them.

men; because there is no proportion between fuffering for a little while, and being unfpeakably and eternally happy. So St. Paul tells us he calculated the matter, Rom. viii. 18. I reckon, (fays he), that the fufferings of this prefent time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which fhall be revealed in us. The vaft difproportion between the fufferings of a few days, and the joys and glory of eternity, when it is once firmly believed by us, will weigh down all the evils and calamities of this world, and give us courage and conftancy under For why fhould we faint, if we believe that our light affliction, which is but for a moment, will work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory? as the fame St. Paul affures us, 2 Cor. iv. 17. If our minds be but thoroughly poffeffed with the hopes of a refurrection to a better and happier life, this will make death, attended even with extremity of terror, to be tolerable; as we read of fome in that long catalogue of faints and martyrs, Heb. xi. 35. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better refurrection. It would make a man to rejoice in the ruin and diffolution of this earthly tabernacle, to be affured, that when it is diffolved, we shall have a building of God, a houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; as the fame Apostle affures us, 2 Cor. v. 1. Thus you fee what virtue there is in the firm belief and perfuafion of a better life, to bear up mens fpirits under those sufferings and torments which may feem unfupportable to human

nature.

And fo indeed they would be, without an extraordinary grace and affistance of God to enable them to bear thofe fufferings which his providence permits them to be exercised withal. But of this extraordinary grace we are affured, not only from the confideration of the attributes and providence of God, but likewife from the express promises and declarations of his word.

The attributes of God, and his providence, give us good ground to believe, that he who loves goodnefs and righteousness, and hath a peculiar favour and regard for good men, will never fuffer his faithful friends and fervants to be brought into that diftrefs for righteousness fake, that they fhall not be able to endure those evils

and

and afflictions which befal them upon that account: and, if in the courfe of his providence, any thing happen to them that is above the ordinary conftancy and patience of human nature to bear, that in fuch a cafe God will extraordinarily interpofe, and give them ftrength and patience, fupport and comfort, proportionable to the evils and fufferings that are upon them; and that he will either lighten their burden, or add to their strength: he will either mitigate their pain, or increase their patience; either he will check and restrain the effect of natural caufes, as in the cafe of the three children that were in the fiery furnace, and of Daniel, who was caft into the den of lions; or elfe, which comes to the fame iffue, if he will fuffer caufes to have their natural course, he will afford fupernatural comforts to balance the fury and extremity of them. This is very credible, from the mere confideration of God's goodness, and of the particular care and favour of his providence towards good

men.

But befides this, we have the exprefs promife and declaration of God's word to this purpose, which puts us out of all doubt concerning that which we had good reafon to hope and expect before, 1 Cor. x. 13. St. Paul there tells the Chriftians at Corinth, that though they had met with fome troubles, yet they had not been tried with the extremity of fuffering; but when that fhould happen, they had no caufe to doubt, but God would enable them to bear it. There hath no temptation taken you, but fuch as is common to man; that is, you have not yet been exercised with any trial, but what is human, what the ordinary ftrength and refolution of human nature is able to bear: but in cafe it fhould come to extreme fuffering, and that they muft either comply with the Heathen idolatry, or endure extremity of torments, they had the promife of God's help to. fupport them in that cafe; God is faithful, (fays he), who will not fuffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation alfo make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it and then it follows, Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry; that is, let no fuffering that you are tempted withal, make you guilty of this fin. And, 1 Pet. iv. 14. the prefence of God's

Spirit,

Spirit, in a very glorious manner, for our fupport and comfort, is promifed to thofe who fuffer for him: If ye be reproached for the name of Chrift, happy are ye; for the fpirit of glory, and of God refteth upon you.

And this confideration, of God's ftrength to fupport us under fufferings, makes the other, of the reward of them, a perfect and compleat encouragement; which it could not be without it. For if, upon the whole matter, the present sufferings of good men were intolerable, and human nature were not divinely affifted to bear them, how great foever the future reward promised to them fhould be, they that lay under them would be forced to confult their own prefent ease and deliverance. I proceed to the

II. Second thing I propofed to confider, namely, How it may be made out to be reafonable to embrace and voluntarily to fubmit to present and grievous sufferings, in hopes of future happiness and reward; concerning which we have not, nor perhaps are capable of having, the fame degree of certainty and affurance which we have of the evils and fufferings of this present life.

