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name of Jefus; and, adopting the language of David, when driven from his throne, by his unnatural fon, "Behold, here I am; let the Lord do unto me, as "feemeth good in his fight."

Thus I have explained the nature and extent of genuine fubmiffion to the will of God.

II. I now come, 2dly, To lay before you, the deformity and finfulnefs of the oppofite temper; and this will appear, if we confider,

1. That it is in fome measure a practical denial of the fovereignty of God. May not the potter do with his clay what he pleases? Hath not He, who made us, a right to dispose of us; to allot us our station and circumftances in the world, and to mingle our cup with what ingredients he thinks proper? Impatience, on the other hand, is calling this in queftion; faying, that God is unjust, and ufurping a power that does not belong to him. It would be dif ficult, I believe, to interpret it in any other way. And furely, in this view, it must be an offence highly aggravated.

2. It fuppofes a mean opinion of the wifdom, or, at leaft, a great diftruft of the goodness of God. He who believes that God does all things in perfect wisdom, will furely acquiefce in the difpenfations of his providence, however dark and inexplicable they may, in the mean time, feem to be. And he who is perfectly convinced of the goodnéfs of God, whatever be his prefent feelings, will ftill hold to this conclufion, That the Father of mercies does all things well; and will therefore be ready to fay, that not on-ly juft, but good, is the will of God. Whereas, he who repines under diftrefs, difcovers that he confiders it as improperly inflicted, or else he confiders God as a rigid and a cruel Being who delights in punishing, though he has exprefsly declared, that he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

3. It betrays too great an attachment to fome prefent enjoyment, which is abfolutely inconfiftent with

that

that fupreme love which we owe to God. This attachment must be the foundation of all our complaints. For, did we not pay a greater regard to our health, riches, honours, and friends, than to God, we fhould more readily part with them, when He, in his providence, is pleafed to call them from us. Befides, it affords great reafon to fufpect, that we have not been duly concerned to fecure an intereft in the friend-. fhip of God, in the redemption of Jefus Chrift, and in that covenant, of which he is Mediator. A man will not grieve much for the lofs of a trifle, who has. a great estate in referve: nor will he be greatly dif-. quieted about an earthly lofs, who can fay, that God: is his everlasting portion, and that his treafure is in. heaven, where neither moth nor ruft can corrupt, nor thieves break through and fteal. But,

4. Impatience denotes ingratitude and unthankful-.. nefs to God for all his benefits. Where is the man: whofe diftrefs is fo pure and unmixed, that he cannot find out any good thing in his lot? Or, rather, where is the man, the portion of whofe happiness is not greater than that of his mifery? Without entering minutely into this comparison, may we not all profit by the word of God? Have we not free accefs, if it is not our own fault, to the ordinances of religion? Are not Christ and eternal falvation in our offer? and can any temporal inconvenience be put in the balance against thefe? How ungrateful is it, then, to confine our attention to fome affliction in our lot, which must soon end, and which one moment's enjoyment of heaven will for ever blot from our remembrance! Befides, do you owe to God no acknowledgement for the former poffeffion of those very things, the lofs of which you now regret? Should not your former enjoyments enter into your confideration, and the recollection of the bleffings of providence, prevent your ingratitude? But,

Laftly, Impatience is chargeable with all the guilt of hypocrify. Say, have you not often confeffed yourselves

yourselves to be finners? Is not this the daily lan-guage of your prayers, that if God fhould mark iniquity, you could not ftand; that it is folely owing to his tender mercy that you are not confumed; and. that it is, becaufe his compaffion has not failed, that your portion is not already fixed with thofe impure fpirits, who are for ever fecluded from the feats of the blessed? And is it likely that you are fincere in thefe confeffions, while you yet murmur, on account of fome afflictions in your prefent lot? No; so long as you complain of the difpenfations of unerring Pro-. vidence, your confeflions, with however much humility expreffed, proceed only from the lips; and the heart is tinctured with pride.

Thus, then, impatience appears to be a heinous fin; offenfive in the fight of God; and, unlefs re-pented of, and forfaken, must be feverely punished.

