therefore, made more acceptable to God. It is in the day of trouble
that we have occasion to say, "Tho he slay me, yet will I trust in
him." And this is well pleasing to God, that we should own Him in the
face of danger; in defiance of sorrow, sickness, pain, or death.

Again: Had there been neither natural nor moral evil in the
world, what must have become of patience, meekness, gentleness,
long-suffering? It is manifest they could have had no being: seeing
all these have evil for their object. If, therefore, evil had never
entered into the world, neither could these have had any place in it.
For who could have returned good for evil, had there been no evil-doer
in the universe? How had it been possible, on that supposition, to
overcome evil with good? Will you say, "But all these graces might
have been divinely infused into the hearts of men?" Undoubtedly they
might: but if they had, there would have been no use or exercise for
them. Whereas in the present state of things we can never long want
occasion to exercise them. And the more they are exercised, the
more all our graces are strengthened and increased. And in the same
proportion as our resignation, our confidence in God, our patience and
fortitude, our meekness, gentleness, and long-suffering, together
with our faith and love of God and man increase, must our happiness
increase, even in the present world.

Yet again: As God's permission of Adam's fall gave all his posterity
a thousand opportunities of suffering, and thereby of exercising all
those passive graces which increase both their holiness and happiness,
so it gives them opportunities of doing good in numberless instances,
of exercising themselves in various good works, which otherwise could
have had no being. And what exertions of benevolence, of compassion,
of godlike mercy, had then been totally prevented! Who could then have