and what we wish either could not have been at all, (for many things may be impoffible, which we do not perceive to be fo) or would not have been the better for us. Our infight into confequences reaches but a very little way. In multitudes of cafes we are full as ignorant of what would be for our benefit, as children are of what would be for theirs and ought therefore to acquiefce in the will and the knowledge of our heavenly Father, as we expect them to acquiefce in ours. But fuppofing that granting every one of our defires would be an act of kindness to us; yet the Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works*. Very often it is vifible, that, if we fucceed in our wishes, others must fail in theirs were we to have this or that advantage, they must be under proportionable disadvantages. And why is it not as confiftent with the wisdom and the goodness of God to regard their interefts, as ours? Perhaps we deferve it no better, perhaps not fo well. Or if we did, or if it appeared not who would be hurt by greater indulgence to us, it doth not follow, that no one would; and that no inconvenience to any part, or in any refpect, would arife from it. In this wide world the connections of things are innumerable and may be very important, where they are abfolutely hidden from our view, who probably discern but an inconfiderable portion of them. Subordinations are neceffary in every fyftem of every kind. The low rank and helplessnefs of many creatures fits them for our ufe; our advantages proceed from their fufferings; from the very sufferings which we inflict on them; yet they are totally ignorant of this: and how know we what advantages may, fome way, though quite different and quite inconceivable to us, proceed from our low rank and our fufferings? And as God hath wifely and kindly made fo many orders of beings beneath us; why may it not be as wifely and kindly, notwithstanding we are ignorant on what account, that he hath made us just such as we are, and no higher or happier? But though, in all likelihood, we can fee only a few of the reasons of God's ways, yet feveral we may fee, at least in fome measure. For inftance: He governs the world by general laws. On fome occafions indeed he hath openly departed from them, and wrought miracles: on many, we have cause to think he fecretly reftrains and varies them for gracious purposes, Pfalm cxlv. 9. purposes, or juft correction: but were he not to obferve them in the ordinary courfe of things, we fhould neither know, what to expect, nor how to proceed. If folid bodies did not weigh downwards, if bodies in motion did not communicate their motion to others, if winds had not a ftrong force, if rain was not carried about by them, if fire did not heat and confume, if sharp inftruments did not cut, the whole frame of nature would be difordered, and ftop. If what tends to deftroy our lives or our healths did not give us pain, we fhould take no fufficient care to avoid it. If any one thing almost, that we know, were to fail of commonly producing its natural effect, very general mifchiefs, or however inconveniences, would follow and yet, if they are left to produce their effects, grievous diftreffes to particulars, from time to time, muft be the confequence. Therefore we should learn to respect the regulations of providence, though occafionally we fuffer by them. We honour, if we are at all reasonable, whatever laws of our country we know to be for the common good, though often greatly oppofite to our own private interest: and furely lefs honour cannot be due to the laws of heaven. He, who could make fuch a world as this, may doubtless have, throughout his conduct of it, wife and good ends in his view, of which we cannot poffibly form any conception. Were God to queftion us, as once he did Job; Where waft thou, when I laid the foundations of the earth; declare, if thou baft understanding: our answer muft be, what one of his friends acknowledged, We are of yesterday, and know nothing or as the book of Wisdom expreffes it more largely; What man is he, that can know the counsel of God? or who can think what the will of the Lord is? For the thoughts of mortal men are miferable, and our devices are but uncertain ‡ = Indeed creatures of our own rank, only of abilities perhaps a little fuperior, lay schemes of which we should never have the leaft notion, and compafs them by methods which we fhould never fufpect, if we were not told them. Now God hath not told us all his ways, and all the reafons of them. Therefore with refpect to many things, we must apprehend him to fay to us, as the bleffed Jefus did to Peter: What G_2 I do *Job xxxviii. 4. ↑ Job viii. 9. Wifd. ix. 13, 14 I do thou knoweft not now, but thou shalt know hereafter*. If we obferve, with attention, and enquire with humility, we fhall find, fooner or later, in various inftances, even while we continue on this earth, that feeming evil is real good in fome refpect or other. But a future life will draw back the veil from multitudes of the divine difpenfations, and fhew us beauty and order, where nothing appeared to us but horror and confufion. Yet even then we must not expect to know the whole nor are the highest angels capable of fathoming all the depths of the univerfal providence of the only wife God+. Faith is the evidence of things not seen ‡: and implicit faith is one of the first and greatest duties of creatures to their Creator. We pay it to men like ourselves every day: and contentedly truft our fortunes, our healths, our lives with them, in confequence of it; notwithstanding they may often miftake, nay fometimes mean us ill. Surely then, without a fingle murmur, without the leaft hesitation, we may trust every thing, truft body and foul with God. For are they wifer and better, are we wifer and better, than he? Are we not fafer in his hands, than in our own? He doth not do all for us that we wish. But perhaps we wifh indifcreetly for what would be much harm to