in Contriving Man's Rederrjt_tion. ~~i"f,;;;:;~-i~~ T{,'':e~~~~rot~;~ ~~a~~~i~~~~r~~~~,e~.~n:e~;s!~?~:r~~~i';lle ~!,~~~~; [~} what he did !lot underfland was fo. Bur they did hot wifely-confider things. ~ The prefem Senfe of Troubles tempted them, either to deny Providence, or accufe it. Every day fome unhappy wretch or other reproach'd their Gods for tHe Difaflers he fuf- ~~:dc~~!~n~~"i!!~<~ et~1~f t~~\~~~~~~s '~~a~o~:~~f~~h~; EP~~~e:~r::~:n;!~;~t~ ;~ ~~l}:;,~,~~~= eflabliOr the Soul in the inl\ability of Worldly things, to put it intq an impregnable For· p;er; '_!<.'"'' trefs, by its ~tua~ion ~bove the moft terrible Acciden~s. !hey boan~d in a P?ecical Br_a- ;:quc(l;,,ff,!~as very, nf thetr VtCtones over Fortune, that they defptfed tts flattery m a calm, and trs c~I~·1)1, , nequt ~;Yg~~a~ ~~~d1~ a~~tr~~neJehrg~~a~~;raer~ ~~frh~f t~u:fr:~c~ t~~;P~!~ftt~~er ~tP.onT~r~~~ Ji£E,~~::f: we !hall find that all their Armour though poli!hed and !hining, yet is not of Proof ''""~',,.. again{\ fimp Affiifrions. The Arguments they ufed for comfort are taken, ~;~~;J~;;. r. From neceflity; that we are born to Sufferings, tlie Laws of Humanity, which are unchangeable, fubjeCl: us to them. But this confide ration is not only ioeffeCl:ual to caufe true Contentment, but produces the contrary effeCl: : as the flrength of Egypt is defcribed to be like a Reed that will pierce the hand inl\ead of fupporting it. Thus Solon extremely lamenting the Death of his Son, and being ask'd why he fued fo many Barren Tears that could not make his Son fpri ng out of the Dutt? replied, For this reafon I weep, becaure my weeping can do me no goo<J. Ollr ddi.·c.:s afn:r freedo.m from Miferies are indolabl e: So that every Evil, the more fatal end inevitable it is, the more it affiict:S ns. If there be no way of efcape; the Spirit iS. overcom~ by Impatieilce or De[ pair. o. From refleCl:ion upon the Miferies that befal others. Bur this kind of Confolatiort is vifcious in its Canfe, proceeding from fecrer envy and uncharita· blenefs (n)~ There is little difference betwe-en him .rhar regards ano- (n) Ni~ll.tm. tam mifnam. nominabis d; ~~~~i~~? ~~~rr~~1 ~~~:~ne~~dnr~o;:a7hc~~~~rr~eai1~er~~~~~~ ;i:' ~J:.:.r;;:;/ ~~n:/~:~;; !if~!: drink of the waters of Mitrah, they are not lefs bitter. 3· Others fought for eafe under fufferings, by remembring the Pleafures that were formerly enjoyed (o). But this inflames rather tlfan allays the Diftemper. For as things are more cle<irly known, fo niOre fenGbly (o) ~~~u, fpeaks to the Epicureans : f~~~~),;~0~~:;~,~01b;, r~~~~~~r\5n~0~~:~;~r:~:h~~~eG~~dr~~~nb~~~~~ ~~~~::;E~~~~"ftZrcgt~j»Je:'~~;: his fir. 4· The Stoirk,< Univerfal Cure of AffiiD:icins was (p), to change their Opinion of (p) 0 ,;,;, ,ft them, and el1eem them not real Evils. Thus Poffidonitu (. fo much commended by TuUy) 9 11 " nos ~r11d"~ \~ho for many years was under torturin& Difeaf~s, a~d. furvive? a con~inual.Death, being ~et;:~:~~ vtfited by Pompey at Rhodes, he entertamed htm wttll a Phtlofophtcal D1fcourfe; a~d q~anti tax'!· when his Pairrs were mof\: acu;e, h~ faid, Nihil agi.r dolor, q~anquavt Jis molef/Ju, nuft- ~::;~~e ;j;:; 1"am le ejfo confitehor malum: m vam dofl: thou aCfault me, Pam; though thou art trou- 911"- nos Agunt , ?~~r~sm:i'G~~e0:0 z~ltth~~v~~ ~~r~1~i~t t~p~~~::~t~~~~~~r7;lili:o:n~~~~~~oil~yt~~ ~~;~f;J:;. ~:~:,r1;:~:~;1 of his Difeale to commend his Phi!ofophy. like a Mountebank that [wallows Poifon to "'"';""'• f"· pur off his Dr"ugs, yer the reality of his Grief was evident: his Senfe was overcome,:~ ;:~i~a;;_ though his Tongue remained a Stoick. If Words could charm the Senfe not to feel i<JI•m ,JJ,,f,t P~ins, or compare the Min?.s not to refent Afflictions, ·rwer~ a. Relief to gi.ve mollifying ~:mMI;e~::_mT•tl es to them : But lince ns not Fancy that makes them {bngmg, but thetr contrariety to Nature, 'tis no R.el ief to reprefent them otherwife than they are. All thofe fubtile notions vanilb, when fenlible Impreffions confute them. 5· Others compofed themfelves by confidering the .benefit of Patience (q). Oifcon-(q).wi"fi' ~~fr~fr~~n~0 t~~~o~~n~~~~~~~~r!~ ~~~k Fae~~~ft ~~~ i~~~k~; ~~~fp;;~~~rl~h: ~~~~o1a~~o~~}~;~:;;;~6;Z; for alth_o~gh a cain: and qui~t Submiflion prevents thofe new degrees of trouble, which by frettmg and vexmg we bnng upon our felves ; yet it doth not remove the evil which nlay be very affiitl::ing and grievous in its own nature: fo that without othe:· co~fidera .. tions to fupport the .mind, it will link under it. And as thefe, fo many othe·· 1\ cguments they ufed to fortify the Spirit again{\ Sufferings, are like a Hedge which at o difrance feems to be fafe retreat from Gun-!hot, but thofe who retire to it, find it a weak J?efence. This appears by the carriage of the befr inl\rucred Heathens in their Calamitres: Profeffing themfe/vc; to be wife in their Speculations, tl>ey became Fools in PraCl:ice, and were confounded with all their Philofophy, when they fuould ha\'e made ufe of •• F f Som<
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