some awakening judgment; and that man, who uses this feafon of ferious reflexion for the purpose of examining into his paft life and converfation, bewailing his tranfgreffions, and refolving to begin and purfue a better course for the remainder of his life, will amply find his account in it. He will either find his evils removed in GoD's good time, or will bear them with patience. as a judgment greatly inferior to his deferts. For the wages of fin, which GOD thus corrects in him, is much greater than any thing he can suffer in life the wages of unreproved and unrepented fin is eternal death.

THERE are, in particular, fome evils, which are the neceffary confequences of vicious courses; and a removal of these no wife man can well expect of GOD, as governing the world by certain general stated methods, which he cannot alter upon every little exigency of individuals. Sobriety is the natural

I 2

means

1

means of health, and industry of a comfortable fubfiftence. Where, therefore, poverty is the effect of extravagance, difeafes the effect of riot, and ill fuccefs the effect of temerity and profufion; these things indeed muft be looked upon as GOD's vifitations (for it was he, who eftablished this connexion between wickedness and misery) but they cannot be expected to be removed by an extraordinary interpofition of Providence. * Where they are remediable, our own endeavours muft co-operate with his bleffing; where they are not, they must be submitted to, as the fatal effects of our own misconduct -to continue for life; but not beyond

* Poscis opem nervis, corpufq; fidele feneétæ:
Efto, age: fed grandes patine, tucetaq; craffa
Annuere his fuperos vetuere, Jovemq; morantur.
Rem ftruere exoptas cæfo bove, Mercuriumque
Arceffis fibrâ: da fortunare penates,

Da pecus, et gregibus fætum-quo, peffime, pacto,
Tot tibi cum in flammis junicum omenta liquefcant?

PERS.

it,

it, upon our true repentance and fincere humiliation.

I PROCEED HOW to a second purpose of affliction. It tends to awaken the

thoughtless, to confirm the weak, and to call them to a proper confideration of their purpose in the world.

MANY, who are not remarkably wicked, may be, however, too much pleafed, too much tranfported with their prefent fituation. Indeed a fenfe and relish of the bleffings we enjoy, is the foundation of the gratitude and adoration, we owe to the Divine Being: but, fome how, a conftant uninterrupted feries of profperity, has a contrary effect. It foftens and enervates the mind, and cools the more generous affections. Bafking in the comfortable warmth and influence of eafy circumftances, we think it good to be here; we want no better country; we look for no higher inheritance. But adversity reminds us of our imperfect ftate, and I 3 obliges

obliges us to feek thofe comforts in another, which we find not here.

Ir is certain, we are more fenfible of bleffings under the abfence of them, than in the fullness and fatiety of enjoyment. We best know the value of health, under the pangs of a fevere diforder; we know the pleasure of liberty under the folitude and rigour of confinement. The stated returns and viciffitudes of the seasons we confider, upon account of their regularity, as things of course; rejoicing in their influence with a fupine thoughtless fort of complacency, we hardly think of the being, who ap pointed them for the benefit of man. But, when a change comes, and the earth denies her fruits and the fun withdraws his heat; then, ftruck with the novelty, we begin to reflect, and fee the reason of acknowledging our own impotence, and looking upwards for affiftance and relief. It is thus, in general, with afflictions. We begin not

fully

fully to know ourselves, till neceffity puts us upon the disagreeable task. Worldly bleffings are not fo thoroughly confidered as the gift of GOD, till he has convinced us, by the removal of them, that he is the fovereign arbiter and difpofer of human fortunes. Even felf-love is of fervice to us in pointing out this conclufion; for when we fee others unfortunate, we confider imprudence, diffipation, and the like, as causes of their miscarriage; but perfonal affliction brings the conclufion home to our own felves, and forces us to acknowledge a first cause in all these things.

WHETHER we confider it or not, we are all travelling on towards the grave, the common end of all the living. There a new and unalterable scene opens. They that have done good go into everlasting life; they that have done evil into everlafting punishment. - Pray now, confult yourself; when do you think most of these things, in the ferious thoughtful I 4

hour