404 The true Remedy agäinfi Vol. II: Firft, I thall endeavour to Phew, what Confiderations of comfort and fupport the beliefof a God, and the natural notions and acknowledgmentsofMankind con- cerning him, do afford to good Men for the allaying and mitigating of their Fears and Troubles. And, Secondly, What farther Confiderations Faith in Chrift, and the firm belief of the Chriftian Religion, do afford to this purpofe. Te believe in God, believe alfa in me. Fiat, To thew, what Confiderationsof comfort and fupport, the belief of a God, and the natural notions and acknowledgments of Mankind concerning him, do afford to good Men for the allaying and mitigatingof their Fears andTroubles; which I (hall briefly deduce thus. The firm belief and perfwafionof aGod, does neceffarily infer the belief of his infinite Power, and Wifdom; and Holinefs, and Goodnefs; for thefe are neceffary and effential Perfeftions of the DivineNature, without which we cannot conceive filch a Being as God is. Now from thefe effential Perfeftions of the Divine Na- ture, thefe two Principles do naturally refult. I. That his Providence governs the World, and adminifters the affairs of it, particularly of Mankind, with great Goodnefs andWifdom. II. That his Providence is more peculiarly concerned for good Men, and that he hath a very tender and particular care of them, and regard to them. Now thefe,two Principles, concerning which I have difcours'd at large upon a ,, see vol. anotheroccafion, * afford us this fourfold ground of comfort, under all the evils I8.3serio. that we labour under, andare afraid. I. If God govern theWorld, then we and all our interefis and concernments are certainly in the heft and fafeft hands; and where, if we knew how to with well and wifely for our felves, we thould defire to have them; and thereforewhy thould t See thk our hearts be troubled at any thing that doth or canbefal us? t. handled alfo II. Another ground of comfort is, That if the Providence of God have a par- large at g p in tie ticular regard to good Men, and favour for them, then we may be affured, that if rem we be careful ofour Duty to God, and rely uponhis goodnefs,and refer our felves mo , to his Plesfure, in the final iffue and refult of things, all than, turn to our good, and confpire in our Happinefs : nay, if we make the belt ufe of the evils and afffi- &ions which befal us, and bear them as we ought, we our felves may do a great deal to turn them to our Benefit and Advantage; to the bettering of our Minds, and the improvement of our Virtues, and the increafe of our Reward. And why Ihould we be troubled fo much at things whichmay prove fo many ways benefici- al to us, if it be not our own fault? which tend to our good, and will end in it, if we will but let patience have its perfefi work, as St.7ames thews, Chap. 5. min in the inftance ofyob, whofe admirable Patience had a glorious end and reward, even in thisWorld; Toil bave heard, fays he, of the patience ofyob, and of the end God made with him; that the Lord is verypitiful and of tender mercy. Yob upon a dunghil, is no whit inferiour to the molt glorious Prince that ever fat upon. a Throne. Some Men have been more illuftrious, and according to the true rate and value of things, more confiderable for their Patience, and Courage, and Con- ftancy of mind ingreat Affli&ions and Sufferings, than the greateft pomp and pro- fperity theWorld could poffibly have made them. Some have born Poverty, and Sicknefs, and Reproach, and Perfecution, and exquifite Pain and Torments, with fo much decency, with filch greatnefs ofmind, and firmnefsof refolution, as might jolly provoke the envy of the greateft and wealthieft, and to all outward appearance, the happiefl Perfons that ever were in theWorld. M. 4sstoninue was an excellent good Man, andperhaps the greateft Emperor that ever was, for in his time theRomanEmpirewas at its greateft extent; and yet it is hard to fay,whether Zpiaietus, whofe example I propofed before, and who lived about the fame time with this great and good Emperor, h fay, it is not eafie to fay, whether this poor Man Epifietus, who was depreft into the loweft and inoft afifled condition, that human nature isalnioft capable of, were not, by reafon of thofe admirable Vir- tues which íhined fo brightly in that dark and difmal condition, his invincible Pa- tience, 5
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