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without corruption, difhonour, weakness,-for the body of meanness shall be like to his glorious body, and fhall be raised in incorruption, in glory, in power, a fpiritual body. We shall be like him loving and beloved; loving all the bleffed inhabitants, and beloved by them; loving fupremely our Father, our friend, our portion, our GoD: for ever and ever in his prefence, and experiencing the light of his countenance and communications of his love.

IN the third place, our knowledge of the government of GOD will be more perfect and blissful in the future world than in the prefent, as the maturity of life exceeds the imperfection of infancy. In the government of the world, in the lives and hiftories of particular perfons, in the dispensations of providence to the nations of the world, to the Jewish nation, and more especially to the church, there are many striking displays of the divine nature and will, and purpofes. Terrible, indeed, are the diseases, the storms, the torrents, the deluges, the conflagrations, the thunders, the earthquakes, the famines, the pestilences, the wars that have been per

mitted to defolate the earth. These awful judgments, however, bear no proportion to the health and fruitful feafons, the tranquillity, the fafety, the bleffings, in a word, we enjoy. Revelation alfo informs us of a plan of favour, and of restoration to perfection and felicity. In the early and various intimations of this grace of GoD to man, we perceive the manifold wifdom of God. We behold the glory of the LORD, in the face of JESUS CHRIST: in the Gofpel, we perceive that God is holy, is just, is gracious, is faithful. Nevertheless, in confidering the ways of GOD, in musing on particular dispensations of providence, we are often tempted to fay, Why is it thus! "O LORD how long! Righteous art thou when we plead with "thee concerning thy judgments: why does "the way of the wicked profper, why are

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they all happy that deal very treacher

oufly?" How is it confistent with a moral government that finners are not "plagued "like other men; and that waters of a full cup are the portion of the pious? Hath "the LORD forgotten to be gracious, hath he in anger fhut up his tender mercies, "fails his grace evermore? His path is in

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"the dark waters, his footsteps cannot be "traced."

By checking impatience, by waiting on GOD in his ways, by poffeffing our fouls in patience, we fometimes difcover the end of the LORD, or object of his difpenfations; and with admiring gratitude find, that the events which once appeared ftumbling and perplexing were fitly chofen, and were beft fuited to forward the divine purposes, and to manifest his glory. To examples of this kind in facred Scripture, I confine your attention at prefent. Think of the trials and fufferings of the patriarch Jofeph in early life; the envy and jealousy that perfecuted David: the afflicting scenes through which Mofes and Daniel paffed. Under their deep diftreffes, they, no doubt, experienced much trouble of heart: but we know the end of the LORD: by their trials and fufferings, providence prepared them for the high stations to which they were deftined, and the important offices they performed. But, in a more illuftrious manner, is the manifold wisdom of GOD display. ed in the humiliation of the Son of God. Their hearts were troubled who faw him "despised

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defpifed and rejected of men, a man of for"rows and acquainted with grief," who was approved and honoured of God, who always did the things that pleafed the Father: their hearts were overwhelmed with perplexity and aftonishment, to hear him fpeak of being betrayed, delivered up to his enemies, of being crucified. The beloved of GOD is arraigned, is condemned, dies; expires on a cross; a death the most ignominious and painful, the accurfed death!-but, " thus it behoved the "CHRIST of GOD to fuffer:" by his obedience unto death, the glory of God's government is manifefted, the falvation of man is from fecured. From weakness arifes power; reproach honour; from fufferings and overwhelming forrow, peace, comfort, exultation and everlasting happiness. "This is the doing of the LORD."

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MANY, nevertheless, are the perplexities we feel; many are the difficulties we cannot folve; multitudes of thoughts distract us, and occafion mifgivings of heart, on various occafions;-but, bleffed be GoD, we are taught to look forward to a better world; we are relieved and foothed, and comforted, by him

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ception of the delight of the period of full revelation, of the ways of GOD completely vindicated, and his glory manifested, is form ed by age explaining clearly what was incomprehenfible to youth; by fcience unfolding her mysteries to ignorance; by the inextricable labyrinth of confufion discovered to be regular, beautiful and useful; and by admiration of skill fucceeding to the carelessness of ignorance, or the forward condemnations. of ftupid prefumption.

LET us, also, rejoice in remembering how fuperior fhall be the manner, both of attaining and of communicating the knowledge of thefe fublimeft, most interesting, and most blissful objects, in that better world. Our eagerness to acquire knowledge is natural, is generous: we are juftified in all our study and exertions for acquiring, improving and retaining information and wisdom: we well know that all are not placed in equally favourable circumstances: want of docility in fome, want of proper inftruction in others, explain the small progrefs of learning, the inferior degrees

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