well-doing feek for Glory, and Honour, and Immortality, eternal Life". Therefore, having heard the Word, keep it, and bring forth Fruit with Patience: and the Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God and the patient waiting for Chrift. For ye have Need of Patience, that after ye have done the Will of God, ye may receive the Promife”. w Rom. ii. 7. 2 Heb, x, 36. × Luke viii. 15. y 2 Thess. iii. 5. SERMON SERMON X. PHIL. iv. II. I have learned, in whatsoever State I am, therewith to be content. You : OU have lately been exhorted to the Duty of Patience: which consists in bearing well fuch Things, as immediately and neceffarily give Uneafiness and now I proceed to that of Contentment under fuch, as difturb us only on Reflection and Comparison. One should think, that they who need not suffer any Thing, would not; yet very often such, as feel no pofitive Evil, that is worth naming, are very far from being at Eafe. Multitudes are dissatisfied, and fome extremely miserable, with very little other Caufe for it, than the unreasonable Workings of their own Minds. Instead of contriving to be as happy as they can in their Condition, which is plainly the f wife Part, they set themselves to find out, why they should be wretched in it, and accordingly become fo. Were they only to defire with Moderation any proper good Thing, which they have not, or endeavour with Moderation to obtain it, this would be always void of Blame, often worthy of Praise: they would be pleased, perhaps improved alfo, if they fucceeded; and composed, though they failed. But vain Man extends his Wishes and his Claims far beyond thefe Bounds and will enjoy no Peace within, because he is not, in this or that Refpect, what he might have been, or what others are. But fuppofe he were all that he wishes, how doth he know, that he fhould not quickly. wish for more, with the fame tormenting Eagerness, or that his Wishes would ever end? For there would be just the fame Ground for new ones, His Complaint at prefent is, not that he positively fuffers any Thing, but that he wants something. Now fomething is, and must be always, wanting to finite Beings, be they raised ever so high: else they would be infinite. The fallen Angels were unspeakably above human Rank; yet they felt a Deficiency, and abfurdly repined at it; Heaven was was not good enough for them, and fo they were caft down to Hell. Men imagine, that were they but in fuch or fuch a State, they should never be tempted to think of any Thing more. But this is only a Sign, that they do not know themselves. In Proportion as their Situation was raised, their Prospect would be enlarged and they would long to be Mafters of all within their View. Success would encourage them to hope for greater Succefs yet and befides, they would be difappointed in the Felicity they promised themselves from what they have got ; but instead of learning from thence, in what real Felicity lies, would go on to feek for it in fomething else; and be at least as remote from it, as they were before. We fee this perpetually, or with the smallesft Attention may see it, in the Cafe of others and it is astonishing Partiality, that we cannot believe it would be our own. Nay, perhaps we see it is our own Case, as far as we have advanced hitherto and yet are weak enough to imagine it would be quite otherwife, could we but advance a few Steps more: whereas in Truth, he that is uneasy merely because he hath not all he would, never will be easy till he grows wifer. : Happily we none of us difquiet ourselves about every Thing that we have not. If we did, how blameable and how pitiable should we be! We all know Numbers of Things, that we should be very glad of, and yet can bear the Want of them very well and why not the Want of others as well? What is impoffible, it would be Madness to covet. What we cannot obtain, is the fame in Relation to us, as if it were impoffible in itself. Therefore we should never think of it. And what is very unlikely to be got, fhould scarcely be more minded, than if we knew that abfolutely we could not get it. But you will fay, how fhall we put thefe Things out of our Minds? Turn them to fomething else. Recollect the Comforts that you have, and rejoice in them. All of us have many fuch. Reasonably good Health, wholsome Food and refreshing Sleep, a Provision of the other Neceffaries of Life, a Share of its Conveniences, Acquaintance that are agreeable to us, Friends that with us well, and, upon Occafion, would fhew it, Opportunities of easy and chearful Converfation, the good Opinion and Efteem of thofe about us, the very Sight of the Sun and the View of the Face of Na ture, |
