faults and failings of your former lives, not to ftupify your fenfes by intemperance, or diffipate them by riotous living, but to reflect calmly, and repent at leifure. Every other method, instead of patience will produce uneafinefs, inftead of tranquility, will bring forth despair. In the fevere School of repentance, expect to find refignation. Be not af frighted at the difcipline, for, thro' much tribulation only can we enter into the kingdom of God. * And when you confider, that your departure from Innocence, for I call your former lives innocent when compared with your prefent Guilt, was the confequence of your own choice, what remains for each of you, but with all the fincerity and contrition of the publican in the Gofpel, to fmite upon your breaft and cry, God be merciful to me, a finner! + Think Acts xiv. 22. + Luke xviii. 13. * Think not, that you are thus feparated from the reft of your fellow creatures by the unneceffary feverity of the laws; or that you are purfued by punishment, as one man purfues another to revenge an Injury. Public Juftice is of a fupe rior nature to private refentment. Reformation is the End of the one, the Gratification of malignant paffions too often the defign of the other. Bow your heads, then, in the midst of your prefent Sorrows, and endeavour to extract falutary balm from the bitter cup you are now tafting. Look into the inmost receffes of your heart and pluck out thence every lurking fault, every G fecret * Infcription in St. Michele's Hospital at Rome. Parum eft Coercere improbos Pæna, Nifi probos efficias It is of little advantage To reftrain the bad By punishment, Unless you render them good Howard's Append, p. 764 fecret inclination to evil. Confider your offences against God, a gracious and a merciful God that howers down daily bleffings upon your heads; forget not the Injuries you have done your neighbours, by private malice or public oppreflion; reflect on the crimes you have committed against yourselves, by a vio lation of temperance, foberness and chastity. When you have thought on these things, with all the attention they require, when you have weighed well the confequences of them, both with respect to prefent Eafe and future profpects, you may then take up the words of the forrowful, but not defpairing, prophet, Wherefore fhould a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his Sins? Do ye feek, then, the true Spirit of refignation? Seek it in the Gofpel of Chrift. There precept and example unite to teach you; there the most alluring motives are held out 4 out to your view. "Bleffed is the man that endureth temptation, that is, afflictions and perfecutions of every kind, for when he is tried and found faithful, he fhall receive the crown of Life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." * I cannot refer you to any for confolation, with greater profpect of fuccefs, than to him whofe Office proclaims him to be a friend to those that are in diftrefs, and particularly to thofe, that are grieved and wearied with the burthen of their Sins. The evangelical prophet thus defcribes the Office of Chrift; how applicable to your fituation, I leave to yourselves to determine. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, he hath fent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to G 2 the * James i. 12, the captives, and the opening of the prifon to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn: to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for afhes, the oil of joy for mourning, the Garment of praise for the Spirit of Heavinefs." + Meditate, then, on that religion, which promifes to reftore peace to your wounded Souls, to refcue your minds from the bondage of Sin and Satan, and which opens to your view, profpects of Glory. Defpife not thefe affectionate offers. The time is now come, that you are made fenfible of your Sins-let the time alfo appear, when you are ready to forfake them. Shew yourselves more worthy of Salvation, by a patient enduring of your prefent Affliction, and a willingness to be inftructed in the know ledge + If. Ixi. 1, &c. |