of Job, and fay, Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble, or that he is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards; for this gives an idea of a preponderance of misery, as the proper and intended lot of man. But certainly there is in the world fickness as well. as health, pain as well as pleasure, and on many accounts grief as well as joy. Industry is not always fuccessful, marriages are not always happy, children are not always a bleffing to their parents, and other connections in life, which are generally fources of pleasure, are not always fo. There are alfo many evils againft which no human prudence can guard us, as famine from inclement feafons, and peftilential disorders, which we are as yet unable to investigate, or prevent. All countries. are more or less fubject to hurricanes, tempefts, and earthquakes; and the happiest and longest life muft terminate in death. It is in vain to say, with the Stoics, that what we fuffer by these means are no evils, or that we do not feel them.

But when nature abandons us to grief and defpair, religion fteps in to our confolation, affuring us, that nothing can befal us, or others, without the will and appointment of

God,

God, our heavenly Father, and that whatever he wills is always wifest and best, whether, at the time, we can fee it to be fo or not. As the Pfalmift fays, though clouds and darkness are round about him, righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. Religion affures us that, if by means of the evils of life, God chaftifes us, it is with the affection of a parent, and always for our good. We can then say, with the apostle, that all things will be made to work together for good to them that love God, that, in this case, life or death, things profperous, or things adverse, are equally ours, and will terminate in our advantage. With this perfuafion we may bear all the evils of life, numerous and heavy as they fometimes are, not only with patience and refignation, but even with fatisfaction and pleafure, rejoicing, as the apoftles did, in all kinds of tribulation.

4. But religion is found to be of the greatest value at the close of life, opening to us a better prospect than that on which we then shut our eyes. Without religion all that the greatest philofopher can pretend to is, that he has had enough of life, and that he obeys the call of nature without reluctance. But even this, if

h

he has really enjoyed life, is more than he can fay with truth. If he has enjoyed life, it must be sweet to him, and confequently he cannot but wish to prolong or refume it. A good man may, in one fenfe, have had enough of life, and, from the fatigues and uniformity of it, be as it were weary of it; but it is only fuch wearinefs as is felt at the close of an active well spent day, when we with for reft, but with the hope of rifing with renewed vigour and activity, and with the prospect of greater enjoyment, in the morning. That morning to a christian is the refurrection to a new and better life. Of this nature gives us no hope; but religion the greatest certainty.

According to the principles of religion, this world is only the infancy of our being. This life is only a school, in which we are training up for a better and immortal life, and all the events and difcipline of it are calculated to prepare us for entering with advantage upon it; fo that a good man, with the faith and hope of a chriftian, can bid adieu to this world not only with tranquillity, but with fatisfaction and triumph; finging the triumphant fong, O death, where is thy fling? O grave, where is thy victory?

When chriftians lose their friends and relations by death, they do not grieve as the heathen who have no hope; but commit them with confidence to the hands of their merciful Creator, whofe views in calling them into being were not confined to this prefent life. He believes that this his separation from his virtuous friends is but for a time, and a fhort time, and he has no doubt of meeting them again, and in more favourable circumstances for enjoying their fociety than ever. There the affectionate parent will meet his beloved children, and children their parents, not worn down by affliction, disease, or hard labour, incapable of enjoyment, which is often the cafe in this world, but with all their faculties in full vigour, and fuperior to what ever they were before; every thing valuable and amiable in them improved, and their imperfections done away; fo that their fociety, which we shall never lofe again, will be more desirable than ever. Compared with this folid ground of confolation under the troubles of life, and the fears of death, what has mere reafon or philosophy to offer?

5. And it is a particular recommendation of religion, that both its teachings and confola

tions require no acutenefs of intellect. They are level to the understandings of all men. As to the precepts of religion, they are thus fummed up by the prophet, What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to do juftice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? In this fhort compafs are comprized all the great duties of religion, and furely nothing can be more intelligible.

As to the confolations of religion, they are addreffed to the common feelings and principles of human nature, fuch as men act upon every day. It is the expectation of diftant good as a balance to prefent evil. Religion does not require men to give up their ease, their fortunes, or their lives, for nothing; but for a fufficient recompence. Thou shalt be recompenfed, faid our Saviour, at the refurrection of the juft. All that is requifite is a stretch of thought, and a comprehenfion of mind, which shall enable men to contemplate a thing certainly future, as if it were prefent; and by this means give it its proper value in comparison with things prefent, which, in confequence of being fo, are poffeffed of an undue advantage over them. But what things that are future lose in this refpe&t, is balanced by their

real