his Heart failed him, and his Fall inftructed him in the Knowledge of his own Weaknefs.

And fo it happens many Times with us: We are as ftout as Heroes, as long as the Enemy is out of Sight: We think we can fuffer great Matters, as long as there is nothing to fuffer: Some hot Fit of Devotion warms the Imagination into many ftrong-fancied Resolutions: We make Acts of Patience, Humility, Refignation to the Will of God, and fo forth: And tho' all this be no more than the Bravery of Soldiers in a Mock-fight, we are apt to believe ourselves to be, in effect, what we then feemingly refolve to be: But in the Day of Battle it appears what we truly are. We may then certainly inform ourfelves, whether our Patience, Humility, and Refignation to the Will of God, be real, or only imaginary: And therefore Afflictions are, in the Scripture Language, called Trials; because they are the Proof of Virtue: They are the Touch-ftone upon which it is tried; and by them we may infallibly know whether it be true or counterfeit Gold; and whether it be in the Heart as well as in the Intellect or Imagi

nation.

You fee then what confiderable Advantages Afflictions bring with them; how

sovereign a Remedy they are against the poisonous Love of the World; how they cure us of our Pride, and inftruct us in the Knowledge of ourselves: And are not these Advantages confiderable enough to challenge, at least, an hearty Submiffion to any Affliction Almighty God fhall fend us? It is evident, they contribute to facilitate our Paffage to a better Life; at least by removing Obftacles, and diminishing the Dangers of it: And therefore, whoever has a true Concern for his eternal Intereft, cannot reasonably be diffatisfied, if God thinks fit to allot him his Portion amongst the Sufferers in this Life; fince, in fo doing, he only takes care to put him in a fafer Way to Heaven, than he would have chofen, had he been left to carve for himfelf: And ought not then all fuffering Christians to be fenfible, that Providence has dealt favourably with them; in having secured then from the Dangers by which Thousands have perifhed eternally? Ought they not to forbear murmuring, and fubmit chearfully to their Condition; when it is manifeft, that all the Reason they have to murmur is, because Almighty God has removed them out of the Occafion of making themselves unhappy for ever? Here, furely, is Motive enough to make them be at least refigned, even under the

heaviest

heaviest Croffes; and pray to God, with their whole Hearts, that his holy Will may ever be accomplished.

The LXIID ENTERTAINMENT.

Motives of Comfort in the Sufferings of this Life.

John in Chains. Matth. xi. 2.

JOHN in Prison, and loaden with Chains,

is both the Comfort and Inftruction of all fuffering Chriftians. He is their Comfort, in giving them Occafion to reflect, that if Almighty God permits them now to be afflicted; they receive no harder Measure than his beft Friends have done before them: He is alfo their Instruction, in teaching them, that suffering in this Life is the ordinary Portion of the Juft; because most proper to fit them for the Joys of the Life to come. 'Tis true, Self-love cannot relish this Chriftian Philofophy; being ever apt to confider Afflictions on their most unfavourable Side, and as they are a Grievance to Nature; under which Confideration there appears

nothing in

them,

them, but what creates Uneafinefs and A. verfion.

However, fince we find by Experience, that the most loathfome and painful Remedies are chearfully fubmitted to by the Patient, because he hopes to find Eafe and Benefit by them; 'tis alfo to be hoped, that if we confult Faith, and Reason directed by it, we may difcover fuch folid Motives of Comfort in the Sufferings of this Life, as will fuffice to make us receive them with the moft chearful Submiffion : The proper Motives therefore to work in us this Chriftian Difpofition, fhall be the Subject of this Difcourfe.

The firft Confideration, which ought to to make us receive Afflictions with a chearful Submiffion, is, that they are a Mark and Pledge of God's Love. The Hiftory of Tobie gives us an undoubted Inftance of this Truth: This holy Man had been, from his Infancy, brought up in the Fear of God, and Practice of all religious Duties: But the Virtue he most excell'd in, was his unwearied Charity to his afflicted Brethren; whom, in the Time of their Captivity, he relieved to the utmost of his Power, and even with the Hazard of his Life. Almighty God had many Ways tried the Virtue of this faithful Servant, and at length was pleased to vifit him with the

Lofs

Lofs of both his Eyes; which Affliction, tho' very grievous in itself, was much aggravated by the unjuft Reproaches of his Wife and Kindred; who inftead of comforting him in his Misfortune, infulted over him; accufing him of Weaknefs and Folly, for having vainly trufted in God; and afking him in a reproachful Manner, if these were the Fruits of his paft Alms and good Works.

But Almighty God foon after convinced them of their Error; and made it appear, that the Affliction he had sent his Servant, was not a Mark of his Anger, but a Token of his Favour. For when the Angel Raphael, who had conducted his Son in his Journey to Rages, and back again, was upon the Point of discovering himself; he first affured him, that his Alins and Works of Mercy had been highly pleafing to God; and then told him that the true Reason why God had fent him fo great an Affliction was, because he was acceptable to him. And be cause thou wert acceptable to God, it was neceffary that Affliction fhould try thee.

But let the Cafe of St. John Baptift, as it is represented in the Gofpel, whence I have taken my Text, ferve for a fecond Inftance of this Truth. He was undoubtedly a particular Favourite of Heaven, and a Perfon of extraordinary Merit; as having been miracu

lously