of the Wisdom and Goodness, which appears now in the Administration of the World, may often proceed from a bad Temper, and produce or ftrengthen impious Opinions; yet fome may undervalue or diflike beyond Reafon what they fee, merely because they conceive they are bound to excite in their Hearts the highest poffible Efteem of what they hope for and thefe, though mistaken, may be in the highest Degree religious. Again: Thinking with Complacency, how agreeable it would be to us, were Heaven to change our Lot in this or that Respect, or place us in the Condition of this or that Person; nay, wishing it were actually done, provided the Wish be formed on the Condition, that fuch were his Will, who knows beft; nay, though that Condition be not always explicitly in our Thoughts, yet if we are habitually difpofed never absolutely to defire that may be, which God fees fit fhould not be, we are ftill within the Bounds of Innocence. Indeed the further we fuffer our Fancies and Inclinations to carry us in this Road, the more flippery Ground we continually tread upon but thus far we may advance, and not fall. In Cafes of pofitive Sufferings we may take yet another Step: may bemoan bemoan ourselves, though not complain of God; may express in our Devotions what he knows we cannot but feel, and lay before him our natural Cravings of Relief. For thus David, after the fulleft, and undoubtedly fincereft, Profeffion of Refignation, made in the Text, immediately fubjoins, Take away thy Stroke from me: I am even confumed by Means of thy heavy Hand . Thus alfo good Persons in all Ages have fought and found Eafe by fubmiffive Applications to the Throne of Mercy. And if sometimes Expoftulations have escaped them, which seem not fubmiffive enough, their cooler Thoughts have doubtless corrected them, and no Failure can be intitled to a more favourable Conftruction. But if our Condition be a tolerably comfortable one, or might be fuch, if we would let it; then we have much more Need to lower and suppress our Defires of further Advantages, than to inflame them by turning them into Prayers. Not that we fin, if we endeavour to raise ourselves into a still more agreeable Situation, or if we intreat God to blefs our Endeavours, as far as he judges it convenient. Refignation very different, not only from Defpondence, is * Pf. xxxix. 11. which rather implies Diffatisfaction and Diftruft, but from Indolence, which may be totally deftitute of any Sentiment of Piety. And though an indolent Perfon can perhaps be more easily refigned, yet an active one can be more certain, whether he is fo in Reality, and from a Principle of Confcience. But the Activity exerted by us, when in good Circumstances, to improve them into better, should always be accompanied with peculiar Moderation of Defire and if we may lawfully pray at all to be rich or great, or in any Respect eminent and admired; we ought certainly to pray with far more Earnestness, that we may have Nothing that will endanger our Piety or Virtue; but may always be humble and contented, and pleased with whatever the diftributing Wisdom of the most High allots us. : Indulging ourselves in the contrary Difpofition, is difputing with God the Government of his own World: and either denying him to be wife and good, or wishing that he were not, but would order Things ill for the Whole, that our Share might be more to our Mind. Now what a dreadful Sort of Spirit is this, and where can it end? Therefore let us be fa tisfied tisfied with the Place which he hath affigned us, and bear quietly the Burthens which he hath laid upon us. We often fubmit with very little Reluctance to the Treatment which we receive from unjust Men: why should we not fubmit without any to the Pleasure of a perfectly just God? Could he ever be partial in our Favour, he might afterwards change his Mind, and be partial against us, and fo we could never be fecure of any Thing. But now his Righteousness ftandeth like the strong Mountains, which cannot be overturned; at the fame Time that his Judgements are like the great Deep, which cannot be fathomed. Clouds and Darkness are round about him: but Righteoufnefs and Judgement are the Habitation of his Throne". Some Perfons, it may be, are tempted to repine not so much at any Want of Happiness or Feeling of Mifery, which they experience themselves; as at the general Quantity of Wretchedness and Prevalence of Wickedness, which they obferve in the World. My Feet were almost gone, my Treadings had well nigh flipt. And why? I was grieved at the wicked, I do alfo fee the ungodly in fuch Profperity ". y Pf. xxxvi. 6. z Pf. xcvii. 2. a Pf. lxxiii. 2, 3. And And indeed Concern on this Account feems not only on many Occafions useful in human Circumstances, but infeparable in human Nature from Benevolence and Love of Virtue. But this is only because our Nature is imperfect. For God fees infinitely more bad Things than we do, and feels an infinitely ftronger Difapprobation of them, confidered in themfelves. Yet they cause not the least Diminution of his Happiness. For he knows, that, through the Direction of his wife Providence, they will be the Means of the greatest Good: and therefore we ought to believe it; and be influenced by that Faith, as far as we are able. But many pretend, and perhaps imagine, that they are deeply concerned at the Growth of Crimes, and the Difcouragements and Decay of Goodness, when in Truth their chief, if not only, Sorrow is, that their Party is not uppermoft, or their Friends have not fucceeded; or fuch as they diflike, have and were but thefe Things otherwise, the World might be as bad or worse than it is, without their being in the least uneafy at it. Some, on the other Hand, care very little, whether right or wrong Behaviour prevails amongst Men, and dignify their blameable Indifference with the fpecious VOL. V. Name R : |