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selves; but, in the use of our best endeavours, may put our firm trust in thee; remembering, that it is not the bread that we eat, but thy blessing with it, that nourisheth us; and that, by violating thy laws, we take ourselves out of thine hands, and forfeit thy protection,

And whatever our knowledge and attainments may be, as they are all thy gift, keep us low and humble in thy sight, as he, our great Master, ever was; that, like him, we may never seek the applause of others, or selfish advantage from them, but to serve and obey thee in doing good to all men, and forwarding thy holy gospel.

Finally, O heavenly Father! moderate our regards for this world, that we may live above it, and independent of it; and that no temptations of ease, or unlawful pleasure, or greatness, may draw us away from our loyalty to thee, and love to thy laws: that always and in all places, in the business of our respective callings, in the necessary relaxations from them, and in all the various circumstances of our lives, we may have an eye to our duty and thy commands; and may thus be found ready, at whatever hour thou shalt

call

call us hence; and in thy good appointed time may join the assembly of just men made perfect, and of Jesus our exalted Lord and Master, and with him dwell before thee for ever!

Now unto Thee, O Father, &c.

May the God of all

November 24, 1782.

grace, c.

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SERMON VI.

1 Cor. xv. 54, 55.

-Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written; "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

THE apostle had just before called the attention of the christians of Corinth, a famous city of Greece, whom he is addressing, to a very extraordinary circumstance concerning the future fate of a great part of mankind never before made known, but which Almighty God had revealed to him; and it was this: That however all men were mortal, and death was common to all, yet all would not be subject to it; but a vast number of the human species would never die; namely, all true believers who should be found alive at the last day; who, we trust, will then be many millions, the greatest part of the inhabitants of the earth; as we have grounds to believe

that

that the gospel will be then the religion of the whole earth; and men be made virtuous and reformed by it, in a much greater degree than has ever yet been experienced. Nevertheless, at that awful period, (as St. Paul proceeds to inform us,) though they were not to die, their mortal frame would undergo a change, to fit them for future happiness, and put them in a state of incorruption, similar to that of the virtuous dead, who would then all be raised to life, and both of them be admitted together to a never-ending felicity. But concerning vicious unholy christians, dead or then living, he is quite silent; speaking only of those who had made due improvement of their great advantages. (ver. 51, &c.) These are his words:-"Behold, I declare to you a mystery; We shall not all sleep the sleep of death; but, we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last sounding of the trumpet (for a trumpet shall sound); and both those who are dead shall be raised, and we (or whoever may chance then to be alive,) shall be changed, have the same glorious immortal constitution bestowed upon us. "For this corruptible frame must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

So

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