SERM.

X.

But perhaps it will be faid, that tho' Complaints of this Nature may be allow'd to be unreasonable, yet that the bare Reasonableness alone of the thing is not sufficient to support us under all Troubles; our Paffions will ftill have the upper Hand, even when we know it to be inconfiftent with Reafon. In anfwer to this, there is a great deal to be faid for this Plea, upon account of the Weaknefs of Human Nature: And therefore in Cafes of this kind, where Nature fails, we must have Recourse to Religion, as a better help: But then I deny this to be the Cafe; this is not what we are upon. The Point here is not whether it be a Folly to be uneafy about what immediately affects us, but whether it be not a Folly to be uneasy about what does not affect us at all. I am not talking of real Troubles, but of fuch as have no Ground nor Foundation. what is it to us, what the World does, who are to be happy or miferable only for ourfelves? Upon the whole then I hope it will be acknowledg'd, that to murmur against the present Difpenfations of God's Providence

For

Providence is to fhew, that we don't con- SEMR. fider wifely concerning this, even upon the X. Foot of Nature. For we have made but a poor Figure in the World, if the Sum of all our Enquiries amounts to no more than this, that we live in a wicked World. This is a wonderful Difcovery indeed! Why every Age before could tell us the fame thing, and it may be true enough without being worse than heretofore. The Truth of it is, we may have as little Reason perhaps to compliment the former Times, as we have to complain of the prefent: Now the way to make a wife Obfervation of this, is not to fall a murmuring and complaining, but to confider what Method to take in order to fecure the Happiness of our Mind: But fee the ridiculous Confequence that People extort from this murmuring Propofition, The Times are bad, fay they, therefore, what? Why, they will be bad too. I am fure this is a foolifh Confequence, how juft foever the Premises may be. No; a Wife Man would put the Argument thus, The Times are bad, and always were fo; and therefore

I'll

SERM. I'll do what I can to make them better X. at least I'll do nothing to make them

worfe; but will take care, that they shall not make me part with my Reason or my Virtue.

I come now in the next place, to fhew the Sin and Folly of this Temper, as it is contrary to Religion.

Religion, whatever fome People think of it, is not only a national, but a goodnatur'd Inftitution: It tends to smooth the Paffions, and to make a Man act up to the Perfection of his Nature. Chriftianity allows not its Profeffors to disfigure their Faces, much less their Minds: We are taught in the Scripture to poffefs our Souls in Patience, and not to murmur as others have murmur'd, and were deftroy'd of the Destroyer. If we are weary of the World for fo flight a Caufe, we are to confider him, who endur'd fuch Contradiction of Sinners against himself, and then we shall fee how little Reason we have to be weary, and faint in our Minds. 'Tis true, Nature can only furnish us with Arguments for the Reasonableness of the Thing, and the Advantage of a contented Mind in this

Life i

Life; but then Christianity helps us in the SERM. Performance, by carrying the Argument X. into another World; and therefore if we murmur still, we contradict the Principles of our Religion; because we do it, as those who have no Hope: 'Tis indeed a kind of Atheism; for where is the Difference between doubting of the Being of a God, and questioning his Divine Providence? And who, after all, would think that thefe Murmurers fhould feek Shelter even in Religion; and yet they are many of them weak enough to do it; as if Religion oblig'd People to be ill-natur'd, and would never fuffer them to be in a good Humour; and confequently that they were never more religious than when most out of Temper. What Religion this is, is not worth my while to enquire, because it is not worth your while to know: You may be fure it is not the Chriftian Religion, whatever it is. What an odd Figure now do you think Religion would make, if it really was as fome People have dreft it up; for as fuch, is calculated for nothing in the World

but

SERM. but to do Mischief, to rob a Man of his

X.

natural good Temper, and to give him nothing in the room of it, but an unnatural hateful one; and fo to make him more a Child of Wrath than he was by Nature. This cannot proceed from Christianity, but from fomething else; for the Chriftian Religion countenances no Murmurers and Complainers, nor encourages any thing that is four or illnatur'd; the Fruits of it are nothing but Peace, Joy, Contentment, and all true Virtues.

He who thinks to meet with no Difficulties in the World upon account of the different Tempers of Mankind, is a Stranger to Reason; and if Christianity has not learnt him that Contentment of Mind, which the Heathens practifed without it, he is a Stranger to Religion. The Chriftian Religion does not promife us any fuch thing, that we fhall meet with no Troubles or Difficulties, but teaches us how to overcome them. Nay, it goes upon this very Suppofition, that the World is wicked, that this Life is a State

of