SERMON ΧΙ. PSALM XXxix. 10. I became dumb, and opened not my Mouth: for it was thy doing. I T would be our Wisdom and our Duty, though we had no Knowledge of Religion, to bear the Sufferings of Life with Patience, and submit to the Inequalities of it with Contentment. I have therefore hitherto inforced upon you the Practice of these two Virtues chiefly from prudential and moral Considerations, though I could not altogether forbear adding some Inducements of Piety also. But these last are both so superior to the former, and so necessary in human Circumstances, that I must now dwell upon them distinctly. Pains of the Body, and Uneasiness of the Mind, 3 Mind, may sometimes be so grievous, that, had we no invisible Sovereign to obey, and Nothing to hope or fear after Death, it would be hard to perfuade ourselves to continue in Life. At least we should undergo in it a great deal of Misery, with few and poor Confolations. Those indeed, which I have mentioned to you, are in many Cases of confiderable Ufe by themselves: in all Cafes they may be of Service, when combined with Reflections of a higher Nature. And our groveling Minds are often more affected with feeble Reasons, that are level to them; than with strong ones, that seem above them : or however may best be quieted a while by a previous Use of the former, till they can be raised to an Ability of applying the latter. And Humanity requires, that even the weakest Aid be called in: but at the same Time, that the principal Stress be laid on the firmest Support: else what will be the Consequence? Only indeed what most of us in our Turns have probably experienced. We have been told that Grieving would not help us, without being told what would; and so have been left to grieve on. We have been told, that fooner or later our Sufferings would abate, which is small Satisfaction in the mean while; or that they would be short, because our Lives are so, which is leaving us to be miferable, as long as we are any Thing. We have been told perhaps, that Pain is no Evil, and Virtue is its own Reward in all Circumstances, when we were actually feeling the contrary: or that others were as wretched as we, or even more so; as if that could make our Wretchedness cease. We have been bid to turn our Thoughts from our Sorrows to Amusements; when we could not, if we would; and possibly should have abhorred to do it, if we could. Sage Maxims and Counsels of various and contradictory Sorts, have been urged upon us, which had no Authority or Weight to make their Way into our Hearts: but we have remained in the Condition, which poor Job expresses to his Friends : I have heard many fuch Things: miserable Comforters are ye all. Or though Men have ever so few Sufferings, yet, without religious Views, they may have so few Enjoyments, and those so low, that a rational Soul must disdain them, and feel its Existence to be infipid and unfatisfactory. Or, however content, upon Force, to acquiefce a Job xvi. 2. 1 after a Sort in our own Condition, we may still either be perfuaded, that the general State of Things upon the Whole is wrong and unhappy, or doubt so greatly whether it be right and good, that the World may appear very gloomy and comfortless to a benevolent Mind. If therefore we defire to pafs through it with Complacency, we must extend our Thoughts further, like the Pfalmist in the Text; and confider ourselves, as in the Hands of God: for then, whatever happens, or whatever is wanting, to us or to any one, we shall see Cause to submit to it, composedly and placidly, without objecting. I became dumb, and opened not my Mouth: for it was thy doing. The Creator of all Things is evidently, as such, Lord of all Things: and hath a Right to place us in what Station, and expose us to what Accidents he pleases ; provided the Being, which he hath given us, be not, on the Whole, without our Fault, worse than not being. For who art thou, O Man, that repliest against God? shall the Thing formed fay unto him that formed it, Why hast thou made me me thus? Is it not lawful for him to do what he will with his own? He can have no Need, no Temptation to use us unjustly: and, without any, we never use one another so: which Knowledge alone is enough to produce in us a considerable Degree of dutiful Submiffion. If what we dislike in our Condition were the Effect of mere Chance or fatal Neceffity, we might rebel in our Hearts against it. But a Principle of yielding to the lawful Authority of an almighty Ruler is Part of human Nature. Our Circumstances perhaps are difadvantageous, or even our Sufferings great. But if we look diligently into our Temper and Behaviour, have we not deserved all that we undergo, have we not deserved much worse? And if so, surely we should say in our Hearts, with poor penitent Eli, It is the Lord; let bim do what feemeth him good d : and with feremiah, Wherefore doth a living Man complain, a Man for the Punishment of his Sins ? Let us fearch and try our Ways, and turn again to the Lord. Perhaps also, the Uneasiness, which we feel, whether inflicted for our Tranfgrefsions or not, is more than overbalanced by |