Nine Discourses on the Beatitudes Author:William Smith Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: DISCOURSE IIL St. Matt. v. 5. P1ESSED ARE THE MEEK; FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH. THE inimitable Ikill of the Almighty Creator hath fo wifely diveri... more »ified, and by that means adorned, the whole of his Creation, that every branch both animate and inanimate, both material and intelligent, is not only right and fitting, but pleafing alfo and beautiful in its kind. It was thus that with pleafure he furveyed his -own crea- D 4 don.tion, and behold, " every thing in it was " very good." How grateful and pleafing to the outward fight, is the varied colouring of material objedts! One pleafeth us highly till another be feen; we then know not where to award the preference, when each vies with each in outward beauty, and yields fenfible pleafure to the beholders. Nor is the moral creation of God lefs diverfified than is his natural. The complexions of mind yield as great a variety, as compo- fitions of outward lineament and colour. The ground indeed is uniform and one, in the former as well as the latter. Moral rectitude and virtue is the fame in itfelf, but is differently exerted ; exhibits' a va- N. ried appearance to the mental fight, and y A "-Ss. .n VR- anvthat variety ftill preferves uniformity, Yronrwhich true beauty ever muft re- fult. Examine Examine any number of rational creatures, who know the ends of their creation, and ftudy to exalt their nature, and pleafe the all-bountiful Giver of all that is good.—In different ftations, and from different points of view, they ftrike differently on the fenfe. Which interefts us moft is hard to fay, whether virtue afflicted, or virtue rewarded—whether poverty rich in virtue, or riches which produce a religious poverty, a total abfti- nence from every intemperate abufe or irregular enjoyment; whether the mourn...« less