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happiness, be neglected, and all my care and pains laid out on my body, on what was earth fo lately, and must so speedily be earth again!

Are there certain difpofitions which prepare us for, and which, by being perfected, probably conftitute the happiness of another life; and may we hope to obtain it, when our purfuits contributed to fupprefs thefe difpofitions, or when we are wholly regardless of cultivating them?

Whatever I hope for in a future abode, I ought to think the reward of fomething here done by me; and when the time for action here is so short, even in its longest continuance-when likewife our opportunities are fo few, and fo irrecoverably loft, we must conclude it most fitting, in order to the fuccefs of our hopes, to embrace the opportunity before us; not to neglect it from a prefumption of finding others which perhaps may never come, or, if they do come, may be lefs favourable to us than the prefent; but to derive from this every advantage it is capable of yielding us.

Further, if according to the greater or lefs ufe of which we make ourselves to our fellow-creatures, we more or lefs anfwer the end of our creation, we must conceive this to be a point, our special regard to which will be the neceffary confequence of the views we have beyond the grave. The blifs we then promife ourselves cannot be thought a likelier reward of any practice, than of that which aims at the most extenfive good; nor can one of common fenfe think fuch happiness likely to be our portion, after a life fpent as unprofitably, as that of thofe creatures, the whole of whofe fatisfactions we all confine to those they at prefent enjoy to their prefent exiftence, Hence our hopes after death will be perpetually urging us to what we can do moft for the good of mankind, and must be a motive to it of the greatest weight.

Thus, likewife, when I contemplate a more defireable ftate of being, than what I am now granted, awaiting me at my departure hence; as it is impoffible that I should not at the fame time take into my confideration, to whom I must owe this blefling, from whom it can be received; I must hereby be neceffarily led to a great defire of pleafing him from whom it is to come, and therefore to all fuch application to him, and acknowledgment of his Excellencies, as can be fuppofed due from and required of me,

To all the feveral tasks I have mentioned, we are thus particularly directed by attending to the happiness reserved for us; the confideration of it thus ftrongly enforces their performance.

How far it muft in general contribute to the beft employment of our time, the following obfervations may, I hope, fully con

vince us.

If we furvey the things, on the value of which we are univerfally agreed, we shall perceive few, if any, of them obtained or fecured without more or less care on our part, and fome of them only the recompence of our painfulleft endeavour. The long enjoyment of health is in vain expected, if we 'wholly decline the fatigue of exercife, and the uneafinefs of felf-denial. The greatest estate must at length be wafted by him, who will be at no trouble in the management of it, who cannot torment his brains with examining accounts, and regulating the various articles of a large expence. Whofe power is so establifhed that the prefervation of it costs him not much folicitude-many anxious thoughts; and compels him not to mortify himself in numerous inftances? This is the cafe of them whom we efieem the most fortunate of their kind. As to the generality, how difficult do they find the acquifition of the meaneft of these advantages? What years of diligence does it coft them to raife but a moderate fortune? Vaft numbers we find struggling throughout their lives for a bare fupport.

The chief bleffings of life-the goods moft worthy our purfuit, are not only for the most part, but altogether, the fruits of long and unwearied endeavours after them. Where is the very useful art that can be learned without a clofe and tedious application that we can make any tolerable progrefs in, before many of our days are paffed? How much, and what an attentive experience what repeated obfervations, and how exact a reasoning upon them, are neceflary to form us to any degree of wif dom? duly to regulate our paflions-to have them under command-rightly directed, and more or lefs warm proportionably to the influence their object has upon our happinefs, will coft us, as every one is fenfible, a watchfulness and care of fuch continuance, as is fubmitted to by few even of thofe, who best know how far it would be overpaid by the good its purchafe.

If then we pay fo dear for every fatisfaction

faction we now enjoy-if there be nothing defirable on earth but what has its price of labour fet upon it, and what is most defirable comes to us by the most labour; who in his wits can believe that happinefs far exceeding the utmoft in our prefent ftate, will at length be our portion without any folicitude we need be at about it-without any qualifications we have to acquire in order to it-without any pains we are to take after it? Nothing in Paganism or Mabommedijm, nothing in Popery is fo abfurd as this fuppofition.

