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III.

of the doctrine of the text, that our times S ERM.
are in the hand of God. It afferts a fact,
the truth of which can be called in quef-
tion by none; a fact which, whether
perfons have any fentiments of religion

or not, is calculated to make a serious im-
preffion on every mind; efpecially at fea-
fons when the revolution of
years gives
us warning that our duration on earth
is measured, and advances towards its
period. To perfons who are religiously
difpofed, who study to improve life to
its proper purposes, to do their duty
towards God and man, and through the
merits of their Redeemer to obtain grace
and favour from Heaven, the doctrine
of the text is ftill more important. A-
mong them it tends to awaken impres-
fions which are not only ferious, but, as
I have shown, falutary and comforting
to the heart. Thankful that our times
are in the hand of a Sovereign, who is
both wife and gracious, let us prepare
ourselves to meet the approaching events
of life with becoming refignation, and

at

SERM. at the fame time with manly conftancy

1II.

and firm trust in God. As long as it fhall please him to continue our abode in the world, let us remain faithful to our duty; and when it fhall please him to give the command for our removal hence, let us utter only this voice: "In

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thy hand, O my God, my times are. "Thou art calling me away. Here I am, ready to obey thy call, and at thy "fignal to go forth. I thank thee that "I have been admitted to partake so "long of the comforts of life, and to "be a spectator of the wisdom and good"ness displayed in thy works. I thank "thee that thou haft borne fo long with "my infirmities and provocations; haft "allowed me to look up to thy promifes "in the gospel, and to hear the words "of eternal life uttered by my great Re"deemer. With gratitude, faith, and

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hope, I commit my foul to thee. Lord, "now letteft thou thy fervant depart in

66

peace; for mine eyes have feen thy fal"vation." Such are the fentiments with

III.

which every pious and good man fhould SER M. conclude his life. Such indeed are the fentiments which he ought to carry through every part of life. With these may we begin, and with these conclude, every fucceeding year which God shall think fit to add to our earthly existence!

VOL. IV.

E

SERMON

SERMON IV.

On the Mixture of BAD MEN with the
GOOD in HUMAN SOCIETY.

SERM.
IV.

MATTH. xiii. 30.

Let both grow together until the harvest.

HE parable, of which these words

TH

are a part, contains a prophetical defcription of the state of the church. Our Lord predicts that the societies of Christians were to be infected with perfons of loose principles and bad difpofitions, whom he likens to tares springing up among wheat. He intimates that there should arife fome whose officious

zeal

IV.

zeal would prompt the defire of exter-S ER M. minating immediately all fuch evil men; but that this were contrary to the defigns of providence, and to the spirit of Christianity; that a complete feparation was indeed to be made at last between the good and the bad; but that this feparation was to be delayed till the end of the world, when, in the ftile of the parable, the tares fhould be entirely gathered out from among the wheat. both grow together until the harvest.

Let

When we look around us, nothing is more confpicuous in the state of the world, than that broad mixture of the religious and the impious, the virtuous and the wicked, which we find taking place in every fociety. Strong objections feem hence to arise against either the wisdom or goodness of divine Providence; efpecially when we behold bad men not only tolerated in the world, but occafionally exalted in their circumftances, to the depreffion of the juft. Why, it will be faid, if a Supreme Being exist,

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