SER M. confidence in the wisdom and goodness of the divine

C.

providence, not doubting but that he who made

❝ us, and knows our frame," will have a tender care of us, and "not fuffer us to be tempted above "what we are able."

And as to our prefent danger, and that terrible ftorm which threatens us, let us pray to God, if it be his will, to divert it; but if otherwife he hath determined, to fit and prepare us for it. And let us be fervent and earneft in our prayers to him, not that he is moved by our importunity, but that we may thereby be qualified and made fit to receive the mercy which we beg of him.

And let us take this occafion to do that which we fhould have done without it, "to break off our

fins by repentance, and to turn every one of us ❝from the evil of our ways;" that hereby we may render GoD propitious to us, and put ourfelves under the more immediate care and protection of his providence; that we may prevent his judgments, and turn away his wrath and displeasure from us, as he did once from a great and finful city and people, upon their fincere humiliation and repentance, Jonah iii. 10. where it is faid of the people of Nineveh, "That GOD faw their works, that they turned from "their evil way, and GoD repented of the evil "that he had faid he would do unto them, and he "did it not.' "" Above all, let us be fincere in the profeffion of our religion, and conscientious in the practice of it; nothing will bear us up under great trials and fufferings, like "the teftimony of a good confcience, void of offence towards Gon and towards men."

I will conclude this whole difcourfe with those apoftolical bleffings and prayers, Coloff. i. 10, 11.

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That ye may walk worthy of the LORD, unto "all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, strengthned with all might according to his glo"rious power, unto all patience, and long-fuffer"ing, with joyfulness. And 2 Thef, ii. 16, 17, "Now our LORD JESUS CHRIST himself, and "GOD even our FATHER who hath loved us, and "hath given us everlasting confolation and good

hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and "establish you in every good word and work." To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

SERMON CI.

Of the work affigned to every man, and the season for doing it.

JOHN ix. 4. ·

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work.

HESE words our bleffed SAVIOUR fpake S ERM.

THE

of himself, whilft he was upon earth; in CI. which he tells us, that he was fent by GOD into the world, and had a certain work and employment appointed him during his abode in it. A

CI.

SER M. great work indeed! to inftruct, to reform, and save mankind. A work of great labour, and pains, and patience, not to be done in a fhort time; and yet the time for doing it was not long, after he came into the world: it was a good while before he began it, and after he began it, the time of working was not long, before the night came and put an end to it: "I muft work the works of him that fent <i me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no " man can work."

But this which our SAVIOUR here fpeaks of himfelf, and which properly belongs to him, and no other; may yet be accommodated to every man, with fome allowance for the difference and difproportion. For though every man be not fent by GoD into the world, after fo peculiar a manner, and upon fo particular and vaft a defign: yet upon a general account, every man is fent by GoD into this world, and hath a work given him to do in it, which he is concerned vigorously to mind and to profecute with all his might. And though every man be not fent to fave the whole world, as the Son of God was, yet every man is fent by GoD into the world, to ❝ work out his own falvation," and to take care of that in the first place, and then to promote the falvation of others, as much as in him lies. So that every one of us may, in a very good sense, accommodate these words of our SAVIOUR to himself: “ I "must work the works of him that fent me, while "it is day: the night cometh when no man can " work."

I fhall therefore at this time take the liberty to handle these words according to this moral accom

modation

CI.

modation of them, and apply what our SAVIOURS ERM. here says of himself, to every man that cometh into the world: and this I fhall do, by fhewing thefe three things.

First, that every man hath a work affigned him to do in this world, by him that fent him into it; and may in fome fenfe fay, as our bleffed SAVIOUR did of himself, "I must work the works of him that

❝ fent me."

Secondly, that there is a certain and limited time for every man to do this work in. "While it is

« day.”

"The

Thirdly, that after this season is expired, there will be no further opportunity of working. “night cometh, when no man can work.”

First, every man hath a work affigned him to do in this world, by him that fent him into it; and may in fome fenfe fay, as our bleffed SAVIOUR did of himself, I must work the works of him that "fent me." GOD who made man a reasonable creature, and hath endowed him with faculties, whereby he is capable of knowing and serving him; hath appointed him a work and fervice fuitable to these faculties: and having infused an immortal foul into this earthly body, hath certainly designed him for a state beyond this life, in which he fhall be for ever happy or miferable, according as he useth and demeans himself in this world.

So that the work which every one of us hath to do in this world, is to prepare and fit ourselves for that eternal duration which remains for us after death. For the life which we live now in this world is a time of exercise, a fhort ftate of probation and

CI.

SERM. trial, in order to a durable and endless state, in which we shall be immutably fixed in another world, This world, into which we are now fent for a little while, is as it were God's school, in which immortal fpirits, clothed with flesh, are trained and bred up for eternity; and therefore the best, the only fure way to be happy for ever, is, fo to improve the fhort and uncertain time of this life, that we may approve ourselves to GoD in this world, and enjoy him in the next; or (as St. Paul expreffeth it) " that "having our fruit unto holiness, our end may be everlasting life."

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And this work confifts in these three things.

I. In the care of our own falvation.

II. In doing what we can to promote the falvation of others.

III. And in order to both thefe, in the careful improvement and good husbandry of our time.

I. In the care of our own falvation. And this confifts in two things.

1. In the worship of almighty God.

2. In the careful and confcientious practice and obedience of his holy laws.

1. The care of our own falvation confifts in the pious and devout worship of almighty God; that we honour him, and pay him that homage and respect, which is due from creatures to him that made them, and is the great fovereign and judge of the world; that we have an inward reverence and esteem of him, and that we exprefs this by all folemn external acknowledgments of him; as by praying to him for the supply of our wants; by praising him for all the bleffings and benefits which we have received at his

hands;