SERMON V.

JOB ii. 10.

Shall we receive Good at the Hand of God, and fball we not receive Evil?

GOD who gave us our Lives has given

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them fubject to a Probation and Trial, as well of the Sincerity of our Virtue, as to exercise and improve it. And one of those Methods by which he awakens our Reason, and fixes our Thoughts to Religion and Serioufness, is the Affliction with which he vifits us. This, in fome degree, is the common Lot of all Men. While the poor and neceffitous are plentifully ftored with Uneafinefs and Trouble, the most exalted Stations in their greatest Affluence are yet not entirely exempted from this common Inheritance, L 2

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to which every Son of Adam is born. More particularly is this the Portion of Christians, who are the Sons of God: And what Son is be whom the Father chafteneth not? They must through many Tribulations make their Way to the Kingdom of God.

A right Improvement therefore of those Afflictions, wherewith God fooner or later is pleased to try us all, is one great Business which we are to labour, and tranfact in this World. And for our Comfort under them I shall attempt to convince you,

1---That Afflictions come from God.

2---That the Captain of our Salvation, whose Example we must follow, was made perfect through Sufferings.---And

3---That our short and light Afflictions will be rewarded with an exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory.

Men

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Men earnestly bent to seek the Favour of God and the Happiness of Heaven will be chiefly follicitous to know what the Will of God is, and whether they are employed in discharging it. But whilst we are in an afAlicted State, innocently fuffering with and for the fake of a good Confcience, unqueftionably we are doing our appointed Duty, and suffering according to the Will of God. Are you poor and neceffitous ? Remember--it is the Creator and Father of Man, that maketh rich and maketh poor. Are you weary and beavy laden with the Difficulties and Hardfhips of Life? Be affured, that Affliction cometh not out of the Gronnd, but is ordered by the infinite Wisdom of God to promote. the real Advantage of all Men, by producing ferious Virtue and the peaceable Fruits of Righteousness.---And moreover, God will not fuffer you to be tempted above that you are able. Your great Enemy has his Commission li mited. The utmost he can do is to rob us of the Comforts of this World, But of the

Comfort

Comfort of a good Confcience he cannot deprive us without our own Fault, nor of the Certainty of God's Favour and bleffed Acceptance, if we faithfully perfift in the Dif charge of our Duty.

You may fret indeed, and murmur at your Lot; but ftill Man is born to Trouble. Let the difcontented grow impatient and caft away their Hope: Let the Lovers of Pleasure be in despair when Affliction seizes them: Let thofe to whom the Lot is fallen in a fair Ground, and who are therefore ready to fancy themselves privileged from Sorrow, let them be vehement, and outrageous in their Grief: Take all the Care, and be as dili

gent as you can to remove Sorrow from your Hearts, and put away Evil from your Flesh; (Ecclef. xi. 10.) it is yet true, that Affliction at one Time or other will certainly find you out. This is a Travail, as the wife Man obferves, which God hath given to the Sons of Men to be exercifed in it. (Ecclef. iii. 10.) And thofe that fly from Uneafinefs will not

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