Of Patience. 177 and difficulties of life. Every man has reafon SERM. to lay his account with trials. Experience fhows VII. that there is no condition of man in this world to-Ne-) exempted from them. The greateft and molt profperous is liable to viciffitudes, and there is fuch a variety of troublefome incidents which attend all the affairs of human life, it would be the greateft weaknefs and vanity for anyone to promife himfelf an uninterrupted profperity. The chriftian religion is fo far from giving us reafon to exped an immunity from afHidions, that our Saviour exprefsly warns his difciples, that thro' much tribula- tion they mull enter into the kingdom of God. And the Apoftle tells us, that all who will live godly in Chr/ ye its, fhall fuffir per /ècution. The Bate of the world is fuch, and there is fo much corruption and wickednefs in it, that fincere and good men may expect to fuffer injuries, and be expofed to inconveniencies in their outward condition, for their refolved adherence to the caufe of truth and of pure religion. Patience, therefore, is of univerfal ufe ; and every chriftian needs to be inftruded in it. If the prefent incumbence of fume ad- verfity doth not call for its immediate exer- cife, (fcarcely, however, is any one fo eafy in Vo L. II, N all
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