There is an uniformity in all the proceedings of God. As they are all grounded on an unerring wisdom, they muft tefafy their correfpondence to it, by what they have to each other and fo we find they do in all cafes wherein we can fathom them. We know not, indeed, in what way we are to be made happy in another life; but with what our being fo is connected en what it muft depend, we are fufficiently inftructed, The means of making ourfelves thus happy which are put in our power, plainly teach, that by their use it must be effected. Leffer goods, derived to us only by our care and induftry, demonftrate how we are to fecure greater. The chief bleffings, that are now within our reach, being never vouchfafed but to our extraordinary efforts to our most earnest endeavours to gain them, lead us to the fulleft conviction, that the fame muft be the condition of whatever enjoyments we can promife ourselves after our death -that they will only be the reward of the diligence with which they have been fought-of the difficulties their purfuit has occafioned us.

The Atheist himself-he who having no views beyond this world, gives his lufts their full range in it, acts with abundantly more fenfe and confiftency, than he who, full of the hopes of immortality, yet confaits his humour or his eafe, his pleasure or his profit, regardless of any understanding he has to improve, or any progress in virtue he has to make. Nor is there any thing that fo much confirms the irreligi cus man in his bad principles, as his obferving this conduct in them who profefs to believe a God and another life. He thinks, and, I must own, but too juftly, that it is the fame thing not to be influenced by fuch a belief, and not to have it-that it is even much more reasonable to give up all expectations of future hap

pinefs, than to expect it, and yet do nothing in order to it-do nothing that can appear at all qualifying us for, or entitling us to it: in a word, he rightly thinks that, fuppofing there be a God of that perfect juftice and wisdom which he is reprefented, he cannot make any difference hereafter between them who have abfolutely denied his juftice-his wifdom-nay his very being, and them who, with all their acknowledgments of him and his perfections, would yet never facrifice any of their inclinations to him-would not be at any pains to know his will, or, if they did know it, would only fo far obey it, as it was agreeable to their own.

I hardly can quit this fubject. So great is the danger-fo certain, I may fay, is the mischief of perfuading ourselves, that an eternal happiness will recompence the little we do to fecure it, that I scarcely know when I have faid enough to evince what conduct alone it can reward.

As the visible world is the only univerfal guide to our conjectures on the invifible, and therein, as I have obferved, the method of Providence in difpenfing its bleffing, is manifest to every eye; all thofe which can moft engage our wishes depending wholly on what we do to obtain them: as, likewife, whether we confider the wifdom of God, or his truth, or his justice, they all concur in teaching us this leffon, that an ever-continuing felicity can only be prepared for a distinguished virtue.

As things, I fay, are thus, may it not properly be asked, What can it be that fo trangely infatuates us-that poffeffes us with hopes fo extravagantly abfurd-that makes a purfuit fo lazy and remifs, which ought to be fo vigorous and uninterrupted? I

know not what this poffibly can be, but, either, the numbers that countenance our practice, or, the reliance we have on the Deity's unbounded goodness.

As to the former, how little stress we fhould lay on numbers, will be evident from thefe four confiderations.

First, They, who in every age, are most commended for their wifdom and prudence, never take the multitude for their pattern; but, on the other hand, constantly live in a direct oppofition to its practices, and diffuade all, to whom they are well-wishers from them.

Secondly, Thofe follies and vices, which are the reproach of numbers, are not therefore, the lefs mifchievous in their confequences.

fequences. The increafing multitudes of the lewd and drunken do not, in any instance, occafion lewdness and drunkennefs to have more favourable circumftances attending them, either with respect to the perfons, or the pofterity of the guilty: and if God be, in no inftance, more favourable to the vicious in this world, because of their numbers; we have hence too fad a proof that they have not the leaft ground to expect he should be fo in the next.

how groundlefs our reliance must be upon it, when we act contrary to the ends for which we were made when we neglect our opportunities, and abuse our capacities, will, I hope, be fufficiently plain to us, if we attend to the following fhort remarks.

1. We afcribe goodness to God as a perfection; but nothing can be a perfection in him, which has, morally speaking, a neceffary tendency to make his creatures lefs perfect-lefs careful to answer the ends of their creation; and this the divine goodnefs would certainly do, if it were indeed fuch as allowed us nothing to fear, tho' we neglected to use rightly the abilities and opportunities afforded us.

2. As God is the Governor of the world

being; we muft, therefore confider his goodness, as that of a governor, or as confiftent with, and agreeable to, a wife government: but can this be faid of his goodness, if it exempt from all punishment our wilful and continued difobedience to his laws, and thereby encourage us to disobey them?

