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what we shall all be made sensible of when we arrive at our future country-that we have been and are equally perverse, headstrong, and impatient in the conduct of our greatest concerns that the time which we thought too long to wait for reward was but a moment -that the misery we have brought upon ourselves did, in truth, come close behind our crimes, though it appeared removed to a great distance; for such will be the judgement we shall form of this little portion of our existence, which we shall hereafter look back upon, compared with the immortality that lies before us.

Thirdly, we can seldom review what passed in our minds when we were children, without being surprised with the odd and extravagant notions which we took up and entertained-how wildly we accounted for some things, and what strange forms we assigned to many other things-what improbable resemblances we supposed, what unlikely effects we expected, what consequences we feared. I can easily believe that many of the opinions and notions we now erroneously entertain, especially concerning the place, condition, nature, occupation, and happiness of departed saints, may hereafter appear to us as wild, as odd, as unlikely and ill founded, as our childish fancies appear to us now. Like the child, we take our ideas from what we see, and transfer them to what we do not see: like him, we look upon, and judge of things above our understanding, by comparing them with things which we do understand; and they bear afterwards as little resemblance, as little foundation for comparison, as the most chimerical and fantastic visions of a childish imagination. And this I judge to be what Saint Paul had particularly in his thoughts when he wrote the words of the text. Now

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we know in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away,' even as "when I was a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Our apprehensions of futurity may, it is true, be in many respects childish; but still they may be innocent, so long as we are not over anxious nor over positive to insist upon others receiving them, and too much inclined to make difficulties, or start at those which we meet with, from an opinion that we are able to guess and find out the whole of such subjects.

Fourthly, a child meets with perpetual difficulties, which appear to its then comprehension unconquerable, which yet, when it becomes a man, clear up, and vanish of themselves. It cannot be made to understand the reason or the meaning of half the things which its parents and its masters make it do or suffer. Why so much restraint and confinement? wherefore these grievous tasks, that difficult lesson, these strict rules? It is made to feel pain and uneasiness, of which it sees neither end nor use. "How is this to be reconciled," a child will naturally ask, "with that kindness, and love, and goodness which it is told to expect from its parents?" Now as the child advances in reason and observation, all these difficulties solve themselves. remembers with gratitude what he suffered with complaint he sees care and love, when at the time he could only perceive arbitrary severity and churlish cruelty: he discovers the end aimed at, the importance of that end, how the means made use of conduced to it, how requisite they were, how beneficial they have turned out. Now all this bears, in my mind, a consi

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derable analogy to the difficulties we labour under, as to the dispensations of divine Providence. Look to the whole of our existence, and the wisest and oldest of us are but yet in our infancy-as much strangers to the exigencies and condition of our future state as a child is to that of a man. Can it be wondered at that we should meet with embarrassments, and inconsistency, and seeming disorder and confusion, and yet it may in truth be all a regular plan, answering a good end by wise means? We know in part-a certain portion of our nature, existence, and destiny we do see; but it is a portion bounded by narrow limits a term out of eternity. Now all such partial knowledge must be encumbered with many difficulties: it is like viewing the map of a district or small tract of territory by itself, and separated from the adjacent country: we see rivers marked out without any source to flow from, and running where there is nothing to receive them. In like manner, we observe events in the world, of which we trace not either cause or origin, and tending to no design or purpose that we can discover. If the child have patience to wait, many of these its difficulties will in due time be explained. And this is our case. It was not necessary to the child's happiness and well-being, that it should have from the first the understanding of a man; nor is it to ours, that we should possess the faculties of angels, or those which are in reversion for us in a higher and more advanced state of existence. The child is in the hands of its parent, and so are we. The wisdom of the parent will supply the ignorance of the child, his prudence guide its folly, his strength protect its weakness, his care conduct it to happiness. How much does this representation agree with what

we believe and hope of our Almighty and Universal Father! We are the works of the creation, and produced by his great kindness; and while we study to please and obey him, the objects of his love-safe under his wings, secure under his protection, assisted by his succours, directed by his holy influence, enlightened by his word and spirit, relying upon his love, and finally conducted by his care from perfection to perfection, from our present degree of happiness to a better world-we attain the fulness of joy in the presence of God, and the pleasures at his right hand for evermore,

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XXVII.

THE ADVANTAGES OF OLD AGE.

JOB XXXII. 7.

I said, days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.

EVERY age of life has its advantages and disadvantages, not only in respect of strength, activity, and pleasure on one side; of judgement, experience, and wisdom on the other; and as these qualities relate to the success or the happiness of our present existence; but there is in the different periods of life a system also of advantages and disadvantages respecting religion itself.

The work of salvation is before us at all ages. Youth can bring to the task sensibility, usefulness, innocency, activity-a mind yet unoccupied, and yet unenslaved by vicious habits—a strength capable of doing much good-a conscience quick and sensible—a heart warm, and susceptible of benevolent affections-a vigour of principle, and a glow of devotion, which no other season of life can pretend to. God grant that the young may use and exert these faculties and these advantages as they ought to do! But what are the advantages, or are there any, which the coldness and weakness of age can set against these? What is there applicable to religious improvement which the natural condition of advanced years brings with it? Those it is my purpose to set forth, as well for consolation as instruction; because

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