Page images
PDF
EPUB

flumber, a little more folding of the hands to fleep: eternity depends upon your prefent virtue. Life is ebbing faft, the day of vifitation is drawing on; a thoufand dangers furround you, every one of which is fufficient to precipitate it. If a courfe of virtue were not neceffary to your happiness, he, you may be fure, who willeth not the death of any creature, would have given you happinefs upon eafier terms; he, who follicited you fo long with his grace in vain, will be obliged to reject you in these words, that at once declare and fix your fate Because I have called and ye refufed, I have ftretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have fet at. nought my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I alfo will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. Prov. i. 24, 25, 26.

GOD give us all grace, in this our day, fo to work out our falvation, that we may be prepared whenever he is pleased

pleased to call for us! With a mind thus fully at peace with him, how safely can we face the temptations of the bufy day, and how fecurely repose ourselves amidst the perils and dangers of the night! How happily are we armed against all emergencies! Cut off foon in this virtuous courfe, we are but transplanted so much the fooner to a happier world; if the time of trial continues longer, and patience has a longer exercise; a greater reward, a brighter crown of glory is ready to recompenfe our encreasing virtue.

2

SER

SERMON X.

Of Faith.

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

Α
A from prefent objects; and as faith

LL the temptations of fin arife

in the diftant objects of religion is the most effectual, if not the only, means of counterbalancing their influence; it is of the utmost importance, to have right apprehenfions about this great fundamental article.

IT is a favourite notion with fome

people,

« PreviousContinue »