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idleness; we either know not what the gofpel fpeaks, or we do not believe it, or we resolve not to be the better for it, if it will put us to any labour; either we, or the gofpel, must bear the blame of our trouble and difquiet; either the gospel cannot relieve us, or we do ill to behave ourselves as though it could not. Every good chris‐ tian, no doubt, will accufe himself, and not the gospel: But let him confider, that he cannot do honour to the gofpel, nor to his Saviour, but by ceafing his discontents; for others will think, that he is no better physician than the reft, who hath no better fuccefs in his cures.

IT is also a great difparagement to the providence of God which rules the world. If there were no providence, I confess we fhould be deftitute of the greatest reason that man hath, against fears, and cares, and forrows. And he that is troubled, would be lefs unreasonable, because all the care would lie upon himself, and his own fhoulders muft alone bear the burden of every accident. But feeing we acknowledge

ledge an eternal wisdom, an infinite, unprejudiced understanding, that governs and fuperintends in all affairs; it is the greatest folly to be difquieted, and to deport our felves as if we and chance ruled all.

Some have fatisfied themfelves with this fingle thought, that it is in vain to be troubled; fince things must not be as we will, but as that almighty being pleases: A cold comfort, one would think, to be content upon neceffity; and yet this fome heathens have mainly infifted upon, as their fupport. Thanks be to God, that we have fomething better to quiet us, and that is this, That the world is governed not merely by God's will, but by his wifdom. He dif pofeth all things according to his pleasure ; but it pleaseth him to do all things for the beft. He rules the world, not as an absolute Jord, fo that we should be fenfible only of his power; but as a loving father, fo that we may be affured of his goodness. And therefore his children 'fhould not be difpleased, as if they were none of his family, nor within the verge of his care; but they fhould comfort themselves, that they are in

fuch

fuch fafe hands, who will do nothing but with the greatest reason, and for the most excellent ends.

To be troubled, fpeaks as if God had provided better for the beafts than for mankind; for they live in peace within themselves, and we hear not of their murmurs and complaints. And by the fame reafon that we are troubled, all the men in the world may be vexed alfo; and fo none think or speak well of God, but behave themselves as if he cared not for his rational creatures. man may confider, that God hath endowed him with an understanding of fuch a fize, with abilities and capacities of fuch a proportion, and measured for him fuch a fortune and condition as now he hath. If he is not contented, but fretteth within himself, that he is not better; then fo for he wants fomething also

may

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another man, ; yea, fo may all men, for they are all imperfect. And upon the fame grounds, that a man is trou¬ bled for the want of one particular thing, he may at the next step be troubled that he is not a king, or that he is not an angel; and an angel may be troubled, that he was pot made to understand more: And fo the

best

beft things would be moft miferable, becaufe they understand beft their own wants."

A

In fhort, God's providence hath so ordered the feveral degrees of things in the world, that none of them fhould be troubled, but fhould mutually help and be affiftant unto each other in their feveral wants. And fo there is not the greatest man living, but ftands in need of the meaneft, as much as the meaneft doth of him; juft as none of us can live without the beafts, no more than many of them can live without us.

What things we want, God hath otherwife fupplied us with; either in fome other kind, or by fome other help. Which is an obfervation that we are fo well acquainted withal, that we are not difcontented because we need cloaths, and were born naked into the world; nor do we account that the beafts have a privilege above us, because they come well clad into being, and provided with apparel for all their lives, or are armed with horns and hoofs: For God hath given unto us reafon, which is a better thing; and hath made the other creatures both to cloath and to arm us.

Now

Now fo it is in other cafes: As God hath made the brutes to help us in leffer things; fo hath he made other men to relieve our greater neceffities, to comfort us in our fadneffes, to fupply us in our wants, to advise us in our difficulties, and to be eyes and hands unto us, if we have no wisdom nor ftrength of our own; yea his own Son hath he given, to make an universal provision for us. Now when we ask and refolve our felves, Which is better, to come into the world with cloaths on our back, or to have reafon ? we fhould

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afcend a little higher in our thoughts, and put to ourselves a parallel cafe, Which is beft, to have all in our own hands and fole disposal, or to have a fupreme providence, an infinite wisdom to govern all our affairs? When we find the difference between thefe two, let us not live as if God ruled not at all, or as if it were better that we did rule than he.

part

of my

I PROCEED now to the fecond discourse, namely, to lay down fome RULES to be observed by us, in order to preferve us from trouble.

AND

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