Watts - BX5200 .W3 1813 v.7

18.1 THE 'WORLD TO COME. Of it ; to utter no rude or angry, language, and to take every thing kindly that they say or do, and become like a weaned child ; Ps. cxx d. 2. But such a character is not found in every_ house. A holy soul, through the severity of pain may sometime. in such a hour be too much ruffled by violent and sudden fits of impa- tience. Tha proceeded to such a degree even in that good man Job, tinder his various calamities and the sore boils upon his flesh, that made him curse the day wherein he was born, and cry out in the anguish of his spirit, my soul chuseth strangling, and death rather than life; Job iii. 1 -10. and vii. 15. and there have been several instances of those who, having not the fear of God before their eyes, with hasty violence and'murderous hands, have put an end to their own lives, through their wild and sinful impa- tiet)_ce of constant pain. But these trials are for ever finished when this life expires : Then all our pains are ended for ever if we are found among the children of God. There is uot, nor can be any temptation in heaven, to.fretfulness or disquietude of mind : All the peevish passions are dropped into the grave, together with the body of flesh ; and those evil humours which were the sources of smart and anguish here on earth have no place in the new raised body : Those irregular juices of animal nature which tormented the nerves, and excited pain in the flesh, and which at the same time provoked choler and irritated the spirit, are never found in the heavenly mansions. There is nothing but peace and pleasure; joy and love, goodness and benevolence, ease and satisfaction diffused through all the regions on high : There are no inward springs of uneasiness to ruffle tite mind, none of those fretful ferments which were wont to kindle in the mortal body, and ex- plode themselves with fire and thunder upon every supposed offence, or even sometimes without provocation. O happy state and blessed mansions of the saints, when this body of sin shall be destroyed, and all the restless atoms that disquieted the flesh and provoked the spirit to impatience, shall be buried in the dust of death, and never, never rise again ! 6. " Pain carries a temptation with it, sometimes to repine and murmur at the providence of God. "` Not fellow - creatures alone, but even our sovereign Creator comes within the reach of the peevish humours, which are alarmed and roused by sharp or continual pain. 'Jonah the prophet, when be felt the sultry heat of the sun smite fiercely upon him, and tlw gourd which gave him a friendly shadow was withered away, he told God himself in a passion, that he did well to be angry, even tinto death ; Jonah iv. O. And even the man of U , the pattern of patience, was sometimes transported with the smart and maladies that were ppon him, so that he complained against God, as well as cam - laiued to him, and used some very unheconting expressions

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