God has divided time, between light and darkness, because he would daily remind us, that this is a world of mixtures and changes;: in heaven there is perpetual light and no darkness at all; in hell, utter darkness and no. gleam of light; but in this world they are counterchanged, and we pass daily from one to the other.-May we learn to expect the like vicissitudes in providence, peace and trouble, joy and sorrow, and by setting one against the other, accommodate ourselves to both, by making the best use of them.. It may be boldly affirmed, that good men reap more substantial benefit from their afflic tions, than bad men do from their prosperities: and what they lose in wealth, pleasure, or honour, they gain with vast advantage in wisdom, goodness and tranquillity of mind. Prosperity is often a trumpet that sounds: a retreat; it calls men of from the pursuit of religion; how many souls hath the pleurisy of prosperity killed.. The world's fawning is worse than its frowning; and it is more to be feared when it smiles, than when it thunders. There is scarce any lot so low, but there is something in it to satisfy the man whom it has befallen; providence having so ordered things, that in every man's cup how bitter soever, there are some cordial drops, which if wisely extracted, are sufficient to make him content. If we will create imaginary wants to ourselves, why do we not create imaginary satisfactions to them? it were the better frenzy of the two to be like the Athenian, who fancied all the ships that came into the harbour were his own. Prosperity has always been the cause of far greater evils to men than adversity; and it is easier for a man to bear this patiently, than not to forget himself in the other. Moderation in prosperity, is a virtue very difficult to all mortals.. Proud men never have friends; neither in prosperity, because they know nobody, nor in adversity, because then nobody knows them. Many afflictions may befal a good man, but no evil; for contrarieties will never incorporate, all the rivers in the world are never able to change the taste and quality of the sea. Adversity does not take from us our real friends; it only disperses those who pretended to be such. The greatest misfortune of all is not to be able to bear misfortune. Suffering seasons, have generally been sifting seasons; in which, the christian has lost his chaff, and the hypocrite his courage. There is no spring without its fall; nosummer without its winter. Men will have the same veneration for a person who suffers adversity, without dejection, as for demolished temples the very ruins whereof are reverenced and adored. The virtue of prosperity is temperance. The virtue of adversity is fortitude. When we despond under the calamities of life, we reproach ourselves; their sting may be sharp, but, if not poisoned by the hand of vice, the wounds are not deep. Shielded in the armour of righteousness, the arrows of misfortune fall blunted at our fect. To insult over the miseries of an unhappy creature is inhuman, not to compassionate them is unchristian. A good man enjoys prosperity a second time in reflection. His mind has no load; fu |