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whole of the Matter is, that thofe Gains are only fome fmall Acquifitions, that cannot give Peace to the reasonable Soul, and muft foon be left behind. And as to any Enjoyment which this Wifdom obtains for it's Followers, what is it?" Not a longer Life: "" bevery often a fhorter," as one fays, "ing cut off by their own Folly in the "midft of their Days. Not a healthier Bo

dy:" But generally" a more infirm one, "made fo by their own debauched and

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"intemperate Living. Not a more fatisfi"ed Mind: But, on the contrary, a Mind very uneafy for the most part, and full of

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Perplexity." In fhort, the Fruits of this Wisdom are really no more than "the bare "Perverfness, Nothing but the mere Irregularity of those very Pleasures which real"ly and in truth are much" greater “Plea"fures when accompanied with Innocence."

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Dr. Clarke Vol. vii. P. 75-76.

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Man, let it never be forgotten, Man hath in this World no long Duration. This I fay, Brethren, to ufe thofe admirable Words of St. Paul, (1. Cor. vii. 29-31.) this I fay, that the Time is short: It remaineth that they that weep be, as though they wept, not, and they who rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they poffeffed not; and they that use this World, as not abufing it; for the Fashion of this World paffeth away. For, in truth, whatever prefent Advantages you poffefs, how great, how profperous, how refpected foever you are to-day, yet, if you must shortly die, all this is but the Pomp of an Hour, a theatrical Grandeur that ends with the Play, and returns you to the Duft again, out of which you were originally taken.

But, when we gather Wisdom from the Shortness of human Life, let us learn a Leffon alfo from it's Uncertainty; that is, the Neceffity of working the Works of him that

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fent us into the World, while it is Day. If we would not have God reject us, we must though in a much inferior Degree, yet however in fome Degree, and proportionably to our imperfect Powers, we must be able to fay, as the bleffed Jefus did, Father, I have glorified thee on the Earth; I have finished the Work which thou gavest me to do. In the Condition of Life in which God hath placed him, every Man may know how far this Obligation extends; namely, to be fober and temperate, to do Justice, and love Mercy, and walk bumbly with God. And what a Comfort will it be, in that dark and gloomy Time when you are walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, to have this Tefti

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mony of your Confcience, that you have fulfilled the Will of God? But in order to this let me once more remind you, that we must be good Husbands of our Time; not adjourn ing till the Morrow what may as well if not better be done To-Day; pun&tually dif charging the whole of our Chriftian Duty, and doing Good in the Manner St. Paul di-.

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rects, us, whilst we have Opportunity, while we are mercifully fpared, and God allows us Health and Time to do it.

Some, it is to be feared, fome there will be after all, whom no Advice can influence, whom no Danger will alarm, no Arguments perfuade to be in earnest, and seriously to feek, what all at laft will earnestly with to find, the Favour and Acceptance of God. There are infatuated People in the World, the Slaves of Paffion and the Servants of Sin, that neglect to number their Days, and who defpife the Wisdom, which the Shortnefs and Uncertainty of Life ought to teach them. What can work upon thoughtless, ftupid Minds, or perfuade Men that are grown giddy with Pleafures which the God of their Lives hath forbidden? Unhappy Creatures, who have Reafon to no Purpose, and for whom Chrift died in vain! Shall I tell you once more, that you know not when the Time is ;---that all are not favoured with Warnings of approaching Diffolution,

VOL. II.

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and that it is as reasonable to prefume upon

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the longest Life as the Arrival of fuch Warnings? Shall I beg you to confider, in what Way many depart hence and are no more feen; -3-how fome are hurried away by violent Distempers that extinguish the Light of Reason, how others are dispatched by Accidents which destroy in an Inftant; and how others fall by various kinds of fudden Death, which unexpectedly commits the Body. to the Ground, and fends the immortal Soul into the World of Spirits? But if these awful Truths have no Influence on thofe, in whom an evil Heart of Unbelief prevails, and who are hardened through the Deceitfulness of Sin, let us however learn this Wisdom from numbering our Days, from confidering how many have perished in the Paths of Wickedness at a Time, perhaps, when they be gan to be fenfible what Way they were in, and were poffibly intending to forfake it,--let us learn this Wisdom---to live in constant Preparation, and to wait in a patient Continuance in well-doing all the Days of our apI pointed

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