put our full Confidence in God alone, and in his unchangeable Promises, and not in the outward Tokens of his Mercy and Favour, Rev. xi. He fhews to all the World that the Anchor of our Hope is not fixed here below, but that it is fastened in Heaven, where Chrift is entered as our Fore runner, Heb. vi.

As God is glorified in Afflictions, he is also honoured by our Deliverance. If the Land of Judea had not been peopled with Deaf, Dumb, Lame, Blind, Decrepit, and poffeffed with Devils, Acts ix. if Æneas had not been fick eight Years, if a poor Woman had not been grieved with a Bloody-Flux twelve Years, if another had not been vexed with the Disease that had bended her Body, if the fick of the Palfy had not been lying in his Bed thirty eight Years, if the Daughter of Jairus had not been dead, if the Widow's Son of the City of Naim had not been carried to the Grave; in fhort, if Lazarus had not been buried four Days, the Glory and divine Miracles of our Lord and Saviour had not been admired all over the World, Mat. ix. Luke xiii. Job. v. Likewife our defperate Diseases, and our unexpected Recoveries, when human Skill can do nothing, declare to the most fenfelefs Souls, that it is God alone that can give the Wound, and bind it up, and that leads to the Sepulchre, and brings back again, Luke vii. John xi. Job v. 1 Sam. ii. God's Deliverances of his People from their Afflictions are of two Sorts, for either he takes away the Burden from us, or else he ftretcheth out to us his merciful Hand, and helps us to bear it; either he removes his Affliction, and pacifies our Grief; or he strengthens us with Power and Courage, and arms us with Patience, and a generous Refolution needful in fuch a cafe. This appears in a notable manner in the Apostle St. Paul; for fear that he fhould be lifted up in Pride, because of the Excellency of his divine Revelations, God gave him a Thorn in the Flesh, and fent the Angel of Satan to buffet him, and to increase the Bitterness and Sharpnefs of his Disease. This holy Man prayed often to re

move it from him, but God took his Thorn away from his Flesh, nor did he check that Meffenger of Satan that afflicted him; but he delivered him in a more illuftrious Manner. For he ftrengthened him with his Divine Spirit, enriched him with his Graces; he made him feel the Virtue and Power of Chrift within him, and accomplished his Virtue in Paul's Infirmity. Infomuch that this Great Apoftle cries out in the fharpeft of his Afflictions, with Transports of Joy, I take Pleafure in Infirmities, in Reproaches, in Neceffities, in Perfecution, in Diftreffes, for Chrift's Sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong; I can do all things in Chrift that strengthens me, 2 Cor. xii. This may be also seen in the Martyr St. Stephen; for he was condemned to die a Death the most painful and grievous that we can imagine; but God gave him fuch powerful Comforts, and filled his Mind with fuch Joys, that his Face shined as that of an Angel. You must understand the Words of St. Paul in that Manner, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, Acts vi. Heb. v. Jesus Christ having offered up Prayers and Supplications, with strong Crying and Tears, unto him that was able to fave him from Death, and was heard, in that he feared; for he was not altogether freed from the Sufferings and Torments of the Crofs, but he endured them courageously, and was more than Conqueror in all Things. He drank up the very Dregs of the Cup of God's Wrath, but by his Divine Power, he overcame the Strength of the Poifon. His heavenly Father took him not down from the Crofs, nor out of the Hands of his Murderers; but he hath erected upon it his glorious Trophies, and the Crofs hath been as his triumphing Chariot. Likewife, when you see a Christian bear up in the midft of a grievous Affliction, and overcome his Grief by his Conftancy and Patience, who, inftead of Mourning, rejoiceth, and comforts himself in his Diftreffes; you may then conclude, that fuch an one is ftrengthened by God's Divine Spirit, who upholds him, and accom

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plifheth his heavenly Virtue in his Servant's Infirmity. This is the most miraculous and excellent of all Deliverances.

I confefs, fome approve this Discourse very well, and admit these Confolations in their ordinary Diseases; but as foon as any extraordinary and violent Griefs feize upon them, they are apt to murmur against God, and to complain, that their Punishment is too grievous. Some proceed further, to curfe, as Job, the Day of their Birth; and being brought into Defpair, are ready to cry out with Cain, My Punishment is greater than I am able to bear. Unhappy Man! Wilt thou imitate the barbarous Heathens, who curfe the Sun when it burns them, and let fly their Arrows against Heaven when it thunders? Wretched Man! What will it avail thee to affront thy Creator? What Advantage wilt thou reap from the Blafphemies which thou belchest forth against the Son of Righteousness? Miferable Worm of the Earth, contemptible Duft, wilt thou undertake to contend with God, to pluck him from his Throne, and to break the invincible Arm of his Power? Doft thou imagine to ftop the Hand of his Vengeance, by offending and finning against him? Wilt thou quench the Fury of his Wrath, by spitting in his Face? Believeft thou, that he will ftretch forth his Hand to deliver thee, and to increase thy Bleffings, whilft thy Mouth is open to blafpheme him, who is thy Sovereign Lord?

