PRINCE OF PEACE. '95 He bath given us his Word to explain that Covenant, and his Oath to afüre us of its Fulfillment. His Word and his Oath are two immutable things, becaufe He is immutable. And they never can be broken, becaufe it is impojblefor GOD to lye. Here, then, flows firong Confolation, to the Heirs of Promife, as well as everlafï- áng Confolation. O it is a Tide of joy, which fhall never know an Ebb, rolled_ into the LORD'S Redeemed by his infinite Love, and fuftained, with unabating Force, by his omnipotent Power ! They tafte, and barely tafte, of the Rivulets now ; but they fhall loon drink, with unappailed Delight, at the Fountain-Head in Glory. Compared with the Enjoyment of this Peace, even here below ; what are all the fenfual Pleafures and perilhing Entertainments of the World ? They are, al- together, both evanid and inane. View thofe, who court them molt ; fee the Perlons, who appear to enjoy what they court: Andwhat thoughtlefs idleMortals do they feem, on the one Hand or what carkingunfatisfied Wretches, on the other? They know no Happinefs but in the Difliipation of their Thoughts; and, when they can forget GOD, Heaven, Hell, Eternity, and them- felves, they fancy, they are at eafe. What a monftrous Delufion is that, which can divert Men, by a perifh- ing uñfubftantial Good, from the Confideration of a near and unavoidable Evil; which fixes the Idea of Pleafure, not in furmounting the finful Difgraces of a fallenNature, but in degrading even that Nature to the loweft Stupidity and Gratifications of a Beaft ? Yet this is the whole Wifdom and Bufinefs of Man ; till GOD gives him to fee the Folly of his Sin, and the Idlenefs of his Imagination and Cares. Till GOD turns his Thoughts upon himfelf; he has neither Heart nor In- clination to elévate his Mind from the molt fordid At- tachments of the World. But if, without any real Irnprefi'ions of Grace, his RefleEtions are turned upon the fhort Duration of all things here, and the Neceffity of feeking for a Hone O 2 VI agn
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