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or conducible to the health of our soul, and to our real happiness, than it: it is the school of wisdom, wherein our minds are disciplined and improved in the knowledge of the best things, whence it is termed a dim, that is, instructive chastisement: so David found it: It is (said he) good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes; and our Lord himself, ipaber af ur ixas, He learned obedience from what he suffered. It is the academy wherein virtue is acquired and exercised; † so God meant it to his people: The Lord thy God (saith Moses) led thee this forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble thee, and prove thee. So the Wise Man saith, that by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better; and, that stripes do cleanse the inward parts of the belly. And, It yieldeth (saith the apostle) the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby.

It is the furnace of the soul, wherein it is tried, cleansed, and refined from the dross of vain conceits, of perverse humours, of vicious distempers: When (saith Job) he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold; and, Gold (saith the Wise Man) is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity.

It is the method whereby God reclaimeth sturdy sinners to goodness, engageth them to seek and serve himself: so of the Israelites the prophet saith, Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them; so Manasses, when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers: so Nebuchadnezzar after being driven from his kingdom, his understanding returned unto him, and he blessed the Most High, and praised and honoured him that liveth for ever so David himself, Before (said he) I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word.

multoque in rebus acerbis, Acrius advertunt animos ad relligionem. Lucret. iii. p. 64. Καὶ γὰς τὸν τύφον περιστῷ, καὶ τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐκκόπτω

πᾶσαν ἡ θλίψις, καὶ πρὸς ὑπομονὴν ἀλείφε κἀκαλύπτω τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων τὴν εὐφέλειαν, καὶ πολλὴν μ sayu Tüy qikooogias, &c.-Chrys. in 2 Cor. Orat. 26.

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+ Miraris tu, si Deus, ille banorum amantissimus qui illos quam optimos esse atque excellentissimos | vult, fortunam illís cum qua exerceantur assignat?— Sen, de Prov. 2.

Hence sugaruòs (trial) is the usual word signifying it.-1 Pet. i. 6, &c.

b Psal. cxix. 71; 1 Cor. xi. 32,-Kgivóμsvas vrò Kugícu παιδευόμεθα. Ηeb. v. 8. Deut. viii. 2; Eccles, vii. 3; Prov. xx. 30; Heb. xii. 11; James i. 3; Rom. v. 3. d Job xxiii. 10; (Psal lxvi. 10;) Eccles. ii. 5; Sap. iii. 5; (Isa. i. 25; xlviii. 10; Mal. iii. 23; Dan. xi. 35.) Isa. xxvi, 16; xxix. 19; Hos. v. 15; Psal. lxxviii. 34; evii. 4, &c.; lxxxiv. 16; 2 Chron. xxiii. 12. f Dan. iv. 34.

Psal. cxix. 67.

It is that whereby God doth prepare men, and doth entitle them to the blessed rewards hereafter: Our light affliction (saith St. Paul) which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; and, Ye (saith St, Peter) greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, may be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Such is the nature, such the use, such the fruits of adversity,

It is indeed scarce possible, that, without tasting it somewhat deeply, any man should become in good measure either wise or good. He must be very ignorant of himself (of his own temper and inclinations, of the strength and forces of his reason), who hath not met with some rubs and crosses to try himself and them with⚫ the greater part of things he must little understand, who hath not experienced the worst part: he cannot skill to wield and govern his passions, who never had them stirred up, and tossed about by cross acci, dents; he can be no good pilot in matters of human life, who hath not for some time sailed in a rough sea, in foul weather, among sands and shelves: he could have no good opportunity of employing tho roughly, or improving his wit, his courage, his industry, who hath had no straits to extricate himself from, no difficulties to surmount, no hardships to sustain:§ the virtues of humility, of patience, of contentedness, necessarily must be unknown to him, to whom no disgraces, no wants, no sore pains, have arrived, by well enduring which, those virtues are learnt, and planted in the soul: scarce can he become very charitable or compassionate to others, who never himself hath felt the smart of affliction, or inconveniences of any distress; for even, as the apostle teacheth us, our Saviour himself was obliged to suffer tribulation, that he thence might become merciful, and disposed to succour the afflicted. (No wonder, if he that liveth in

*. Η γὰς τῶν πόνων ἐπίτασις, μισθῶν ἐπίτασίς ἐστι, καὶ ἔρεισμα ἀσφαλὲς πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἑκοντας ἐκπεσειν· καὶ γὰς τύφον καταστέλλει, καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαν ἀποστρέφει, καὶ φρονι μωτέρους παιδὶ καὶ εὐλαβεστέρους ἐργάζεται, &c.-Chrys. tom. vi. Or. 9.

† ὑπομονῆς ἔχετε χρείαν, &c. Heb. x. 36.

Nihil infelicius eo, cui nihil unquam evenit adversi, non licuit enim illi se experiri. Sen. de Provid. 3. Non fert ullum ictum illæsa felicitas. - Ibid.

