It is impoffible, that our Happiness should be the fame as another's unless our Defires are the fame. The Immortality of the Wicked, what. The Neceffity of following Jefus Chrift for the fake of eternal Life, whatever Difficulties we meet with. His Real Followers always a little Flock. The Influence that the Confideration of eternal DISCOURSE VI. The Univerfality of the future Judgment. For we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Chrift, that every one may receive the things done in his Body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Virtue not founded on the mere Pleasure of Law-givers. the fame among all polite Nations. tends to the Good of Society. Law-givers have not been able to affign to the different Degrees of Virtue their juft Reward, nor to the different Complications of Vice their deferved Punishment hence Virtue has been often oppreffed and Vice profperous. This Cafe perplexing to many wife and good Men. The This Doctrine not unknown to the Heathen made certain by the Chriftian Revelation. First Obfervation on this Subject, the Univerfality The Neceffity that all should be judged. Why the holy Angels will attend at this Second Obfervation on the Subject, the Univer The Reasonableness and Efficacy of Prayer. Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving, let your Re- quefts be made known unto God. Prayer and Thanksgiving principal Branches of earnestly enforced by the Chriftian. - that no uncommon Gift in the firft Ages. thefe Promises must be carefully diftinguish'd from those made to uninfpir'd Prayer. the Fruits of this latter fort confider'd as a 1. Sup, 1. Suppofing the outward Events of this Life con ducted by a Neceffity of Nature. Prayer helps to purify the Mind. gives aweful Apprehenfions of God. 2. Suppofing the Events of this Life apply'd to the Exigencies of moral Agents. This is certainly the Cafe. Hence it must be the Duty of helpless and dependent Creatures to confefs their Wants, --- to ask Affistance, to acknowledge what is given to them. Little Danger of Mistakes in praying for moral Improvement. Temporal Bleffings to be asked with much greater Restriction. Prayer and Thanksgiving Sources of moral Improvement. and of Confequence Means of Happiness. DISCOURSE VIII. The mutual Relation and Benefit of Hope and Patience. Rom. xii. 12. Rejoicing in Hope, patient in Tribulation. The ufual Manner of St. Paul's concluding his Epiftles. I. The Nature of Hope and Patience. The Process of the Mind in forming the Materials of Hope and Patience. They fpring from the fame Fountain. -- increate and decline together. The Exercife of them the whole Business of Life. Hope Hope the most active Principle. the most useful and affiduous Companion. Such the common Advantages of Hope as a Power of the Soul. II. The particular Hope we are to rejoice in. The fuperior Excellence of Gofpel-Hope, the Certainty and Greatness of it. III. The Benefit of holding faft and cherishing this Hope. We cannot without fome unnatural Industry Every other Hope trifling and inconfiderable. The Danger of not diftinguishing between this This Hope preceded by Faith, followed by Cha- The Happiness of it. DISCOURSE IX. The Bleffedness of bearing our own Burdens. James v. 11. Behold we count them happy that endure. Preached at Chichester Cathedral the Sunday after Bishop Waddington's Interment there. The feeming Harfhnefs and Unreasonableness of this Doctrine in it felf. - - - in the Inftance given to explain it. I. The Perfons who affert this Doctrine, Men of the fame Paffions and Infirmities with our felves. Supported only by a ftrong Conviction of a future Existence, II. II. What fort of fuffering they are to endure. The Apostle explains himself in the Inftance of Job. --- the Example of the Prophets, &c.. III. The Nature of this Happiness. No Affliction for the present joyous but as it yields the Fruits of Righteousness. - as it is a measure of future Glory. The great Ufe of this Doctrine in improving the as a Man, a Gentleman, a Christian, a Bishop. X. DISCOURSE The Duty and Advantage of bearing one and ther's Burdens. Gal. vi. 2. Bear ye one another's Burdens, and fo fulfil the Law of Christ. The feeming Hardship of this Command. I. The Reasonableness of this Precept confider'd in a natural View. Man confider'd in a State of Nature and Solitude. The Wretchednefs of fuch a Condition. Our Burdens greatly increased by it. |