"fect; for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."

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II. THIS WORLD IS A PROPER SITUATION FOR THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS TO CONTINUE IN FOR A SEASON. It is probable, that if our weak reafon were allowed to fpeculate concerning the state of the righteous, it would decide on the propriety of raising them to the high places of the earth; of delivering them from all tribulation; of withholding from them no joy, or rather, of calling them away from this region of fin, from this vale of tears, from this miferable exile, to fit down with Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, in the #kingdom of heaven." The Scripture feems to countenance this notion. It calls," arife ye, and depart, for this is not your reft; because it is polluted; it fhall destroy you even with a fore deftruction." It commands ús❝ not to be unequally yoked together "with unbelievers:" and afks," what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness ? and what concord "hath Christ with Belial ? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel ?? How perfectly has the Creator arranged every thing in the univerfe! How wifely has he separated the day and the night, dry land and fea, the various claffes of beafts and birds! And will he join the living and the dead? Will he mingle error and truth, virtue and vice, and confound the pious with the wicked? Yes; this world fo oppofite to their heavenly nature, fo unfuitable to their de fires, fo incapable of affording them happiness, while from every quarter it wounds and vexes; forcing

from them many a figh, "woe is me, that I fojourn "in Mefech;" "O that I had wings like a dove! "for then I would fly away, and be at reft; I would "haften my escape from the stormy wind and tem "peft"-This world is to retain them year after year, and our Saviour does not pray to take them out of it.

First, From their remaining here, the wicked derive innumerable advantages. They have inftances of religion before them, which encourage while they condemn. By these they learn that godlinefs is practicable and profitable. They fee perfons of the same passions, of the fame age, of the fame occupations with themselves, walking in the paths of righteousness; and much oftener than we imagine, the portion of the righ, teous forming a comparison with their own unhappy circumftances, leads them to exclaim, "how goodly "are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Ifrael! "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my "laft end be like his." It is in the very nature of religion to render christians active in doing good. They are often the means of " faving a foul from death, "and of hiding a multitude of fins." Sometimes a few individuals have changed the moral face of a whole neighbourhood; and thus the language of prophecy has been realized, "the wilderness and the folitary "place shall be made glad for them, and the defert "fhall rejoice and bloffom as the rose."

The diforders which prevail in the world are great; but the state of fociety would be far worfe, not to fay intolerable, were the righteous to be withdrawn, and the licentiousness of finners to be no longer repreffed,

or counteracted by their rebuke, their example, and their influence. They are the falt of the earth;" they are the light of the world." They are bleffings in the families, cities, countries, in which they refide. They have fréquently by their prayers obtain. ed deliverances for thofe among whom they live. They have "stood in the breach," and held back the invading judgments of the Almighty; and " except the "Lord of Hofts had left unto us a very small remnant, "we should have been as Sodom, and we should have "been like unto Gomorrha." While a father fees his children ftanding intermixed with his foes, he levels not this arrows; the one is preferved for the fake of the other. When God has fecured his people, the wicked become the fair mark of his indignation; the vials of his wrath are poured down; time fhall be no longer; the heavens pass away with a great noise; the earth is burned up.

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2.Again; Some reafons are taken from chriftians themfelves. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God." And does not their fituation in the world call forth every active, every fuffering virtue? Can there be any grandeur of character, where there are no difficulties and dangers ? Can there be a triumph where there is no warfare, or a warfare where there is no enemy? When do the righ teous feel motives to keep them humble? when they behold in the wicked an image of themselves. When are they urged to gratitude for distinguishing grace? when they are reminded by finners of what they were "by nature" as well as others." When do they dif play their compaffion, and increase their benevolence?

While feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, teaching the ignorant, and endeavouring to rescue their fellow-creatures from perdition. Can they exercise divine patience and forgivenefs? Yes, while they have an opportunity to " render good for evil." They can discover their holy courage while bearing the "re"proach of the cross," and enduring "the defaming "of many." Here, by the facrifices they are called to make, and their readiness to leave father or mother, fon or daughter, lands or life for his fake, they demonstrate the fupremacy of their love to the Saviour. Here, their fincerity and resolution appear unfufpicious, by not drawing back, or turning aside when the world would terrify by its frowns, or allure by its fmiles. Here, we behold the vigour of thofe principles, which bear fway in the minds of the godly; in heaven we fhall glorify God, but heaven is not a state of trial ; there fin never enters; and what is it to live innocent where there is no temptation? But to fee evil patterns, and not copy them; to breathe peftilential air, and not inhale the infection; to renounce our inclinations, and fay "thy will be done;" to live with our conversation in heaven, when every thing conspires to bind us down to earth, here the christian honours God, and here he gathers glory in a manner; the most distinguishing, and all this is peculiar to his refidence in this world. Let him therefore avail himfelf of the fingular opportunities his fituation affords; and while he remains here, let him labour to fulfill the defign of heaven in his continuance, both with regard to himself and others. Let him remember that all rafh and eager wishes for death are improper; that it may be

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"needful for him to abide" longer in the flesh;" that of this expediency, he must leave God to judge that his pleasure will be difcovered by the event; that he will not be detained a moment longer than is neceffary to accomplish fome valuable purpofe; that in ftead of indulging in impatience, it becomes him to fay with Job," all the days of my appointed time will "I wait until my change come." The man in har veft, while bearing "the burden and heat of the day," may occafionally look up to fee where the fun is ; and may confole himself with the reflection," the evening "shades will by and by come on, and invite me to an "honourable retreat;" but it does not become him to throw down his implements, and haften home, before he obtains fuch a discharge.

As christians are to think of living for a while in the world, it is not unreafonable for them to be affected with its occurrences and changes. Some plead for a kind of abftracted and fublimated devotion; which the circumstances in which they are placed by their Creator render equally impracticable and abfurd. They are never to notice the affairs of government, or the measures of adminiftration; war, or peace; liberty, or flavery; plenty, or fcarcity; taxes, or money to pay their debts; all is to be equally indifferent to them; they are to leave these carnal and worldly things to others--But have they not bodies? Have they not families? Is religion founded on the ruins of humanity? When a man becomes a chriftian, does he cease to be a member of civil fociety? Allowing that he be not the owner of the fhip, but only a paffenger in it; has he nothing to awaken his concern in the voyage? If