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principle of conscience, would be filled with horror, at the thoughts of grofs fin, fuch as uncleannefs, injustice, or fenfuality; yet fuch may be in great danger of placing their affections upon the world, and refting on it as their portion. Their houfes and lands, their children, their name and reputation, may incroach upon them, and ufurp dominion in their hearts. Be careful, therefore, habitually to improve these to the glory of God; learn to give him thanks for them, as the bleflings of his providence, and to ferve him by them, as they are talents or opportunities of usefulness, for which you must render an account in the day of judgment.

(3) Be attentive to the course of Providence, and improve the characters and conduct of others, to your own profit. If you fee one man grow proud and felf-fufficient as he grows rich, if you fee him forgetful of God while he continues in profperity, tyrannical to others because they are in his power, then fear left you alfo be tempted. If you fee wealth fuddenly poured in upon any perfons make them anxious, quarrelfome, and impatient, then moderate your defires of prosperity, and " be content with such "things as you have." It is very common to enumerate and cenfure the faults of others, that we may nourish our own pride by the comparison; but it is infinitely more beneficial, to improve the weakness of others for our own humiliation. What is the ordinary style in conversation? Were I fuch a perfon, had I his eftate and poffeffions, I fhould not grudge to be more liberal to the poor; I would do fomething for the public; I would do every thing for my friends. Truly you do not know what you would do. Were you raised to the fame fituation, perhaps you would be ten times more proud and covetous than the man you blame. And as you would obferve the fins of others, fo obferve the ways of God towards them. If an oppreffor is at laft overtaken in his wickednefs, if he is held as a wild bull in a net, and, instead of humility, it produceth nothing but the rage of impatience and difpair; adore the righteous judgment of God, and be fenfible that neither mercies nor trials will change the heart, unless they are accompanied with the power of divine grace, If it pleafeth

God to bring down any from riches to poverty, or from honor to difgrace, remember that he vifits his people in mercy for their correction, and his enemies in vengeance for their punishment; fo that, whether you are the one or the other, you have no charter of fecurity from the fame calamities.

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(4) Think much of mortality, and the innumerable fufferings which are every where to be feen among our fellow creatures. The wife man tells us, Ecclef. vii. 2, 3. "It is better to go to the houfe of mourning, than to go to the house of feafting: for that is the end of all men, "and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better "than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance "the heart is made better." There are fome who, from mere tenderness of heart, and a strong attachment to fenfual delight, are not able to look upon scenes of mifery and diftrefs. They fly from them, therefore, and deceive themselves into a dream of fecurity by intoxicating pleafures. But, my brethren, it is infinitely better to fortify yourselves against the fear of death, by faith in him who is the refurrection and the life; and then the frequent obfervation of others in affliction, will have the nobleft and most falutary influence in mortifying worldly affections. You may alfo fometimes fee the triumph of faith in the joy. ful departure of believers, which is one of the most edifying and comfortable fights that any Chriftian can behold.

(5.) In the last place, I would recall to your minds, and earnestly recommend to your meditation, what made a principal branch of the doctrinal part of this subject," the "crofs of Chrift." By this the believer will indeed crucify the world. Reafon and experience may wound the world, fo to speak; but the crofs of Chrift pierces it to the heart. Shall we murmur at the cross, when our Redeemer bore it? Are not the thoughts of what he suffered, and what we deferved, fufficient to eradicate from our minds every the leaft inclination to what is provoking to him? Are not the thoughts of what he purchafed, fufficient to deftroy in our hearts the leaft difpofition to place our happiness here? The thoughts of the crols of Chrift are ftrengthening as well as inftructive. We are drawn as it were by the powVOL. I.

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er of fympathy, emboldened by his example, and animated by his conqueft. Is not the Chriftian, when he is in full contemplation of this great object, faying, 'O most mer. 'ciful Saviour, fhall I any more idolize that world which 'crucified thee? fhall I be afraid of their fcorn who in. fulted thee? fhall I refufe any part of his will, who, by 'the cross, has glorified thee?'

Let us conclude by attempting to fay, in faith, what God grant every one of us may be able to fay in the awful hour of the laft conflict: "O death, where is thy fting! "O grave, where is thy victory! The fting of death is "fin, and the ftrength of fin is the law; but thanks be to "God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus "Chrift."

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And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

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Y brethren, real communion with God is a bleffing of fuch ineftimable value, that it cannot. be fought with too great earneftnefs, or maintained with too much care. If it is no fable, that God vouchfafes to his people, on fome occafions, a fense of his gracious prefence, and, as it were, vifits them in love; with what fervor should they defire, with what diligence should they improve, fo great a mercy! In a particular manner, when a good man hath in view, either an important and difficult duty, or a dangerous trial, it is his interest to implore, with the greatest importunity, the prefence and countenance of God, which only can effectually direct him in the one, and fupport him in the other. This, my brethren, ought to be our concern at prefent, as we have in view a very folemn approach to God, viz. laying hold of one of the feals of his covenant: what trials may be before us, or near us, it is impoffible to know.

The words I have read relate to a remarkable paffage of the patriarch Jacob's life. He was now returning from Padan-aram with a numerous family, and great substance, and had received information that his brother Efau was coming to meet him with four hundred men. We are told, v. 7. of the chapter, that he was "greatly afraid and "diftreffed," being, in all probability, quite uncertain

whether his brother was coming with a friendly or a hoftile intention; or rather, having great reafon to fufpect the latter to be the cafe. He rofe up, we are told, long before day, and fent his wives, his children, and cattle, over the brook Jabbock and as it follows, in the 24th verse, “ Ja"cob was left alone: and there wrestled a man with him, "until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that "he prevailed not againft him, he touched the hollow of "his thigh and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he faid, Let me go, for the day breaketh and he said, I will not let thee go, except thou blefs me."

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Some of the fathers, and alfo fome of the Jewifh writers, fuppofe, that all this was done in prophetic vifion, to reprefent to him the difficulties that were yet before him, which, by faith and patience he was to overcome.

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But it is more reasonable to think, that this was in truth the appearance of an angel to him; and indeed moft probably of the angel of the covenant; because, from the paffage itfelf, it appears that he had " prevailed with God." The fame thing we are assured of by the prophet Hofea, chap. xii. 3, 4. "He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his ftrength he had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept and made fupplication unto him: he found him in Beth-el, and "there he fpake with us." From this paffage alfo we learn, that it was the fame who met with him at Beth-el. Some think, with a good deal of probability, that this attack was made upon him by way of punifhment for the weaknefs of his faith; that though he had received the promife, he fhould yet be under fo great a terror at the approach of his brother. In this indeed he was an example of what happens to believers in every age. Paft mercies are forgotten at the approach of future trials; therefore the fame God who vifited at Beth-el, and promised to be with him, now meets him in difpleafure, and threatens to deftroy him; but by "weeping and fupplication" he not only obtained his prefervation, but a further bleffing. It is alfo the opinion of many, that the wrestling or conflict was literal and real for fome time, and that Jacob perhaps

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