Liften well, I beseech thee, Friend, to my Advice; and I will help thee out of the Labyrinth where thou art unhappily intangled; and with God's Help, I will caufe thee to understand, that thou complaineft wrongfully against him, who performs all Things advisedly, and with Justice and Reason.

1. Run over the whole Course of thy Life, and confider how many wicked Acts thou haft committed; fome by Indiscretion, others wilfully; how many Words have escaped out of thy Mouth, how many Thoughts have been entertained in thy Mind against

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the Commands of Almighty God. Confider ferioufly the Number and Heinoufnefs of thy Sins and Miscarriages, and thou shalt find that God's Punishments are far lefs than thy Deferts; and that for one sensible Stroke of a bitter Pain that thou feel'ft, thou haft deferved many thousands. So that thou fhalt have Caufe to confess with the Prophet Daniel, O Lord, Righteoufness belongeth unto thee, but unto us Confufion of Face, Dan. ix. And thou wilt fay with David, Innumerable Evils bave compassed me about, mine Iniquities have taken bold upon me, fo that I am not able to look up, they are more than the Hairs of my Head; therefore my Heart faileth me; there is no whole Part in my Flesh, because of thine Indignation, nor Reft in my Bones, becaufe of my Sin, Pfal. xl.

2. Confider how many are in the World to be preferred before thee for Piety, and yet fuffer fharper and longer Evils than thou haft hitherto endured, and have not had fo much Comfort and Affiftance. If thou compareft thy Condition with theirs, thou shalt find that God fpares and favours thee very much.

3. Caft thine Eyes upon the Death and Paffion of our Lord and Saviour; who being juft and innocent, hath fuffered for us wicked and abominable Sinners. Thine Affliction is painful, I confefs, but that which' thy merciful Redeemer has undergone for thee, was far more infufferable. Let his Exclamations, his Tears, and Drops of Blood, which come out of his Veins, be a Witnefs; and that earnest Prayer which he repeated three times upon his bended Knees, Father, if it be poffible, let this Cup pass from me, that I may not drink it. Let that doleful Voice upon the Cross declare it, My God, my God, why haft thou forSaken me?

4. Weigh in juft and equal Scales of the Sanctuary, all the Sufferings of this Life, with the Torments of Hell, which thou haft justly deserved. Compare them together and thou wilt quickly conclude, that all thy Pains are nothing in Comparison to the grievous TorR 2

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tures of that Lake of Fire and Brimftone, where there is weeping and gnashing of Teeth. If thou art fenfible of these vanishing Pains, confider well, how much thou art obliged to the Goodness of God, who hath freely pardoned all thine Offences, and redeemed thee from that eternal and unspeakable Mifery of the other Life.

5. Thou must imitate those Men, who having their Sight dimned with the extraordinary Splendor of bright Colours, or of a Body of Light, turn off their Eyes to look upon lefs offenfive Objects. Instead of handling always thy Wounds and Sores, inftead of thinking of the Afflictions that lie heavy upon thee, meditate upon the Goodness and Favour of God, youchfafed to thee fince thy Conception until now. I give thee Leave to put in one Side of the Scales, all thy Croffes, Loffes, Difeafes, Pains, and Grief, upon Condition, that in the other Scale thou wilt caft all the Mercies, Favours, Bleffings and Deliverances, which thou hast received from God's liberal Hand. It is true, thou, groaneft under thy Mifery, and complaineft of thy Condition; thou verily believeft that there is none fo miferable as thou art, fo that willingly thou wouldest fay with the Prophet Jeremiah, Doth not this move ye, O ye that pass by? Behold and fee if there be any Sorrow like unto my Sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the Day of his fierce Anger. But though there fhould be nothing elfe but this alone, that God hath called thee to the Knowledge of his Holy Will, enriched thee with the Graces of his Divine Spirit, and fown in thy Heart the Seeds of eternal Life, and the bleffed Hopes of feeing his Face in Glo

thou oughteft to look upon thyfelf, as one of the happiest Creatures under Heaven.

6. Finally, Thou muft meditate with a religious Attention upon the Joys, and the eternal Bleffedness of Paradife; For I reckon, with the Apostle, that the Sufferings of this prefent Life are not worthy to be comparedwith the Glory which shall be revealed in us, Rom. viii.

When