3. One attribute or perfection of the Deity cannot clafh with another: his goodnefs, for instance, with his justice; but the punishment of evil is as much a part of juftice, as the rewarding of good, To treat evil, as if it were not evil, can neither be agreeable to juftice or truth; and this would be the cafe-evil would be regarded as if it were not evil, did the goodness of God fo favour the wilful offender, that his crimes would never receive their defert.

Thirdly, What we call great numbers, are, probably in refpect of the whole creation of rational beings, extremely few; . perhaps no more than fome few grains of fand, in comparison of thofe amazing heaps that spread the defarts of the earth, and fhores of the ocean. Suppofing, therefore, all offenders among the human kind, puis acknowledged fo by all who own his nished by God according to their deferts; that punishment might be making examples of a very fmall, of the very fmalleft part of his creatures, for the good of the reft for preferving innumerable millions an infinite race in their due obedience, Fourthly, An established order taking place in all the works of God that we are acquainted with; every thing in the natural world being fubjected to certain laws; and in the moral world, good having ftill a tendency to produce good, nor ever failing to do it, unlefs from fome accidental hindrances; and evil, when things. are in their proper course, producing evil; we have very strong reafon to believe, that an unchangeable God-he whofe wifdom uniformly displays itself-has fixed things thus, that thus they will proceed to all eternity; good following from good, evil from evil; with this difference alone, with respect to us, in another ftate, that all hindrances of the natural confequences of things will there be removed nothing will prevent the virtuous man's reaping the fruits of his virtue, nor will any thing hinder the whole of the difmal effects of vice from being felt by them, who have here allowed themselves in it. And, if this be the cafe, than which nothing is more probable, it is then quite clear, that all the hopes of the guilty from their numbers must be utterly vain that it would be full as reasonable to think a plague could not be a dangerous diftemper, becaufe it is fo infectious an one; as to think that we shall be safe amidst our crimes, becaufe of the multitude that share them.

With regard to the goodnefs of God,

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4. To reftrain evil, to obftruct its progrefs, must be the care of a good Governor, nay would be the fureft proof of his goodness. To punish, therefore, fuch as act contrary to the law of their nature

contrary to the well-being of society, and therein contrary to their own and the common happiness, is not only a part of justice, but even of goodness itself. We could not confider God as good, had he not properly guarded against his creatures corrupting themfelves, and against that corruption extending itself; and what are the difcouragements to this, but in the way of punishment-but by the fufferings the guilty have to fear? The more there are who act in defiance of these fufferings, the more neceffary it becomes to inflict them; and offenders can have no

reafon

reafon to think that the mercy of God will fpare them, when the greateft mercy is fhewn in obviating the mifchief of fuch examples, by treating them according to what they have deserved.

Let us behold the goodness of God in this light, and this is that in which we ought to fee it-this is its true reprefentation; and thus feen, it cannot but convince us how impoffible it is that we should have any thing to hope after a life unprofitably, vainly fpent-how much fuch a life has neceffarily to fear. Dean Bolton.

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He fitteth on his throne in the centre, and the breath of his mouth giveth life to the world.

He toucheth the stars with his finger, and they run their course rejoicing.

On the wings of the wind he walketh abroad, and performeth his will through all the regions of unlimited space.

Order, and grace, and beauty, fpring from his hand.

The voice of wifdom speaketh in all his works; but the human understanding comprehendeth it not.

The shadow of knowledge paffeth over the mind of man as a dream; he feeth as in the dark; he reafoneth, and is deceived.

But the wisdom of God is as the light of

heaven; he reafoneth not; his mind is the fountain of truth,

Juftice and mercy wait before his throne; benevolence and love enlighten his countenance for ever.

Who is like unto the Lord in glory? Who in power fhall contend with the Almighty? Hath he any equal in wifdom? Can any in goodness be compared unto him?

He it is, O man! who hath created thee: thy ftation on earth is fixed by his appointment: the powers of thy mind are the gift of his goodness: the wonders of thy frame are the work of his hand,

Hear then his voice, for it is gracious; and he that obeyeth, fhall eftablith his foul in peace,

DUTIES that relate to MAN, confidered as an INDIVIDUAL.

I. CONSIDERATION, Commune with thyfelf, O man! and confider wherefore thou wert made.

Contemplate thy powers, contemplate thy wants and thy connections; fo fhalt thou difcover the duties of life, and be directed in all thy ways.

Proceed not to speak or act, before thou haft weighed thy words, and examined the tendency of every step thou shalt take; fo fhall difgrace fly far from thee, and in thy houfe fhall fhame be a stranger; repentance fhall not vifit thee, nor forrow dwell upon thy check.

