Senn. XXI V . and the Danger ofdenying him. And if fuch a Perfwafion be firmly fixed in our Minds ; the Faith of another World, and the :gored Hope ofEternal Life and Happinefs, muff needs have a mighty Force and Efficacy upon the Minds offober and confederate Men ; becaufe there is no Proportion between fuffering for a little while, and being unfpeakably and eternally happy. So St. Paul" tells us he calculated the Matter, Rom. 8. s8. I reckon (fays he) that the Sufferings of this prefent time, are not worthy to be comparedwith the Glory which be revealed in us. The vaft Difproportion be- tween the Sufferings of a few Days, and the Joys and Glory of Eternity, when it is once firmly believed by us, will weigh down all the Evils andCalamities of this World, and give us Courage and Conftancy under them. For why fhould we faint, if we believe that our light AfllifIien, which is but for a Moment, will workfor us afar snore exceeding and eternal - weight ofGlory? As the fame St. Paul affures us, 2 Cor. 4. 57. If our Minds be but throughly poflelfed with the Hopes of a Refurre&ion to a better and happier Life ; this will make Death, attended even with Extremity of Terror, to be tolerable ; as we read of faine, in that long Ca- talogue ofSaints and Martyrs, Heb. ii. 35. Others were tortured, not accepting Deliverance, that they might obtain a better Refurreblion. It would make a Man to rejoyce in the Ruin and Diffolution of this Earthly Tabernacle, to be affured, that when it is dfolved, we (hall have a Building ofGod, a Houfe not made with Hands, eternal in the Heavens, as the fame Apoftle affures us, 2 Cor. q. T. Thus you fee what Virtue there is in the firm Belief and Perfwafion ofa better Life to bear up Mens Spirits under thofe Sufferings and Torments which may feem unfup- portable to Humane Nature. Andfo indeed they would be, without an extraordinary Grace and Af iffance of God, to enable them to bear thofe Sufferings, which his Providence permits them to be exercifed withal. But of this extraordinary Grace, we are affured, not on- ly from the Confideration of the Attributes. and Providence of God ; but likewife from the exprefs Promifes and Declarations of his Word. The Attributes of God and his Providence, gives us good Grounds to believe that he who loves Goodnefs and Righteoufnefs, and hath a peculiar Favour and Regard for Good Men, will never fuffer his Faithful Friends and Servants to be brought into that Diffrefs for Righteoufnefs fake, that they (hall not be able to endure thofe Evils andAffli&ions which befall them upon that Account: And if in the Courfe .of his Providence, any thing happen to them that is above the ordi- nary Conftancy and Patience of Humane Nature to bear, that in fuch a Cafe, God will extraordinarily interpofe, and give them Strength and Patience, Support and Comfort, proportionable to the Evils and Sufferings that are upon' them ; and tha' he will either lighten their Burden, or add to their Strength ; he will either .mi- tigate their Pain, or increafe their Patience; either he will check and reftrain the Effe& ofNatural Caufes, as in the Cafe of the Three Children, that were in the Fiery Furnace ; and of Daniel, who was caft into the Den of Lions : Or elfe (which comes to the faine Iffue) if he will fuffer Caufes to have their Natural Courfe, he will afford Supernatural Comforts to balance the Fury and Extremity ofthem. This is very credible, from the meer Confiderationof God's Goodnefsi and ofthe particular Care and Favour ofhis Providence towards Good Men. But betides this, we have the exprefs Promife and Declaration of God's Word to this purpofe, which puts us out of all Doubt concerning that which we had good Reafon to hope aud, expe& before. s Cor. so. 13. St. Paul there tells the Chriftians at Corinth, that though they had met with fome Troubles, yet they liad not been tried with the Extremity of Suffering : But when that fhould happen, they had no Caufe to doubt, but God would enable them to bear it. ,There bath no Temptation takenyou, but fuck as is common to Man; that is, you have not yet been exercifed with any Trial, but.what is Humane ; what the ordinary Strength and Refolution of Humane Nature is able to bear But in cafe it should come to extream Suffering, and that they muff either comply with the Heathen Ido- latry, or endure Extremity of Torments ; they had the Promife of God's Help, to fupport them in that Cafe. God is faithful, fays he, who will not fuffer you to be tempted above that you are able to bear ; but will with the Temptation afo A a make
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