*

SERM. article. Sometimes great calamities have been VII excellently fupported at the beginning, and yet when lengthened out have produced impatience. What more glorious refignation could be expreffed by any man, than that which Job fhews in as difmal a conjuncture as we can well fuppofe, when all his children, and all his fubftance were destroyed at once, Naked, fays he, came I into the world, and naked I shall go hence; the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this be finned not, nor charged God foolishly. Yet as his affliction continued, and new ingredients exasperated his pain, the frailty of human nature discovered itself in indecent expreffions, which after. wards were the fubject of his deep regret. We ought, therefore, to be always upon our guard, always watchful over our own fpirits, and keep a steady discipline over our paffions, of forrow, fear, and anger, especially in afflictions of long continuance, left they tranfgrefs the bounds which reafon and the laws of God have fet to them, and betray us into impatience.

In the last place, it is to be obferved, that as patience in common with all other religious virtues,

*Job i. 21.

1

virtues, is principally feated on the mind, it SERM.. must influence and direct our whole beha- VII. viour, which is the fureft evidence of good difpofitions. It ought not only to reftrain indecent and undutiful expreffions, but govern our whole practice; that no methods be taken which are inconfiftent with an intire refignation to the will of God, and an humble confidence in his mercy. The rebellious and incorrigible spirit of King Ahab, fhewed itself, when in the grievous famine which diftreffed Samaria; and being fenfible that calamity was from the Lord as a punishment for their fins, he faid, What Should I wait for the Lord any longer. All finful and indirect ways for our deliverance from affliction are directly contrary to patience: Therefore, in the 37th Pfalm, when we are exhorted to wait upon the Lord, at the fame time he requires us to keep his way, and to depart from evil and do good. It is perfectly confiftent with a dependance on God, and a fubmiffion to his providence, that we ufe all lawful means for our escape from trouble; nay, the neglect of them is the effect, not of believing patience but ftupid floth (St Paul in his most hazardous voyage, though he had the

utmost

2 Kings vi. 33.

るぷ

SERM. utmost affurance that God would preferve the VII. whole company in the ship, yet infifted that in the last extremity the failors fhould not leave them, nay, declares expresfly, that except thefe abide in the ship, ye cannot be faved, but no man can pretend that he commits himfelf to God, and waits upon him, while he takes those measures for fafety which he knows in his heart God does not approve. He that believeth, and patience is the fruit of faith, will not make fuch hafte *, particularly, pati ence is always accompanied with meeknefs, or an humble, charitable, and unrevengeful spirit towards those who have been injurious to us. If the awe of God restrains men from opening their mouths againft heaven, they fometimes give themselves the most outragious licence in reproaching their fellow creatures who are the inftruments of their trouble. But this is not agreeable to the example of our bleffed Mafter, who in all his fufferings carried it not only with dutiful fubmiffion to the will of his heavenly Father, but meekly towards his enemies, who treated him with most inhumanity. He was led like a lamb to the flaughter, and as the sheep before ber fbearers is dumb, fo be opened not his mouths When

When St. Peter pronounces it acceptable to SERM." God, when we fuffer for well doing, to take VII. it patiently: he thus explains the exercise of patience in imitation of our Lord, verfe 22, who did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when be fuffered, he threatned not ; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

It is not neceffary to infift much on arguments for enforcing the duty of patience. This is in a great measure prevented by the explication. There is no more wanting than a serious attention to the thing itself, and the grounds of it, to convince any man that it is reasonable. Such principles, as the fovereignty of God, the irrefiftibility, the wifdom, and goodness of his providence, every one will acknowledge, who is not gone into downright atheism, and then a patient fubmiffion in every calamity and affliction of life is no more than a juft application of these principles; for certainly, if the divine dominion be univerfal, it cannot be pretended that we and? our particular affairs fhould be exempted from t it That the earth fhould be forfaken for us and the rock removed out of his place;

SERM. as it is expreffed in the book of Job, that is, VII. that God fhould abandon the care of his

go

vernment in any inftance, or that he should not pursue the intire fcheme of his providence by firm, even and steady measures. But if we ourselves, and all our affairs, and the whole feries of events which befal us, are comprehended in his eternal counfels, then who may call him to an account, or fay untó him, what doeft thou? The mind of man cannot but upon reflection approve what is wifely done, and for the beft in the whole; and as this is apparently the character of God's government or difpofition of things by his providence and every part of it, if we believe his abfolute perfections, muft not our own hearts condemn us in repining against it ? If the fupreme ruler of the universe conftantly and uniformly carries on one defign, that is, the greateft abfolute good, by a vast variety of methods, every one of them is proper: as in his works of creation, fuch as the frame of the human nature, those parts which appear to us lefs honourable, or ornamental, are yet needful, and if in the plan of providence, a certain portion of affliction is neceffary, who may quarrel with that which by the direction

of