which they are entitled, both as Chriftians and as Poor? Their Sins are fuch as a Perfon acting rationally would avoid, tho there were no Profpect of a future Happiness to induce him to it. For their very Nature is fuch, as makes them become a perpetual Vexation of Spirit, keeps the Mind: upon the Rack, and deftroys all in-ward Peace of Mind, which is the only folid Comfort of Life: The Sins I mean, are Envy, Hatred, Choler, Fretting, Murmurs, and Difcontents. For 'tis by a long Series of thefe uneafy and tormenting Sins, that many pafs from the Miferies of this Life to thofe of the next; whereas if they fubmitted with a chearful Refignation to the Circumftances in which Providence has placed them, and bore the Difficulties of their State purely for the Love of God, every thing would become tolerably eafy in this Life, and Heaven would be their everlafting Inheritance hereafter. But by continually fretting and repining. at their own Condition, and envying that of their Neighbour, or keeping Malice in their Hearts, they both double all the Sufferings which God has fent them, and deprive themfelves of thewhole Reward promifed to those that bear them with a Chriftian Patience.

Now all this Impatience, Envy, Murmuring and Repining, and indeed all other Sins,

are

are chiefly owing to a Want of Reflection, and our not drawing rational Confequences from the Faith we have of the infinite Rewards and Punishments of the Life to come. For the very first practical Confequence, we ought to draw from this Belief, is, that whatever is a Means to preserve us from the Torments of Hell, and bring us to the Poffeffion of the Joys of Heaven, ought to be regarded as a real and fubftantial Good, be it never fo difagreeable in itfelf; and, on the contrary, whatever puts us in danger of losing our Souls, ought to be regarded as an Evil, tho' it be never fo pleafing to our Inclinations. These two Principles alone, if deeply imprinted in our Hearts, would rectify all our Ideas of what we ufually call temporal Goods and Evils, and place every thing in it's true Light. For if we took our Eftimate of Things from these two Principles, Wealth and Poverty, Honours and Difgrace, Afflictions and Profperity, would be confidered no otherwife, than precifely as they may have an Influence upon the Happiness or Unhappiness of our future State.

This leads me to a third Reflection-upon the merciful Difpenfation of Providence to those whom God vifits with Afflictions in this Life. For whatever is a Means to rescue us from eternal Evils, ought

cer

certainly to be regarded as a Mercy. Now nothing of its own Nature conduces more effectually to this End, than Sufferings, of what kind foever they be, or by what Hand foever they are prefented; and we are fure to profit by them, unless by our ill Conduct we wilfully fruftrate the Designs of Providence. The Reafon hereof, according to St. Austin, is, because it is an unalterable Law, that Sin muft be punish'd either now or hereafter. It follows therefore, that the only Way a Sinner has to prevent the Rigour of God's Justice hereafter, is to do now Justice upon himself, either by Mortifications of his own free Choice, or by humbly fubmitting to the Chastisements of his heavenly Father. For tho' thefe Sufferings be not voluntary by way of Choice, because it is not in our Power to avoid them, yet if we submit heartily to them, we make them, as it were, become our own A&t and Deed; and by fo doing render them as acceptable to Almighty God, and fatisfactory for our Sins, as other Works of Penance, which we voluntarily impose upon ourselves.

But now, confidering how backward Men generally are in punishing themselves, when it is left to their own free Wills, and how apt every one is to fpare and favour himself, ought we not to acknowledge it as

1

a very great Mercy, when God is pleased to rescue us, as I may fay, out of the Hands of our own Self-love and Sloth, and put us under a happy Neceffity of fuffering something for the prefent, rather than referve us for thofe terrible Punishments, which infinitely surpass, both in their Grievousness and Duration, all the Sufferings we can imagine in this Life?

For what Comparison is there between temporal and eternal! Suppose, for Instance, that a tedious and painful Sickness is the Crofs God fends us, is not this much easier than to burn for ever in Hell-fire? If Poverty with the Inconveniences that attend it be our Suffering, is not this Condition far more tolerable than that of the Damn'd, who are not only reduced to an utter Privation of every thing they poffefs'd in this World, but have loft Heaven itfelf, which we may ftill fecure if we please? If God be pleased to vifit us with the Lofs of Perfons that are dearest to us, is this any thing to the dreadful Pain of Lofs, which the Damn'd fuffer in Hell, and which we have fo often merited by our Sins?

Finally, Suppofe all the Sufferings of this Life were heap'd upon one fingle Man, whereof there is no Example to be found, might we not yet look upon his State as infinitely happy, if compared with the Miferies and Torments of the Damn'd?

How

How great a Goodness is it then in Almighty God to put it in our Power to fatisfy his infinite Justice on fuch easy Terms as are the fhort Sufferings of this Life? What Mercy is it to accept of a Payment fo infinitely difproportion'd to the infinite Debt we owe him, and be content with the Satisfaction of a light and momentary Pain, from those who have deferved the everlasting Torments of Hell-fire? Truly, whoever is not fenfible of this Mercy has either loft his Faith, and flatters himfelf that Hell-fire is a meer Fiction, or his Reason, in not judging it better to fuffer fomething for a Time, than be infinitely miferable for Eternity.

But to come now to a Conclufion; it will not be amifs to take a ferious View of the State of our Souls, and confider impartially what Tendency the main Body of our Actions have hitherto had; and if we fhould continue to live on, much after the fame way, what would be the End of it, naturally speaking. Now all know that nothing but mortal Sin, unrepented of, can bring us to Hell. If therefore a Man's. Confcience reproaches him with nothing that is notorious, tho' he cannot have an infallible Security, he has however good Grounds to hope well of himself; and the longer he has ferved God without offending