There shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth, when ye fhall fee Abraham, and Ifaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourfelves thrust out. Luke, xiii. 28. you HERE is an argument for a holy life, perhaps not much attended to, but drawn from the most acute feelings of the human heart. If you lead a bad life, you may not only have your own pofitive mifery to bear, but the additional diftrefs of feeing yourself for ever excluded from those you most valued, who are entering into a state. of happiness. Here is a punishment arifing, as perhaps most of our future punishments do, immediately from our vices. Envy is a vile paffion, and here probably it becomes a fource of endless punishment. This feems to be the meaning of our Saviour's obfervation. What an exaggerated punishment must it be, (if there were no other punishment provided,) for parents to be shut out from children-children from parents; wives from hufbbands-hufbands from wives; brothers, fifters, and friends-all thus feparated, and under fuch afflicting circumstances to those who are shut out in mifery. It is a punishment probably only on the guilty; for it is not likely that the righteous should be disturbed by affections for those who had loft God's favour: their earthly friendships, not refting on the stable foundation of religion, but on pleafing manners, good fenfe, or worldly accomplishments of different kinds, fade naturally away, when these are loft. Nothing furely, but fuch virtues as are the offspring of religion, can be the foundation of a heavenly friendship. How strong a motive should this be to those who have an affection for pious perfons, to qualify themselves in fuch a manner as will enable them to meet their friends in a happy futurity? - d of TA II. It is the Lord, let him do what feemeth him good.1 Sam. iii. 18. THIS HIS was the fubmiffive anfwer of the pious Eli, on his receiving a threatening message from the Lord, for not fufficiently restraining the wickedness of his fons. It is one of those aphorifms of which scripture is full; and which are so well calculated to be always carried with us, for conftant use. The world is full of affliction. A state of trial must neceffarily be fupported by afflictive circumstances. Adverfity is equally neceffary as prosperity, to try the hearts of men. But it is a happy thing that we have here a rule which is fufficient, if we would pioufly attend to it, to fupport us under the worst of our afflictions It is the Lord, let him do what feemeth him good: he knows, with unerring certainty, what is beft for all his creatures: he doth not willingly afflict the children of men; but tempers the affliction always always with a view to their good. What a happiness therefore ought we to think it, to be always under the care of fo righteous a Master, who will treat us, we may be affured, like a father. We may be reminded also, that submiffion is even naturally the best way to make fuffering eafier; for, in fpite of us, the Lord will do what feemeth him good. We may kick against the pricks; but we fhall only hurt ourfelves, |