upon, and our Continuance in the Poffeffion of them is at best so short, and always fo uncertain, that a very fmall Share of real Happinefs would be an abundant amends for the want of them.-But nevertheless some good, but weak Men, have been greatly stagger'd, and the diffolute and profane have often triumphed, at the Succefs which they have seen attend the worst Designs of fome of the worst of Men, and at the diftreffed and fuffering State of Men of true Religion and Virtue. -Infomuch that the former have been led to doubt of the Juftice of fuch Difpenfations, and the latter impiously to arraign or deny the Divine Attributes, and to endeavour to banish the Belief of God's Providence out of the World.-Whereas the Weakness of the one, and the Wickedness of the other, may be fufficiently manifeft from this fingle Reflection, that the Ground of thefe Doubts, and the Strength of these Accufations, wholly rests upon this Suppofition, that the whole Exiftence of Man is confined to the narrow Limits of this Life, and that this World is the only Scene in which God will have any Regard to him. In that Cafe indeed the Objections are ftrong and staggering, and, for aught appears from prefent Observation, are in some Inftances unanswerable; and the whole Deceit and Fallacy lyes in that Suppofition.-St. Paul allows it to be true of the Chriftians in his Time, that if in this Life only they had Hope in Chrift,

they

they were of all the Men of their Age the most miferable.-But what if there be another?What if there be another State, in Comparison of which the prefent one is, in refpect both of Duration and Happiness, as nothing?—When prefent momentary Sufferings fhall be fucceeded by endless Happiness, and present Patience and Contentment by eternal Glory, what then will become of fo heavy and bold a Charge? -Our Afflictions will then appear to have been our greatest Bleffings; our Sufferings in the Cause of Religion will be Matter of endlefs Comfort; and not the Juftice only, but the Mercy of our God, will then shine forth out of our feverest Trials.-It is indeed as abfurd as it is impious, to apprehend that the Great Creator and Governor of the Universe is obliged to explain at present to our Capacities every fingle Part of his Difpenfations with us; it is furely fufficient to all the Purposes of right Reason, as well as Religion, that he will appear infinitely juft, and good, and merciful, upon the whole of them.-It is fufficient to answer the Demands of the ftrictest Justice, that no Iniquity shall escape unpunished; and that no Man be finally miserable without his own Fault and Concurrence.-And it is more than fufficient to answer the Purposes of any Goodness less than infinite, that momentary and juft Sufferings fhall be rewarded with never-fading Enjoyments; and that they who live a few Years in the true Faith and Fear of

God,

God, fhall live for ever, and be eternally happy in the bleffed Manfions of his Saints.-And who art thou then, O vain Man, who dareft open thy Mouth against God?--Who art thou that dareft to call in Question his Attributes, or Providence, on account of any Difficulties concerning the prefent State of things, or any feeming Inequalities whatfoever?-All fuch Injuftice, Rafhnefs, and Prefumption, is built on these vain Suppofitions, that the prefent is the only Time we have or fhall have; and that we are already fufficiently acquainted with all God's Difpenfations with us to form a right Judgment of them.-Whereas, if we would remember that there is yet to come another State, wherein all these feeming Inequalities will be adjusted, and all the rough Ways of Providence will be made plain; this would teach us to be more obedient and fubmiffive to God, and more humble and contented in our felves.-It would make us tremble at the Thoughts of appearing in his Prefence loaded with Guilt and Impiety, and it would fhew us the Truth of the

IVth and laft Obfervation from the Text, namely, That it is therefore every wife Man's Bufinefs frequently to take a View of his whole Existence in all its Parts; and not, to confider and provide for one part only, and neglect the reft; but fo to demean himself, as will beft fuit with his general Wants and Neceffities,

and fo as will turn moft to his Advantage and Happiness on the whole Account. It is his Duty, and it is his Intereft, to confider what he thall be, as well as what he is.-If the rich Man in the Parable had had no future Account to give, he never had condemned himself for being wholly intent on his present empty Enjoyments, for thinking of little else than wearing his Purple, and faring fumptuously every Day.-Or, if the diftreffed and afflicted Beggar had been without any Profpect of faring better in another Life, his Patience and Submiffion had been a contemptible Meannefs and Narrownefs of Spirit, if by any Art or Power he could have poffeffed himself of the Palace, and revenged the Infolence of the haughty Poffeffor. But the Expectation of the Comforts of Abraham's Bosom, and the Danger of inexpreffible and endless Torments, made the Refignation of the one Wisdom, and the Luxury and Pride of the other Folly.-For what Equality is there between Emptiness and Perfection? What Proportion between Time and Eternity? -The Horrors of perpetual Darkness and Defolation are furely too dear a Purchase for all that an empty Pomp and tranfient Power can give; whilft the Enjoyments of the beatifick Vifion are too great, too lasting, not to merit the Discipline of the ftricteft Virtues, and the Labours of a continual Application.- For, as the Son of God himself teaches us to argue, what true Profit VOL. II.

can

can there be to the Man, who should gain the whole World, and lofe his own Soul? And what lafting Advantage, what real Profit is there not to him, who by any Rigours, any Denials, or any Sufferings, fhall, through the efficacious Blood and Death of his Redeemer, fave it ?-It is then the Bufinefs of the prefent Time to provide wifely and effectually for the future; to confider early, e'er it be yet too late, that we may be comforted, or may be tormented; to over-balance the Incitements of Paffion and Defire, with Reflections on the fure and approaching Confequences of the Grave, and great Tribunal; and through the Grace and Affiftance of God the Holy Ghoft, to encourage ourselves to a steady Conflict with Infidelity, Sin, and Satan, under the feverest Trials even of Want or Perfecution, by early Anticipations of future Glory, and the most enlivening Profpect of the Transports of the Saints in Light.

If Prudence and Forefight are infeparable from the wife Man's Character, that Vigilance and that Care can furely never be fo well imployed, as in avoiding thofe Miferies which no Tongue can exprefs; and in obtaining thofe good and invaluable Things, which it cannot enter into the Heart of Man to conceive. -We have the Experience of the most diffolute and abandoned, as well as the Dictates of the wifeft among Men, to fhew us that the Pleafures of Vice have their Decays and their