us. Or if not, we think it very fitting, that our fervants and inferiors, when we command them, fhould undergo a great deal for the accomplishiment of our purposes; and that multitudes of persons, when required by authority, fhould rifque every thing dear to them, for the general welfare: why is it not fitting then, that we, in our turn, fhould both give up fatisfactions, and bear uneafineffes, to ferve the good purposes of God? We are willing, I hope, to fuffet more than a little for our friends, for our country, for our prince: why fhould we not be as willing to fuffer every thing for the fake of mankind, and the fyftem of which we are part, when the fovereign of all demands it? We fee not indeed perhaps, in what manner our fufferings or our disadvantages benefit others, or make the general ftate of things better. But here is the patience and the faith of the faints §. Thus they have the means of fhewing patience in every fituation, built on the faith, that all things are conducted well. So far they are conducted well for us that John xiii. 7. † Rom xvi. 27. Tim. i. 17. Jude, Verfe 25. that in our lowest and most afflicted condition, when the face of God feems hid from us, his eye watches over us, and while his hand is heavieft upon us, it is leading us to our proper fhare of happinefs. Therefore, as thẻ apostle exhorts, be content with fuch things as ye have: for be bath faid, I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee*: But all matters are conducted in the highest degree well for the whole and doubting it is thinking ill of our heavenly Father; for which we can never have caufe. Nothing can win upon him to do wrong, nothing deter him from doing right, nothing refift his power; nothing mislead his judgment, nothing efcape his attention, who fees through the univerfe at He hath fixed the proper laws and limits for every part, and we have no claim to be exempted. Therefore when we feel ourselves inclined to object, to be moved with indignation, and tear ourselves in our anger, as Job's friends accufe him of doing, we fhould check our vehemence, as they check his, by afking, Shall the earth be forfaken for thee, and the rock be moved out of its place? Shall the foundations, on which the great fyftem of nature ftands, and by which its good state is preserved, be fhaken for the feeming, or the real, benefit of this or that perfon? If of any one, why not of every one: for what are we more than others? And then nothing can follow, but univerfal inconfiftence and confufion. once. Still the duty of fubmiffion to God's good pleasure doth not require from us infenfibility; for we cannot be infenfible of what we undergo, or what we want, or what fuperior advantages others enjoy. It doth not forbid us to think the prefent ftate of things, were we not to look beyond it, irregular and disorderly; provided we look on it as part of a regular whole, that is worthy of its author. For the afflictions and inequalities of this life, are a strong argument for a future one. And though entertaining too low an opinion of the wisdom and goodnefs, which appears now in the administration of the world, may often proceed from a bad temper, and produce or ftrengthen impious opinions; yet fome may undervalue or diflike beyond reafon what they fee, merely because they conceive they are bound to excite in their hearts the highest poffible efteem of what they hope for: and these, though mistaken, may be in the highest degree religious Again: Again: Thinking with complacency, how agreeable it would be to us, were heaven to change our lot in this or that refpect, or place us in the condition of this or that person; nay, wishing it were actually done, provided the wifh be formed on the condition, that fuch were his will, who knows beft; nay, though that condition be not always explicitly in our thoughts, yet if we are habitually disposed never abfolutely to defire that may be, which God fees fit fhould not be, we are still within the bounds of innocence. Indeed, the further we fuffer our fancies and inclinations to carry us in this road, the more flippery ground we continually tread upon but thus far we may advance, and not fall. In cafes of pofitive fufferings we may take yet another ftep: may bemoan ourfelves, though not complain of God; may exprefs in our devotions what he knows we cannot but feel, and lay before him our natural cravings of relief. For thus David, after the fullest, and undoubtedly fincereft, profeffion of refignation, made in the text, immediately fubjoins, take away thy ftroke from me: I am even confumed by means of thy heavy band *. Thus alfo good perfons in all ages have fought and found ease by fubmiffive applications to the throne of mercy. And if sometimes expoftulations have efcaped them, which feem not fubmiffive enough, their cooler thoughts have doubtlefs corrected them, and no failure can be intitled to a more favourable conftruction. But if our condition be a tolerably comfortable one, or might be fuch, if we would let it; then we have much more need to lower and fupprefs our defires of further advantages, than to inflame them by turning them into prayers, Not that we fin, if we endeavour to raise ourselves into a still more agreeable fituation, or if we intreat God to blefs our endeavours, as far as he judges it convenient. Refignation is very different, not only from defpondence, which rathe implies diffatisfaction and diftruft, but from indolence, which may be totally deftitute of any fentiment of piety. And though an indolent perfon can perhaps be more eafily refigned, yet an active one can be more certain, whether he is fo in reality, and from a principle of confcience. But the activity exerted by us, when in good circumftances, to improve them into better, fhould always be accompanied with peculiar moderation of defire and if we may lawfully pray at all to be rich or great, or in any respect eminent and admired; we ought certainly Pfal. xxxix. II. to |