ferve to increase thofe that are referved for you in the other World. Befides, does your Impatience cafe your Afflictions? Does it procure you a Reinedy? No, the Evil is incurable by any fuch Means: Bear it therefore with Patience, and do not make yourself doubly unhappy. It is a Sign and Mark of great Imperfection, not to grow better by the good Things God gives us to enjoy, and to become worfe by the evil Things he lays upon us to fuffer. In order to exercife this Virtue,

1. Never murmur against God. Who would believe that any Man fhould be hardy enough to complain against God, and thould dare to find fault with that Providence he ought to adore? Some are apt to infinuate, that he is very fevere; that He feems fometimes to abandon us; that they do not deferve the Treatment they receive from Him; that Juftice is on their Side; and that others are to blame. Nay, fome carry their Difcontent fo high, as to break out into paffionate and defperate Expreffions, as if they were inclined to revenge themfelves upon the Deity by their infolent Speeches. Alas! can fuch People be thoroughly convinced that God is a kind and indulgent Father, that chaftifes his Children for their Good; that He is a charitable Phyfician, who prefcribes bitter and diftafteful Remedies for the Recovery of their Health? Refign therefore yourfelf to his

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bleffed Will, and addrefs yourfelf to Him after this Manner; Thy Will be done. I chearfully accept of this Lofs, of this Humiliation, of this Crofs and Affliction, because it is thy Will it should be fo.

2. Never be impatient with others. It is very common when any Misfortune befall us, to blaine those who come next in our Way; to find Fault with thofe that deferve it, and those that do not. Upon fuch Occafions, we utter indecent Words, we indulge injurious Reflections, and fometimes we are provoked to Blows. Alas! if our Anger is not under Government, we shall contract great Guilt to ourfelves.

It is true, we ought fometimes to reprove others; but we muft not make a Vice of a Virtue, by adminiftering Correction with Paffion, and by obferving no Measures in the difperf ing of it. It often happens, that by admonishing after an ill Manner, we commit a greater Fault than we defign to reform.

Never be impatient with yourself. Affure yourfelf, that an impatient Man becomes his own Executioner, and that he torments himfelf by a thousand needlefs Difcontents and Inquietudes; he becomes infupportable to himfelf; every Thing difpleafes him; and he entirely lofes the Peace and Quiet of his own Mind. Never let any ill Accident or bad Succefs of an Undertaking, rob you of that inward Peace, which is the true Mark of a F 2 good

good Mind, as Unquietnefs is of an evil one. The Wicked are like the troubled Sea, that can never reft. Even the Sins that you fall into fhould not draw upon you Vexation of Spirit. Your only Bufinefs then is, to humble yourself before God under the Senfe of them, heartily to beg his Pardon and Forgivenefs, and then to compofe yourself to the fame Tranquillity you formerly enjoyed.

4. Never fay any thing in a Paffion. It is not then a proper Season to make a Reply, or to undertake any Thing of Confequence; because in a Fit of Anger, Paffion clouds the Understanding. Let the Smoke fly off, let the troubled Water fettle, and then you will be able to discover, what Reason requires from you, when the Storm of Paffion is quieted.

The true Remedy, when you find Anger boil in your Breaft, is to retire, or to change the Difcourfe, or elfe to impofe upon yourfelf on fuch Occafions an obftinate Silence, otherwife you will be apt to offend with your Tongue.

I beg you above all Things to be mindful of this Direction; for, fooner or later, you will certainly repent of whatever you fhall fay or do in Anger.

Let me farther give you a little Hint upon this Subject. I find several are able to moderate themselves when they are provoked to Anger, and can govern their Refentment

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at the Time when they are offended: but fome Time after, they apply themselves to their Friends and Intimates, to relate to them the bad Treatment they have received; and under the Pretence of afking Advice, and of feeking Comfort, they will make a long Narration of the Injuries they have received. Now to what Purpofe is all this Difcourfe, and what does it ferve for, but to renew their Refentment, which was almost appeafed; and to rekindle their Anger, which was almost extinguished? By this Manner of proceeding, your Mind is more exafperated, and you no ways edify him to whom you complain, who eafily perceives by your Complaints how fenfibly you are touched with the Treatment you have met with.

5. Be ready to pardon those that offend you. There are fome who take Things fo much to Heart, and refent fo highly the leaft Thing that has been done against them, that they, make Forgiveness a hard and difficult Work. But this is a great and dangerous Error. We' nuft not be fo delicate upon the Point of Ilonour: Thefe little Things ought to be defpifed; for if we dwell upon them, if we examine and confider them, our Imagination will quickly magnify them, and the more we think upon them, the more intolerable they will appear to us, and the Fire of Anger will burn more fiercely. If you had not laid fo much Strefs upon a little Provocation, you would

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would have been free from the Anguifh and Trouble you now fuffer.

Never go about to cover your Paffion and your Vanity with the Pretext of Piety and Reafon, but always remember what I am now about to fay to you. If what is faid or done. againft you does you no real Hurt, you ought to defpife it. If you fuffer any Thing by it, bear it for God's Sake, pardon it willingly, and make Advantage of fo fair an Opportu nity to improve in Virtue.

6. Apply yourself to God with Truft in him. When every Thing fucceeds, God is too often forgot; but in the Day of Adverfity we feek to him for Relief. The Happinefs of Creature Comforts, and the Vanity of all worldly Things, being thoroughly difcovered, we addrefs ourfelves to Him that can only help us. God does not deny us human Support in our Afflictions, but expects we should put our chief Trust and Confidence in Him, and depend upon Him for the Succefs of all other Means; by which Method, He very often is prevailed upon to appear in our Behalf: B if he does not, and ftill thinks fit to deny what we defire, it is becaufe He has fomething better in Store for us. Always remember this Faft Hint, that God has fomething better in Store for you.

7. Suffer joyfully, and with a Willingness to endure more if God thinks fit. Is it pofiible to find any Seed of Joy fown in the Path of Sufferings?