SERM. the doctrine of the text, that the wise, or V. the religious, obtain favour of the Lord.

And in the first place, it is to be observed; that the present state is appointed by the wisdom of God to be a state of difcipline, and improvement, wherein, as all men are imperfect in a moral sense, fo is their condition with respect to happiness, mixed and imperfect; a great deal of what is generally accounted affliction fuch as the inferiority of some men to others in respect to the advantages of nature and outward eftate, a mean birth, a weak conftitution of body, poverty, and other things of a like nature; a great deal of this, I fay, might be refolved into the mere sovereignty of the divine dominion. There is a vast variety in the works of God even which we fee; the very kinds of them cannot be numbered, and herein doth his greatness and his wifdom appear. Now, furely in difpofing the feveral parts of his creation, in fettling the order of his kingdom, and affigning their different stations to the subjects of his providential rule, the great Creator and Governor is not accountable to any of his creatures; he doth whatever pleafeth him, and who can fay, What doft thou? Will a man complain that he was not made an angel, or a brute that it is not raised

to

V.

to the dignity of a man? So in the fame fpe- SERM. cies, as there is wifely appointed an inequality, we need go no farther than the fame fovereign freedom of providence as the cause of it, without any confideration of merit in the creatures. In a great house, as the apoftle faith, 2 Tim. ii. 20. There are veffels of gold and filver, alfo of wood and earth; fome to honour, and fome to dishonour. But, indeed, the best men have fin enough to justify all the feverity they meet with. If the moral attributes of God require that a very important diftinction fhould be made between bad and good men, which last character really means no more than the fincerely though imperfectly religious, it is reafonable to expect there fhould be a difference between the latter and the perfectly innocent; and fince there is not a juft man that liveth upon the earth and finneth not, the providence of God is fufficiently vindicated in appointing to all men vexation, and travel, and grief, under the fun; which, however, when the whole of our existence and our most important interefts are taken into confideration, may well be called a light affliction, and but for a moment. Here it is that God vifiteth the faults of his children

with

SERM. with rods, and their fins with chastisement; V. yet without taking away his loving kindness from them, Pfal.lxxxix. 33. but still, they will acknowledge they are punished far less than their iniquities deferve; nay, very often the fuffering and afflicting infirmities of men, even of good men, are the natural as well as penal confequences of their fin; and, furely, it is not reasonable to expect that the nature and conftitution of things should be altered to exempt them from troubles which they well deserve.

2dly, The fufferings of good men in the prefent state may be confidered as trials; fo the fcripture reprefenteth them; and it is very confiftent with the favour of God to his servants that he should try them in order to their growth in virtue, and fo becoming ftill more the objects of his favour. We ought to be fenfible that religion is the highest perfection, and continuance and growth in it the noblest enjoyment we are capable of in this world, as well as that it is a reasonable fervice; and, therefore, the methods of providence towards us which have a tendency to the increase of virtue are to be accounted tokens of God's favour rather than objections against it. Rev. iii. 19. As many

as

SERM

as I love, I rebuke and chaften. On this account it is that chriftians are reconciled to V. their present suffering, and even glory in their tribulations, because they know that tribulation worketh patience; and patience experi ence, and experience hope, Rom. v. 3. The apoftle James therefore exhorts chriftians to count it all joy when they fall into divers tempta tions, knowing that the trial of their faith worketh patience, James i. 2. and St. Peter; 1 Ep. i. 6, 7. faith to the perfecuted chriftian Jews, Ye greatly rejoice; though now for a feafon, if need be, ye are in heavinefs through manifold temptations; that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold which perisheth, though it be tried by the fire, may be found to praife, and honour, and glory. As God intended that fome of his fervants fhould, for his honour, and promoting the intereft of truth and pure religion, be rare examples of those virtues which especially shine in tribulation, as patience, fortitude, meeknefs, and charity; and intended for them a great reward, it was fit he fhould appoint for them a proper scene wherein those virtues might be eminently displayed, that is, infirmities, reproaches, perfecutions, and diftreffes.

VOL. III.

K

But,

SERM.

But, in the third place, the perfectly fa V. fying answer to the objection, is, that the

greatest distinction between good and bad men is to be made in another state; and then the reward of the righteous will be fo complete as to make amends for all their toils and forrows in this world. It is confiftent with the greatest love of God to fubject his creatures, even though perfectly innocent, to very grievous fufferings, when he not only hath it in his power, but hath actually purposed and declared it, that he will recompenfe them fufficiently by a proportionably greater felicity afterwards. The moft glorious example of this is our Lord Jefus Chrift, who though holy, harmless, and undefiled, and separate from finners, suffered unutterable griefs, yet without any diminution of the Father's love to him, which abundantly fhewed itself in the fulness of joy that followed, and his exaltion at the right-hand of the majesty on high. Thus although good men are obnoxious to many calamities in life, it doth not follow, that therefore they have not obtained favour of the Lord, because the favour of the Lord is not a principle which exerteth itself necesfarily but freely, and the manifeftations of it

are