The thoughtless man bridleth not his tongue; he fpeaketh at random, and is entangled in the foolishness of his own

words.

As one that runneth in hafte, and leapeth over a fence, may fall into a pit on the other fide, which he doth not fee; fo is the man that plungeth fuddenly into any action, before he hath confidered the contequences thereof.

Hearken therefore unto the voice of confideration; her words are the words of wifdom, and her paths fhall lead thee to safety and truth.

2. MODESTY.

Who art thou, O man! that prefumeft on thine own wisdom? or why dost thou vaunt thyself on thine own acquirements?

The first step towards being wife, is to know that thou art ignorant; and if thou wouldft not be esteemed foolish in the judg

ment

ment of others, caft off the folly of being wife in thine own conceit.

As a plain garment beft adorneth a beautiful woman, so a decent behaviour is the greatest ornament of wisdom.

The fpeech of a modeft man giveth luftre to truth, and the diffidence of his words abfolveth his error.

He relieth not on his own wisdom; he weigheth the councils of a friend, and receiveth the benefit thereof.

He turneth away his ear from his own praife, and believeth it not; he is the last in difcovering his own perfections.

Yet as a veil addeth to beauty, fo are his virtues fet off by the fhade which his modelty cafteth upon them.

But behold the vain man, and obferve the arrogant: he clotheth himself in rich attire; he walketh in the public street; he cafteth round his eyes, and courteth obfervation.

He toffeth up his head, and overlooketh the poor; he treateth his inferiors with infolence, and his fuperiors in return look down on his pride and folly with laughter. He defpifeth the judgment of others; he relieth on his own opinion, and is confounded.

He is puffed up with the vanity of his imagination: his delight is to hear and to fpeak of himself all the day long.

He swalloweth with greedinefs his own praife, and the flatterer in return eateth him up.

3. APPLICATION.

Since the days that are paft are gone for ever, and thofe that are to come may not come to thee; it behoveth thee, O man! to employ the prefent time, without regretting the lofs of that which is paft, or too much depending on that which is to

come.

This inftant is thine: the next is in the womb of futurity, aud thou knoweft not what it may bring forth.

Whatsoever thou refolveft to do, do it quickly. Defer not till the evening what the morning may accomplish.

Idlenefs is the parent of want and of pain; but the labour of virtue bringeth forth pleasure.

The hand of diligence defeateth want; profperity and fuccefs are the induftrious man's attendants.

Who is he that hath acquired wealth, that hath rifen to power, that hath clothed himself with honour, that is fpoken of in

the city with praife, and that ftandeth before the king in his council? Even he that hath fhut out idlenefs from his house; and hath faid unto Sloth, Thou art mine enemy.

He rifeth up early, and lieth down late ; he exerciseth his mind with contemplation, and his body with action, and preferveth the health of both.

The flothful man is a burden to himself; his hours hang heavy on his head; he loitereth about, and knoweth not what he would do.

His days pafs away like the fhadow of a cloud, and he leaveth behind him no mark for remembrance.

His body is diseased for want of exercife; he wifheth for action, but hath not power to move; his mind is in darkness; his thoughts are confufed; he longeth for knowledge, but hath no application.

He would eat of the almond, but hateth the trouble of breaking its fhell.

His houfe is in diforder, his fervants are wafteful and riotous, and he runneth on towards ruin; he feeth it with his eyes, he heareth it with his ears, he shaketh his head, and wifheth, but hath no refolution; till ruin cometh upon him like a whirlwind, and fhame and repentance defcend with him to the grave.

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If thy foul thirfteth for honour, if thy ear hath any pleasure in the voice of praise, raise thyself from the duft whereof thou art made, and exalt thy aim to fomething that is praise-worthy.

The oak that now spreadeth its branches towards the heavens, was once but an acorn in the bowels of the earth.

Endeavour to be first in thy calling, whatever it be; neither let any one go before thee in well doing; nevertheless, do not envy the merits of another; but improve thine own talents,

Scorn alfo to deprefs thy competitor by any difhoneft or unworthy method: ftrive to raife thyfelf above him only by excelling him; fo fhall thy conteft for fuperiority be crowned with honour, if not with fuccefs.

By a virtuous emulation, the fpirit of a man is exalted within him; he panteth after fame, and rejoiceth as a racer to run his courfe.

He rifeth like the palm-tree in fpite of oppreffion; and as an eagle in the firmament of heaven, he foareth aloft, and fixeth his eye upon the glories of the fun.

The examples of eminent men are in his

vifions

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