Imatges de pàgina
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abundant; in Stripes above Measure; in Prifons mere frequent; in Deaths often. Of the Jews five Times received I forty Stripes, fave one: Thrice was I beaten with Rods; once ftoned; thrice fuffered Shipwreck; a Night and a Day was I in the Deep. In Journeying often; in Perils of Waters; in Perils of Robbers; in Perils by mine own Countrymen; in Perils by the Heathen; in Perils in the City; in Perils in the Wilderness; in Perils in the Sea; in Perils among falfe Brethren: In Weariness and Painfulness; in Watchings often; in Hunger and Thirst; in Fasting often; in Cold and Nakedness; befides the Care of all the Churches; 2 Cor. 11. and yet, light Afflictions!

The Time is fhort: It remains, that they that weep, fhould be as if they wept not; 1 Cor. 7. The End of all Things is at band. I fhall fhortly know myself what it is to change Worlds. 'Tis more to the Purpose to prepare for my own Death, than fruitlefly to lament that of another. And to make fure of meeting my godly Friends, is more now my Bufinefs, than to lofe Time in bewailing their Parting. Establish your Hearts, for the Coming of the Lord draws nigh; James

I. 2.

It will be a double Lofs to lofe the dear Relations, and to lofe the Benefit of the Affliction too: It is enough to have loft them. Shall I lofe the fpiritual Advantage that might be gained by fuch a Trial, and into which it might be improved?

Patient

Patient Submiffion gives the fureft Poffelfion of ourselves, and the beft Enjoyment of every thing else. In Patience we poffefs our Souls; Luke 21. 19. Without it, we have loft Poffeffion of ourselves: And he that does not enjoy himself, can enjoy nothing elfe; for whatever is poured into a tainted Veffel is all spoiled.

It is a dangerous thing to provoke God by obftinate Grief, left a worfe thing come unto us. For he has fail, With the Froward, I will fhew myfelf froward, Pfal. 18. 26. He that bath a froward Heart findeth no Good, Prov. 17. 20. Thorns and Briers are in the Way of the Froward. He that keeps his Soul (quiet and fubmiffive) shall be free from them, Prov. 22. 5. And after this, Do I well to be angry? Would any one choose to walk upon Thorns and Briers, that could pick out an easier Path? Where one Tear falls upon the Account of complying with God's Will, a Multitude fall in confequence of having our own Will. Not only the Miferies of this Life, but the eternal Miseries of the Life to come, are owing to this unrefigned Self-will. It may be written on many a Tomb, HERE LIES THE BODY OF N. N. BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE HIS OWN WILL.

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SECT. X.

Help against immoderate Grief, from Confiderations with respect to others, and the World about us.

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OMPARE your Cafe with that of others, and you may easily obferve more miferable and mournful ones. There are a thousand Perfons with whom you would not change Conditions. By what Law is it, that you must only gaze at those above you, and take no Notice of thofe below? That you must look on him only who is carried on Mens Shoulders, and think it a fine thing to be fo mounted, but never confider the poor Men that carry him, whofe Place you would by no means accept of. "You look with a greedy Eye

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upon fuch a one's Wealth, fays Bishop Pa"trick, would you have it with his Cares and "Fears, his Confcience and Mind? His Ig"norance; perhaps his Folly and Vices? His ill Tafte of Things, and Incapacity of Intellectual Pleafures? His uncomfortable Profpects?"

Mourner. No! I would be myfelf what I am, with the Addition of what I want.

Answer. Are you fure of continuing what you are with that Addition? Since no one can have all Things, is not yours a good Lot? What Pretences have you, for every good

Thing to center in yourfelf? Was it always well with you as it is now? Formerly you had no Being Formerly you had none of thofe Relations or Poffeffions you now lament. You have loft that which fome never had. Can you fay, you had rather never to have had them than to lose them? If it was a good Thing, the having it for a Time was a greater Good than not to have had it at all.

Compare yourfelf with the miferable Sorrows and Sufferings of others. You will find fuch a one has loft her pretty Children; and at the fame time a loving Hufband, that was better to her than ten Sons. Another has loft a near Relation, and with that near Relation away went the Means of Subfiftance. The Sons of Zedekiah were flain before his Face; and then his own Eyes were put out, and he himfelf led into Captivity; 2 Kings 25. David had the Mortification of a beloved Son dying in actual Rebellion against his Father, his Prince, and against his God. How much more terrible was that, than to close his Eyes in a peace. ful Way? The Mother of the Maccabees faw her seven Sons tormented to death before her Face, and fhe afterwards herfelf underwent the fame. The Sufferings of the Primitive Chrif. tians, how grievous! The patient Refignation of our English Martyrs to be burnt, how remarkable, how affecting, how glorious! If Mankind were to bring together all their feveral Troubles and Calamities, in all their Circumftances

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cumftances of good and bad that attended them, and lay them in one common Heap, on this Condition, that when they had fo done, every Man was to come again to take up an equal Portion of the Miferies of Life, and divide them equally, a great many who now complain would gladly take up what they brought, and go away contented.

What if the great God defigns that others who look on, fhould have the Benefit of my Example and good Behaviour under fuch a Trial as this. Hath he not a Right to use me for fuch a Purpofe? And does it not become me to comport with it, and behave accordingly? Job loft his Children, his Estate, his Health, and in fome measure, his Reputation with his Friends; his Eafe and Peace; and all this to Thew the World a Pattern of Patience: Shall others have no Benefit from the Example of our Behaviour? Though God can never want á Caufe of inflicting Evil where Sin is; yet this fhews, that Sin is not always the Caufe. Haft thou confidered my Servant Job, fays God to Satan, that there is none like him in the Earth, although thou movedft me against him, to destroy bim without a Caufe, Job 2. 3.

This Refignation is the molt diftinguishing Character of a Chriftian; that which does moft undoubtedly diftinguifh good Men from bad. The Externals of Religion cannot do it, because they are common to the Hypocrite and the Sin

cere.

The Hypocrite can hear and read, fing

Pfalms

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