SERM. kind. Why is that Man unhappy, whom X. you fee bleft with a plentiful Estate? For

want of more? No; for when he has it, he is still the fame unhappy Man, as before; and it is obfervable they generally complain moft, who have the least Reason for it: It is not then for want of a greater Fortune, but a better Mind, which must be corrected, or elfe the Evils will be as many and great, as à corrupt Imagination is able to make them.

But Secondly, If these things, which happen to us in this Life, be what we cannot help, to murmur and complain will be found, after a little Confideration, to be as foolish and unreasonable, as it is in the former Cafe, about things we can help. Indeed it may be, objected by fome, that this is the very Reafon for complaining; what we can help they eafily allow there is no reason to complain of, because the Remedy is at hand, and in our Power; but when a thing grows remedilefs, and not to be avoided, that is the very Reason why we are uneafy: We are not uneafy, fay they, because it can, but because it can

not

X.

not be help'd. How plaufible foever this SERM. may appear, yet is it entirely false, even upon a Footing of Nature. For, First, it is the way to make a bad Matter worse, and to run into the fame Snare we would feem to avoid. Things will go on in the fame Course, whether we are in Humour, or out of Humour; and therefore fince Complaints won't alter the Nature of Things, it is unreasonable to make them: For this is making two Troubles where there was but one; and the thing will remain the fame, altogether as remedilefs, as it was before. Befides, this murmuring Tem

per will be just what it is, whether we can help these things or no: If it be a Vice, nothing in the World can justify it, or make it otherwife than it is. But it is unreafonable, Secondly, because it implies that we have Injuftice done us: Now, befides the Vanity of thinking fo well of ourfelves, and fo ill of the rest of the World, this is setting up ourselves, who are Parties, and that the worst Part of ourfelves too, as Judges in this Cafe; which very abfurd and ridiculous.

is

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 Reafonableness alone of the thing is not fufficient to fupport 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 uneasy about what immediately affects us, but whether it be not a Folly to be uneafy about what does not affect us at all. I am not talking of real Troubles, but of fuch as have no Ground nor Foundation. For 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

X.

Providence is to fhew, that we don't con- SEMR. fider wifely concerning this, even upon the 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 present: Now the way to make a wife Observation 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 Premifes may be. No; a Wife Man would put the Argument thus, The Times are bad, and always were fo; and therefore

A

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 Institution: 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 Deftroyer. 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

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