I.

There shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth, when ye fhall fee Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.-Luke, xiii. 28.

HER

you

ERE is an argument for a holy life perhaps not much attended to, but drawn from the most acute feelings of the human heart. If lead a bad life, you may not only have your own pofitive misery to bear, but the additional distress of seeing yourself for ever excluded from thofe you most valued, who are entering into a state of happiness. Here is a punishment arifing, as perhaps most of our future punishments do, immediately from our vices. Envy is a vile paffion, and here probably it becomes a fource of endless punishment. This feems to be the meaning of our Saviour's obfervation. What an exaggerated punishment must it be, (if there were no other punishment provided,) for parents to be shut out from children children from parents; wives

husbands from wives; bro

from hufbands thers, fifters, and friends all thus feparated, and under fuch afflicting circumftances to those who are shut out in mifery. It is a punishment probably only on the guilty; for it is not likely that the righteous fhould be disturbed by affections for those who had loft God's favour: their earthly friendships, not refting on the ftable foundation of religion, but on pleafing manners, good fenfe, or worldly accomplishments of different kinds, fade naturally away, when thefe are loft. Nothing furely, but fuch virtues as are the offspring of religion, can be the foundation of a heavenly friendship. How ftrong a motive fhould this be to thofe who have an affection for pious perfons, to qualify themselves in fuch a manner as will enable them to meet their friends in a happy futurity ?

II.

It is the Lord, let him do what feemeth him good.1 Sam. iii. 18.

T1

HIS was the fubmiffive answer of the pious Eli, on his receiving a threatening meffage from the Lord, for not fufficiently restraining the wickedness of his fons. It is one of those aphorifms of which scripture is full; and which are fo well calculated to be always carried with us for conftant ufe. The world is full of affliction. A state of trial must neceffarily be supported by afflictive circumftances. Adverfity is equally neceffary as profperity, to try the hearts of men. But it is

a happy thing that we have here a rule which is fufficient, if we would pioufly attend to it, to support us under the worst of our afflictions; It is the Lord, let him do what feemeth him good: he knows, with unerring certainty, what is best for all his creatures: he doth not willinglya fflict the children of men: but tempers the affliction

always

always with a view to their good. What a happiness therefore ought we to think it, to be always under the care of fo righteous a Master, who will treat us, we may be affured, like a father. We may be reminded also, that fubmiffion is even naturally the best way to make fuffering eafier; for, in fpite of us, the Lord will do what feemeth him good. We may kick against the pricks; but we fhall only hurt ourfelves.