THE LORD, I will joy in the GoD of MY SALVATION. WE hall enter fully into the views of the text, if we confider the different feelings of vice and virtue, in the two grand ftates of human life, profperity and adverfity. In general, wickedness, upon the lowest calculation, has not greater pretenfions to the outward conveniences of life than fincere virtue. The man, who lives in the fear of GoD, and makes a confcience of his actions, where he exercises the real virtues of active life, must be as truly great, as his unrighteous neighbour. WHAT, though his inflexible probity stoops not to many fordid means of enriching himself, which the other embraces; what though his diffufive charity scatters fome of thofe fuperfluities, which the other carefully fcrapes together, and anxiously hoards up to enlarge and multiply his poffeffions? Yet he gets as much as he defires; and, for that that reason, is the truly happy man. His defires are not an infatiable tormenting thirst: he is ever at peace with himself: whatever he acquires, he acquires with integrity, and enjoys with fobriety: It is fanctified by the bleffing of GOD: it is unmixed with anxiety, fear, fhame, or remorfe: his eye can view it, and his mind reflect upon it, with an innocent exultation. WHAT though his temperance refrains from many gratifications, which the fons of licentious pleasure greedily embrace? He is much happier in the difcipline of his paffions: the pleasures of religion are his reward; chearful eafy health is the reward of his temperance; a smiling train of children, whom he owns with innocence, whom he views with complacency, with an ever-growing delight, who fhare and augment his joys, who rife up to prop and comfort his declining age, thefe are are the rewards of his virtuous pleafures. PRAY' now confider, what has the wicked to fet up in competition with these things? Give him what outward bleffings you please, let the world smile upon him, and fortune flow in upon him, and outstrip his industry, and even his wishes in her indulgence; yet what is this to a man, who wants peace at home, where all happiness must begin ? * It is the mind, that relishes what we have: if that is distempered, outward things lose their fatisfaction. WE deceive ourselves miferably in this matter. The world admires the glare and fplendor of an outward figure. We would fain flatter ourselves, that this outward appendage is fome com *NoN domus et fundus, non æris acervus et auri HOR. penfation penfation for the inward feelings of an aching mind, to which the world is an entire ftranger. A WEAK delufion! too vain, to deceive us, even amidst the fondnefs of our own wishes! For we know at the fame time, the world would despise us, if they knew our inward mifery; and this consciousness destroys the whole of the confolation. Nay, we defpise ourfelves, for endeavouring to put a cheat upon the world, which in effect affords us no folid fatisfaction. AMIDST all the artifices of felf-deception, this is clear: the comfort of a good conscience is the best of treasures, it may endear a very little to a good mind; but no affluence or abundance can mitigate the feelings of a wounded confcience. If this be the cafe in affluence; what can a bad man do, in the difmal trials of adverfity? ALL men are certainly exposed alike to to the changes and reverses of fortune. Misfortunes as often overtake the wicked as his righteous neighbour. He may plan, and contrive, ftrengthen himself in his wickednefs, and think himself fecure, and cry, tush! I shall never be caft down, no harm can happen unto mebut often, befides the natural uncertainty of human things, fome ftroke of justice, or unavoidable confequence of his own vices, overtakes him in the midft of his fecurity, and leaves him at once without the comforts of this and a better world, to fupport him under this diftrefs. WHAT can be conceived more miferable than a finner in affliction; a wretch contending with the bitter fruits of his own vices! See the criminal in the hands of justice; or the libertine amidst the poverty and diseases entailed upon him by his debaucheries! — What a figure is that do you fee there! how little of the man For what has he to furnish |