SERM. II. the Way from low Fortune to Greatness, is up a steep and craggy Hill: To climb up it by a ftrait and direct Afcent, is almost impracticable: To reach the Summit of it, or even to rise to any Eminence, he must generally fall into crooked and indirect Paths, which have several artful Turns andWindings.

It is eafy for him who has a Sufficiency of Fortune, and well-regulated Paffions, to look upon a barren Superfluity of Wealth, without cafting a wifhful Look, or a paffionate Side-Glance towards it; to fit loofe and indifferent to the World in one Sense, viz. To have no felfifh and indirect Views; and yet in another Sense to be a great Lover of it, by affectionately wishing, and vigoroufly promoting, the general Good of it. The great Difficulty is, to act and think in fome Measure above the World, while Poverty exposes us to the Neglect and Contempt of it; to fcorn to build our Fortunes on the Ruins of our Probity; to despise the little Injuries we receive, and to pity the little Men that do them; little I mean in themselves, and in the Eye of Reason; though they may be very great in the Eye of the World, and perhaps much greater their own Eyes.

in

How

How despicable therefore are thofe, who, SERM. II.

though flowing in Plenty, have loft a good Name, merely to gain a fine Title; have facrificed the true Greatness of the Mind, for the Outfide of Greatnefs, fome external Mark of Diftinction; and have ceafed to be honourable, that they might be ftiled fo? How truly esteemable those, who have proved their Love of Virtue and Truth to be ftronger than Death, by foregoing the Blandishments of Life, and encountring the Terrors of Death for the Sake of them?

Such were the primitive Martyrs, Men of whom this World was not worthy, and therefore worthy of a better. Such was (a Name above all Names) our bleffed Saviour, who left us an Example of Suffering, that we might follow his Steps.

Had he appeared with all the Littlenefs of Greatness and Power, with which the Jews inveft their Meffiah; had he affumed. a temporal Kingdom; had he bound Kings in Chains, and Nobles in Links of Iron; his Example would have been of little or no Use; or at least only to those who move in an higher Orb: Not to mention, how inconfiftent fuch a Pattern would have been with a Religion, which teaches us to wean VOL. II.

E

our

SERM. II.

our Affections from earthly Things. But by fubmitting to a lower Scene of Action, by taking upon him the Form of a Servant, by being content to be ennobled by himself, which is the trueft Ennoblement; his Example is of more univerfal Influence. This gave him an Opportunity to exemplify feveral Virtues, which the Bulk of Mankind. has every Day Occafion to practise: Such as Humility, Patience, Refignation to God, and Contentedness in the loweft Station. Father, faith he, juft before his Crucifixion, if it be poffible, remove this Cup from me; nevertheless, not my Will, but thine be done. And just before his Death he cries out, Father, Forgive them; for they know not what they do. And again, Father, into thy Hands I commend my Spirit. Here are no unnatural Rants, no undistinguishing Glare of Eloquence, no high-flown Expreffions, fuch as the Pride of Philosophy has dictated to it's Votaries: The Thoughts are great without being extravagant; easy without being low and groveling. As a Man, he wishes, if it were poffible, the Removal of his Calamities; as a good and great Man, he refigns himself without Referve to the Will of his Creator.

3

He

affects

affects no Infenfibility of Pain; he fpeaks SERM. II. the genuine Language of human Nature, but of human Nature greatly ftrengthened by Grace and Reafon, which may graft upon and improve, but never deftroy Na

ture.

And indeed, through the whole Tenor of our Saviour's Life, there was nothing fhewy or oftentatious; nothing, that was fitter to dazzle the Eyes of the Beholders, than to guide their Feet in the Way of Peace. The focial as well as folitary Virtues fhone with gentle, yet with fprightly Beams. Piety fat gracefully upon him, with an easy Greatness, with a fober Majefty, and without any frightening and forbidding Appear

ances.

3dly, Adverfity is of Service to difengage our Minds from earthly Purfuits, and to fix our Thoughts, where true Joys are to be found.

God, fays Solomon, has fet the Days of Adverfity over against those of Prosperity, that a Man fhould find nothing after Him, viz. after God to complain of, or to order for the better. The Meaning is, God hath fo balanced and mixed Adverfity and Profperity together; that a Man upon a Re

SERM. II. view of the Whole, upon a full and impar

tial Eftimate of Things, fhould have no juft Grounds to arraign the Conduct of Providence; but fhall find he has had more good Fortune than he deserved, and as much as was beneficial to him; and no more ill Fortune than was neceffary to correct his Faults, moderate his Affections, and exercife his Virtues.

Accordingly, we have Inftances of those, who living in a pompous Worthleffness, and thinking at that Time that to morrow would be as to day, and more abundant, would, in all Probability, have been utterly undone for ever; if they had not been almost undone here by fome fignal Calamity. A Reverse of Fortune has forced them upon a Courfe of Life and Train of Thinking, which they would scarce have fallen into of themselves. Being obliged to retire from the great World, they have, in Process of Time, regretted nothing fo much, as that they did not retire fooner, to think ftrongly, apprehend clearly, and reafon justly; to penetrate deeply to the Bottom of Things, and to look far to the End of them. And when the Retrospect upon the past has afforded them no Comfort, they have open

ed