IV.

SERM. ungodly shall not be able to stand, he knows that he shall be doomed " to dwell "in the tabernacle of the Lord, and to rest "upon his holy bill." According to the royal Psalmist's more extended account of "the followers of that which is good;" which as it serves admirably to enforce the precept of the text, and to guard against mistakes in its interpretation, I shall state more at large, "Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle, and who shall rest upon thy

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holy bill?" (Who is he, O blessed Lord, that after the struggles of this mortal life, shall be admitted to the glory of thy presence, and the everlasting happiness of thy heavenly kingdom.) "Even be that "leadeth an uncorrupt life, and doeth the

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thing which is right, and speaketh the truth

from his heart. He that hath used no de"ceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neigh

bour, and bath not slandered his neighbour. "He that setteth not by himself, but is lowly " in his own eyes; and maketh much of them "that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to "his neighbour and disappointeth him not,

"though

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though it were to his own hinderance. Whoso SERM. "doeth these things shall never fall*."

And thus are we assured, by the reason and fitness of things, and by the exhortations of Scripture, and upon the authority of holy men inspired by God, and above all on the promises of God himself, that to follow that which is good, is indusputably the most certain and infallible means of guarding ourselves against the malevolence of our enemies here below; and that if they should, by the providence of God, be even suffered to prevail in this life, that then it is the only means in our power of finally triumphing hereafter. Nay, not only of triumphing, by being removed far from their reach, released from the violence of their animosity, and secured from the shafts of their malice and enmity, but, instead of having really harmed us here below, we shall find their hatred turn out to our advantage; for if with patience, and true Christian fortitude, and becoming submission to the will

* Psalm xv.

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of

SERM. of God, we shall have borne without murIV. muring such unjust persecutions, we shall

receive, at the hand of God, so much more abundant a weight of glory. This is also promised to us by God himself! A promise equally consistent with what the nature of things would point out to our hopes and expectations. For, befides that it must be among the purposes of eternal goodness, and eternal justice, to prepare for those that suffer unworthily here ample compensation in another world, it will surely naturally operate to increase our happiness, and render it far more sensible to us, it being a release from all the troubles of this uncertain state: a release, not temporary, but final; not precarious, or leaving us open to fresh attacks, but eternal and complete; where every wound, received in this our warfare of mortal life, will be closed and healed for ever! Let us then but cast back our thoughts to the various afflictions we have hitherto undergone; to the pains of body, and anxieties of mind; to the sorrows we have endured, and the struggles we have sustained; and

let us contrast them with the comforts we SERM. have felt, whenever the merciful hand of IV. God has at any time relieved us from these sad and bitter strokes. Let us remember how sweet have been the moments of consolation and comfort, after any heavy affliction; the moments of ease, after tormenting pain; the sunshine of joy and cheerfulness, after the gloom of sorrow, and the tears of woe. If, after these reflections, we sum up all the troubles of this short life, and then cast our views forward, to the endless ages before us of peace and comfort; from these scenes of chance and change, to those eternal realms above, where affliction shall never enter, where there shall be neither sorrow, nor pain, nor death; surely it must serve not only to reconcile us to all the transitory pains of this passing scene, but to convince our reason, that it is truly him "whom the "Lord loveth," that " be chasteneth." That afflictions are sent us not only to exercise us in those transcendent virtues, faith, hope, and resignation, but that they are by the merciful wisdom of Providence at

the

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SERM. the same time so ordered, as eminently to heighten the good man's enjoyment of the peace and serenity of the realms above.

By a life of piety and true holiness then, let us ever seek to abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Then need we never "fear what man can do unto us.” If not delivered from our afflictions here below, we may rest assured they will be abundantly compensated in the life which is to come; "all things being appointed finally to "work together for good" to them, who trust in the mercies, the providence, and the goodness of God.

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