nity to cover itself with the Pretext of Reafon. But be not impofed upon by thefe falfe Imaginations and empty Reafons: Let Humility be your Refuge, and receive the Affront with a generous and invincible Patience.

VII. In rejoicing in Contempt upon the Ac= count of our Duty, The Perfection of this Virtue extends, not only in the Suffering of Contempt, but to the being pleafed with it for Righteoufnefs Sake. Let not the fcornful Reproaches of bad Men either abate or dininish thy Zeal in ferving God, and in doing good. Let not their profane Jefis weaken thy Faith, or difcourage thee in thy Chriftian Courfe; but embrace joyfully their unjuft Reflections, and their tearing thy Reputation in Pieces, that, in this humbled Condition, thou mayft be more conformable to the bleffed Jefus, who made Humility his peculiar Character; and though thy Endowments, and Talents, and Actions, may deserve Efteem and Confideration, yet defire rather to have thy Virtucs concealed, whereby they become more bright in the Sight of God, who feeth in fecret, and will reward thee openly. The Applaufe of Men might corrupt thy Mind with vain Conceits; might fill thy Fancy with falfe Pleafure; might tempt thee to afcribe too much Honour to thyfelf, and too little to God: But their Hatred and Contempt may teach thee to place thy Glory in the Hopes of his Favour! and to pursue more earnestly the pure Delights

1

Delights of a good Confcience; and does not fuch an Inftance of divine Providence deferve to be rejoiced in?

VIII. In practifing Humility, without defiring Praife upon that Account. There are fome who appear humble, and who give Way to others, but at the fame Time are very glad that others fhould take Notice of it; if they put up an Affront, or bear patiently any Reflection, they are defirous of being applauded. "I know, fay they, what you have "faid againft me, but I will think no more of "it, fince it is a Man's Duty to bear Contempt for the Love of God." Another will come and relate the Pains he has taken upon an Occafion of practifing his Duty, the IIumiliation and Mortification he has fuffered. Alas! how thefe People deceive themselves in thinking that Humility is confiftent with Bragging of it, and of their beft Actions. The beft Part of this Virtue is loft when we defire to make it known to others, when we acquaint them with what we know others fay and do against us. Upon thefe Occafions we fhould be filent, and not let others perceivé that we take any Notice of the Contempt that is poured upon us. True Humility confifts in fuffering of Humiliation and Mortification, without defiring that any one fhould know we fuffer it.

CHAP.

CHAP. VII.

FOR WEDNESDAY.

Patience and Refignation.

CONSIDERING the many uneafy Circumstances of Life, this Virtue of Patience is abfolutely neceffary. Whence proceed Swearing and Scolding, and Difcontent in a Family, which is oftentimes rather a little Hell, than a well regulated Society, but from the Want of this Virtue? It is but patiently bearing a small Mifcarriage, a trifling Dif appointmet, a peevith or crofs Word, and thefe Disorders could never get any ground. Afflictions are like the Teft to Gold, they prove and discover the Truth and Excellency of our Virtues. If any crofs Accident befals us, we look upon ourfelves as very unfortu nate, instead of esteeming ourfelves happy in meeting with an Opportunity of expreffing to God our Refignation and Patience. Confider therefore in all Afflictions, thefe three inconteftible Truths:

1. That God permits them for your Good. If Afflictions proceeded only from the good Pleasure of God, does it become his Creatures to oppofe his Will? But when God per

mits

mits them for our Profit and Advantage, can any Thing in the World be a greater Argument of Comfort and Support under them? It is poffible that it may be objected, that we cannot apprehend any Benefit from them; but is it reasonable that God fhould give us an Account of what he does, and the Motives and Reasons of his Dealing with us? Does not He know all we fuffer, and cannot he deliver us whenever he pleases? If he continues to afflict us, it is either to punith us for our Sins, which are of fo perverfe a Malignity, that though we fuffered a thousand Times yet more, yet they would deferve greater Punishment; or to improve our Virtue, or to anfwer the Defigns of his Providence, which you ought always to adore, though the Methods of it are wrapt up in Obfcurity. O! how deceitful and false are the Judgments of Men! What you call Evil, is frequently a great Good to you. Remember that God bears the Character of a fkilful Phyfician, who makes you fuffer in order to your Recovery. He is a kind Father, who punishes you only in order to a greater Good.

2. That Patience is acceptable to God, and procures his Favour. Should not this Argument make us rejoice in Suffering, fince it is a Means of raifing us to the higheft Dignity, the Favour of God? The Crofs is the Path that leads to Blifs, in which the holy Jefus and his bleffed Saints marched before

us;

us; and why fhould we think to arrive at the heavenly Jerufalem in a different Way from those who are gone before us? The Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through Sufferings, and our Conformity to him is our Glory and his Delight; upon thefe Occafions we should think ourselves happy, confidering that thefe light Affections which are but for a Moment, work for us an eternal and exceeding Weight of Glory. Let us never complain that Sickness and Pain, and other Troubles hinder us from doing the Good we propose and defign; because in fuch Cafes, Patience is that proper Exercise of Virtue which God requires from us; and to bear with Patience and Refignation the Afflictions his wife Providence lays upon us, is a greater Degree of Perfection at that Time, than exercifing ourselves in good Works.

3. That Impatience provokes, God, and weakens our spiritual Strength. What an unaccountable Piece of Folly is it, of one Evil to make two: and instead of abating and leffening our Sufferings, to augment and increase them? To what tend our Murmurings and Complaints, our Impatience and Difcontent, but to offend God, and to rob us of the Profit and Advantage of our Sufferings? If you fubmit to them with Refignation, your Virtue, and the Favour of God, increafes towards you; but if you murinur and are diffatisfied, your prefent Sufferings will only ferve

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