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(II. 17.) "he must expect death with a benevo"lent and calm mind, as a dissolution of those "elements of which every animal consists. And

if nothing uncommon happen to these elements, "and they be only changed as all elements conti"nually are, into others, why should we dread "the event, or be disturbed at that change and dis"solution which is the lot of all. For it is ac

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cording to nature, and nothing that is natural is "an evil,"

How poor is the consolation which this language holds out compared with that of the apostles, which have now been recited. His reasoning. about the indifference with which we should regard the duration of life is as unsatifactory; and indeed manifestly absurd, if life be of any value. “If any "of the gods," he says, (IV. 47.) "should tell (6 you that you should die either to-morrow, or "the day following, you would not be disturbed "at it; unless you were of a very cowardly and

abject disposition. The difference between to"morrow and the day following is indeed a trifle; "but for the same reason you should not make any "account of the difference if it should be either to"morrow, or a thousand years hence." I doubt

not,

not, however, but that if the emperor himself had the choice of dying either after one more day of life, or of living, I do not say, a thousand years, but to the usual time of human life, he would not have hesitated to show, by his actual choice of the latter, that he thought it was not a matter of so much indifference as in his writings he represents it.

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How thankful, then, should we be for the gos pel, which gives us such an unspeakable advantage over the most enlightened of the heathens with respect to what must interest all men the most, the troubles of life, and the fear of death. Under these the heathens could at the best only acquiesce, as in things that were unavoidable; and being, as Antoninus says, agreeable to nature, must be the best with respect to the whole systems; but not for them in particular. They had nothing to look to beyond the business and the troubles of this life, and no hope at all after death. And their arguments for patiently acquiescing under the evils of life, and in the view of death, would never have' any weight with the bulk of mankind, and whatever they might pretend, could only be affected by the philosophers themselves. Whatever they might teach, or write, they must have felt like other

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men in the same circumstances, having no more expectation of surviving death, or ever seeing any better state of things, than other men.

Being then through the goodness of God possessed of this superior knowledge, this treasure so long hidden from the greatest part of the world, this pearl of great price, let us value it in proportion to its real worth, converting this knowledge into useful feelings and practice, by living agreeably. to the light with which we are favoured. Otherwise, it would have been better for us to have continued ignorant heathens, as we should then have had less to answer for; and woe will be to those who when this light is come into the world shew by their conduct that they love darkness better than light because their deeds are evil. To our christian knowledge, let us, with the apostle, add all the proper virtues of the christian life. These exceeding great and precious promises are given to us, that, as the apostle Peter says, we may thereby become partakers of a divine nature, having escaped the corruptions that are in the world. Giving all diligence, as he exhorts, let us add to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, to knowledge temperance, to temperance patience, to patience godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness universal

universal charity. If these things as he says, be in us and abound, we shall not be unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us then, my christian brethren, give diligence to make our calling and election sure,; for, as the same apostle adds, if we do these things we shall never fail; for so on entrance will be administered unto us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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THE discourse of our Lord of which these

words make a part was addressed to his first followers, and especially those who were afterwards Apostles, and preachers of the gospel. In it he explains what was their proper character, their station, and their duty; setting them in as striking a light as possible. Ye, says he, are the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and a city set upon a hill. They were to be the public instructors of mankind, embassadors as it were from God, sent by him for the great purpose of persuading a sinful world to abandon their vices, and sinful customs, and to devote themselves to a life of virtue, with a view to a happy immortality.

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