turned to the ark, when it found no footing; and when the trees appeared above the waves, the very dove forfook it. But for a further proof, I appeal to every man's conscience. Were you ever more perfuaded, that life has nothing eftimable but its fhortnefs, than when you groaned under the pangs of a painful difeafe? Did you ever fee a more lively prospect of the world's treachery and vanity, than when difappointment balk'd your pretenfions? Did not your criminal amours expire together with your profperity? And was not repentance almost of the fame date with adverfity? Yes, yes! grief and joy feldom lodge in the fame breaft; when our heart akes, we are not at leifure to procure diverfion for the body. Tell me not, that if afflictions draw fome people to God, they fright as often others from him; that they are attended by curfes, as well as by thankfgivings; and if they place fome in heaven, they throw others into hell. What can be concluded from this, but that fome people will damn themselves, in fpite of God's fatherly endeavours to fave them? When a patient refuses the doctor's Recipe, if the diftemper grows upon him, he must accufe (not the remedy) but his own folly. I pretend not, that all thofe are mark'd out for comfort in the next world, who groan in this. Too many step out of a temporal hell into an eternal one. But the fault is their own; because by their clamours and impatience they defeat God's defigns, and turn the faving potion, he prepares, into deadly poison. Tho' indeed afflictions may be feasonable to finners (fay fome) yet these are not the only fufferers ; we fee oftentimes the hand of God fall heavy on thofe, who take no ftep but towards heaven, who never think of the world but to contemn it, nor of God, but to love him; yet their innocence is no protection protection against perfecutions; nay, whereas the finner is only lafh'd with whips, the faint is torn with fcorpions. It is true; but the most innocent may become guilty; they may fly from God'as far as hell is remote from heaven. Is it then a piece of cruelty in God, to endeavour to make them happy, by almoft obliging them to remain innocent? And can any man deny, that these means are proper to keep them to their duty, that are fufficient to recall even the obdurate finner? It is certainly an office no less kind, to prevent my falling, than to raise me upon my legs, when down, But tho' without afflictions he had ftood to his duty, at least he magnifies his merit, by bearing them with the courage and refignation of a Chriftian. So that the faint has no more reafon to complain of hard ufage than the finner; but rather to kifs God's hand when he ftrikes, as well as when he careffes him. Let us therefore fubmit with an entire refignation to the orders of providence, and receive from his hand afflictions without murmur, and profperity without pride. Both lead to heaven; profperity indeed is the smoother way, but adversity the more fecure. O adorable Providence! I caft myself into thy arms, and abandon my concerns to thy conduct. Thou art too wife to mifguide me, and too good to deceive me. And when I follow fo powerful, fo loving a Leader, what can I expect, but fecurity here, and happiness hereafter? EPISTLE EPISTLE to the Coloffians, Chap. iii. Verfe 12. Put on therefore (as the elect of God, holy and beloved) bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-fuffering. 13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man bave a quarrel against any : even as Chrift forgave you, fo alfo do ye. 14. And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which alfo ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful. 16. Let the word of Chrift dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in pfalms, and hymns, and spiritual fongs, finging with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17. And whatfoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus, giving thanks to God, and the Father by him. Sh The MORAL REFLECTION. AINT Paul puts the Coloffians in mind of the grace received in baptifm, and uses this fpiritual refurrection, as a motive to animate them to a holy contempt of this world, and a love of the other: If ye be rifen with Chrift, feek thofe things that are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right hand of God, ver. 1. If you are raised from the death of fin to the life of grace, from the flavery of the devil to the liberty of the children of the most high; let your defires bear proportion to your ftate, and all your actions aim at the purchase of heaven, where Chrift fits at the right hand of God, ready to affift your endeavours, and to crown your virtues. Nor Nor does he stop at an exhortation in general; but lays before them a particular fcheme of their duty and practice; Put on therefore, as the elect of God, boly and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humblenefs of mind, meekness, long-fuffering. Put on the livery of Jefus Chrift, and convince the world you profefs the religion he revealed, by exercifing all thofe virtues he recommended. In a word, level all your thoughts at heaven, and let all your actions aim at his honour; Whatfoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him, ver. 17. I will not ftop at the former words, because I have already fpoke of fome, and fhall have often occafion to explain the other at prefent I intend to spend fome reflections on the latter, which contain a doctrine little known, and lefs regarded, by the greateft part of mankind. Every man labours in his ftation, either to raise his fortune, or to preferve it; to fly pain, or procure pleafure. Some drudge from the cradle to the coffin, to fence against poverty, and to ftave off neceffity they work themfelves down in the day, and fleep out their fatigues in the night. But because they spend their fweat and fpirits in the purfuit of temporal things, without any relation to God, they earry off generally difappointment here, and will receive no recompence hereafter; and fo may cry out, as the apostles did 'upon another occafion, We have toil'd all night, and have taken nothing. We have wearied ourselves with toil and follicitude; yet have reaped no other fruit, but the fad remembrance, that with the fame pains we might have gained heaven, and now we have fold our lives for a paft pleasure, and a future repentance. It is certain God will never reward thofe actions we do not for his fake, that is, to honour and glorify his holy name. Now let us caft up the precious moments K that that compose our lives, and we shall fee how unadvisedly we throw thofe jewels on the dunghill to fwine, and spend on trifles the time that might have purchased a happy eternity. How much have we debauch'd away? How much have we flept away? How much have we play'd away? How much have we fauntered away, on things either filly or purely natural, that will never be put to our credit in the next world? And when all this is fubftracted from our lives, how many moments fhall we find husbanded to advantage, viz. confecrated to virtue? I will therefore prefcribe a fhort method, which (if practifed) will lead us the nearest way to christian perfection, and teach us the fecret (hitherto unknown) of changing drofs into gold, the most ordinary and inconfiderable actions of our lives into fupernatural virtues. This St. Paul glances at in these words; Whatsoever you do in word or deed, do it in the name, that is, in honour of our Lord Jefus Chrift. It is certain, that a great part of human actions are indifferent; which is to fay, if they deserve no punishment on the one hand, they deserve no reward on the other. The intention, with which they are done, ftamps on them either fin or virtue. If they are directed to an unlawful end, they are evil; if to the glory of God, good. The Theban Crates divefted himself of all his wealth, no less than the apostles; and yet he was as far removed from the virtue of poverty, fo much recommended by our bleffed Saviour, as from the worship of the true God. A thousand poor wretches have no other eftates, than the charity of the faithful; no other houfes, than the open canopy of heaven; no fofter beds, than the hardest ftones, and oftentimes not a fig-leaf to cover their nakednefs; and yet, tho' they fuffer the extremity of poverty, they are ignorant of the virtue. The nakednefs of their fouls fur paffes |