34. Men, on the contrary, even christians, when they are wronged, are bitter and resentful, and "shoot out their arrows, even bitter words," Psalm lxiv. 3. They nourish an implacable hatred in their hearts against all whom they apprehend to have been the causes of those wrongs and sufferings which they undergo. Now what doth this prove, but that we look not at God in our sufferings? We eye not His hand, nor his providence in bringing them upon us; we consider not that their malice is overruled by his wisdom, and that he makes use of it to accomplish his own purposes and designs; and so, while, like dogs, we bite and snarl at the stones that are thrown at us we do in fact but fly at Him that casts them. Whereas, a truly patient spirit looks above and beyond the wickedness and malice of men, to the justice and wisdom of God; and this suppresses the ebullitions of his passions and all attempts at revenge, which else his wrath and corrupt nature would prompt him to take.

The last work of patience, that I would mention, is to obstruct all unlawful ways of deliverance from those sufferings under which we lie. Patience will not suffer a christian to accept of deliverance, if he cannot keep his conscience without stain, as well as his outward man from trouble; he will not make such an unworthy exchange as to leave his conscience to suffer in its stead; no, rather let bonds and afflictions, reproach and death, do their worst, than that he should hazard his soul, to save his skin; if he cannot break through a sad entangling providence but by breaking a command, let the worst come that can come, he keeps his station, and will not move one foot without the compass of the word, though he might thereby escape all his sorrows and sufferings. This patience it was that made the holy martyrs (Heb. xi.) generously scorn to accept deliverance, when it was

tendered to them upon unworthy terms; they were not so stupid, nor so profuse of their lives, as to cast them away, could they have both saved them and their religion too, but, when the condition of their temporal safety was their eternal destruction, when they could no longer live here unless they consented to die for ever, welcome then death, and torments, the rack and the fire.

And thus you see what is the proper work of a christian's patience. It is to quiet and compose the spirits of the afflicted-to put a stop to all immoderate and murmuring complaints-to make us willingly resign up ourselves to the sovereign will and disposal of God-to render us placable and reconcilable to the instruments of our sufferings, and lastly, to prevent all unlawful ways of deliverance.

LXXXVIII. Grace does not steel the faithful heart,

That it should know no ill;

We learn to kiss the chast'ning rod,

And feel its sharpness still.

The christian would not have his lot

Be other than it is;

For, while his Father rules the world,
He knows that world is his.

He knows that He who gave the best,
Will give him all beside;
Assur'd that ev'ry good he asks
Is evil, if denied.

When clouds of sorrow gather round,
His bosom owns no fear :

He knows, where'er his portion be,

His God will still be there.

And when the threaten'd storm is burst,
Whate'er the trial be,

Something yet whispers him within,
"Be still, for it is He!"

Poor nature, ever weak, will shrink
From the afflictive stroke;
But faith disclaims the hasty plaint,
Impatient nature spoke.

He knows it is his Father's will,
And therefore it is good,
Nor would he venture, by a wish,
To change it if he could.

His grateful bosom quickly learns
Its sorrows to disown;
Yields to his pleasure, and forgets

The choice was not his own.

LXXXIX. The wheels of this world sometimes run very cross, not only to the expectation of God's people, but to their sensible interests; for, contrary to what is their true and real interest they cannot run, Rom. viii. 28. All things must be theirs, that will conduce to their real good, profit, and advantage. But God's dispensations to them in this life are sometimes very afflictive, very ungrateful to sense. Now what a relief is it to the child of God to be assured of this, to be rooted and confirmed in this, that there is a Divine providence extending itself to all the motions and actions of creatures-to all the suspensions, omissions, and cessations of creatures' actions. Hence follow divers things which may be of great relief to us under our disquietudes, when we consider, that all things that work contrary to our expectation are things ordered by

Providence! It is wonderful how great an affliction this thing is even to persons of a more thoughtful and reflective mind, who do not receive this doctrine. They suppose, if such or such a thing had been done, such an event would not have happened; yet was not the hand of God in it? Had the providence of God no influence upon the omission of such means as were omitted, or the use of such things as thou conceivest were pernicious? It is true, if we have knowingly or wilfully omitted probable means, we have cause for some reflection; yet even in that case the providence of God, reaching to all events, should be some relief to us. In this sense it is no blasphemy to say, God often deceiveth the physician, that is, suffereth him to err under false apprehension. There is not an omission that Providence hath not influenced, not a cessation of one usual action in a natural agent-not a contrary operation of it, but the providence of God hath influenced it.

If the providence of God influences all events, and that too by effecting them, if not sinful, they must, as to the people of God, be good, and for good, and the products both of infinite wisdom, and of infinite goodness. It is our unhappiness that we judge of events in this world by sense, and not by faith. This makes us call many things evil; indeed there is nothing can happen to a christian truly evil, for the hand of his Father must be in it; and never did a good father knowingly mix a potion of poison for his child, and with his own hand give it him to drink. We do not ask evil of God; and He that heareth our prayers, will not "when we ask him bread give us a stone, nor when we ask him a fish, give us a scorpion. If we that are evil, know how to give good things to those that ask them of us, much more shall our heavenly Father know how

to give good things to his children, asking them of him." In this we may be secure. If the providence of God influences all the events of the world, he so regulates them, that although they may prove to sense joyless and afflictive, yet they shall never prove real evils to those that fear God; but, in the issue, appear the products, not only of infinite wisdom, but also of infinite goodness. Thus far the doctrine of Divine providence is a fountain of consolation to the people of God.

Let us inquire then what duty we may conclude from hence and that is very much. I shall instance some few particulars.

1. Is there a Divine Providence ?-and doth this influence all events? Let us learn then the necessity of faith, to commit all our ways to God-to trust solely in him, and depend upon him. It is a duty we are often called to in scripture, and that with respect to our persons, our affairs, and our ways. "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls unto Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator," 1 Peter iv. 19. Our Saviour presseth it in opposition to two things. The fear of man :-" And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him, which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell,” Matt. x. 28. Again, he presseth it in opposition to too great solicitude: "Therefore, I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on," Matt. vi. 25. This he presseth from God's providence, for the lilies, the birds, &c., ver. 26-31.

With respect to our own private affairs, and the