Of Patience. 191 When St. Peter pronounces it acceptable to SERM. God, when we fuffer for well doing, to take VII. it patiently * : he thus explains the exercife "Pw of patience in imitation of our Lord, verfe 22, who did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he Mired, he threatened not ; but committed himfelf to him that judgeth righteoufly. It is not neceffary to infift much on argu- ments for enforcing the duty of patience. This is in a great meafure prevented by the expli- cation. There is no more wanting than a ferious attention to the thing itfelf, and the grounds of it, to convince any man that it is reafonable. Such principles, as the fovereignty of God, the irrefiftibility, the wifdom, and goodnefs of his providence, every one will acknowledge, who is not gone into downright atheifm, and then a patient fubmifiïon in every calamity and of lilion of life is no more than a juft application of thefe principles; for certainly, if the divine dominion be uni- verfal, it cannot be pretended that we and our particular affairs fhould be exempted from it : That the -j- earth fhould be forfaken for us, and the rock removed out of his place . * t Pet. ii. 20. fi Job xviii. 4. as
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