Book III. of Jbsus Christ. 153

Chap. XIII.
The Necejfity and Reafonallenefs of Patience.
Difcifk. ]13y all the Collections I am able to make XJ from my dear Lord's Inftrudions, and the little bxperience I have of the World, Patience feems to me a moft neceffary Virtue : For the Condi- tion of Man in this Life is lo expofed to Calamities and Sonows^that^ in defpight of all his Endeavours after Peace, Troubles await him every-where, and his State is that of Warfare and continual Suffering.
Chrlft.'] It is fo, my Son ,- Nor is it fit it Ih^uld be othcrwile. For thofe Men have a viTong Notion of Peace, who make it conlid in freedom from fuffer- ing ; and, either having no Troubles, or being inlei^- fible of any. This is a State neither attainable by a Maj?, nor convenient for a Chritiian. The Peace, I wi^iid have thee afpire after, is fuch as confilts very weil with AfPiidions : And This is gained, when a Man hath brought himfelf to that equal Compollire, and refigned Temper of Soul, as firmly to perfilt in his Duty, and to reft fatisfied in the Diipenfations of God, when he thinks fit to try his Virtue, by very great and grievous Adverfities. If thisappear a hard Saying, think how much harder it will be to endure the Torments of Hell, and the implacable Vengeance of an Angry God. Nature, as well as Religion teaches Men, of Two Evils to chufe the lefs. And this is done^ when they fecthemfelves fubmillively to undergo Tri- bulation here, for the fake of God and a good Con- fcience, that they may, by fuch Patient Sutfering, de- liver themfelves from the dire Effects of his Wrath^ and never-ceafing Puniftiments hereafter.
L 5 Now
I 54 €>t ttse 5!mitatf0U Book III.
Now Tribulation is a Portion diftributed in com- mon to all the Sons of Men ; didributed in largeMea- fures, even to thofe Children of this Generation, which thou perhaps vainly imagined to fee moil ex- empted from it. For even the gayeft and moft' pro- fperous of them all are not without their many and fore Evils. 'Tis true indeed. They take a great deal of Pleafure, indulge their Inclinations without con- troul^and fotheirMifery makesalefsfenfiblelmprertion upon their Spirits ; but Miferies they have. Or, put the very beft of their Cafe, and fuppofe their Jcys to be without any Interruption, their Wifhes without any Difappointment ; Yet, even thus, how long would their Happinefs lad? Alas! they vanifh like a Dream, and all their Profperity foon fcatters like Smoak ; Nav, not only their Enjoyments tiiemfelves, but' the very Remembrance of them, periOi in a Moment. Their Life is but a Vapour ; and Death will be fure to fwallovv up them and their, Gayeties^ in fpeedy and perpetual Oblivion.
But this is putting the Gafe more favourably than it ever happens in reality. For, even in this Life their Plenty and Pleafures are chequered with Misfortunes, and ail their Sweets allayed wi.h a bitter Mixtures of Cares and Fears, and inward Perplexities of Heart. The very Objeits, that m.inider Pleafure, bring Pain along with them too. And this is one great Argu- ment, how wife a Providence the World is governed by, that the very Inordinacy of thofe Affet5i-ions, which puriiie thePleafures of Senfe fo eagerly, fliould prove a Torment to the Guilty Mind, and embafe thofe very Pieafures they indulge'. Thefe very Plea- fures too are fhort and fleeting, treacherous and de^ ccitful, irregular and exorbitant, a Shame and Blemifh to Human Narure ; And, if Men be not fenfible- of this. That Ignorance proceeds from, their own Inad- vertency. Their Reafon is intoxicated with prefent
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