The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

And for the exercise of patience upon the §2latter account; the concomitant miseries of this our present expecting state. I need not insist to show how needful it is, this being that which our own sense will sufficiently instruct us in. We are not to expect the future state of blessedness in a state of present ease and rest, in a quiet friendly world; in a calm and peaceful region under placid and benign influences from men, and times; but amidst storms, and tempests, and trouble on every side, under frowns and displeasures, threats and dangers, harsh and rough severities, ill and ungentle usages, flouts and scorns, wrongs and injurious dealings, wants and pressures in many kinds. When the world is once forsaken by us, it grows angry; If we disclaim it, and avow our selves not to be of it, becomes confessed strange and pilgrims in it, set our selves seriously, and visibly to mind and design something above and beyond it, discover our selves to be of them, that are called out of it, from ⟨p. 384⟩the same principle that it loves its own, it will hate us; ¹when once God calls us his sons, the world well not know us. We see in this context we are discoursing from what the Psal mist condition was, whilst, as yet he remained under this blessed expectation. He found the men of time, whose portion was in this life, to be deadly enemies, wicked oppressors, proud insulters? They were to him as greedy lions, as a blood thirsty sword. His cries to be delivered from them, show what he met with at their hands, or thought he had reason to fear. Nor can so raging enmity and hate ever cease to meditate mischiefs and cruelties. The same principle still remains in all the Serpents brood, and will still be putting forth it self in suitable practises, which cannot but infer to the contrary Seed, continual trouble and matter of complaint.

And for the exercise of patience upon the §2latter account; the concomitant miseries of this our present expecting state. I need not insist to shew how needfull it is, this being that which our own sense will sufficiently instruct us in. We are not to expect the future state of blessedness in a state of present ease and rest, in a quiet friendly world; in a calm and peaceful region under placide and benigne insluences from men, and times; but amidst storms, and tempests, and trouble on every side, under frowns and displeasures, threats and dangers, harsh and rough severities, ill and ungentle usages, flouts and scornes, wrongs and injurious dealings, wants and pressures in many kinds. When the world is once forsaken by us, it grows angry; If we disclaim it, and avow our selves not to be of it, becomes confessed strange and pilgrims in it, set our selves seriously, and visibly to mind and design something above and beyond it, discover our selves to be of them, that are called out of it, from