'The Great Duty of Rejignation. Principle of vexatious Difcontents and immoderate Griefs under outward Lolfes and Troubles is a falfe Judgment; that God without the World is not ft•lliciem for our cornpleat Felicity : Who, unlefs a PcrfoR dill:racted and foolifi1, would fay that the Magnificent Fcall: of Abafuerus, that was prepared to lhew the Riches and Glory of his Kingdom, was mean and poor, bccaufc there was not fer before rhc numerous Guefts in Difi1es of Gold~ Grals and J\i=9t11S, the Food of Brutes? 'Tis equal Folly to imagine chat God, who IS an infinite Good, filitablc to the fpiritual immortal Narute of the Soul and AJI-Iul!icicnt to filL the vall: Capacity and Dclires of our Angelica! Faculties rh~ Undcrll:anding and Will, by his glorious Per(c4ions; rl)jl,t God, I lay, cannot mal;c us happy m his Love, becaufc ou( lower Animal Faculties, our Scnfcs , have nor in our Commun~on with him what is plcafing to . their carnal Appetites. T he ~poufe in the ~~~~:/::, ~~~~Pfl~~eb:~:k:sf~r~:~t ~;?~~fp[;,~;n}'o;:.lcJt~~;db~~:eJ?;,re::J ,;1;;1 ~~~~r;io~~~ an irrevocable Donation fhe gave her Heart to Chnfi, and reciprocally l~e gave him~ fclf ro her; fi1c dcfpifcd all inferiour things and rell:ed iti his Love as her foie Felicity. In fhort, none arc concerned to lofe the weak Ltght of a Candle at Noon-day, when the Sun pours forth a Deluge of Light to illull:rare_ all things ; and the Soul that enjoy• the propmous Prefcncc of God, 1s lausficd tl1crew1th when lower Comforts faiL Direfl. ; : Let us moderate our Valuations and Affections to things below: This is a Confequcncc of tl1e former ; for if the Heart he full of God, it wili nor admit any infcriour Object to rival him in his Throne. If we confider the vafr Difiance between the PerfeCtions of the Creator, and the faint Reflections of them i:ri the Creature, our Rcfpects and Love lhould be accordingly. Rcafon, Aurhority, Example, Expenence , convmcc us that all tlungs below arc empty Vanmes : It is refllcfs ·folly to feck for Happincfs here, and,_ ro borrow the Language of the Angel, to feel the /iviltg amo11g the dead. If our Felicity be from the Light and Warmth of Creatures, how ealily is it quenched, and we arc in irrecoverable Darknefs? When there is cxorbi~ rant Love, and ditfolute Joy in the Potfefling, there will be exrream and dcfperatc Sorrow in Lofmg. One irregular Paflion feeds and maintains another. The Heart is difpofed to contrary Extremities, and palfcs [r9m the Fire to the Froll:: The unequal Spirit fwclls or finks, according to the outward Condition. It IS the wife Advice of the Apoflle, p~'w'' Je •J.~ that JVe rejoice as if 1Ve rejoiced 110! , and then we foal! JVetp as if we wept not. Affil- "!"fis m~ntli. Cl:ions arc intolerable or light, according to our Apprchcnlion of them; an Indifferency !~;r;~:ti!;,. ;fe:rc~m~~r t~~ t~~. Tl:I1!: ~st!l~: ~7~~~jil~;~~~~~~mSpe~;-~~n~~~J~vc~~4; ;sb~o:!u}J ~{~~~YP· :Z~J~;~:i;?ref:r~oa~=::~;dat~~~::c~~rn:dS{e;:~h;;~e~~cicdi~~~lt~sG~;.; Pi~:fu1;;~"J1 · ' ' we can deny our !Clves, we lhall humbly yield to Gqd. If we can fmcercly fay, Not our Wills, we /hall readily repeat our Saviour's Sul>miflion, But thy Will /Je done. Direfl. 4· A prudcnr forecall:ofpofliblc Evils as fi1ture to us, arms us with Patience to full:ain them. Since Man was cxpell'd from the Terrcll:rial Paradifc, and is below the Celell:ial, he is liable to innumerable afflicting Accidents. His Condition here is like an open Sea, fo voluble and inconfrant, fo violent and furious : Sometimes the Ships are raifcd upon the top of the Waves, as if they failed in the Air; and fomcrimes plunged into rhc Waters, and ready to be !wallowed up: Such frequent Changes happen in our Paililgc to Eternity, and it is mercifully ordered fo by the Divine Wili:!om, that we may fo ufc the World, as not to abufe it and our felvcs, by I)Vcrvaluing and affecting it. It is a Contemplation of 7'/Jeodoret, that the Sun and Moon, the mofl: glor~ous I:nmin:arics of Heavttn, and fo beneficial to the Earth, would be honoured as Dctties, tf they always appeared with the fame invariable Tcnour of Lighr: And therefore God wi!Cly difpofed of their Motions, that at the Revolution of certain Periods they Ihould iitffcr an Eclypfc, that the ignorant World might be convinced they were bur Parts of Nature, appointed for the Service of Man, and arc not worthy of Divine Honour. Thus \\'.e fee that often the brightcll: and fi•llell: Profperity is cdipfcd, to convince us by the nll· ferable Changes in this World, that the bell: Ell:atc of Man 1s altogether Vamty, and that thcfc things arc utterly infhfficient to make us happy, and are not worthy o~rhe chief Regard and Affection of our immortal Souls. To iCt our Hearts on them, JS ro build on the Sand, and to cxpofe our ·felves to ruinous Falls by every Storm. A fi1ddcn Blall: overthrows the Fabrick of Fancy, our conceited Happinels in the Enjoyment of pe· rifi1ing things. Our greatefr Comforts may occafion our grcatcll: Afflictions: l'be Gf''J of a Family m•y occRjion tbe Grief of it. Now rhc Confideration of the mutable Na~~1~~;;
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