and Anger againft him to be over concerned about what is paft. This Frame of Spirit finds fault with his Wifdom, and blames bis Goodness; depreffes his Power, and reprehends his Faithfulness in the Difpofal of Things; and therefore it is a finful Frame, and fpeedily to be amended.

The

The wife and great Ends he is advancing to his own Glory, and my Good, is another Confideration. God hath as much Right to ufe me to the Purposes of his own Glory, whether perceived by me or not, as I have to the Ufe of any Inftrument in my House, or of any Servant, without acquainting him with my Purposes. Thus in the Cafes of Abraham, Jofeph, and Job: Had they not been used by God much otherwife than their natural Will inclined them to choose, we had loft the Benefit of the fineft Instances of Submiffion in the World*. O Lord! We are thy Clay, and thou the Potter. We are all the Work of thy Hands, Ifa. 64. 8. Cannot I do with you as the Potter, faith the Lord? Bebold, as the Clay is in the Potter's Hand, fø are ye in my Hand, Jer. 18. 6.

Whatever you lofe or part with, you cannot be miserable while you have this Lord to be your God and Portion; the God who made the Creatures we are fo fond of, and gave them all that Lovelinefs which made us fo fond of them; and has in himfelf all that which he gave, and infinitely more. How does it found to fay, "I am undone, for I have nothing but God “left?" Surely God can fupply the Room of any departed Creature, though the whole World cannot fill up the Room of a departed God. To lose a Creature, and find a God, has been

an

*I fee God will have all my Heart, and he shall have it; was a fine Reflection made by a Lady, when News was brought of two Children drowned, whom the loved very much.

an happy Exchange to fome, whofe Loffes have brought them to know God and themfelves, to much better Purpose than ever.

He that takes away, will give more Grace in Time of Need; and of his Strength to bear any Burden, however difproportioned to our own. He giveth more Grace, and more ftill, as the Cafe requires: For God is Faithful, who will not fuffer us to be tempted above what we are able, but with the Temptation will also find a Way to efcape, that ye may be able to bear it. Efcape by, bearing, though not from bearing. He is fuppofed to escape well, who is made able to bear.

Submiffion to his Will is one of the best, Ways of glorifying God, and the most acceptable Sacrifice we can make. It fuppofes you will dispute nothing with him, after having furrendered your own Will to the Will of God. Martyrdom itself is but the Confequence of that Difpofition, and will be fure to follow, when God calls this Grace to act its Part that Way, The fame Grace that enables us to fuffer from bim, will help us to fuffer for him.

To facrifice a Will to God, is that reasonable Service and living Sacrifice, which is holy and acceptable: As much beyond the Sacrifices of Aaron, as the Soul and Spirit of an obedient Chriftian are beyond the dead Carcafs of a Beast. Turn Mountains into Altars, and offer upon thofe Altars the Cattle of a thoufand Hills: Pour out ten thousand Rivers of Oil for a Drinkoffering, it would never be accepted instead of

that

that Demand, My Son, give me thine Heart, and let thine Eyes obferve my Ways *.

Without this Surrender of Soul, he calls all the outward Practices of Religion but Flattery: with the Lips: and with very good Reafon; for Men count themfelves flattered, when our Behaviour is not at all agreeable to the fine things we fay to them. So are we accounted to flatter God, when we afcribe to him thofe Perfections, and give him thofe Titles, which, when it comes to the Point of Trial, we feem to unfay again. We call him the Moft High God, but by and by fomething else appears higher in our Efteem. and Regard That Hufband, that Child, that Wife, or that Eftare, or Honour. We call him Moft Glorious, and yet glory more in fomething else. You may compliment him with the Title of Faithful and True; but while he fees/ that you will not truft him in the Way of your Duty, that you will not take his Word in a Promife, for a Work of Piety to God, or Charity to Man, he counts himself flattered. If{ you call him Lord, Lord, and yet do not the Things that he fays if you call him your God and Portion, and yet, upon the taking away of what was apparently more dear to you, your Outrage of Complaint fpeaks that Language; Ye

The Chaldee Paraphrafe upon Pfal. 50. 23. Whofo offereth Praise, glorifieth God: And to him that orders his Converfation aright, will I fhew the Salvation of God; is, "Whofo fubdues and deftroys the Principle of inordinate "Affection, it fhall be accounted to him for a Sacrifice of "Praife."

T

Ye have taken away my Gods, and what have I more? However it may appear to Men, what God thinks of it all, he has told you in those Words; They remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer: Nevertheless, they did flatter him with their Mouth, and they lied unto him with their Tongues; Pfal. 78. 35, 36. He faw it to be all Flattery and Lies. Do you fee, fays God, how that Perfon behaves in the Offices of Devotion? Can any bo. dy be more affiduous in Reading, Prayer, Hearing, and Sacraments? You fhall now fee what all this is good for, and of how little Worth. God puts forth his Hand accordingly, and takes away the Delight of his Eyes with a Stroke; when presently, the God that he seemed to adore with fo much Refignation can hardly have a good Word, or a good Thought; can hardly be allowed to be wife, or good and juft, or any thing, but a very fevere and hard Mafter. He not only mourns, but he pines, and confumes; he rages against me; I, and my Heaven, now are Cyphers, in Comparison of the Creature that I have done no Harm to, but only removed, for Purposes he himself will rejoice at when he comes to know them.

In fhort, this Submiffion is the Sum and Subftance of Religion, and the Beauty of Chriftianity. Upon entering the School of Chrift, this is the firft Leffon propofed to be learned, totake up bis Crofs and follow him: And all that we do or fuffer in Religion afterward, is either expreffive