neighbour, or as fuccefsful as his brother, or as well preferred as his friend, or as well efteemed as his enemy,—this is not necessary for him, nor perhaps good for others, nor promised by God, nor attainable by lawful means; and therefore in fuch a defign he cannot be moved by a religious expectation. It is to be feared that we are all of us much to blame in thefe things. We are apt to ftretch our defires in earthly things further than God hath intended his promifes. How few are there that can be content with that which is moderate, tho' that which is fuch be more fufficient than that which is too much. Behold the poor man who labours for his daily fuftenance, he is as fatisfied as the rich man who employs him ; and yet neither of them perhaps fully fatiffied. He would poffefs the place of that fame rich man, and he the place of him that is above him; and were we but all one degree higher, we think we fhould do well. enough; for we fee content dwelling in the degree juft above us; and yet behold when we are advanced to that degree, content is fled from. thence, and we are even yet but where we were before.

In the mean time, while every man runs beyond the goal, and stretches himself beyond fufficiency, and overshoots the promifes of God, and his own need, in the inordinancy of his defires; no wonder if he wavers, where God hath not established him; if he fluctuate in his hopes, where God hath not promised to gratify his defires ; no wonder if he be full of uncertainties, doubts, fears, difquiets, without faith, without hope, without affurance, without comfort, where he is gone fo far that he hath left God behind him, and defires a greater portion than God's infinite bounty thinks and knows to be fufficient for him.

And as men exceed the promises of God. in the measure of the things that they defire, fo likewife in the time that they defire them in. We are generally very forward and impatient, very greedy and importunate for our ends; we are not willing to stay God's time, for our portions and allotments in this world.

It is a great difeafe, and very common to be inftantly weary of those burdens that God lays upon us. If we be a while fick, how impatiently do we long for health? If

we

we be wronged and injured, how vehemently do we defire to be righted forthwith? If an enemy hath wounded our honour, ftained and blemished our reputation by a falfe report; how earneftly do we long to meet, and to convince him? We know no reft, we are not at ease, we know not well how to eat, or drink, or fleep, till we meet the enemy, till we have retrieved our honour, and thrown back the afperfion from our felves upon him.

Thus it is in all our griefs. We are importunate in our demands; and will not ftay till our relief comes. But now true religion, which looketh forward unto the things which are not feen, is not fo impatient. Have we an infirm body? Let us wait God's time for health; and if it never comes on this fide the grave, yet we know that hereafter our bodies fhall be fafhioned like unto Chrift's glorious body. Have we a broken fortune, or are we in diftreffed circumftances? Let us truft in God for the recovery of all things, but wait God's time; for true religion is always patient. Many a time hath the fun broke into an excellent luftre, after a cloudy

gloom,

gloom, or a violent ftorin: Many a time hath God restored riches after poverty, and caused a flourishing eftate to grow out of the ashes of a confumed fortune: Many a time hath he reclaimed the profligate, and fnatched the firebrand out of the fire, and drawn the lamb out of the wolf's mouth, giving joy for heaviness, and a garment of praise for a spirit of mourning.

We

But then, God's own time must be waited for. We must not number minutes. muft not determine moments, we must not prefcribe times and feafons unto God. We that cannot make the fun arife, muft not fet God a day. For if we be in hafte, we do not act according to a true christian expectation; our hafte will make our ends flow, and our forwardness will inflame our impatience, will rent our hopes, will cool the hand of God, which would otherwife work our defires. In the mean time, let us confider this: When we have been fick, and poor, and injured, and depreffed, and afflicted long enough; then God will deliver, and not before: and because we expect deliverance before, therefore we do not act like chriftians.

A THIRD

A THIRD thing which hinders mens having an eye to the things which are not feen, and living according to a true religious expectation, is, because they never apprehend themselves to have any need of fo living. Religion looks at its portion afar off; whereas they have all they stand in need of, under their hands; they have their portion in poffeffion, youth, health, ftrength, riches, honours, preferments, all things they defire, or know to be defirable, behold they have them in view, nay they have them in poffeffion; and fo they do not ftand in need of looking forward into futurity to make them happy, because they see and enjoy all the good things that they defire here at present.

Thus doth the rich man rejoice in his prefent fortune, and the charms of his own heart, Soul, thou haft much goods laid up for many years; take thine eafe, eat, drink, and be merry. Behold, he had a great ftock and fufficiency of prefent comforts; he fed his eye with plenty of corn, and grafped his treasures in his hand; he had his treafures laid up in his barns, and had locked up his content in his own poffeffion; and what need of living upon the prospect of

futu→