thus triumphing, and though you should meet with some trials, and find many enemies yet to conquer, be not discouraged; your difficulties shall soon be over. Those light afflections, which are but for a moment, shall work out for you an exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Tt SERMON XIX. PROVERBS, XV. 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. IF those admirable precepts, which are con tained in the Bible, were more strictly attended to, how much better would the world be, and how much, of course, would the happiness of mankind be increased! But, while men complain bitterly of the miseries of human life, they are continually adding to them by their own folly and perverseness, acting, generally, from the impulse of the moment, without considering how much advantage they might gain, if they were to be governed by the wholesome restraints of religion; would they allow these, to operate upon them, they would soon be convinced that what God enjoins cannot possibly do them harm. The words, which I have chosen for my text, were written by a wise man, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. He was one, who |