most for his Advantage: And, tho' he doth not understand the particular Tendencies of Things; tho' he doth not fee at prefent how this or the other Thing, that looks untowardly or mischievously, fhould work either to his own private, or to the publick Advantage; yet he knows, in the general, that all is well intended, that God can and will bring Good out of the greatest Evils, and at laft all Things will prove for the beft, not only to the World in general, but to him in particular, if he truly loves God.

Thefe Things now being all contained or implied in that which we call Truft in God, it muft needs be an excellent Expedient against all Dejection and Difquiet of Mind, let our Condition be what it will.

This is the first Thing. But, Secondly, An intire Truft and Confidence in God is a good Remedy against the Evil of Afflictions, as it is an Evidence to us, that we are qualifi ed for his Mercy and Favour; feeing we do that, which is most highly acceptable to him, and doth in a particular Manner recommend us to his Love.

Trusting in God is, at all Times, both an Exercife and Expreffion of our Religion, and a great Evidence to ourselves of our Sincerity in it: But it is especially fo, when we are in any evil or difficult Circumftances, then when we are under great Temptations and Perplexities, then when we are encompaffed with Dangers, and have no Prospect of Help

or

or Deliverance by human Means, which way foever we look; then, I fay, to bear up, and exercise Faith in God, and to fupport ourfelves in this evil Plight with the Confidence of his Goodness to us, as it is a comfortable Argument that our Virtue and Piety is real, and not only pretended; fo it is a Thing that God doth highly efteem where-ever he fees it, and will not fail to reward it; and this is a Confideration that fhould mightily excite us to the Practice of this Duty.

Many Sorrows (faith the Pfalmift, Pfal. xxxii. 10. Many Sorrows) shall be to the Wicked; but whofo putteth bis Truft in the Lord, Mercy embraceth him on every Side. And again, The Lord taketh no Pleafure in the Strength of an Horfe, neither delighteth be in any Man's Legs. It is not the Buftle we make to fave ourselves by human Means, that is acceptable to him: But what then? Why, the Lord's Delight is in them that fear him, and in them that put their Truft in his Mercy. To put our Truft in God's Mercy, is a Thing that is delightful to him, a Thing that he taketh efpecial Pleafure in: And accordingly, bleffed is he pronounced by the Prophet, who trufteth in the Lord, and whose Hope the Lord is; but, on the contrary, Curfed be the Man that maketh Flesh his Arm, and whofe Heart departeth from the Lord, Jer. xvii. 5.

Indeed Reafon itself would teach us, tho' we had no Revelation for it, that this Trust

and

and Dependence upon God, that we speakof, muft needs be a moft lovely Quality, and that which above all Things must endear us to our Maker; for it is an undeniable Proof, that we think worthily of God, and that we have fuch Apprehenfions of him as he would defire we should have, or as it is fit Creatures fhould have of the most perfect Being. It fhews, as I faid before, not only that we acknowledge him to be the great Difpofer of all Events, and that all the good Things we have, or hope for, come from his Bounty; but also that we are deeply affected with a Sense of his Goodness; that we are heartily perfuaded that he loves us, and will deny us nothing that is convenient for us. Now thus to think of God, is truly to honour him, and expreffeth more Piety and Devotion a great deal, than anxious Prayers and Supplications to him: Thofe argue Love to ourselves; but this is an Evidence that we truly love God.

On the other Side, to be without this. Truft and Affiance in God, and to place our Hopes and Confidence in fecond Caufes, is certainly a Piece of Impiety and Irreligion, where-ever it is found: And therefore is juftly ftiled by the Prophet, in the forecited Place, a departing from God; for it either fhews, that we have no Senfe of God upon our Minds, nor take any Notice of his Government of the World; or, if we do, it fhews that we have mean Thoughts of him, and

believe

believe either that he cannot or will not fupply our Wants and Neceffities. And even

what Man is there, among ourselves, that would not take it very ill, to be thus reprefented, or thus thought on, by any Child of his that depends upon him?

Thirdly and laftly: Trufting in God may therefore be recommended, as an effectual Remedy in all Afflictions, becaufe it is the best Means to obtain Deliverance from them.

2

It is not in Man (faith Solomon) to direct his Steps: Walk he never fo cautioufly, he cannot fecure himself from falling into a thousands Evils, to which this State of Mortality is daily expofed: And, when he is in them, he cannot, by all the Wit he has, or all the Industry he can ufe, get himself clear again: He may make a Stir, and be reftlefs, and impatient, but he gets no other Good many times by his struggling, than what wild Beafts do that are caught in a Snare; namely, the farther entangling themfelves: He may diligently apply himself to this or the other Mean for Comfort or Redrefs, but he will too often find his Endeavours ineffectual: When he has done all hè can, God is the Governor of the World, and difpenfeth Good and Evil to the Sons of Men, when, and to whom, and fo long as he pleafeth and, therefore, from him only can we expect Eafe or Deliverance from thofe Things that opprefs us; and the general Way, that he hath appointed for this End,

VOL. III.

is,

is, patiently to wait upon him, and to trust in his Mercy; fo will he in due Time fhew himself our Saviour and Deliverer.

We speak not this to difcourage the Use of any lawful Means, either for the preventing or removing our evil Circumstances: On the contrary, it is by them, that God ordinarily worketh his Deliverances, both for his People in general, and for every Servant of his in particular; and therefore they are not to be neglected. But this we fay, without the Bleffing of God no Means will be effectual, and if we have his Bleffing, we shall not fail of Redemption from all our Troubles, of what Nature foever they be, when he fees fit; tho' there appear no visible Means at present, or, tho' thofe, that do appear, feem never fo unlikely or infufficient. And farther, the proper Way to obtain this Bleffing of his, is intirely to depend upon him, to confide in his Goodness, to be careful for nothing, but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving to make our Requests known unto him.

This the holy Pfalmift did continually experience all his Life long, and this he declares and recommends as a ftanding Truth, to all fucceeding Generations, in fo many Paffages of his Pfalms, that it would be troublesome to quote them. The Lord, faith he, never faileth them that put their Trust in him. Truft thou in the Lord, and be doing good, fo fhalt thou dwell in the Land, and verily thou

Shalt