ties of the Soul fhall be enlarged and ennobled ; the Understanding fill'd with Light and Knowledge; and the Will put into a regular Frame, in perfect Conformity to the Will of God; no longer fubject to Prejudices or Perverseness; the Affections for ever immutably fixt on fuitable and worthy Objects, and all the Appetites and Inclinations rectify'd, and fatisfy'd to their utmost Capacities. Then fhall the Body be alfo raised from Corruption, to an happy Union with the Soul, to live together an Eternal Jubilee, in Perfect Eafe and Pleasure. They fhall then Sin no more; but fhall live together for ever without Sin or Temptation to Sin; without Care or Fear, without Pain or Trouble; without Weakness of Body, or Anguish of Mind, enjoying a conftant Peace and Tranquility and Joy, in the Beatifying Prefence of their great Creator, in whofe Prefence there is Fulness of Joy, and at whofe Right Hand there are Pleafures for evermore; and with their Bleffed Redeemer, and with all the Company of Heaven: Where their Happinefs fhall be every way greater than they could conceive; even beyond their Hopes or Defires; A Happiness (as an incomparable Author expreffes it,) Great as their Wishes, Archbi and Lafting as their Souls. fhop Til

I have done with the Three Things I lotson. proposed to speak to from the Text

The

The Character therein given of a Good Man, He is a Perfect and an Upright Man;

The Regard that is due to him,-Mark, (fays the Pfalmift) and Behold him.

And finally,- The Bleffedness that attends him,-The End of that Man is Peace. And fhall now Conclude all with a few Practical Inferences.

1. If we defire Peace, we fee which is the Way of obtaining it. Riches and Greatnefs give a Man all Things elfe, but cannot give him Peace. Let a Man be as Great as he will, he cannot Promife himself Peace from all his Greatness, not fo much as Outward Peace. For though his Station be never fo High, it does but create him the more Envy; He will be fure, do what he can, to make himself More Enemies than Friends; and more True Enemies than True Friends: And if ever he happens to fink, that they dare fhew themfelves, he will be fure to find it fo. But Innocence, and Integrity, and Uprightness of Heart and Life, if a Man will hold fast to them, as Job did, will carry him through all Troubles, and bring him Peace at the laft. They will very probably procure him Peace with Men, and give him Peace and Comfort in his own Breaft, but will be Sure to give him Peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift; and in Hea

4

ven Everlasting Peace at God's Right Hand for evermore. I fay, Let a Man but keep Innocency, and do the Thing that is Right, with a Pure Heart and a Good Confcience, and Faith unfeigned, fticking to the Word of God as his Sure Rule in all Things, and never departing from it, That will not only give him Peace Here at the last, but will, according to our Saviour's Promife, be in him a Well of Living Water, Springing Joh.iv.14. up into Everlasting Life.

2dly, Since the Great and Sure Reward of Piety and Goodness is at the Laft, let us never Cenfure nor think hardly of Providence for any of its Prefent Difpenfations.

If we had but Patience to Expect the Iffue, we should find little Reafon to quarrel with Providence, either for the Profperity of the Wicked, or the Troubles and Calamities of the Righteous.

Could we but fee the Cares and Fears of the Wicked in the midft of Worldly Greatnefs; What Hurry and Tumult their Mind is continually in; What Reftlefs Days and Nights they have, and the Rubs and Mortifications they often meet with, but especially the Inward Gripes, and Girds, and Lashes of a Guilty Mind; we should have little Reason to envy their Greatness and Profperity, tho' they were fure to hold it for Life: But That is what they are far from being Sure of. By Cc 2 the

the Natural Inftability of all Worldly Things, and sometimes by the Judgment of God upon them, (who commonly gives them, fome Way or other, fome Mortification, fome part of their Punishment in this World,) they often live to fee themfelves Miferable enough before they Dye. Therefore (fays the Pfalmift, at the Beginning of this very Pfalm,) Fret not thyself because of the Ungodly, neither be thou Envious against the Evil-Doers: For they shall foon be cut down as the Grafs, and be withered even as the Green Herb.

But fuppofing them to go on, and Dye in their Profperity, ftill the End is not yet. Death is not their End, it is but the Begin ning of Sorrows; It is the End of their Worldly Happiness, and the Beginning of their Everlafting Woe. For if the Moft High doth not punish them before their Death, Ecclus.xii. yet he will furely repay Vengeance unto the Ungodly, and only keepeth them against the Mighty Day of their Punishment. And Then, whatever they were in their Lifetime, they will no more be Objects of Envy, than Dives was in the Place of Tor

6.

ments.

Nor have we any more Reason to quarrel with Providence for its Unkindnefs to the Righteous, than for its Kindness to the Wicked: God may fee it neceffary to keep

them

them under the Difcipline of Afflictions, for Correction, or for Trial; for their Exercise, or for their Improvement: Or för many other Reasons (all for their Good) which the World knows not of. He does not willingly Grieve nor Afflict any of the Children of Men; much less would he Afflict his own, but for their Profit, that they may be Par- Heb. xii. takers of his Holiness; that he may thereby breed and fit them up for Heaven: So making all Things in the End, work together for their Good. Though no Chaftning for the Prefent is Joyous but Grievous, neverthelefs afterwards it yieldeth the Peaceable Fruits of Righteousness, to them that are exercised thereby. Therefore

3dly and Laftly, Let us learn to bear all our Troubles in this World Decently and Patiently, waiting for the End in the Other World.

This World is not the proper Habitation; It is not the Abode or proper Dwelling Place of the Good and Righteous. Here they will fee enough Day by Day to vex their Righteous Souls, where Sin and Wickedness do so much abound, and God is provoked every Day: Befides the many Difficulties they have of their own to grapple with; Croffes and Troubles and Temptations from the World, and the conftant Strugglings of a Corrupt Nature: So that if Our Hope was only in this