7he Great Duty of Refignation. acquires a double _EmPire. . Bur he had a Reverence of J1is invif1blc Obfcrv~r and ]udg~: H01~ jhall I do tlm great wiCkednefs, and fin againjl God! Now that 'Jofe;l; 111 dJC Flower ~f h1s Age, was nor emboldene~ by Sohrude, n_or cxc1ted by Co_n~up1fccncc, 11or poi~ foned by the Breath of the Bafiltsk, was an adm~tablc EffeCt of Dmne Grace. He prcfcrved lus finccrc and conftant Innocence, as the Sun its undcfilcd luftrc Ill the ntidfl: of all the feculent cxhalations that afcend from the Earth. The other Infl:ance is Job, whofC viCtorious ~race in the comparifon, is more glori~ ous than that of Jofepb ; for as the lap!Cs of dmfe who by Terrors and T ormcnrs , iolatc the Law,arc lcfscuJpable, and more cxcufable, than ofthofi::who byfen{ital Alluremcnrs ~<fllle ..pzam ~ranfgrefs the ~ivin~ Conunands, the Human Nature being capable of fuch dolorous ~::m~:;Q~O~I un ~:~:[r~;Or~a:sOrn;el~~~~n~X;:~dS ~~d~~:~~~%U~~~l~,f j~el~Ps \~~~1~~::~~~~!1~\~ha~1 ;r:C~~t from the Love of Delights; fO proporuonably that Virtue IS more emment that remains firm, and preferves us in our Duty, notwithfianding the Batteries of extream Evils, than that which prefervcs us by flight from the deceitful fen!'itiYe good . The Holy Ghofl has given us a particular Narrative of 'job's Troubles, and his Beha- ·viour under them: The lofs of a great Efl:atc was but a preparati,·c for worfe Calamities, his Ten Children were all defirorcd in a day; his Body w~s cov.cred with Ulcers ; hi; ·wif~, that .in this defolate Condt.rion was onl_y left to ~l!e~mrc Ius ~orrows, unlpeakably mcre~s d them;. yet un~cr rlus heavy wctghr of Mtfenes, h~ dtd not exprefS one unbccommg complamt. Hts Patience exceeded all the Pains of Ius Body, and Gricfs of his Mind. Who loves God fo ardently in his Profperity as he did in his AffliCtions: Like flani~n.g T o.rches? t~1at reverft, the Flame afcends with more force to Heaven. S. A«}/in ~~~~~~~1~1,15,~~;c1J11 1JJ~I~l~~~~lp~~,p~~~dir~1;a~o~0~' i1;h'in~~~~3~f~,~~j~ ~~:~fs1·~1 J,i~~~.l~0~v1: was Satan's In!l:rumenr to tempt him ro Dcfpair and Blaiphemy. How graceful an~! ami· able a SpeCtacle is a paricne Saint! He attraCts the Eye and Heart of God himfclf. \\'h.1t an honourable T eilimony proceeded from his Mouth, concerning Job, to vlndicate his Job :. 3· Since~ity from the Malice of the Accufcr? Hafl thou .feen m)' fervant Job, that there is 11one ltl:e l~im 011 tl~~ earth? Unp~rallcl'd Saint!. who en_durediucl~ a ft.Jccefiion of Tragical Events wnh humtltty and fubmtffion! The aCbve Holinefs of Ius Profperous Life is not rec~rded with that Nore of Eminency and A~m.iration, as his Patient Sufferings, fot wlucl.1 he is univerfally Crowned with the Pratfi::s of the Saints in all Ages. Te h:rve heard of the patience of Job! He is a fpeC\ade thar draws the regards of all,. more famous for his Paucnce than his Mtfery. 'Tts the Sayin& of rh~ Platomck Plulofopher, Take away from the Life of Hercules, rhe Tyrants he fupprefs d, .and rhe fi<;rcc Bcafls J1e fl ew, his Travels and Combats wherein his Co.urage was e~etcifed and appear'd, and youlclfen his VCrruc., the Hero is ~ofl:: He ~hat m the Opimon ofrl1e Heathen World dcfervcd a Deity; and is crowned. Wt~h Stars 111 Heaven, wtll nor have a fpark of Glory on Earth to prefcrve his Fame ahve 111 Memory. Thus, rake away from Job the Chatdean and Satea11 Robbers, the fhower of F~rc that confi.J.mcd. his Efl:atc, the \Vhirlwind raifed by infernal Spirits, rhat dcflroyed Ius Children, hts D!lcafes, and his cruel Wife, the cxcrcifes of his infuperable Pattcnce, an~ the honourable remembrance of Jobislofi. If the Prince of Darkncfs had not tried alllus Arts and Strength to overcome him, and had not been foiled in·his Attempts, his Graces had nor been fo illullrious. S. Peter dc- ~~~~;ler':/ ~~:{{~1:sCit;:c;i,:i:tna~'~e:r~' ,?J~:.~!e1::gd~:r~;1~:; n1;:z ~~,:~~ and Glorious Power. In fhort, God ufually conduCts his People to the fublimcfl degrees of Grace and Glory by Suffenng; the more they ate rned and refined, the brighter their Crown will be. S· 'Tis our Felicity quietly to refign our Wills to the bleffed Will of God. Pat~ence, conlidered as a moral V errue, frees us from many Sorrows and V cxations rhat arc fuJ'ervenienr ro an Affliction, and are caufed mcerly from the Dificmper, and unquiet di!: orderly agitations of our own Paflions. Nature infi:ructs a Dog by licking his Wound to heal it, a lively Emblem of the healing operation of difcreet Parienec to the afflicted Spirit. Patience lines rhc Yoke, and makes it fofrcr and more cafie to us. Befides, an humble and fllll Submiffton to the Will of God, as the Rule of Goodnefs, brings down rhe Peace and Joy of Paradife into our Souls . The glorified Saints are raifed above all Dtfailcrs and Troubles; nothing can difi:urb the fcrcniry, or fl:am the punty of rhe1r State: From this Principle of PerfeCtion and Feliciry, that God's Will is always accom· pli01ed, to which their Wills ar~ cnrirelyfi.J bor~inate, ln obcdi~ncc to his Authority, and by their proper Inclination. As theWaters wluch in the Creauon God rranfporred above rh~
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