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But it is quite another thing with the sincerely good. Their soul becomes purer and purer, and religion consequently more easy and delightful; their conscience is calm and quiet, and its inward applauses fill them with unknown rejoicings; the prospect of their future glory grows brighter and more enravishing, and makes them overlook the trifling pleasures and prosperities of this world, and forget the comparatively light afflictions of it; every day brings them still nearer unto heaven, and makes them fitter for it, and the thought of this begins a heaven upon earth.

And when the blessed time shall come, when the days of their probation shall be finished, and admittance given them into their Master's joy, how will their longing souls then struggle to get free, and when they are so, mount up as quick as lightning to the embraces of their Saviour, and there experience such transports as cannot be expressed!

Thus is the way of the just as the dawn of the morning, which though lowering and gloomy at first, yet shineth more and more unto the perfect day". Thus does the blessed Jesus reserve the best till last, for those that love him in sincerity. Thus does Wisdom exalt her children, and they that seek to her early shall at length be filled with joy. And though at first she walk with them by crooked ways, and bring fear and dread upon them, and exercise them with her discipline, until she may trust their souls, and try them by her laws; yet will she return the straight way to them, and comfort them, and shew them her secrets".

Then at the close of all things, as it is very feel

n Prov. iv. 18.

0 Ecclesiasticus iv.

BRAGGE, VOL. I.

C

ingly expressed in the book of Wisdom, then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labours. When they see it, they shall be troubled with terrible fear, and be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for. And they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, shall say within themselves, This was he whom we sometimes had in derision, and a proverb of reproach. We fools counted his life madness; and his end to be without honour. How is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot is among the saints! therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the Sun of Righteousness rose not upon us. We surfeited ourselves in the way of wickedness and destruction: yea, we have gone through deserts, where no way lay: but as for the way of the Lord, we have not known it. What hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow, and even so we in like manner were consumed in our own wickedness. For the hope of the ungodly is like the dust that is blown away with the wind: like as the smoke which is dispersed here and there with a tempest. But the righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord's hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect themo. P Wisdom of Solomon, chap. v.

To conclude then in a few words our observations upon this first miracle: let us be so wise as in all the straits of our worldly circumstances, the discouragements and difficulties we may meet with in the sincere practice of religion, or any afflictions which God shall please to exercise us with; let us be so wise as to look forward to the happy end of all, and encourage ourselves in a patient persevering piety, in full assurance that all these things are actually working together for our good.

And let us but apply ourselves in all our necessities to Jesus for his help, patiently waiting his good time, and constantly and carefully observing his directions, and firmly believing that if we are not wanting in sincere love and obedience to him, he will not be wanting in his providential care of us; and then we need not question but he will conduct us safely, by such ways and methods as he sees to be most expedient, through all the various turns and changes of this mortal life, and finally crown us with the blessed end of our pious hopes and labours, the salvation of our souls.

Which he grant for the sake of his own infinite compassions. Amen! Amen!

THE SECOND MIRACLE.

St. Peter's prodigious draught of fishes.

LUKE V. 4.

Now when Jesus had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

IN the first verse of this chapter we find the people with great eagerness pressing upon our Saviour to hear the word of God, as he stood by the lake of Gennesaret; and in the third we are told, that for his more commodious discoursing to them he went into a ship, a small fisher-boat of Simon's, which stood by the lake empty, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land; and then he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

What mysteries are concealed under this passage, I leave to those to shew who can make a mystery of every thing; and in the Romish comments on the place, we may see what a fruitful fancy can do that is set on work by interest, and resolved to improve every little accidental circumstance into a mighty argument for the supremacy of St. Peter and his successors; and that Christ, because he went into Peter's ship and taught, hath placed his infallible chair in the church of Rome, to which all the world must resort, that they may be instructed in the true doctrine of Christianity.

Such stuff as this they ought to be ashamed of,

and deeply to repent of too, as really exposing our holy religion to contempt, and burlesquing the scriptures of the New Testament, as much as the ridiculous comments of the Talmud do those of the Old. So that the best observation from hence, I think, will be this, that it is a dreadful thing, even in the judgment of St. Petera himself, to wrest the holy writings to the vile purposes of an intriguing party, and force God's word to plead against him. It is indeed to make it what they blasphemously style it when not interpreted by their unerring church," a leaden rule, unsensed characters, and "words of wax," which may be turned any way, and suited to any opinions, how crooked and untrue soever. A wretched doctrine this, and practice truly antichristian.

Now when Jesus had left speaking to the people, who were standing thick upon the shore, and loath to leave that heavenly Charmer, who charmed so wisely, that never man spake as he spake, and probably might hope that this was a pause only to recover himself a little, and that he would again pursue those divine arguments which they so delighted to hear; that he might give the deeper impression to what he had been discoursing, and convince the people, and the owners of the ships too, (whom he intended from that time to make his constant attendants, and take into the number of his apostles,) that it was not bare human eloquence that took them so, but strictly and properly the word of God, and that he was indeed the Wisdom of the Father, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, or thrust back your boat a little further into

2 Pet. iii. 17.

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