§ Que latet, inque bonis cessat non cognita rebus, Apparet virtus, arguiturque malis.— Övid. Trist.iv.3 Non ignara inali miseris succurrere disco.- En. 2. b 2 Cor. iv. 17; 1 Pet. i. 6, 7.

i Heb. fi. 17, 18; iv. 15, 16.

continual prosperity be a Nabal, churlish and discourteous, insensible of other men's grievances :) and how can he express much piety or love to God, who is not (in submission to God's will, and for his sake) put to suffer any thing grievous, or want any thing desirable?* When can he employ any great faith or hope in God, who never hath any visible need of succour or relief from him, who hath other present aids to confide in? How can he purely delight in God, and place his sole felicity in him? How can he thoroughly relish spiritual things, whose affections are taken up | by an affluence of other goods, whose appetites are glutted with enjoyment of other delights? What but deprivation of these things can lay open the vanity, the deceit. fulness, and slipperiness of them? What but crosses and disappointments here can withdraw our minds from a fond admiration and eager affection toward this world?t What but the want of these joys and satisfactions can drive us to seek our felicity otherwhere? When the deceit of riches possesseth us, how can we judge right of things? when cares about them distract us, how can we think about any thing that is good? when their snares entangle us, and their clogs encumber us, how can we be free and expedite in doing good? when abundance fatteneth our hearts, and ease softeneth our spirits, and success puffeth up our minds; when pride, sensuality, stupidity, and sloth (the almost inseparable adherents to large and prosperous estates) do continually insinuate themselves into us, what wisdom, what virtue are we like to have?*

Seeing, then, adversity is so wholesome and useful, the remedy of so great mischiefs, the cause of so great benefits to us, why should we be displeased therewith?‡ To be displeased with it, is to be displeased with that which is most needful or most convenient for us, to be displeased with

detained under the reign of folly and wickedness, that we are not inevitably made fools and beasts. To be disgusted with Providence for affliction or poverty, is no other than as if we should be angry with our physician for administering a purge or for prescribing abstinence to us;* as if we should fret at our chirurgeon for searching our wounds, or applying needful corrosives; as if we should complain of the hand which draweth us from a precipice, or pulleth us out of the fire. Many benefits (saith Senecat) have a sad and rough countenance, as to burn and cut in order to healing; such a benefit of God is adversity to us; and as such with a gladsome and thankful mind should we receive it.

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If with a diligent observation we consult experience, we shall find, that as many have great cause to bewail that they have been rich, that they have been blinded and corrupted with prosperity, that they have received their consolation here; so many have great reason to be glad that they have been poor, that they have been disappointed, that they have tasted the bitter cup; it having instructed and corrected them; it having rendered them sober and considerate, industrious and frugal, mindful of God, and devout toward him: and what we may rejoice in when past, why should we not bear contentedly when present? why should not the expectation of such good fruits satisfy us?

Why should not such a condition, being so plainly better in itself, seem also better unto us? We cannot, if we are reasonable, but approve it in our judgment; why then are we not fully reconciled unto it in our affection?

SERMON XL.

OF CONTENTMENT.

we are rescued from errors and vices, with all their black train of miseries and mischiefs; to be displeased that we are not

• Cum molestiæ in hujus vitæ fragilitate crebrescunt, æternam requiem nos desiderare compellunt. Mundus quippe iste periculosior est blandus, quam molestus, et magis cavendus quum se illicit diligi, quam cum admonet,cogitque contemni.-Aug. Ep.144. † Ardua nam res est opibus non tradere mores.Mart.-Munera ista fortunæ putatis? insidiæ sunt. -Sen. Ep. 8.Viscata beneficia.-Ib.

Gratulari et gaudere nos decet dignatione divinæ castigationis- Ö servum illum beatum, cujus emendationi Dominus instat; cui dignatur irasci, quem admonendi dissimulatione non decipit.- Tert. de Pat. 11. Ο ἁμαρτάνων κἂν μὴ κολάζηται, πάντων ἐστὶν ἀθλιώς Tiges, &c.-Chrys. 'Avdę. 5.

J1 Sam. xxv. 3. Matt. xiii. 22; 1 Tim. vi. 9; Luke x. 41; Deut. xxxii, 15; Prov. i. 32; xxx. 9; Hos. xiii. 6; Psal. xxx. 6; Jer. xxii. 21; Amos vi. 1, &c.

ever state, &c.

5. BUT further: Let our state be, as to quality, what it will, good or bad, joyful or unpleasant, we may yet consider that it cannot be desperate, it may not be lasting ; ** Η νοσούντων Ιατρείαι, ἢ ὑγιαινόντων γυμνασίας.-Simp, Κρείττων ευημερίας ἀχαλινώτου νόσος φιλόσοφος.-Naz. Ep. 66. Beneficia multa tristem et asperam frontem habent, quemadmodum urere, et secare, ut sanes.— Sen. de Benef. v. 20.

