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foolish Ifraelites, fhould any repine at the delicacies of Egypt left behind? Or, what to us is much the fame, at the past pleasures of youth; which call more rationally for our repentance, than even for a wish to repeat them? Why murmur at the dreariness of the defert, those cares and troubles of maturer age, which make a neceffary part of our journey through the wilderness of life?—Or why be disheartened on account of imaginary giants on the borders of the country, the infirmities, pain and fickness, that attend the clofe of our days, and bring us down to the grave, through the gates of which we shall fo quickly be conveyed to the manfions of immortality and blifs? Nothing, in short, but an unshaken trust in what God has been pleased to reveal, is a principle fufficient to overcome a world fo full of doubtful appearances as this, wherein we are converfant. But faith in the promises of God over

cometh

cometh the world. This it was that recommended Abraham to those illuftrious titles, the Friend of God, and Father of the Faithful; that against hope he believed in hope, as the Apoftle speaks; thoroughly perfuaded that what God had promised, how incomprehenfible foever, He was able alfo to perform.And we too, who are the Sons of Abraham, and heirs of his faith, are not without the greatest encouragement to hold fast our integrity, in oppofition to every temptation, and fpecious appearance; because affured by the fame word of promife, that the effect of righteousness, fooner or later, fhall be peace. Which was the fecond leffon of useful confideration proposed from the text.

2. Notwithstanding then the prefent life is certainly not a state of

recompence,

but of probation only; and though the vifible course of things may seem to run

in favour of dishonesty and irreligion; , yet is it by no means to be imagined, that God can at any time difregard the persons of just and pious men, or abandon the cause of virtue even in this world. What presents itself to our view is barely the furface and outfide of things; and from this it is that we are apt to form our judgment of happiness and unhappiness. But upon a clofer inspection, we shall foon difcover that wicked men are not those happy persons which they themselves pretend, and others oftentimes fuppofe them to be. There is ever an allay of bitterness incorporated with their sweetest pleasures; fome fecret moth that frets and corrodes their most valuable acquifitions. The spirit within them is wounded; they live at variance with their own reafon; horribly afraid of dying, and trembling at the apprehenfion of what is to come after.

In the mean while, it is readily acknowledged, that neither the best difpofition, nor the most upright conduct, can fecure any from ordinary troubles, publick calamities, or even the injurious treatment of malicious and uncharitable men. The righteous in this mixed state must have their share in affliction; and it is better for them that they should: Since they are happily disciplined thereby unto jufter fentiments of things; are trained up to an acquiefcence in the dispensations of Providence, and resignation to the divine will; a virtuous contempt for the finful allurements of this world, and a fteady faith in the unknown happiness of the next. Hence a spring of comfort from within themselves infinitely more defirable than the most flattering profperity of evil doers: A confcience void of offence towards God and towards Man; that continual feaft of the foul, never cloying, always fatisfying.

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It is moreover an ineftimable fource of tranquillity and confolation under the worst outward circumftances, what we learn from the gofpel, that the divine Spirit is on fuch occafions efpecially ready to fhed his friendly influence upon good and pious minds; filently fupporting, refreshing, ftrengthening them; and withal interceding for them at the throne of Grace, (as St. Paul most pathetically expreffes it) with groanings that cannot be uttered.

But the advantages of this inward peace, which is a general attendant on an innocent and religious life, are then moft difcernible and of greatest moment, at the last; at the approach of Death; that King of Terrors, as it is commonly and defervedly called; being the thing to which of all others we have the strongest averfion. At what time the body is racked with pain, the animal fpirits

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