III. We proceed, 3dly, To explain the grounds,, and reafons of refignation under affliction. And,

1. We may take notice of the usefulness of afflic tion in general. In this world, we are but as pilgrims and fojourners, and yet, by reafon of the cor-ruption of our nature, and our frong attachment to the objects of fenfe, we are too apt to make it our refting-place. We therefore ftand in need of fome friendly monitor to induce us to purfue our journey:: and, when every other mean fails, God, in mercy, vifits us with trouble, in order effectually to convince us, that this earth cannot be our home; and to raife our defires to our Father's house,, where there is fulness of joy, and pleafures for evermore. It is a dangerous error, to mistake earth for heaven: and, yet, how common is the mistake! Tell a man who enjoys abundance of the good things of this life; tell him, that this. carth is not his home, that he has more important concerns to which he fhould attend; and though he be ashamed, in exprefs words, to contradict you, yet his practice fhews how little he regards

your

your admonition. Prefent eafe and pleasure have powerful charms; and if God did not fometimes put thorns into our beds, we would be in danger of fleeping out our time. But, when affliction comes, it speaks convincingly, and it will be heard. Should we then murmur at afflictions which are fent for fo kind a purpose? Surely it becomes us rather to fubmit to them with cheerfulnefs, and improve them for the purposes for which they were defigned.

2. It ought to be obferved, that, for the most part, it is the body only which fuffers in affliction, unless we, by our impatience, open a paffage for it into the foul. And, furely, we need not grieve fo deeply for the fufferings of that part of our nature, which is both the inftrument and the inlet of all that fin which brings our misery upon us, In moft of the diseases incident to human nature, the foul is free, if we do not willingly afflict it. Why, then, fhould this mouldering tabernacle, be fo precious in our fight? Is it not our prifon? Should we grieve, becaufe our prifon-walls are coming down? The body, indeed, is fubfervient to the great interefts of the foul; and, in that point of view, muft not be neglected. But, if God fees proper to chastise it, on account of its rebellion against himself, and our own fouls; fhall we take the part of the flefl, againft our great Creator, and provoke him to deliver them both up to more fevere affliction ?

3. You should confider, that thefe very afflictions that give you the greatest uneafinefs, may poffibly be fent by God, in answer to your own prayers. And furely, in this cafe, we ought to receive them, not only with fubmiffion, but gratitude. Say, have you not often made this your requeft to God, that he would keep you from fin; that he might discover to you the vanity of this world, and all its enjoyments; that he would fubdue your inward corruptions, and take full poffeffion of your heart? And is not affliction as likely to be the means which God will employ to accomplifh thefe ends, as any other? You wish to be kept

from

from fin; and what mean is so proper, as to hedge in your way with afflictions? Do you with to fee the vanity of this world? Affliction not only makes you fee, but feel, its vanity, in that vexation of spirit which attends it. What fo proper to fubdue your evil affections, as to take away the fuel that maintains them? Can any thing be better calculated than afflictions, to difpoffefs those idols that kept your hearts from God, and which nothing lefs than their deftruction could prevail with you to forfake? And will you, notwithstanding, murmur and repine? Can any thing be more difingenuous than fuch a conduct? If God delays to answer your prayers, you complain as as if he did not regard your cry; and when he does anfwer them in the way he fees moft proper, you mistake his meaning, and pervert that into poison which was intended for your good.

Let me afk you, Are you willing to have your whole portion upon earth, and to renounce all hopes of future felicity for prefent eafe? If you are not, why are you diffatisfied with the means which God employs, for fulfilling the very thing which your heart defires? But perhaps you may fay, 1 could have borne any affliction better than that under which I labour. If this be your language, give me leave to tell you, that this affliction you complain of, was the one you ftood moft in need of, and is therefore the fitteft for your improvement. It appears that God: has aimed at that idol, which was his chief competitor, and had the greateft influence in keeping him. out of your heart. Let this then prevent your murmurings, and turn your complaints into a fong of thankfulness. But, further,

4. What pretence have you to be exempt from trouble? If you live in fin, you can meet with nothing too bad. And be affured, if you die in fin, the afflictions you now complain of are but the beginning of forrows, and not to be compared with thofe endless torments which you muft afterwards endure. Or, if you have happily been brought into friendship with

God,

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