Book L of J E S U S C H R 1 S T. X3

C K A p. XIT.
The Advantage of Affli^ions.
IT is good for me that I ha'ue heen hi Trouble ^ fays Da* "vlcL Nor is it Dd^^ils Cafe alone^ for many Men have reafon to blefs that Pro- ^^^^-'"^ ^^^^' vidence, which fendsCroffes and Calamities upon them. Thefe bring a Man's Thoughts home^ put him upon Refledicn, and help him tp undeiftand himfelf and his Condition. They fhevv him, that he is in a State of Exile and Pilgrimage^and forbid him to i^t up his Hope and Reft, in a ftrange Country ^vvhere he is no better than a Sojourner.
Nor is it thus with thofe Sufferings alone, which the immediate Hand of Heaven inflii5ts ,• but even thofe whereof Men are the Inftruments : The Injuries and contumelious Ufage, the Calumnies and Cenfares of them who fpeak and think ill of us, bring their Prcfij; with them too j even when moftwrongh;!, nioft un- deferved. For thefe oftentimes are anoccafion of re- ctifying our Meafures, as bringing us to a jufter and more modeft Opinion of cur felves : They cure our Ambition and Vain-glory, and convince us how vain a thing it is, to thirft after Reputation and the Praife of Me;n, when even Innocence and Goodnefs cannot proted us from Slander and Reproaches. They teach us to fet a due value upon the Teftimonvof curovvn Coqfciences, and the righteous Approbation of God,, the Searcher of Hearts , when tha:,which he will nrc fail to commend and reward^canno: cfcape the Con- tempt and Condemnation of the WorlJ^ nor prevail for fo much as fair Quarter , from our miftaken and injurious Brethren.
It is therefore both our Duty and cur Wifdom, h entirely to place our Happinefs and Expectations in
C 2 God
^4_ ^f t'ht ^jniitattOIT Book I.
Goi alone, that we fliall not need to be extremely fc,Ucitous for many outward Comforts , ci feci our felves deftitu^e, or much dt jCc^icd^ when any of thefe happen to fail or forfnke us. l^or whcii a well-difpo- fed Man is oprrefTed with Sufferings and Teniprati- ons^ or perplexed with evi! Thoughts, he then feels experimentally, how neceffkry the Divine Affiftance is^ and how little he is able to do or endure without it : Then he is touched with inward Remorfe, then does he groan in fecret^ and in the anguifh of his Hearty pour out his Requeits for Relief and Delive- rance : Then even Life it felf becomes a Burthen.,and Death defirable; as that which will tranflate him from this Valley of Tears and Corruption^ to a Life of Im- mortality with his God and Redeemer. In a word^ Such Circumftances as thefe are more effectual than ten thoufind Arguments, to convince him by his own fenfible Experience, that perfed Security, and en- tire Satisfacftion are not fo much as confident with the Condition of Man in this prefent World, and there- fore we mud: be content to wait another and Future State, which alone deferves our AfFedions, becaufe It alone can make us truly and compleatly Jiappy.
Chap. XIIL
Of Refijling Temptations,
SO long as we conti-nue in this World, we muft not flatter our felves with an Imagination fo vain, as- that of being exempted from Tribulations and Tri- :iob vli. r. als : Thefe are fo infeparable from. Morta- 6v. ixx. jity, that Job calls the Life of Man a JVar- ^'^^Z- fuve^ or Vhce of Exercije. It highly con-
cerns every one af us upon this account^ to take great
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