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CCXV.

SERM. II. Another ground of comfort is, that if the providence of God have a particular regard to good men, and favour for them, then we may be assured, that if we be careful of our duty to God, and rely upon his goodness, and refer ourselves to his pleafure, in the final issue and refult of things, all shall turn to our good, and conspire in our happiness: nay, if we make the best use of the evils and afflictions which befal us, and bear them as we ought, we ourselves may do a great deal to turn them to our benefit and advantage; to the bettering of our minds, and the improvement of our virtues, and the increase of our reward. And why should we be troubled so much at things which may prove so many ways beneficial to us, if it be not our own fault? which tend to our good, and will end in it, if we will but "let patience " have it's perfect work," as St. James shews, chap. V. II. in the instance of Job, whose admirable patience had a glorious end and reward, even in this world; " you have heard," says he, "of the patience " of Job, and of the end God made with him; that "the LORD is very pitiful and of tender mercy." Job upon a dunghil, is no whit inferior to the most glorious prince that ever fat upon a throne. Some men have been more illustrious, and according to the true rate and value of things, more confiderable for their patience, and courage, and constancy of mind in great afflictions and sufferings, than the greatest pomp and profperity of the world could possibly have made them. Some have borne poverty, and fickness, and reproach, and persecution, and exquisite pain and torments, with so much decency, with such greatness of mind, and firmness of resolution, as might justly provoke the envy of the greatest and wealthieft,

and to all outward appearance the happiest persons

that

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that ever were in the world. M. Antoninus was an d excellent good man, and perhaps the greatest emperor that ever was, for in his time the Roman empire was at it's greatest extent; and yet it is hard to say, whether Epictetus, whose example I proposed before, and who lived about the same time with this great and good emperor, I say, it is not easy to say, whether this poor man Epictetus, who was deprest into the lowest and most afflicted condition, that human * nature is almost capable of, were not, by reason of + those admirable virtues which shined so brightly in

that dark and dismal condition, his invincible pati#ence, his perfect submission to the providence of God,

the perpetual chearfulness and serenity, the unmove#able constancy and equality of his mind, according * to a right estimation of things, the greater and more glorious person of the two.

So that good men are always secure, as to the main and the essentials of happiness; under all outward afflictions and sufferings of the body, they may still retain a wise and virtuous mind, which is " that good

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part which cannot be taken from them;" and if they retain that, they are fure of the favour of GOD, and the countenance of heaven, which alone is fufficient to make any condition happy.

III. Another ground of comfort is, that if GOD govern the world, he can either prevent and divert the greatest evils that threaten us, or if they comeupon us, he can fupport us under them, and deliver us out of them: and if we be good, and it be for our good, he will do one of these for us; either he will prevent the evil, that it shall not come, if that be best for us; or if affiction fall heavy upon us, he will fup-. port us under it; and if our strength be increased in praportion to the weight of our burden, it is as well

As

SERM.
CCXV.

SER M.as if we had escaped it, nay perhaps much better, CCXV. confidering the benefit and the reward of it. But

how grievous soever it be, he can, when he pleaseth, deliver us from it; and he will do it presently if it be for our good; and if it be not, it is not really defirable to us to be so soon freed from it.

IV. and lastly, which is consequent upon the former particulars, it is certain upon the whole matter, and upon the ballancing of all accounts, that in every condition good men have much more cause of comfort and joy, than of dejection and trouble. Let our fears be as great, and our present sufferings as heavy as they can, there are confiderations of fo great moment to be put into the other scale, as will infinitely outweigh them, and make them seem light. The confideration of our immortal duration in a future state, and of the endless and unspeakable happiness of another world, are of that folidity and weight, that "these light afflictions," as the apostle calls them, " which are but for a moment, are no ways worthy " to be compared with them."

What though our paffage through this world be never so stormy and tempestuous, we shall at last arrive at a fafe port. Heaven is a fure sanctuary and retreat from all the evils and afflictions which we are liable to, and which many times pursue us so close in this mortal state. It is but exercising our faith and patience for a very little while, and all will be well with us; much better than if we had never been afflicted, and had been wholly exempted from all forts of fufferings in this world. We have no pretence to "the crown " of life," if we do not " overcome;" and there can be no conquest, without fome conflict.

But because the chriftian religion does give us the greatest, if not the only firm assurance of the happinefs

nefs of another life, which when all is done, is the great fupport and cordial of our fainting spirits, under • the troubles and afflictions of this life, therefore I -shall not now enlarge farther upon it, but refer it to

the second head of my discourse, which I proposed to speak to in the next place, viz. what farther confide rations of comfort and support, faith in CHRIST, and the firm belief of the christian religion do afford to good men, for the allaying and mitigating of their fears and troubles. " Let not your heart be trou+ "bled: ye believe in God; believe also in me." But this I shall refer to fome other opportunity.

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Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in GoD; believe alfo in me.

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HAVE confidered these words as an universals E R M. remedy againft trouble: and in shewing what vir- CCXVI. tue and force there is in this remedy, I have confidered, The feFirst, that faith in Gop is a proper and most pow-cond fererful means to mitigate and allay our trouble, and to this text. fupport and quiet our minds under it.

I now proceed in the fecond place to shew what farther confiderations of comfort and fupport, faith in CHRIST, and the firm belief of the christian religion, do afford good men, for the allaying and mitigating of their great fears and troubles. "Let not "your

mon on

SERM." your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, beCCXV. "lieve also in me." I shall mention these five.

I. Faith in CHRIST, or the belief of the christian religion, gives us full and perfect assurance of immortality, and of the glorious and eternal rewards of another world.

II. It promiseth to every fincere Christian the inward assistance, and support, and comfort of GOD'S holy Spirit, to bear up the weakness of human nature, under it's heaviest pressures, of fear, or grief, or pain.

III. It assures us of the special efficacy of our prayers with God, either for our deliverance from trouble, or for the aids and supports of his grace under it.

IV. It propounds to us the best and most admirable pattern that ever was, of patience and conftancy of mind under the apprehension of approaching evils, or the sense of present sufferings and of a contented and chearful submission to the will of God, in the faddest condition to which human nature is incident.

V. It assures us of a most compassionate, and prevalent, and perpetual patron, and advocate, and interceffor with God for us.

I. Faith in CHRIST, or the doctrine of the chriftian religion, gives us full and perfect assurance of immortality, and of the glorious and eternal rewards of another world. Of this the world was very doubtful and uncertain before, and had but obfcure and wavering apprehensions about it. And though the generality of mankind had naturally some glimmering apprehenfions of another life after this, and secret hopes and expectations of a future reward for good men that were hardly used in this world; yet the philosophers had wrangled and disputed the matter into fo much uncertainty, that mankind was very much staggered about it, and the doubts and difficulties that

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