while: Our proper Country is elfewhere: Thither we are travelling, where we fhall be diftinguished in proportion as we have performed our Journey well. Though the Goods of the present Life are sometimes fo difficult to be come at, and, when obtained, fo little fatisfactory, yet the Happinefs held forth to us, and attainable by us, is abundantly fufficient; efpecially when we confider, that God hath put it in our own Power to be hereafter as great and happy as we please. And though the Evils we now país through, prove, for the prefent, grievous, ftill we have a most comfortable Profpect before us;-not only a Deliverance from thefe Evils, but fome peculiar Rewards for having born them;

-born them, I mean, with Patience, and Refignation, and entire Submiffion to that merciful Providence, which inflicted them.

In truth, these very Afflictions will have a moral Influence over us, as they serve to difengage us from the World, and to turn our Thoughts to that better State of Things, which alone can fupport us under them. And when they have produced this Effect, and it fhall pleafe God to take us to himfelf

himself, the very Remembrance of what we have fuffered will increase our Relifh of fucceeding Enjoyments. In a Word, fince Death will put us in Poffeffion of this Happiness, who would not bear fuch a Life in order to meet fuch a Death!

SERMON XV.

The Excellency of Charity above Faith and Hope.

I COR. xiii. 13.

And now abideth Faith, Hope, Charity, thefe Three; but the greatest of thefe is Charity.

Ο

UR Apoftle, in this Chapter, recom→ mends to us the Duty of Charity; and that in Terms which express the high Importance of the Duty recommended.

It seems, the Corinthians, to whom he wrote, had made a wrong Ufe of fome of those spiritual Gifts imparted to them; and, instead of applying them to their proper Ends, had made them fubfervient to their Vanity: Those who were endued with fupeHh 3 rior