to be remarkable for the most valuable Improvements our Nature is capable of: When we confider how great and graceful a thing it is to be contented with a little; to be above Contempt; to endure Pain without Impatience and Disorder. Thus to overlook the Malice and Impertinence of ill Men, to throw off the leffer Evils of Life with little or no Norice, and to bear the greater with Decency and Compofure; this is to be great, above Title and Fortune, and makes a Man more confiderable than the Empire of the whole World. The Confideration of this, one would think was fufficient to quiet and fupport our Spirits. A good Soldier does not think he is hardly dealt with when he is commanded upon a hazardous Action; but counts it a Mark of Efteem from his General. For though 'tis fomewhat unnatural to defire Affliction, yet when it comes, a generous and Christian Spirit will make the best of it: Such a Perfon won't give up the Caufe for loft, and fall into Dejection and Defpair; but on the contrary, fince he is placed in fo creditable

a Sta

a Station, fince Providence feems to confide in his Worth, and to think him fit to grapple with Trouble and Difficulty, he will endeavour to fignalize himfelf accordingly, and do fomething fuitable to the Circumftances and Occafion. In Thort, fince Croffes and Difappointments give the most undeniable Evidence of our Integrity; fince they afford us the best Opportunities for the Exercife of the noblest Virtues, and are the most effectual Means to make us exemplary and confiderable; to repine at them must be a Sign of Meannefs and Ingratitude. 'Tis much more becoming and religious for Men to awaken their Spirits, and prepare for Action, and to be thankful to Providence, for affigning them the Post of Honour.

Fourthly, and Lastly,

Let us confider, that the Time of Re'tribution is not to commence 'till the other Life; therefore it's unreasonable to be diffatisfy'd now. God has defign'd this Life for a State of Probation, now our Conftancy in a good Cause, our Faith and Dependence

Dependence upon the Promises of God, can't fo well be try'd as by the Difficulties and Difcouragements we meet with; for if Godliness was always prefent Gain, and a Man was fure to grow rich and powerful this Way fooner than any other, then the Covetous and Ambitious would prefs into the Service of Religion; for the greatest Quarrel they have against it is, that it often leads them too far about, and fometimes quite fpoils their Defign. If the Ways of Wisdom were Ways of Pleasantness to the fenfual Man; if the Discipline of a holy Life had nothing but Diversion in it, and there was more Entertainment in Fafting than in Eating, then an Epicure would turn Saint upon Principles of Luxury, and ferve God, that he might ferve his Appetite the bet ter. But this is not the Way to discover the Inclinations of Men, neither does God intend to make us happy at fo cheap a Rate; he has fet the Purchase of Glory higher, and propos'd it in a Way fuitable to the Generofity of our Minds; he knows we naturally relish any Satisfaction the

better,

better, when we have done fomething towards the gaining it ourselves. An easy Victory is always lefs honourable, and therefore we have no Reason to be difpleas'd, that Providence enjoins us a laborious Exercise of our Virtues; that we fhould be obliged, like thofe St. Paul mentions, to be temperate in all Things, and give fufficient Proof of our Refolution before we are crowned. Had not God defign'd this World for a Place of Exercife and Combat, he would either not have permitted fo many ill Men and Accidents in it, or else have fecur'd the Good from their Violence. Had the Day of Recompence been here, the Condition of all Men would flourish in proportion to their Virtues; then Splendor and Prosperity would be an infallible Mark of the true Church for the Righteous would be more excellent than his Neighbour, not only in his Mind, but in his Fortune and Constitution too. We might difcern the Improvements of Men by their Privileges, for when they came to an extraordinary Pitch of Goodness their Circumstances

M

cumftances would be remarkably distinguifh'd and glorious, they would (contrary to David's Obfervation) come in no Misfortune like other Folk, nor be plagued like other Men; they would Spend their Days in Profperity, and their Tears in Pleafure, and have a Protection from the common Calamities of Life. For then that of the Pfalmift would almost be the literal Privilege of every eminent Saint, Thou shalt not be afraid for any Terror by Night, nor for the Arrow that flieth by Day; for the Peftilence that walketh in Darkness, nor for the Deftruction which wastes at Noon-day; a thousand shall fall befide thee, and ten thousand at thy RightHand, but it shall not come nigh thee. But God has thought fit to order Things otherwife, for if the Reward of Piety was always vifible and prefent, the Value and Gencroufnefs of Virtue would very much abate; there would be no Room for Faith and Patience, and Men would be almoft over-rul'd into their Duty.

And