The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

36 SERMONS.be ftrengthened, our love increafed, and our hearts inflamedwith a (Irong dcfire to rcfemble and obey him ?By converfing about the glories of the other world,would we not learn to bear with contentment theills of this life, and to become more indifferent withrefpe£t to itstranfient joys? Would we not by divine^race, behave in the whole of our condudl, as '< feeinghim who is invlfible ?" Would we not believeand feel the eternal world to be as real as if we alreadybeheld it with our eyes ? and would we not graduallybe more and more influenced by that " faithwhich is the fubflance of things not feen, and theevidence of things hoped for ?" And v/ould we nothave to fay, from comfortable experience, " This isthe vi61:ory that overcometh the world, even ourfaith?" In fhort, by ferious and religious conference,what great improvements in goodnefs might wemake ? Would we not become better men and betterChriflians, advancmg to the meafure of the ftatureof the fulnefs of Chrilt ?—Edified by different friends,we would have it to fay, in imitation of the virtuousand thoughtful Roman emperor, ** From this man Ifirfl learned to think reverendly of God, and of hisrighteous adminiftration; from that man I learned fubmilTionto the will of providence, and the art of contentmentin every condition of life : By one, I wastaught to have a rehfh for the beauty of manners,to perceive the dignity and reality of virtue, and thebeauty of holinefs ; by another, I was taught, throughdivine grace, to bridle my paflTions, to be eafdy reconciledto thofe who had offended me, to fet a due valueupon the virtues of others, to make allowance for theirimperfections, and fmcerely to love them: By the greatpains which one friend took upon me, my mind wasgradually opened, and at length I had a ravifhing viewof the Gofpel fcheme of falvation; by another I learnedto fee the vanity of worldly pleafures, to fludy theart of felf-rccollcclion; to be Intent upon mine own im-