: We do receive a great deal of pleasure from them and we might receive much more, if we would frame our minds to obferve and be pleased with the feveral objects and occurrences, that present themselves to us almost every moment. But unhappily, even they, who imagine they are the most judiciously attentive to enjoy from what they like, or from every thing about them, all that they can, are very apt to confider but few things, if any, as matter of thankfulness to God. Yet evidently nothing, which we have cause to think in any degree good, ought to escape being confidered in this view. For he is the fole original fountain of good, of every fort of good not only the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort *, with respect to our higher expectations; but the giver of rain and fruitful feafons, filling our hearts with food and gladnefs; who openeth his hand, and satisfieth the defire, the very loweft defire, of every living thing ‡. Now would we but reflect on our various enjoyments in this light; as marks and inftances of the good-will and kindness of the' great Lord of all; as prefents, which he gracioufly condescends to make us; it would raise the worth and dignity of them inexpreffible; it would imprefs us with the strongest conviction of their guilt, who, when they know God, glorify him not as God, neither are thankful¶; it would infpire us with a most pleafing love and reverence to him, preferve us very powerfully from finning against him by the abuse of his own gifts; and fupport us under whatever we might fuffer in this world, by the affurance that he, of whofe bounty we have fo large experience here, hath bleffings infinitely superior in ftore for us hereafter. Let us therefore ftir up and cherish in our breasts, a habit of conftant thankfulnefs to heaven: bear always in our thoughts the value of thofe faculties and powers of body and mind with which we are endowed, of the health and eafe which we enjoy or have enjoyed, and remember that He it. is who made us, and not we ourselves §. Let us reckon over the manifold comforts and accommodations of life, the relations and friends, the agreeable acquaintance, the fair efteem, of which we are poffeffed, and confider that all these * 2 Cor i. 3. † Acts xiv. 17. Pfalm cxlv. 16, are : are the donations of a kind providence. Let us raise our views higher contemplate the ineftimable benefits of our redemption; of the precepts, the examples, the promises of holy writ; the inftructions given us by God's minifters in public, by good perfons and good books in private; the freedom, which we and all around us have of worshipping our Maker, according to our confciences. Let us recollect, at the fame time, the fecurity of our perfons and properties from oppreffion in all other refpects, as well as this: that the whole exercise of civil authority over us, is legal and mild; that no. one will or can harm us, if we are followers of that which is good*. Let us compare our own condition in thefe particulars, with that of the multitudes elfewhere, indeed of moft men throughout the earth, who fit in darkness and bondage, temporal, and fpiritual. Yet even they have caufe to praise God. For the moft deficient in worldly advantages have many confolations, if they will attend to them properly: the moft ignorant shall be accountable only in proportion to their means of knowledge; and the most faulty shall be judged with every due allowance to the propenfities of their nature, and the prejudices of their education. But how much more liberal is our fhare of whatever pertains unto life and godliness: and what pleasure fhould we take in paying fuitable acknowledgements! Blessed are they that dwell in thy houfe: they will be always praising thee 1. But befides being thankful to God alway, we ought. That the gift of life, taking the whole of it together, is justly a ground of thanksgiving, we cannot question, without queftioning alfo the goodness of the giver. Yet whether we are indeed thankful, and to' what degree, for the fum total of it united, we should do well to examine curfelves. But the apoftle exprefsly enjoins us to be fo for each part separately. Be it ever fo afflictive, we have deferved much worfe: and therefore ought to blefs our merciful Father, that the blow came no fooner, that it was no heavier, that it was repeated no of tener. But then, befides, the fame apostle hath told us, that all things work together for good to them who love God §. We are extremely prone to think otherwife, when any unpleafing 1 Pet. iii. 13. † 2 Pet. i. 3. Pfal. lxxxiv. 4, Occurrence Rom. viii. 28. accurrence befalls us; and to fay with good old Jacob, all thefe things are against me*. But as he found most unexpectedly, that the grievances, which he bemoaned, were the very inftruments of his happiness throughout the remainder of his days: fo have very many fince, and so very poffibly may we, experience the like unforfeen connection. I have fhewn you, in fpeaking on the fubjects related to this, from what evils our fufferings or difadvantages often preferve us, what benefits they often procure us. Indeed we frequently acknowledge, that to fuch or fuch a misfortune or disappointment we are indebted for our efcape from deftructive dangers, or our attainment of most defirable bleffings. But we might difcern many more events of this nature, would we look for them: and we should believe there are fuch very commonly, when we cannot fee them. It is an act of duty owing to him, whofe power and wisdom can eafily bring good out of evil and an act of prudence, which we owe to ourselves, as the fure way of turning every gloomy appearance into a chearful one. : And were our troubles and croffes never to end in augmenting our temporal welfare, yet they may and will, if it be not our own fault, contribute to a far greater felicity, our moral