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THE
RIGHT
IMPROVEMENT
OF
LIFE.
[SERM.
XSYI$.
when these
are the persons
of
every
party
who
are
the
most excellent
in the
earth;
these
are
the guards
and
walls
of
defence
to
the nation,
".the_
chariots
of
our Is-
rael, and
the horsemen
thereof
2
Kings
ii. 12.
xiii.
14.
V.
Life
is
yours;
for
it
a
ords
means
for
brighten-
ing
your
evidence for heaven,
and
improving your
own
preparation
for glory. Surely you
are not
willing to de-
part
from this
world, till you
have good
hope
of
an
inte-
rest
in a
better
state,
and
a
comfortable
expectation
that
it
shall be well
with you for ever.
Does
God
prolong
your
days on
earth?
See
then,
that
the principles
of
piety and
goodness
be well
rooted
in
your hearts,
and
that
your
graces grow up
under
the influences
of
heaven.
See
that
they
bud
and
blossom with
fair
flowers,
to the
honour
of
your
profession, and to
the
joy
of
your
own
consciences.
Let
the sacred fruits
of
your
love
and
zeal
break out
upon
all
just
occasions
:
Shine
brighter
in
ho-
liness
every day
of
your mortal
life,
and bring
forth fruits
meet for
life
everlasting,
that
ye may know
and
be as
sured
that
the seeds
of
glory
are
sown
within
you,
such
divine seeds
as will
bear
a
rich and
blessed
harvest
in
the
great
day.
"
He that
has this
hope
will
purify himself
as
,Christ
is
pure,"
1
John
iii.
3.
and his increasing
purity
will
con-
firm
his
hope. Believe
it;
christians,
as
your
life
and
practice
grows
more divine and undefiled, the
image
of
Christ
will
appear
in you.
with
fairer
evidence, and raise
your
hopes
of
dwelling with
him
to
the
joys
of
assurance.
Many
souls have
gone to
heaven as
in
a
chariot
of
tri-
umph, after
some
years
of
their practice
of
christianity,
who,
at
their
first profession
of
it,
were
oppressed
with
many doubts
and fears, and were often
trembling upon
the borders
of
despair. Life
was
their
blessing indeed,
when
it
taught
them
to
die with
faith
and
honour,
and
enter into
the world
Of
spirits
with divine
joy.
Let
it
be
said then concerning you, O christians,
that
you
sensibly
approach nearer
to heaven every
month
of
your
continuance upon earth, and
that
you look more
like the
inhabitants
of
that upper
world,
by
how much
the longer
you
continue
in this
lower
state; that
when
you
depart
hence, you may be
assured
of
a
joyful
admis-
sion into paradise.
May
your
graces shine bright, and
your
evidences for heaven
appear
so
glorious
and
uncon-