they had experienced in their Stead the fevereft Discipline of Pain and Sicknefs. These remind us of our Dependence on him who made us; of the Vanity of earthly Enjoyments, of Mortality and its Confequences; of pitying and leffening the Afflictions of our Fellow-creatures; of fhewing Kindness, as we often need it. And the Exercife of Devotion towards God, and Goodness to thofe around us, will so pleasingly employ our Thoughts, fo effectually footh our Minds, and reconcile us to ourselves and our Condition, that we shall find the roughest Attacks on our outward Frame very supportable.

I fhall only observe further under this Head, that Poverty and Want, when they are fo extreme as to bring on actual bodily Sufferings, are to be placed to the Account of Pain: but fuch Pain very feldom, if ever, arises to near the Height which various Diseases cause; and is much more constantly cured or mitigated by the Care of charitable Perfons. Indigence, therefore, in this View, is very confiftent with Patience and that in the other View, of Reflection and Comparison, it is equally compatible with Contentment, shall be shewn you hereafter.

2. The next Source of Impatience before mentioned is Sorrow: which fometimes is mere Sympathy with the Calamities of others. But this does not commonly rise to the Height of Impatience: much oftener we are impatient with the wretched through our Want of Sympathy. There are those however, who are made so uneafy by the Distresses which they fee, that they will not bear the Uneafinefs of attending to them enough to give them due Affiftance. Now this exceffive Tendernefs is an unhappy Infirmity. It argues indeed fomewhat of a right Difpofition: but perverted to a quite different Purpose from what Nature meant. And we fhould moderate the paffive Feeling, in order to exert the requifite active Goodness; nor would this, on Trial, be found difficult. But our Grief is ufually for Things happening, which we apprehend to be Evils to ourselves and they may be of various Sorts. The more confiderable are, Unkindness or Lofs of Friends, Diminutions of Fortune, Difappointments in worldly Views, Imputations on our Characters, Confcioufnefs of imprudent or finful Behaviour. All these may be needlefsly aggravated by the voluntary Workings

very

of

of our own Minds; and fo far belong to the Head of Difcontent: but much of the Concern, which they give, is unavoidable, and relates to the present Subject.

Unkindness, where we had peculiar Reafon to expect the contrary, is one of the bitterest Afflictions of Life. We fhould labour to prevent it, by chufing the Objects both of our Love and Efteem with great Caution; and restrain our Affection towards them within due Bounds; inftead of letting it run, or perhaps forcing it, into romantic Extremes, which must end in fomething wrong; and we should most attentively endeavour to give no Cause of Dislike and Alienation. When it hap pens notwithstanding, that our most reasonable Hopes are fruftrated; Change of Opinion concerning the blameable Party must naturally, if we are confiderate, produce in us Change of Regard. And we must comfort ourselves, that the Fault is not on our Side; take Care to continue ftill equally unreproachable; apply our Thoughts to the Duties of fuch other Connections and Ties, as remain upon us after this is weakened or diffolved; raise our Hearts more to him, who always makes a gracious Return; and then no Ingratitude or Infidelity,

which we can experience on Earth, will be able to overwhelm us.

Concern for the Lofs of our Friends by Death, in itself a fore Trial, is aggravated fometimes by a confufed Imagination, as if Death were a Misfortune to them: whereas, if they were good and virtuous, it is in Truth the greatest poffible Gain. It can therefore be only ourselves, that we bemoan with Juftice: and the Damage to us may us may be very confiderable for which Reafon we should be follicitous, both to make all the Improvement by our Friends, and fhew all the Kindness to them, that we can, whilft we have them; left we should regret our Negligence, when it is too late. But, though the common Fault is under-rating the Value of those, who are near and ought to be dear to us, yet present Grief on lofing them may poffibly overdo it; and we may find ourselves able to go on without them far more tolerably, than we imagined. Neceffity will put us on exerting our Powers: we shall seek for other Helps and other Comforts; and, in fome Degree at least, we shall find them. Or, fuppofing the Accident to bę as grievous, and as irreparable, as we appreVOL. V. hend

N

hend it; yet this Confolation is left, that the painful Feeling of it will greatly diminish, however impoffible we may at the Time conceive that to be. Indeed fome appear unwilling that this should happen; and account it a Duty to afflict themselves as much and as long as they can: whilst others go on to do it, though they profess to believe it a great Sin. But, in Reality, moderate Concern, for a moderate Seafon, is the useful Dictate of Nature : and immoderate Concern is pardonable Weaknefs; only it ought not to be wilfully indulged, wrought up to a great Height and lengthened. Even if we affect to do thefe Things, God has mercifully provided, in the unchangeable Frame of our Nature, that they fhall have an End: and we should, inftead of abfurdly refifting him, co-operate with him by prudent Reflection: not aim at Infenfibility; but only at fuch a rational Degree of Difengagement, as fuits our Condition; thus preparing by due Behaviour under one Stroke, to bear others which are to be expected. Perfons on a Journey quit many Things, one after another, that are very agreeable to them; regret them all, but go forward however with composed Minds. Now we are Travellers through Life; our Friends are fo

too: