SEIt'M: `VTIT11 WITH THE: BLESSINGS OF IT. .fane and sinful men ; theygo back, as;sorne disciples,d0 in the days of ,Christ, andawalk no longer ith iur, : >. t let us remember the divine threatening;. 7j}lg_rnan w-h9 hath put his hand to the plough, and 1gç s back ; ix. 62. my soul, saith the Lord, shall haveno pleasure in him ;" Heb. x. 38. 7. The last character I shall ascribe to the .diligent man is, " perseverance 'in opposition ,to. fainting and weariness." . The man of diligence must hold out to the end, if he.expect to have his labour crowned. An im perfect work' among men is very little worth : It is the end that crowns all., And it isjust the same in religion, unless we persevere in the duties of holiness,, 'we have no reason, to expect the divine reward ; but the glorious recompense is sure to us, " if we are not weary in well doing; we shall reap indue time if we faint not;", Gal. vi. 9. St. Paul just before his martyrdom rejoices in. this, he had " fought the good fight, 'in' opposition to all the enemies of the gospel, and he had finished his course of faith and holi- ness: Henceforthsaid he, is laid up for me a crown ofrighr . teousness ;'' 2 Tina. iv. 7, 8. Let us animate ourselves by his blessed example,, and by the promise of our L,gd Jesus to the church of Ephesus ; Rev. ii. 10. Be thoiu faithful.untodeath, and I will give thee a crown of life._' Let these thoughts awaken our drowsy 'spirits, andpro- long our patience in the work of the Lord, that we,may not at last be found " among there who draw back, to perdition, but among those who believe, and persevere to the saving of the soul ;" lieb, x. 39. Thus far I have been engaged in setting beforeyou the' several things implied in diligence or industry, both in matters of this life, and -.that which is to come ; but I have in some, measure entered upon my second general' head, by often touching upon the happy fruits of dilir Bence, as well as the dismal consequences of all the con- 'trary vices. My remaining work therefore will be very ,short, and that is to mention in a more express and dis- tinct manner, the blessings Which attend diligente in a course of virtue and goodness.; and they are such as these 1. Diligence bath a natural tendency to success, and." toobtain the good things we seek. " In all labour, saith I4
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