Now, granting that we have not the fame degree of certainty concerning our future happiness that we have of our present sufferings, which we feel, or fee juft ready to come upon us; yet prudence making it neceffary for men to run this hazard, does juftify the reasonablenefs of it. This I take to be a known and ruled cafe in the common affairs of life, and in matters of tempo. ral concernment; and men act upon this principle every day. The hufbandman parts with his corn, and cafts it into the earth, in confidence that it will spring up again, and at the time of harvest bring him in a confiderable return and advantage. He parts with a certainty, in hope only of a great future benefit: and though he have no demonstration for the infallible fuccefs of his labour and hazard, yet he acts very reasonably; because if he does not take this courfe, he runs a greater and more certain hazard, of perifhing by famine at last, when his present stock is fpent. The cafe of the mer chant is the fame, who parts with a prefent eftate, in hopes of a future improvement; which is yet not fo certain as what he parts withal."

And

And if this be reasonable in these cafes, then the hazard which men run, upon much greater affurance than either the husbandman or the merchant hath, is much more reasonable. When we part with this life in hopes of one infinitely better, that is, in fure and certain hope of a refurrection to eternal life; and when we fubmit to prefent fufferings, to avoid an eternity of mifery, which is much more to be dreaded than temporal want, this is reafonable; because here is a much greater advantage in view, and a more preffing neceffity in the cafe; nothing being fo defirable to one that must live for ever, as to be happy for ever; and nothing to be avoided by him with fo much care, as everlasting mifery and ruin. And for our fecurity of obtaining the one, and efcaping the other, we have the promife of God, who cannot lie; which is all the certainty and fecurity that things future and invi fible are capable of.

Nay, I will go lower. If God had made no exprefs promife and declaration of a future happiness and reward to thofe that ferve him, and fuffer for him; yet, if any man, out of a fincere love to God, and awful regard to his laws, endure trouble and affliction, if there be a God and providence, this is affurance enough to us, that our fervices and fufferings fhall one time or other be confidered and rewarded. For as fure as any man is that there is a God, and that his providence regards the actions of men; fo fure are we that no man fhall finally be a lofer by any thing that he doth or fuffers for him.

So that the matter is now brought to this plain iffue, that if it be reasonable to believe there is a God, and that his providence regards and confiders the actions of men ; it is alfo reasonable to endure present fufferings, in hope of a future reward: and there is certainly enough in this cafe to govern and determine a prudent man, that is in any good measure perfuaded of another life after this, and hath any tolerable confideration of, and regard to his eternal interest.

Indeed, if we were fure, that there were no life after this; if we had no expectation of a happiness or mifery beyond this world; the wifeft thing that any man could do, would be to enjoy as much of the prefent contentments and fatisfactions of this world as he could fairly

come

come at. For if there be no refurrection to another life, the Apostle allows the reafoning of the epicure to be very good, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. But, on the other hand, if it be true that we are defigned for immortality, and that another state remains for us after this life, wherein we shall be unfpeakably happy, or intolerably and eternally miferable, according as we have behaved ourfelves in this world; it is then evidently reasonable, that men should take the greatest care of the longest duration, and be content to bear and dispense with fome prefent trouble and inconvenience, for a felicity that will have no end; and be willing to labour and take pains, and deny our prefent eafe and comfort for a little while, that we may be happy for ever. This is reckoned prudence in the account of this world, for a man to part with a prefent poffeffion and enjoyment, for a much greater advantage in reverfion. But furely the difproportion between time and eternity is so vast, that did men but firmly believe that they fhall live for ever, nothing in this world could reasonably be thought too good to part withal, or too grievous to fuffer, for the obtaining of a bleffed immortality.

In the virtue of this belief and perfuafion, the primitive Christians were fortified against all that the malice and cruelty of the world could do against them: and they thought they made a very wife bargain, if through many tribulations they might at laft enter into the kingdom of God; because they believed, that the joys of heaven would abundantly recompenfe all their forrows and fufferings upon earth. And fo confident were they of this, that they looked upon it as a special favour and regard of God to them, to call them to fuffer for his name. So St. Paul fpeaks of it, Phil. i. 29. Unto you it is given, in the behalf of Chrift, not only to believe on him, but also to fuffer for his fake. Yea, they accounted them happy, who upon this account were miferable in this world, So St. James exprefsly pronounceth them, chap. i. 12. Blef fed is the man that endureth temptation, (meaning the temptation of perfecution and fuffering): for when he is tried, he fhall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promifed to them that love him. And this confideration was that which kept up their spirits from finking un

der