And now fince God has made this Life for the Proof of our Conftancy and Obedience, and affign'd us over for Satisfaction to the other, it's unreasonable for us to quarrel the Terms of his Providence. To be impatient and importunate for Eafe and Pleasure, before he has given us any Warrant to expect it, is a Sign we begin to be weary of well doing, and think the Conditions of his Service over-rigorous. Indeed, if the Distinction of Virtue and Vice was bury'd in the Grave, and carry'd into the Land where all Things are forgotten; if there was no Book of Remembrance to be call'd over another Day; if in the other World we could not difcern between the Righ teous and the Wicked, between him that ferved God, and him that ferved him not; if we had follow'd cunningly devifed Fables, and all our Hopes of Happiness were groundless and vifionary, then we might remonftrate with fome Colour, and fay, that we had cleanfed our Hearts in vain, and washed our Hands in Innocency. But now fince the Founda

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Foundation of Religion is firm and immoveable, fince the State of the other World is almoft in View; fince we have the highest Certainty which we can reafonably defire, that there is a Reward for the Righteous, and a God that judgeth the Earth: Now to be uneafy and discontented looks as if we thought we did too much for God Almighty, and over-purchas'd the Joys of Eternity. We fhould do well to remember, that the If raelites were excluded the Land of Promife for this Sin, and therefore St. Paul cautions us expreffly against it, I Cor. x. 10. Neither murmur ye, as fome of them also murmured, and were deftroyed of the Destroyer.

And tho' we have all the Reason to believe that God will pity our Infirmities, and not take fo fevere an Account of every peevish and melancholy Fit, yet we should be very careful that this Humour does not fettle into a Habit, for then it may be of fatal Confequence to us; for what can be more unreasonable and dangerous than to be always im

peaching

peaching the Juftice of Providence: to go frowning and fullen into the other World, and to be angry with that God with whom, except we are loft, we must live for ever? We should do well to confider with what Patience and Chearfulness the Apostles, Martyrs, and Confeffors bore up under the greatest Temptations; how they triumph'd over all the Terrors of Senfe, and joyfully fuffer'd much more than we have Reafon to fear; and how unfit are we for the Society of those brave Spirits, if we are fo nice and froward as to be discompos'd with every little Accident? Indeed, confidering the Trou. bles of this Life are fo fhort, and there are so many Helps to fupport us under them, fome of which fall to every Body's Share fince God has promis'd to reward thefe Sufferings for a Seafon, with an eternal Weight of Glory, there can be nothing more unreasonable than to behave as if we were hardly us'd, and go murmuring and complaining to Heaven. The Remembrance of fuch Meanness one would think was almost enough to interrupt

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rupt the Joys of the other World, and to make us blufh in the midft of our greatest Happiness. Let us therefore chearfully acquiefce in that Condition Providence has plac'd us in, and do, and fuffer all Things without murmurings and dif putings with God Almighty. Let us refign ourselves to his Wifdom, and trust his Goodness, and always believe, that his Way of difpofing of us is the best. Let us confider with St. Paul, That the Troubles of this prefent Life are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us; and learn with the fame great Apostle, In whatfoever State we are, therewith to be

content.

London, April 1688.

SERMON

SERMON VI

T

EPHES. iv. 26.

Be ye angry, and fin not.

HE Troubles to which humane Life is incident, may be all reduc'd to bodily Pain or Passion. Pain proceeds from the Infirmity and Indigence of our Nature; God in his Wisdom having united the Body and Soul upon fuch Terms, that when the former fuffers any confiderable Damage, the other is forc'd to receive an uneafy Account of it. For let a Man be never fo brave, it's not poffible for him