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The wealthy man would believe, that the poor man had more leifure for prayer, and fewer temptations to earthlymindedness, than he has. God would lofe the thanks of every man, that could fancy another more happy than himself; and would lofe the duty and fervice of every man, that could fancy his own temptations to be ftronger than all other men's. And because we feel our own good and evil, and do but guefs at other men's by their outward appearance, we fhould run into all manner of falfe judgement in comparing them with one another.

But that there might be no pretence for this wretched way of arguing, God hath not only tied us up all strictly to the fame piety and duty, but is pleased to let us know, as the truth is, that upon the whole matter, there is nothing new under the fun; that upon the whole matter, he hath made no difference between the prefent and former ages, between ourselves and other perfons.

Our neighbour, perhaps, hath not all thofe very temptations that we have; but

then

then he hath his own: he hath perhaps fome advantages in one kind, which we have not; but we may have the advantage of him in another.

Every condition of life hath not only its proper inconveniences, but its proper advantages; and what is loft in the difference of our state from others, or in the change. which we may fuffer ourselves, is made up another way.

Profperity and fuccefs fhould make us love God better; but difappointments, on the other fide, and adverfities,-do very often make it more eafy for us to love the world lefs.

In short, let us feek no excufes for neglecting piety and virtue, from the difference of times, fortunes, temptations, and the like, between ourselves and thofe that live in this, or that lived in former ages; for we are likely to make but a foolish judgement, and fhall unavoidably run into great mistakes, in making the comparison: and the reason of our fin will not bear the judgement of the all-feeing God, nor the examination of the laft great day.

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But let us believe God to be impartial; and to have tempered the feafons, and ages of the world, and the different conditions of perfons, with a wife equality, and with an unerring judgement. And let us give up ourselves to follow, and to comply with his wife providence. And although his judgements, in refpect of others, be unfearchable, and his ways past finding out; yet we fhall find, that all his ways, towards our own felves in particular, are fo wife and good, that at laft we fhall not. wish there had been the leaft alteration of them.

BUT fuppofe, that in fome notable refpects, our cafe may differ from another man's; yet this difference is not so great, as to make any material difference, between our obligation and his, to do that which God requires. Nor can we be lefs obliged fo to do, than those that have been before us. For in every age it may be faid, That which hath been, is now; and in every age God requireth that which is pafi ;

and

1: མ ཐ ར

and that, under the fame motives and obligations, without any difference fo confiderable, as to turn the balance one way or other. For let the world go which way it will, a wicked man is a fool and a wretch; and the righteous man is happy and wife for himself. And therefore certainly, that is a very good condition, and a good world for us, in which we may be as good as we please to be.

But, finally; Suppofe things should not always happen according to common rules, but fometimes leave their ufual courfe; as fuppofe a righteous man fuffers even for his righteousness: Then, we must leave the confideration of this world, and go to that of a better. And why fhould we not fuppofe, that fo incomparable a state of bleffings, referved for a good man in the world to come, and juftly efteemed, and earnestly defired by him,-fhould not only make all present inconveniences very light, but in comparison none at all. When the glories of the future world are

taken into

the account, it is all one within a trifle,

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whether it be with or without tribulation, with cafe or difficulty, with pleasure or pain,-so that we do but enter into the kingdom of heaven at last.

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SERMON

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