SÉCTIÓN VIII. '77 dangers, from fires and waters,' Mud perils of every kind, who have been carried through multitudes of difficulties, and made to triumphover huge temptations, and have had rich experiences of thegrace and mercy of God through all your pilgrimage, can you not rejoice in him, trust him in this last stage of life, and venture through death and the grave leaning upon his arm ? Have you so often committed your souls into the hands of your blessed Redeemer while they dwell here in flesh, and can you not commit your souls with holy cheerfulness and joy into the same hands when you are departing from these regions of flesh and blood, and entering upon the paradise of God through the dark valley ? Can you not say with the holypsalmist, Psalm lxxi. 20. Thou hast done great things für me, O God, who is like unto thee? Thou hast sheaved me great and sore troubles, and given me many a salvation, thon shalt quicken me again even ,from the dust of death, thou shalt bring me again from the depths of the earth; my God will redeem my soulfrom the power ofthegrave, for he shall receive nie. Has he carried you through sir troubles, and cannot you venture yourself under his conduct and care to pass through the seventh at the appointed hour, and to make the number of your victories and salvations complete ? We hope you have taught younger christians to live and walk with God, by your exemplary behaviour and heavenly conversation, and will you not also teach them to die, by rousing your faith into an active vigour, and raising your courage high.at the gates of death and the borders of glory ? What will the world say, this sinful and unbelieving world ? And what will younger christians be ready to say, if they observe such as you are, cast down and overwhelmed with tumultuous fears at the approaching hour of your departure, when you have all along professed to the world isow divine a support your religion contains in. it against all the terrors of death and the grave ? SECT. VIII:Persuasives to superior Virtue and Piety. Befdre I entirely finish this discourse, perhaps it may not be amiss to mention a few motives or persuasive arguments to awaken and excite you to improve in religion and virtue propor- tionably to all your advantages and obligations. I-confess, throughout the train of my discourse I have given frequent hints of this kind already, and therefore I shall mention but a few, and shall be more brief in the proposal of them. I. If your practice of sincere godliness bear no proportion to the obligation you lie under, and to the advantages you have enjoyed, you will disappoint the just and reasonable expectations of God, angels, and men concerning you. It is true indeed, the blessed God, who foreknows all things from the beginning., can- not be really disappointed in a proper sense, by any occurrences
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