Of Patience. 183 on my part, to bear without repining the juft SERM. effe is of his difpleafure. An utter infenfi- VII. bility of painful events is what human nature is not capable of, nor is it ordinarily poflible by the molt fteadycoilfiderations of the excel- fence of religious virtue and its motives, to di- vert the mind from attending to the fenfations of pain. But, when in a fuffering Rate, the foul, having a firm perfuafion that God fu- perintends all human affairs, approves and confents to the whole of his adminiftration as wife and good, and thereupon conftantly en- deavours to fupprefs all murmuring and angry refentments, and peremptorily refutes to go into any undutiful purpofe of heart, or inftance of unbecoming behaviour in practice, then pa- tience has her perfe i work ; and then indeed St. ames had reafon to fay, a Chrillian is perfect and intire, wanting nothing; this being one of the higheft attainments in religion. But a ferious refle'ion on our own infirmities will convince us how far we come fhort of it. Becaufe there are different extremes men under of lfl idtion are in danger of falling into, through the difference of their tempers and * James i. 4. N 4 tle
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