world, and to declare ourselves, if I may say so, in some measure the enemies of God. Hence we are naturally encouraged to hope for his extraordinary favour and reward in the one case, and to dread his vengeance and punishment in the other.
There are besides many other reasons, and many other natural principles, which all tend to confirm and inculcate the same salutary doctrine. If we consider the ge|neral rules by which external prosperity and adversity are commonly distributed in this life, we shall find, that notwithstand|ing the disorder in which all things appear to be in this world, yet even here every virtue naturally meets with its proper re|ward, with the recompense which is most fit to encourage and promote it; and this too so surely, that it requires a very extra|ordinary concurrence of circumstances en|tirely to disappoint it. What is the reward most proper for encouraging industry, pru|dence, and circumspection? Success in every sort of business. And is it possible that in the whole of life these virtues should fail of attaining it? Wealth and external honours are their proper recompence, and