Horrorem operis fructus excusat.- Tert. Scorp. 5. Let our condition be what it will, we are the same. It doth not change us in our intrinsic worth or state. It is but a garment about us, or as weather. Ego utrum Nave ferar magna an parva, ferar unus et idem. Hor. Ep. ii. 2. 1 Jude 23. Luke vi. 24; James v. 1; Amos vi. 1, &u

want or pain; yet, not descrying the way of a future provision for us, answerable to our desires, we do trouble ourselves; which demeanour implieth great ignorance and infidelity:* we think God obliged in kind. ness, not only to bestow upon us what is needful in its season, but to furnish us with stores, and allow us securities; we must have somewhat in hand, or we cannot trust him for the future: this is that which our Saviour cautioneth against, as the root of discontent and sign of diffidence: Take no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself; sufficient to the day is the evil thereof:1 an advice no less pious, than manifestly full of reason and wisdom: for what a palpable folly is it to anticipate that evil which we would avoid; then, when we earnestly desire to put off sorrow, to pull it toward us; to feel that mischief which possibly shall never be; to give it a being in our fancy which it may never have in nature?† Could we follow this advice, never resenting evils before they come, never prejudging about future events against God's providence and our own quiet; constantly depending on the Divine care for us; not taking false alarms, and trembling at things which shall never come near us; not being disturbed with panic fears; no discontent could ever seize upon us: for the present is ever support able; our mind cannot be overwhelmed by the pangs of a transitory moment.

If we need further encouragement for application of this remedy, we have manifold experiments to assure its virtue: as there are innumerable promises that none who hope in God shall be disappointed; m so there are many illustrious examples of those, whom God hath in remarkable manner and wonderful measure relieved from wants and distresses, raising them out of deepest poverty, contempt, and wordly wretchedness, into most eminent degrees of wealth and prosperity: Look (saith the Hebrew Sage) into the ancient generations, and see; Who hath trusted in the Lord, and hath been ashamed? or who hath abiden in his fear, and hath been forsaken? or who hath invoked him, and he did overlook

* Πολλῆς μικροψυχίας ἐστὶν ὑπὲς τῶν ὕστερον συμβησος κίνων, ἢ μηδὲ όλως συμβησομένων τὴν ἀθυμίαν ἤδη καρ τοῦσθαι καὶ κόπτεσθαι. Chrys. ad Stagir. 2.

+ Calamitosus est animus futuri anxius, et ante miseriam miser.-Sen. Ep. 18.

Ne sis miser ante tempus; cum illa quæ imminentia xpavisti, fortasse nunquam ventura sint, certe nondum venerint, &c.- Sen. Ep. 13.

Quod juvat dolori suo occurrere? satis cito dolebis cum venerit.-Ibid.

Quoties incerta erunt maria, tibi fave.-Ibid.

Matt. vi. 34. Lam. iii. 25; Isa. xxx. 18; xl. 31; xlix. 23; Psal. xxv. 3, xxxvii. 9; ix. 10; 2 Chron. xxviii. 9; Ezra viii. 22, Amos v. 4; 2 Chron. xv. 2.

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(or despise) him? If we look into those generations, we may there find Joseph, out of slavery and out of prison, advanced to be the chief governor of a most flourishing kingdom: Moses, from an exile and a vagrant, made the redeemer and commander of a populous nation: Job, out of extreme poverty and disgrace, restored to be in wealth and honour twice greater than the greatest men of the East: Daniel, out of captivity and persecution, become president of the greatest monarchy on earth: David, raised out of great meanness to highest dignity, restored out of extreme straits into a most prosperous state; according to those words of admiration and acknowledgment, O what great troubles and adversities hast thou showed me; and yet didst thou turn and refresh me, yea and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again: thou hast brought me to great honour, and comforted me on every side. Thus hath God eminently done with divers; thus we may be assured that he will do competently with us, if with the like faith and patience we do, as they did, rely and wait upon him.

6. But further, imagine or suppose that our condition (so irksome to us at present) will certainly hold on to the utmost; yet consider also that it soon will cease, and change of itself: since we are mortal, our evils cannot be perpetual; we cannot long be infested with them.

As it may debase and imbitter all the prosperity in the world, to consider that it is very fading and short-lived; that its splendour is but a blaze, its pleasure but a flash, its joy but as the crackling of thorns;a so it should abate and sweeten any adversity, to remember that it is passing away, and suddenly will be gone. Put, I say, the worst case that can be: that it were certainly determined, and we did as certainly know it, that those things which cause our displeasure should continue through our whole life; yet since our life itself will soon be spun out, and with it all our worldly evils will vanish, why are we troubled? What is said of ourselves, must in consequence be truly applied to them: They flee like a shadow, and continue not; they are winds passing, and coming not again; they are vapours appearing for a little time, and then vanishing away; they wither like grass, and fade away as a leaf; they may die before us, they cannot outlive us; our