'I he Great Duty of Rejignation. Spirit i 1 $ equally undutif~l as _uncomfortable ; our Grie~s are fomctimcs as vain and as guil~ ry as our Joys; there IS a rmcture of Difobcdicncc 111 otlr Tears ; for we are comman~ ded to mourn. as if we mourned not, for tl1e fajhion ~~the worltl paffit!J ~IV'!)'; and we ar on~c break Ius Law and our own Pca~c. Our D~obcdicncc 111 rh~s 1s aggravated, as bcwg contrary nor only to the Authonry and SanChry of rhc Lawgtver, bm to his Loving-kindnefs and Compailion. Ah, the miferablc Blindncfs of Humane Minds! and the more mifcrablc, becaufe volumary. Who is more dcfcrvcdly unhappy rhan one that firs upon the Bank of a River, and yet is tormented and dies with Thirfi ? The d~ar, frcfl~ S~rcam pa!ferh before him, allures and invites him, bt!r. he will not fioop ro dnnk ; tlus IS rhe Cafe of thofe who negleCt and refufc the Spmtual Confolarions in John 3· J8,J9. ~~~re%~;;gc~u~liar~~rc ~~~;;~:~r~~i~~fl~o~~l~~~~~ ~~11~i~~1gu~~!t~~, r~~~/~~~~~~o~:1 ~~; PalTions arc the Infhuments of their Mifcry. He that is his own Executioner, has no cxcttfe of Dying; he is ju!lly, becaufe wilfully mifcrable. Confider alfo what a Reproach is cafr upon Chrifrianiry, that fo many virruous Heathens in great Afflictions, were in fome mcafure fupportcd by rhe Precepts of Humane \Vifdom; and char Chrifuans, eo whom there is Revealed from Heaven, That an Eternal State of Glory and Joy !hall be the Reward of their patient Sufferings, remain urrcrly difconfolate. I will fingle our one Example. Stilpon rhc Philofopher, when his City was de!hoyed, with his Wife and Children, and be efcap'd alone from rhe Fire, onmi• 6Q"" be.111g asked whether he had loft any th~n~? ~cphed, 111 ~y Trea/ures are with me,Jufi:ice, ~;::~j~;;f,E;;: ~;~~P~c2;~d~n~~~r~~~d~~c~~~~~·~1~~::~a~I~~~Mf~d' :_::src~~Zfia~~:raa:d'ra~i~!d~~ r~nri•, rr.lldt11· the Ruins of his Country. And others upon lower and lcfs generous Confiderations ~i;;1 !::; ;[;::_ l~avc born up in their Sufferi~1gs. How do iitch Exampl~s up~raid us, that th:ir Twi~ rt ~uod eripi 1I.ghr excels our Noonday Bnghmcfs ? ~f common <?ordials ratfed fuch couragwus Spi~ ';{;ft: 9~eneca {~~ti~~ ~~e~ t::!1a7l~l~~r:;:e~t~f a ~~~ia~~lCR~~;~~~i~~o:~gt~ng~~d ~illh~~t~~~~ Vfo •· Can the Spirit of a Man, by rational Principles fuftain his Infirmities,' and cannot the Spirit of God, the great Comforter, fupport us under all Troubles ? What a blor is this w Religion? Thofe who will not be comforted, will not be Chrifiians; by rhe lame Holy Spirit who is fiiled the Comforter, we arc the one and the other. If the precious Promifes of the Gofpel do not alleviate our Sorrows, 'tis not from Infirmity, bur from Infidelity. 'Tis an incredible Miracle, that a Perfon can be in reality a Chrifiia.n, and not capable of Confolation ; as if Eternal Life were not purchafed by Chrifi for his People, or the prefent Sufferings were comparable to the future Glory; or the Polfeffion of it were eo be obtained after a Thoufand Years of h~rd trial : 13ur if it were delay· ed fo long, that fenfible Duration lhould not fmk our SplCits ; for rhc Mifery that pafferh with Time, is not of moment with re!peet to the Blelfednefs that is efiablilh'd for ever. Secondly; Let us be excited w tranfcribe this Divine Lclfon (fo full of excellency and difficulty) in our Hearts and Lives. 'Tis eafie in Spcculanon to confenr to the rea4 fonablenefs of this Duty, but how hard to praetifc it, and to bear nor too fenfibly !itch J!\lils as are incurable here ? A deliberate, univerfal, conftant fubjedion to God's Will, though contrary to our carnal Defires and lntercfts, how rarely is it ro be found among thofe who in Title and Profeffion arc his Servants? In active Obedience, fOmc will readily perform fomc particular Commands, but withdraw SubjeCtion from the rcfi; they feem ro make Confcience of the DutiesofPtery, bur negleCt Rtghteoufncfs; or clfe are jufi: in their Dealings, and carelefs of Devotion. Some arc lil~cral, but irreconcilable ; they will ~ivc for their Honour, bur forgive no Contempt or In~ury; and as the di:iding living Twms defiroys them, fo the Life and Sincerity of Obedience, that confrlts m the union and cntirenefs of its Parts, is defiroyed by div1cling our Rcfpeets to fomc Comfh~~~s; :fffi~~~~ ~~t ri~fi:~ :V7f ci:n?;:{h!t0~==:i;':~t~l~~{ t~~J~~:ro~0r~!th~~~n~~~ long without Redrefs, they become impatient, or fo dejeCted as to negleCt their Dury. I fhaU'thercfore fuperadd to the for~er Arguments, wherein the Neceility, rhe Equay, and the Policy of our Dutiful Refignation ro God's Providence is clearly fer forth, fomc other Motives and DireCtions, tlm may be ufcful and cffetlual for this End. Firfi; Look freguently to JeftiS Chri!l:, the Aurhor and Finilher of ou,r Faith : The Divine Wifdom, to reform the \\'odd, ailitmed the Human Nature,. and expreiTed m .a Holy Convedltion upon Earth, a living Copy ~:If his Precc~ts, to duect us m the vanous Parts of our Duty; and bocauf<Y the Excmfe of Humilit¥, Self-denial, and rhe re:r
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