to the Haven of his Reft, where his Soul longs to be. This, this only was the Art by which Saints and Martyrs overcame the World, and looked upon Racks and Gibbets, and every Form of Death, but as fo many Doors opening into the Kingdom of Reft and Glory. By the fame Art still do good Men triumph under all the Trials of Fortune: By this they preserve their Peace in their latest Hours, and refign with Joy their Spirits into his Hand who gave them.

:

This is a Trial which Mortals muft undergo The Time will come, and is now at Hand, when we must part with all that our Eyes delight to fee, and when we must go to render an Account to our great Judge: In that Day, where shall we look for Comfort, and whom shall we call to our Affiftance? Your parting Friends will have nothing but Tears and Sighs to lend you. Then happy is the Man whofe Truft hath been in God; who can with Patience, full of Hope, wait the Coming of his Lord, and obferve with Comfort the Degrees by which he haftens to his End. It is worth your while to lay the Foundation of this Peace betimes, that you may be able to look that

Day

Day in the Face, at which, even at a Distance, the ftouteft Heart may tremble : For it is not Courage, but Folly, not to think of Death with fome Concern, fince fo much depends from that Moment.

And were we fure of nothing else, in confequence of our Faith and Obedience, but to flip quietly out of the World, without fuffering the Agonies which guilty Sinners feel, and which none can defcribe; yet ftill our Labour would not be quite in vain: But, fince this Peace is but the Forerunner of eternal Peace, the Earneft of future Glory and Immortality, it is worth all our Pains to deny ourselves in this World, to take up our Crofs and follow Christ, to labour to do the whole Will of God, that we may inherit that Peace which belongs to thofe, and thofe only, who love the Law of God.

DISCOURSE

313

DISCOURSE X.

PSALM CXix. 63.

I am a Companion of all them that Fear thee, and of them that keep thy Precepts.

T

HERE is nothing more useful or neceffary in the Pursuit of Virtue and Holinefs, and indeed in the whole Conduct of

our Lives, than to obferve the Rules and Methods by which Men of approved Righteousness, who are set forth to us as Patterns and Examples in holy Scripture, did attain to that Perfection, which made them the fhining Lights of the World, and the declared Favourites of God. If therefore we look into fuch Examples, and from thence draw Rules for our own Use, we shall be sure of two very great Ad

vantages;

vantages; namely, that the Rules we prefcribe ourselves will be both proper and practicable; practicable, because drawn from the Practice of Men like ourselves; and proper, because we aim at no other End than that which good Men before us have attained to by the Use of these very Means, and, confequently, for the attaining of which thefe Rules have already by Experience been found to be proper.

This Divifion of the 119th Pfalm, from which the Text is taken, fets before us the feveral Steps by which David recovered himself from the Sin in which he had been involved: In the firft Verfe he declares his Choice, Thou art my Portion, O Lord; and his Refolution to pursue that Choice, I have faid that I would keep thy Word: This he knew by fad Experience that he was not able to do, without the Affiftance and Support of God; and therefore the next Step was to apply for his Affiftance, I intreated thy Favour with my whole Heart. Having thus prepared himself, he fet diligently to examine his Heart, and to form Refolutions, and immediately to put thofe Refolutions. into Practice, I thought on my Ways: turned my Feet unto thy Teftimonies: I made Hafte,

and

and delayed not to keep thy Commandments. This was a good Beginning, and these very promifing Refolutions; but to fecure them there was need of Patience and Courage, and Faith towards God. The Way that leads to Life is narrow, and befet with Dangers; and we begin in vain, unless we are prepared to endure Hardship like good Soldiers of Chrift. The next Thing therefore he mentions, and which we are to learn from him, is Stedfaftnefs when we are tried: The Bands of the Wicked, fays he, have robbed me; but I have not forgotten thy Law. He then refolves on a conftant and uninterrupted Devotion towards God: At Midnight I will rife to give Thanks unto thee, because of thy righteous Judgments. After this follow the Words of the Text, I am a Companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy Precepts.

At first Sight this feems to be but a little Thing to mention, after fo many great Attainments spoken of before: After he had remembered his holy Refolutions, his immediate and uninterrupted Pursuit of them, his Conflancy and Steadiness under Affliction, his perpetual Devotions, what should lead him to fall fo low as to add, that

he