it in return, and all their Pains largely rewarded in their proper time and place; But this Life is not that time and place, and therefore we must be content to Labour now, and expect our Recompence hereafter. But if we bear with Murmuring and Grudging, what bear we muft, we do but gall our Shoulders with the Yoke, and render that a heavy unprofitable Load, which might be fruitful and Meritorious. If we caft off our Burthen, we are immediately pursued and oppreffed by another; and instead of Affliction full of Hope and Humility, draw upon our felves that moft intolerable of all Burthens, Guilt and Despair. Why should you entertain an Imagination so vain, as that of being made an Exception to all Mankind? Produce me, if you can, one fingle Inftance in this whole Catalogue of glorified Saints, who paffed this Vale of Tears without his Portion of Mifery. Even Jesus Christ himself, 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 acquainted with Grief. Himself hath told us, That it behoved him thus to fuffer,and to rise again the third Day, and fo to enter into his Glory.

Isaiah liii.

Luke xxiv.

And if this was the way neceffary for Christ himself to afcend to the Throne of God by,we muft not prefume to hope for a smooth and easy Paffage thither. His whole 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, expect a Life of Softnefs and Eafe, and Pleafure? No, no, fond Man, expect nothing but Trouble. This thou may'ft depend upon, for it will never disappoint thee. It is not only the Condition of thy happiness as a Christian, but thy certain Settlement and Portion as a Man. For Mortality is befet on every fide with Croffes, and expofed to Suffering every Moment. And though these be both the Punishment and the Reme

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dy for Sin, yet may we not imagine that they, who are most careful to preferve themselves from Sinning, are in the fame Proportion excufed from Suffering: For frequently the best Men undergo the fevereft Tryals; and the better they are, the tender and more painful fenfe they have of them. For the fervent Love and Defire of a better Country, their proper and Eternal home, renders the prefent Pilgrimage and Banifhment more tirefome and afflicting.

But yet these Calamities are no juft Reflection upon the Wisdom and Goodness of Almighty God; for, as he appoints the Rod in his Mercy, fo does he likewife furnith 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 Miseries is lightned, by cafting their Care,and repofing their Truft upon One who hath a tender Care for them. And the more the outward Man is weakened and oppreft, the greater Strength and Grace they feel in the inner Man. Nay, fuch is their Defire, fuch the Satisfaction, of being conformed to the Image of Chrift; that good Men oftentimes would not fo much as wifh to be freed from those Miseries, in which the lefs difcerning Part of the World are aft to think the very Extremity of Unhappiness to confift. For thefe better inftructed Souls have a farther Profpect, and can foften all their Diftreffes by this Confideration; 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 true, this Confideration is not the effect of any Strength or Wisdom meerly humane, but the Product of Divine Grace, which fometimes gains fo abfolute a Conquest -over Natural Inclination, and exalts Flesh and Senfe to fo high a Degree of Refignation and Perfection, that what, as Men, we cannot but decline, and have vio

lent

lent Averfions to, as Chriftians we contentedly embrace, and are entirely fatisfied with.

When therefore we feel in our Selves, or obferve in Others, a Zeal fo powerful, fo noble, as, not only to bear, but even to love and delight in the Crofs; When we vanquish and bring into abfolute Subjection thefe Bodies, and their Appetites, by a long painful Courfe of rigorous and voluntary Severities; When we induftriously avoid Honours and Wealth; bear Injuries and Infamy contentedly; defpife our felves, and even delight to be defpifed by others; when we entertain the harpeft Misfortunes with Conftancy and Temper, and are fo perfectly dead to the World, as no longer fo much as to defire thofe Enjoyments and Advantages, which recommend and fweeten Life to Mankind; do not fuppofe that this is the Work,or falls within the Compafs of Man: For they who depend upon their Natural Powers, or their own moft exquifite Philofophy, can never rife fo high, nor thus abftract their Minds from Matter and Sense. No Principle but that of Holy Truft and Faith in God, is capable of fuch Divine Operations. This Strength and Refolution comes from Heaven; No Force less than Almighty can beat down the Flesh, the World and the Devil under our Feet; None defeat and fet us above the Horrors and Affaults of his Malice and Temptations, lefs than His, who vanquifh'd this Old Serpent upon the Crofs, and by fo doing, fanctified our Crofs to us too.

