12 Good Men Strangers and Confciences, and to wound our Souls for the attaining of them. If the Providence of God offer them to us, and bring them to our Hands, in the Ufe of honeff Di- ligence and lawful Means; as we are not to refufe them, fo neither are we to fet our Hearts upon them, nor to fuller our Affections to be entangled in them. Thewifeff Ufe we can make of them, will be, to do like thofe who traffick in Foreign Parts, to confign our Eftates into our own Native Country, to fend our Treafures before us into the other World, that we may have the Benefit of them when we come there. And this we may do by Alms and Charity. What- ever we fpend upon the Flefh, we leave behind us, and it will turn to no Ac- count to us in our own Country : But whatever we lay out for the Relief of the Poor, is fo much Treafure laid out and fecured to our felves againft another Day. Soour bleffed Saviour affures. us, Luke 12. 33. That giving of Alms is providing for our felves Bags that wax not old, a Treafure in the Heavens thatfaileth not. II. If we be Pilgrims and Strangers, then it concerns us to behave our felves with great Caution, and to live blamelefly and inoffenfrvely ; remembring that the Eyes of People are upon us, and that thofe among whom we fojourn , will be very prying and curious, and narrow Obfervers of our Manners and Carriage. . 'They that are in a ífrange Country, are not wont to take that Liberty and Freedom which the Nativesof the Place may do, but to keep a perpetual Guard upon themfelves, knowing how ílridly they are obferved, and that they live among thofe who bear no Good-will to them, and that every Bad Thing we do, refleéts upon our Nation, and is a Reproach to the Country to which we belong. Te are not of the World (lays our Lord) ifye were of the World, the World would love its own : but ye are not of the World ; therefore the World hateth You. Upon this Account the Apoftle chargeth Chriftians to be harmlefr and blamelef, and as it becomes the Sons ofGod to be, in the mid/l of a crooked and perverfe Nation, among whom we fhould thine as Lights. The fame Argument St. Peter ufeth, s Pet. 2. II, t2. I befeech you, as Pilgrims and Strangers, to ab- /lain font. flefht' Luffs, having your Converfation hone/I among the Gentiles ; that is, confidering that you are among Strangers and Enemies, and therefore ought to be very careful to bring no Scandal upon your Holy Profeflion, among thofe who will be ready to take all Advantages againft you. Particularly, we who pretend to the fame Heavenly Country, mutt be kind to one another, and, whilft we live among Strangers, have no O carrels amongff our Selves. In a ftrange Country, it nfeth to be a mighty Endearment ofAlen to one another, that they are of the fame Country, and Fellow Citizens, and' this alone is commonly fuf icient to unite their Affections, and to link their Interefts together. But how little of this is to be teen among Chriftians 1 How fhaniefully do they quarrel among themfelves, in the midit ofEnemies and Strangers ! as if they had no Relation to one another, and never expelled to meet at loft in the fame Country; and there to live toge- ther for ever. III. Let us be as patient and chearful as we can, under all the Troubles and Alllidions whichwe meet with in this Life. They who are in ítrange Countries, muff expéd to encounter many Injuries and Affronts, and to he put to great Dif- ficulties and Hardfhips. Thole which are lighter and more tolerable, we muff bear with Chearfulnefs. Upon a journey Men ufe to put on all the Pleafantnefs they can, and to make Sport of all the Inconveniencies of the Ways and Weather, and little crofs Accidents that befall them : And thus, if we had but the Art and Wifdom to do it, manyof the letter Inconveniencies of Human Life might well enough be play'd off, and made Matter rather of Mirth and Diverfion, than of Melancholy and ferious Trouble. But there are fome Evils and Calamities ofHuman Life, that are too heavy and ferious to be jelled withal, and require the greateft Conlideration, and a very :.great degree of Patience to fupport us under these, and enable us to bear them de- cently; as the Lofs ofFriends and dearest Relations; as the Lofs ofan only Son, -grown up to be well fix'd and fettled in a virtuous Courfe, arid. promifing all the Comfort to his Parents that they themfelves can with : Thefe certainly are force of the greateft Evils of this World, and hardeff to be born. For Men may pre - tend
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