SERMON XXXII.: 453 in the common way of nature : It may be, the king of terrors dresses himself in formidable airs, and shakesyour very frame : But would you livehere on earth for ever ? A christian who has hopes and interests, and possessions beyond the regions of time and sense, should not be afraid to enter upon them. Remem- ber that deathitself,' even in its most formidable appearance, is ordained of God to open the door of heaven for you, and let your souls into the joy of eternal life : The grace of your Re- deemer, and the epistle of St. Paul, join to teach you this song, O death, where is thysting? Aud f) grave, where is thy victory? 1 Cor. á[v.55. Thus, by keeping your soul in a ready preparation for the worst events that your fear can imagine, you overcome this tyrant of the soul, and triumph over this slavish passion. Thus you transform your very terrors into joys, and gather honey out of the lion, as Samson .did. The more fatal your dangers are, the nearer is your final deliverance. Say to yourself, Is my feeble flesh totteringinto the grave? Then my soul is somuch-nearer to thegates of glory. This is the holy skill of turning evil hito good. Such a faith, kept in lively exërcise can make rows springout of the midst of thorns, and Change the briars of the wilderness into the fruit-trees of paradise. Q what a state of divine and sacred peace does that christian enjoy, whocan look ste'dfastly upon the face of danger, in its most frightful forms, and say through grace, I am prepared ! Though Iwalk through the valley of the shadowof death, I willfear no evil, formy God iswith me, and he will be with me for evejc. Recollection. What progress hast thoumade, O my soul, in acquiring this sacred fortitude? The former discourse has taught thee°the necessity of it, and the various occasions for the exercise of it in the course of the christian life. In this latter sermon thou hast heard the motives that should awaken-all thy powers to 'obtain and practise it, and thou hostbeen införnìed what are some of themost sovereign remedies against thyfoolish and sinful fears. Methinks I feel the want of this holy hardiness of soul; to walk through the midstof temptations uutnoV'ed, uni. terrified, and undefiled. My virtue and 'my religion have to often suffered by the prevailing power of a'slavish fear: my ednscience has lost its innocence and peace by too many sinful compliances. What 'shall' I do to harden my spirit all over, that temptation and slavish fear may not find a place to enter. For this end I review the glorioús motives set before me. For this end Book to the »ohIoarmy of martyrs, to the'bleesed society of the apostles, to the cloud of-witnesses which 'have trod the same path'before ue, whobalkborneanundaunted testimony
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