nefs and imbecility, and inftructed me to keep thy ftatutes.

Thus, my pious hearers, chaftening is productive of falutary effects in them that are exercised thereby, by rendering them virtuous and good. Thus therefore even afflictions and tribulations are of real and often of very great value. Thus are they the benefactions of providence, and fources of happiness. If storms and tempefts in the natural world drive peftilent diseases away from our dwell ings, and bring life and health and fertility with them; fo likewise may the blasts of misfortune in the moral world rouze the fupine from their danger ous flumber, drive away mists and vapours from the eyes, awaken the torpid to new powers and action, sharpen the dull feelings of the palfied finner, and restore to life the fpiritually dead. Fear not, o man, who struggleft under the adverfities of life, I bring you good tidings of great joy; the afflictions which thou endurest are not the stripes of a hard master, who seeks thy deftruction; they are the chastisements of a kind father, who punishes only to reform. The God of love has no pleasure in the mifery, or in the death of his creatures. His eye overflows with pity, while his hand is lifted up to ftrike. Whilft he bruifes, he binds up the wound. This furely will adminifter confolations to the wounded in mind, and speak peace to the broken in heart when they reflect that the evils in their lot are a part of his providence, who does not willingly afflict, nor grieve

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grieve the children of men; that they are not marks of his wrath, but indications of his love. Far be it then from us to let fufferings and tribulations slacken our confidence in the unalterable and never-failing goodness of our Father in heaven! No, even they are effects and proofs of it, No, with filial rever. ence will we accept the cup of forrow from his parental hand, and never doubt, even whilst drinking its bitterness to the very dregs, that it is wholesome medicine, by which he restores us to health and life,

SERMON XXXIX.

The Value of a good Reputation.

GOD, the everflowing fountain of all our blessings, who art the father and benefactor of us all; who haft given us and still art ever giving us, poor and mean as we are of our ourselves, so many proofs of thy peculiar esteem and providence, intimating thereby that we should likewife mutually esteem, cordially love, and reciprocally promote, as far as in us lies, the happiness of each other, as thy children, as members of one family. To this end hast thou so intimately connected us together; made us all in so many refpects dependent on each other, and planted in our hearts fo powerful an impulfe to fympathy and benevolence. How kind and righteous is thy will, o God, and how happy were it for us, if we constantly fulfilled it with pleasure and fidelity! Forgive us, merciful Father, that we fo frequently behave as difobedient children towards thee, and as foes to each other. Teach us better to understand our focial connections and interests,

and more strictly to answer the obligations of juftice, of equity, of charity. Replenish us with a fincere esteem for whatever our brethren may poffefs of good and excellent; and grant that we may never be misled by levity, by envy, by hatred, by vanity, to speak or to do anything that might difturb them in the poffeffion of the gifts and endowments bestowed on them by thee, or might injure and offend them in any other respect. Bless to this end the meditations we are now about to begin. Caufe us to be fo convinced of the value of our neighbour's good reputation, that we may henceforth make it to us an inviolable law never purposely to injure it in any manner whatever. This we implore of thee as the disciples of Jefus Christ, our bleffed lord and faviour, humbly concluding our petitions in his name and words: Our father, &c.

PROVERBS, Xxii. 1.

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than filver or gold.

VERY often it happens that we are negligent

and careless about matters of great importance, only because we are ignorant of their value, or not fufficiently attentive to it; or because we conceive not the privation of them to be fo prejudicial and ir

reparable

reparable as it really is. This is but too frequently the case in regard to the time allotted us to pass on earth. It is not believed or confidered to be destined to affairs, on the fuccessful transacting whereof, not only our welfare in this world depends, but likewife our condition in that which is to come. It is not believed or confidered, that this precious time is very liable to be loft, that loft time can never be recalled, and that the benefits which we fuffer to escape us by the wafte or the abuse of it can by no means be compenfated. It is not believed or confidered, that each day, each hour of life, when regarded in its connection with futurity, is of the utmost importance, that it may frequently be decifive. Hence it is that most men are so prodigal of their time; hence fo great a part of it is trifled away either in doing nothing, or in childish amusements; hence it is that concerns of the greatest moment are so much neglected; hence it is that one day is fuffered to pass after another, one month after another, one year after another, before we seriously fet about our amendment and our everlasting falvation.

Just as we deal with our time, my pious hearers, fo do we not unfrequently act by the good name of our neighbour. It not often happens, it happens indeed but rarely, that we fay and do fuch things as are prejudicial to our neighbour's fame from sheer malice and a defire to hurt. But it is not believed or confidered that fo much depends upon it; that it is so easily injured or loft, and that this damage

can