Book II. ofJfiSusCHRisT. 113

it in return, and all their Pains largely rewarded in their proper time and place. But this Life is net that time and place, and therefore we muft be content to Labour now, and exped our Recompence hereafter. But if we bear with Murmuring and Grudging, what bear we muft ; we do but gall our Shoulders with ther Yoke, and render that a heavy unprofitable Load, which might be fruitful and glorious. If we caft off our Burthen, we are immediately puriued and op-' preffed by another ; and, inftead of AfHidion full of Hope and Humility, draw upon our felves that molt intolerable of all Burthens, Guilt and Defpair.
Why fiiould you entertain an Imagination fo vain,as that of being made an Exception to all Mankind ? Pro- duce me, if you can, one fingle Inftance in the whole Catalogue of glorified Saints, who paffed this Vale of Tears without hisPortion of Mifery. Even Jefus Chrift himfelf, our great Lord, tho' God as well as Man, yet lived a Life of Trouble, and none was ever fo truly a Man of Sorrows , or fo intimately acquain- ted v^itb grief, Himfelf hath told us. That ifaiabVnl it behoved him thus to fuffcr^ and to rife again Lukexxw. the third Day, and fo to enter into his Glory,
And if this was the way neceffary for Chrift himfelf to afcend to theThrone ofGod by ,we muft not prefume to hope for a fmooth and eafyPalTage thither.His v/hole Life was little elfe but one continued Crofs,a Chain of Sufferings drawn out to the length of fo many Years. And do We, who profefs to tread in his Steps, expedt a Life of Softnefs, and Eafe, and Pleafure ? No, no, fond Man, exped nothing but Trouble. This thou may'ft depend upon, for it will never difappoint thee. It is not only the Condition of thy happinefs as a Chriftian, but thy certain Settlement and Portion as a Man. For Mortality is befet on every fide with Crot- fes, and expofed to Suffering every Moment. And though thefe be both the Punifliment and the Remr-*^
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dy for Sin, yet may we not imagine that they, who are moil careful to preferve themfelves from Sinning, are in the fame Proportion excufed from Suffering : For frequently the befl: Men undergo the fevereft Tryalsj and the better they are, the tenderer and more painful fenfe they have of them. For the fervent Love and Dedre of a better Country their proper and Eternal Home, renders the prefent Pilgrimage and Banilliment more tirefome and affliding.
Fut yet thefe Calamities are no juft Reflexion up- on the Wifdomand Goodnefsof Almighty God,- for, as he appoints the Rod in his Mercy, fo does he likewife furnifli his Servants with mighty Confolations and Supports, fuitable to their Circumftances. And they, who fubmit to the Crofs as becomes them, reap large and glorious Fruits by fowing in Tears. The Burthen of their A^iferies is lightned, by calling their Care, and repollng their Tiuil, upon one who hath a tender Care for them. And the more the outward Man is weakened and opprefi, the greater Strength and Grace they feel in the inner Man. Nay, fuch is their Defire, luch the Satisi^(5tion, of being conformed to the Image of Chriil ; that good Men oftentimes would not fo much as wifh to be freed from thofe Miferies, in which the lefs difcerning Part of the World are apt to think the vtry Extremity of Unhappinefs to confift. For thefe better inllru6led Souls have a farther Pro- fped, and can foften all their Diilreffes by this Con- fideration ; That the more they, endure, the purer and more refined they are from Sin, and the more acceptable and dear they become to God. 'Tis^truey this Ccnfideration is not the effed of any Strength or Wifdom meerly humane, but the Product of Divine Grace, which fometimes gains fb abfolute a Conqueft over Natural Inclination, and exalts Fleih and Senfeto fo high a Degree of Refignation and Perfedion, that what, as Men, we cannot but decline, and have vio- lent