The P R E F A C E. kjndles Difcontent: 0( this Impatience, Jome e'l>en of tbe befl Moral Heatbens '.vere guilty ; Ticus and Germanicus charged tbe Gods with their untimely, and, tn tbm apprehenjion, undeJerwd Dwhs; but tbe due Jenfe of Szn wzlt bumble and quiet tbe Mind under Sujferings; it direCis us to conjecrate our Sorrows, to turn the Jiowzng Stream. znto tbe Channel of Repentance. .And tbus the P-{{wn. of Grief, winch, if termznated on external Troubles, u barrw and unprofitable, tt can neitlm retriew our loft Comforts, nor· remoVe any oppreff•!.. E11zl; if it be emplojed jor our Offences, prepares us for Di11zne Me~cy, and zs znfinitely beneficia! to us. 4nd tbus by curing tbe Caufe of' .djflz8ions, our Guzlt tbat deferws them, we ta~e aw•y the malignity and poyfon of t!Jem. Tbe word o[ God agures us, That aO tbe perturbations and di{cords in tbe PaJfages of our Li11es are ordered by his VVifdom and Vflill, fo tlw witbout extinguij/nng the.two Eyes of Reafon and Faitb, we muft ac~n01vledge bis Pro11idence, and obfer"Oe Ins Dejign ;, all, wbicb is ettber to. eliwe us wben guilty of a carelefs negleil, or remi{s performance of our Duty, or to reclaim us from.our excurjions and de"'iations from tbe tzarrow way_ tbat leads to Life. Indeed tbere zs no1bing more common nor more fatal, tban for ajflrCied Perfons to fee~ by c<rnal di11erfions and contemptible comforts, to o'l>ercome tlmr Melancboly, and the rr•. " "•'l•Jenfe of Dzvine Judgments; and bereby tbey add new Guilt, and pro"P;ke new Dif ,.. pleafom. Tbis prefages and accelerates final Ruin i for jitcb wbom djfliCiiohs do not reform, are left as mcorrigzble. But abJW all Encouragemenis, the Gofpel Jets before us ibe Su./fering,s of our Redeemer, and direils all bis Difctples m {tncerity to accujlom themjll'l>es to ibe contemplation aud expeCiation of Troubles on Earth: It tells them 'tis d brancb of ibeir Religion, to Suffer with him that they may Reign with him. .dnd what is more reafonable, tban if our Sa11iour endured fuperlati11e Sujferings to purchafe Eternal Glory for us, tbat we {hould with the fame Mind bear lighter .AjfliCiions to prepare us for it ? If tbis Principle be aliw and a8i"Ve in our Breajls, That our prefent .AjfliCiions Jba!l determine in our future HapPine{s, wben Time ]ball ceafe and Eternity jucceed; tbis will encourag,e us to jerw God witb our befl .A./fe8zons when our days are o"Oercafl witb fomw, as in a brig}Jt Profperity: This wt!J Jecure our Paf Jag,e tbrougb a· flormy tempefluous World, as if it were a truly Pacific~ Sea, ~'nOW• ing tbat Divine Pro11idence always guides us to the Port of eternal Tranquility. This is tbe Subflance of wbat is amplified in tbe fo!!owiug Treatife. .And whil~ tbere are Miferzes in t!Je World, no Dijcourfes are more jeafonable and ufe{ulthall tb{e that lighten our oppreJFng, Sormvs, and that enable us witb uniformity and cmjlancy in all t!Je cbanges of t!JZs mortal Life, to purfue our emznent End. The Holy Spirit, the great Comforter, apply tbeJe Trutbs to the Hearts of the .dfJiiCied. William Bates. THE
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