Call up then all thy Powers of Reafon and Religion. Remember whom thou haft engaged to follow, and with all the Refolute Fidelity due to thy Vows and Obedience, fet thy felf manfully to take up his Crofs, who fubmitted to die upon a Crofs for thy Salvation. Prepare and difpofe thy Heart, that no Affliction may over-bear thee by furprize; but confidering what infinite Variety of Troubles hem thee in, and wait thee

every-where, let none have the Advantage of finding thee unprovided. Were there a poffibility of escaping we might then be allowed to contrive Methods of declining our Miseries, but fince they cannot be shifted off, the only Remedy they have left againft them, is Readiness to fuffer. Confider it is thy Lord's Cup, and that he drunk the very bittereft Dregs of it; confider it is he who gives it; and that he therefore gives it,that thou may'ft be partaker of his Sufferings, in order to be made a moreWorthy Partaker of his Glories. 'Tis true, he was ftrengthened in his Luke xxii. Agonies by an Angel fent from Above; nor fhalt thou want Supports proper for thy Condition. But what thefe are, or in what Measures fit to be imparted,our Lord himself knows beft; and to his Wife Difpofal we muft leave it. But all we have to do our felves, is to fecure an Humble and Patient Difpofition. And this we should find lefs difficulty in, would we but follow the Patterns our Jefus hath left,of enduring the Crofs, and defpifing the Shame, for the Glory fet before him. And what can recommend our Sufferings, what confirm our Patience more than to confider,that these light Afflictions,which are but for a Moment,fhall work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory? That Glory, in comparison of which they are not worthy fo much as to be named; a Glory fo exceeding, that if all the Tribulations incident to all Mankind were heaped upon one fingle Perfon, yet even fo the Recompence is infinitely above what fuch a Suffering could pretend to deferve; and Heaven would be cheap and wifely bought, even at this vaft Expence.

Heb. xii.

2 Cor. iv.

Efteem thy felf then happy indeed, when thou canst even enjoy thy Sorrows,and find a fenfible Satisfaction in fuffering for Chrift; for this is in a manner to attain Heaven upon Earth: A Happiness which no Man can ever arrive at, fo long as Adverfities bring

Pain, and Discontent, and fad Oppreffions of Spirit; for the Solicitude, and conftant Labour to avoid Calamities will be fure to produce perpetual Difquiet.

Suffering and Dying are not only neceffary Incumbrances upon us, but the best and most Authentick Inftances of our Virtue and Obedience. It is the Bufinefs and Perfection of a Chriftian to do thus daily and they who in good earneft apply themfelves to it, will quickly find their Affections raifed, their Strength increafed, their Comfort and inward Peace wonder-. fully advanced. St. Paul was wrapt up into the third Heaven, yet did not he 2 Cor. Xil. boaft fo much of this as of his Afflictions. And wherein the uncommon Privileges of this efpecial Favourite confifted, we learn from the Mouth of Chrift himfell when he fays, I will fhew him how great things

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he must suffer for my Name's fake. Suppole Altsix. then you could be admitted to his Extafies and Revevelations, yet even thefe, 'tis plain from his Example, would not exempt you from Trouble and Sufferings; For the more you are loved, and the more vehemently you love, and are defirous to please your Saviour, the greater Proofs of this kind you must expect to give.

Confider thofe Apostles who went away from their Perfecutors, rejoicing that they were accou ted worthy to Juffer for the fake of Christ,

And learn from thence to covet and value the Honour and Dignity of enduring Pain and Poverty, Perfecuti on and Reproach. For this would feem no mean Preferment, but a Favour preferved for thofe whom God is kindeft to, did we but reflect upon the Gain it brings to our felves, the Glory to our Mafter, the Joy to Saints and Angels, and the Benefit to our Brethren, who thall obferve, and be encouraged b bur Stedfaitness, and Patience, and holy Perfever tance. Nay, even the Wicked and Carnal will be