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fide? the bleffings which furround you; the friends who fympathize with you; the fources of relief that are opened; the confolations which footh and ftrengthen you; the spiritual mercies that are to be fet against temporal evils; and, above all, the glorious "hope of an "inheritance eternal in the heavens ;" the profpect of that world, where all tears fhall be wiped away from the eyes? Did ye, Christians, confider your condition in these more cheerful aspects, it is not impoffible, but ye would fee abundant reason to say, "are any comforts, are any hopes, like to my COMFORTS and MY HOPES?" Amen.

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SERMON XVII.

CHILDREN, BLESSINGS.

PSALM CXXVII. 4, 5.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemy in the gate.

'HE poetical compofition, from whence

THE

our text is taken, breathes the spirit of devotion, and inculcates the fpirit of piety, It is, as it has been remarked,* a commentary upon a maxim often repeated in the book of Proverbs, viz. That it is vain to attempt. any thing, if the LORD doth not prosper the defign. The glory of states, the happiness of families, is dependent on his will and providence. This truth, which deferves serious

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* Bishop Patrick.

and frequent confideration, is illuftrated, particularly, in the birth of children, and in the joy and fecurity parents derive from them.

The Pfalm is fuppofed to have been written by Solomon, when he was about to build the temple, and at the time of Rehoboam's birth. It is fuitable to the cafe of those who are engaged in any new defign and undertaking: and is proper to be adopted, when our families increase, or when we caft our eyes, with the parental emotions of joy and affection, on the children round our board. Our thoughts are thus raised to our and their Heavenly Pathe Father of us all. We are inftructed gifts from God, as "an heritage of the LORD:" as friends raised up by Divine Providence, the reward of youthful virtue, the ornament and defence of our declining years. "As arrows in the hand of "a mighty man, fo are children of the youth :" they will be the means of his fecurity: by them he will be protected.

rent,
to look upon them as

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Happy is "the man that hath his quiver full of them ;

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"he fhall not be afhamed, but he shall speak "with the enemies in the gate:" i. e. "they "will undauntedly appear for him, to answer

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any challenge fent him by the enemies, or

any accufations put in against him before "the judge. Anallusion to an old man fallying "out to war, guarding and guarded by his "fons: this would inspire him with vigour and courage, that he would not perhaps have « felt, if single.”†

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The general principle contained in the words is this, that children are a bleffing, grants of the divine benevolence, fources of enjoyment and happiness; and that the increase of a family is an improvement of our felicity; it multiplies our pleasures, and creates new hopes.

This a truth, which fcarcely requires, nor is it open to, difpute; but it admits illuftration. The human heart naturally goes out of itself, and seeks for happiness in the objects about it. It seeks an object on which to bestow its love, and from which to receive the returns of life, though they can be expreffed by dumb figns only: for where there are not children to engage affection, it fixeth on an irrational animal. On our children we look with a just and natural delight. They are

+ Patrick.

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