and fpiritual improvement. Sometimes we cannot avoid perceiving their medicinal and falutary tendency often we might perceive it by the help of a little serious confideration: and they may be extremely requifite, when at the time we perceive it not. For both our outward dangers and our inward weakneffes are very commonly unfeen by us: whence we imagine ourfelves to be in perfect fafety, while we are really in imminent hazard. But the Great Phyfician of our fouls knows our true and whole ftate: and it is unfpeakable goodness in him, to apply the remedies, be they ever fo rough, which our cafe de-, mands, and a due regimen obferved on our part will render effectual. When a needful, but harsh operation is prescribed to be performed on us by one of our fellow-creatures, though we are fenfible we must feel from it exquifite pain, yet we chufe to undergo it, we defire to have it completely gone through without fparing us; and even during the fmart, we blefs the fkilful hand, that inflicts the wound. Surely then we should bear as willingly, at least, the chaftenings of the Lord, and neither faint nor murmur when we are rebuked of him. For Gen. xlii. 36 whom whom the Lord loveth, he chafteneth; and Scourgeth every fon, whom he receiveth *. The worldly advantages, that we have wifhed for in vain, might not only have failed to produce in us a due fense of gratitude towards God, which alone would have been heinous guilt, but might have tempted us to irregularities, to pride, to injurious behaviour, to a ruinous choice of the good things of this life for our portion: whereas the uneafineffes and forrows, that we groan under, may fecure us from vicious cour fes, may teach us humility and compaffion, may raise our affections above earthly objects. Before I was afflicted, faith the pfalmift, I went aftray: but now have I kept thy word. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy ftatutest. No chaftening for the prefent, faith the apostle, feemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterwards, it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them, which are exercifed thereby . If men be bolden in cords of affliction, faith Elibu in Job, then God fheweth them their work, and their tranfgreffions, that they have exceeded: he openeth their ear to difcipline; and commandeth, that they return from iniquity. If they obey and ferve him, they shall spend their days in profperity, and their years in pleasure §. Whatever makes us better, will ordinatily make us happier even now. For our faults and follies are what ufually bring on our troubles: and in that cafe amendment is the likelieft way to remove them, and prevent more. Or fuppofe it proves otherwise, mere consciousness of amendment will adminifter no fmall confolation. And as there is very commonly pitiable wretchedness hid under fhewish profperity, fo there may be fweet tranquility of mind under fore calamities. In the multitude of the forrows, that I had in my heart, thy comforts have refreshed my foul. Innocence gives great joy in the midst of fufferings: why may not piety, fuperadded to innocence or to penitence, give greater? Few, alas, are qualified for fuch feelings; and therefore the mention of them may seem strange: but as they are perfectly rational, we may juftly, on the authority of fcripture, believe God to excite and ftrengthen them in devout minds to fuch a degree, as to make them abundantly an over-balance to the heaviest preffures of this life. Or if they be * Heb. xii. 5, 6. † Pfal. cxix. 67, 71. Heb. xii. 11. be not, the christian temper, formed and cultivated within us by the means of thefe preffures, will fit us for higher rewards in the life to come. So that indeed the burthens, which our Maker lays upon us, are intended by him, who knoweth our frame, and whereof we are made, as a requifite preparation for our trueft good; that we may be ftrengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto patience and long fuffering with joyfulness; and give thanks unto the Father, who maketh us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light †. Were we but influenced by this confideration as we ought, we fhould fay to God with pleafing wonder, what Job faith by way of discontented expoftulation. What is man, that thou Shouldeft magnify him thus; that thou shouldeft fet thine heart upon him; that thou fhouldeft vifit him every morning, and try bim every moment ‡? : But fuppofing the trials we undergo, fhould not improve our virtues at all, yet they must be deemed a very fevere exercise of them and even were such exercife to impair some of them a little; provided it be not through undutiful misbehaviour under them, but merely from weakness, contrary to our wills and best endeavours, undoubtedly every fingle circumstance of our cafe will be equitably confidered in our favour. It is true, our moft laborious fervice hath no merit in it: but through the unmerited goodness of God, if we endure hardness as good foldiers of Jefus Chrift §, we shall be plentifully recompenfed by the Captain of our Salvation T. For, as St. Paul triumphantly expreffes it, all things are for our fakes, every defpenfation of providence is defigned to encrease our future bleffedness, that the abundant grace may, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Therefore let us, like him, as well as can, rejoice in tribulations; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed**. Still we are by no means to run, either wilfully or carelessly into unneceffary troubles; or expofe ourselves by indolence and neglect to unneceffary loffes, failures, and disappointments: for under fuch we have no promife that heaven will support us; or make us the least compenfation for them. But when the hand, of . # Job vii. 17, 18. + Col. i. 11, 12. Pfal. ciii. 14. $2 Tim. ii. 3. Heb. ii. 10. || 2 Cor. iv. 15; 17. |