2. It not only miltiplies evils, but takes away from us the power either to efcape or bear them; renders us incapable of ufing thole methods of prevention, which are requifite to ward the blow, or of fuffering what we cannot prevent, with decency and patience. This is plain, that the worst thing in the world to advise with, in cafè of dangers, prefent or future, is a feared imagis nation: For that difturbs and diforders a man's thoughts to fuch a degree, that he cannot calmly confider what is fitteft to be done, in order to avoid the thing he fears, and it deprives him alfo of that prefence and firmnefs of mind, which should support him under what is unavoidable.

That very trembling, and weaknefs, which proceeds from too quick a fenfe of approaching danger, takes away from a man the use of thofe limbs, which fhould help him, either to grapple with it or to decline it.

When thou art afflicting thyfelf, therefore, with faid omens and prefages, and applauding thy own wisdom and fore-fight in fo doing, remem ber the decifion of one, who was certainly wife, and who has told thee, "that the fear of man bringeth a fnare; but he that trusteth in the "Lord, fhall be fafe," Prov. xxix. 25. Again,'

3. This concern for futurities robs us of all the cafe and the advantages, which might arife from a proper and difcreet ufe of the prefent moment. Certainly, the greatest pleasure, on this fide hea ven, lies in an even and ferene, a calm, compofed, and fteady mind; that is inwardly at reft, and, by confequence, at leifure to enjoy all outward comforts; that hopes the best, and is prepared

fur

for the worft; enjoys the prefent, and is not anxiously concerned for the future. Such a tem per of mind is the greatest bleffing God can bestow upon a man, because it gives the tafte and relish to all other bleflings; and therefore the greatest folly a man can be guilty of, is, to part with it upon any account, and to quit a certain tranquillity now, out of the vain fear of being robbed of it fome time, or other. Further,

4. "Tis very unreasonable to difquiet ourselves about diftant evils; it often happening that the prefence of the things themselves, fuggefts better expedients, wifer and quicker counsels to us, than all our wisdom and forethought at a distance can do. "The morrow" (fays our Lord)" fhall take "thought for the things of itfelf;" that is, it thall bring along with it a power and ftrength of mind anfwerable to its neceffities, a frame of fpi rit every way fuited to our circumftances and occafions. "Thus ficknefs (as one well obferves) "doth of itself produce in us fuch a temper, as is fitted to that trial: It makes us affect privacy " and filence, which conduce to our recovery, and gives us fuch a seriousness and readiness to "fubmit to good advice, as is agreeable to the "dangers that attend it. And thus neceffity and "want infufe into the foul that decency of beha "viour, that carefulness to watch proper oppor

tunities, that courtefy and eloquence of speech, " which no premeditation can furnish, and proves "a kind of infpiration." Trouble not thyself, therefore, about what is to come: For when it is to come, it fhall either find, or make thee ready to undergo it: "To-morrow fhall take thought

"for

"for the things of itself," and why then shouldst thou be at a needlefs expence of thought before

hand?

To these several accounts of the folly and unreasonableness of anxious and tormenting cares, give me leave to add one more, and I have done. That he, who indulges them, forfeits his intereft in the divine providence and protection; and that is a lofs, for which all the wifdom, and kill, and forefight in the world can make no amends. He that terrifies himself with the appre henfion of future evils, declares in-effect, that he doth not abfolutely rely upon God for his ordering and difpofing them. And he, who doth not abfolutely truft God with all his concerns, has no right to his protection and defence, no reason to expect his fupport and affiftance; but is left to work out every thing, as well as he can, by the dint of fecond caufes, by his own parts, policy, and prudence. And how wretched is his cafe, who has brought his affairs to that pafs, as to be deprived of his best and faithfulleft counsellor, his most kind and potent friend, and to live, as it were, "without God in the world?” “It is a "fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living "God," fays the apoftle: Heb. x. 31. And surely, next to that, it is a fearful thing to take ourselves out of his hands, and to exempt ourfelves from his care; which he is in good conftruction fuppofed to do, who fets himfelf with any degree of folicitude to "take thought for the morrow."

Let all of us, who are convinced of the reafonableness of thefe fpeculations, put them immediately in practice! let us even "To-day, while it

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"is called to-day," throw off all anxiety and concern for to-morrow! If we heartily believe the doctrine of divine providence, let us fhew our faith by our works; let us live, as if we did believe it; industriously indeed, warily, wifely; becaufe by these means we are to entitle ourselves to the protection of God; but withal, unconcernedly, chearfully, refignedly, as knowing, that we are fecure of his protection when we ftand in need of it. Let us behave ourfelves like dutiful children, under the guidance of a wife and gracious parent, who, we are fatisfied, loves us, and will, as he thinks fit, and fees beft, provide for us; and therefore we fall into all his commands and directions with an implicit obedience, and trouble ourselves with nothing farther, but only to do the duty which he hath appointed us, in our feveral places and stations. "Let us caft all our care upon him, for he careth for us."

Nay, fhould he at any time feem to withdraw his favour and the light of his countenance from us: fhould he "bring us into the pit and the "fnare, and lay trouble upon our loins," fuffer the malice of our enemies, or (which is worfe) the treachery of our friends, to prevail against us; let not this itself deject us or fhake the firm repofe of our minds, but let us ftill exprefs ourselves in the fame refolved manner that Job did under his fevere trials: While I live, will I not remove "mine integrity from me; though he flay me, yet will I trust in him," Job xxvii. 5. Let us even at fuch a time, take up words of holy affurance, with Habakkuk, and fay: "Although the "fig-tree shall not bloffom, neither fhall fruit be

in the vines; the labour of the olive fhall fail, "and the field (hall yield no meat; the flocks "fhall be cut off from the fold, and there fhall "be no herd in the ftalls; yet will I rejoice in the "Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation," Hab. iii. 17, 18.

Could we bring ourselves once to this divine temper of foul, could we work ourselves up into this devout confidence, all the turns and viciffitudes of human affairs, all the ftrokes of ill fortune which we feel or fear, would fit light and eafy upon our minds: In the midft of confufion and troubles, of evils imminent, or already come; of real or fancied dangers; we might be even and ferene: poffeffing our fouls in patience, and the good thing of life with pleasure! and enjoying the prefent moment, without a mixture of fears and difquiets, arifing from near or remote pof fibilities: faying, nay finging as the divine Pfal mit hath taught us, "God is our hope and "ftrength, a very prefent help in time of trouble! "Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be

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moved, and though the hills be carried in the "midft of the fea: though the waters thereof rage "and fwell, and though the mountains shake at "the tempeft of the fame! God is our hope and ftrength, a very prefent help in time of trou"ble."

To whom, even to the God and Father of our life, the wife difpenfer of good and evil, the go vernor of events, and rock of our confidence, together with his only-begotten Son, and everbleffed Spirit, be afcribed all glory and praife, now and for ever!

A SER