Spiritual Welfare, or, are Beft adapted to the Exercife of their Peculiar Virtues, but for other Reafons, and to other Purposes. For

4thly, The Difficulties and Sufferings of Good men are fometimes Neceffary to the Advancement of God's Glory; And the Glory of God which is the Ultimate End of all Beings, may well be understood and fuppofed, as an Implicit Condition in all Promifes. On account of this Great End it was, that the Apoftles, and Other Holy Martyrs Lived in Continual Trouble, and Died in Exquifite Torment. Their Confummate Piety did not want the Harsh Discipline of Sufferings, for it's own Improvement; but their Suffering became the Neceffary and Effectual Inftruments of Propagating God's Honour, and Man's Salvation. And in Other and Lower Instances, the Submiffion, the Easiness, and the Cheerfulness, which fhine in Good Men, under the Severer Difpenfations of Heaven, do greatly Promote God's Honour, and the Interest of Religion: They are Abundant Testimo

nies, that God is Especially Present and Propitious to his Servants, when they ftand most in Need of him: They are an Abundant and Endearing Conviction, that the Spirit of Religion is the Only Spirit of Power, and of Firmness, and of Excellency, which may be Depended on, and will never Fail; In comparison of Which, all the Powers of the World are as that Brittle and Broken Reed,· whereon if Infirm and Afflicted Man fhall lean, he will find it fo far from Supporting him, that it will Sink under him; and not only So, but will go into his hand, and pierce it.

Thefe, and fuch as Thefe, are the Conditions and Limitations previoufly Suppofed and Implied in the Promises of Temporal Bleffings to Good men; And they may supply us with these Three Obfervations, amongst many others;

ift, That Temporal Inconvenience is far from being a Certain Mark of God's Displeasure, and is, therefore, far from being a Juft Reason of entertaining an Ill Opinion of those that fuffer it, or,

X 2

even

even of taking up any Sufpicions of Iniquity or Unworthiness in them.

2dly, That, as Temporal Advantages are Defign'd, and Propofed to us, only as Inferiour and Subordinate Motives to Religion, fo our Efteem of them should be, Comparatively, very Low, and very Little, that our Thoughts and Defires may be the more Clofely and Intirely fixed upon the principal Object of our Hopes, the Bleffings of a Future, and an Endless Life; And

3dly, That thefe Conditions and Limitations of the Encouragements, in the Text, are in Themselves highly Reafonable and Juft; And a Man must throw up all Pretenfions to Wisdom and Goodnefs, before he can Wish or Expect fuch a Diftribution of Temporal Advantages, as would be Inconfiftent, either with that variety of Ranks and Orders, under which the Societies of Men are Ranged and Established by Infinite Wisdom; or, with the Eternal Salvation of his own Soul, or, with his own moft Successful Progress in the Way of Salvation; or, with God's Honour and the Advance

ment

ment of Religion, or, with any Other of the Wife Ends and Purposes of God's Difpenfations. 'Tis Sufficient to Good men, that, fo far as is Consistent with fuch Great Things as Thefe, they may properly expect the Bleffings in the Text. And the Reasons of fuch an Expectation will appear from the other Two Heads of Difcourfe ftill Before

us.

II. Secondly Therefore; So Graciously bath God Provided for the Temporal Advantages of his fervants, that, according to the Natural State of Things which he hath Determin'd, according to the Ordinary course and Tendencies of Human Affairs, the moft Proper and Likely means of fecuring thofe Advantages, are Virtue and Religion.

'Tis Difingenuous and Ungrateful, 'tis Impious, 'tis a kind of Implicit Atheism, to Ascribe the Happy Effects of Virtue to the Nature of Things, without Acknowledging, that the Nature of Things was Defign'd, Inftituted, and Ordain'd by the Great Maker and Governour of the World. It is not owing to Un

certain and Irregular, Unjuft and Unequal Chance, but to the Wife Decree and Appointment of the most High, that Temperance contributes to the Continuance of Health and Life; or, that the band of the Diligent maketh rich; or, that the Faithful Exercifes and Improvements of those Excellent Faculties, which Bounteous Nature hath planted in fome Men's Minds, are the Wings, whereon they Soar to Reputation and Honour.

Some Virtues have a Peculiar Aptness in them, to produce fome Peculiar kinds of Benefit; but they All Agree in the Main Point, They bear their Several Parts in Finishing the Harmony and the Happiness of Life. The Power of Virtue Therefore is contracted and Diminished by thofe Sages, who, reprefenting it as Efficacious and Fruitful of its own Rewards, are very Large in their Ac-· counts of those Internal Treafures of Peace and Satisfaction, which it beftows upon the Mind, fcarce Mentioning or Regarding its External Acquirements, on which the Neceffaries, the Conveniencies, and the