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SEIt'M:

`VTIT11

WITH THE:

BLESSINGS

OF

IT.

.fane

and

sinful

men

;

they

go

back, as;sorne

disciples,d0

in

the days

of

,Christ,

and

a

walk

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 have

no

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

is

just

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: Henceforth

said

he,

is

laid up for me

a

crown

of

righr

.

teousness

;'' 2 Tina.

iv.

7,

8.

Let

us

animate

ourselves by

his blessed example,,

and

by

the promise

of

our

L,g

d

Jesus

to

the church

of

Ephesus

;

Rev. ii.

10.

Be

thoiu

faithful.unto

death,

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 before

you

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."

to

obtain the good things

we

seek.

"

In

all

labour, saith

I4