he same time
that he reflects upon his own weakness and imperfection he comforts
himself with the contemplation of those Divine attributes which are
employed for his safety and his welfare. He finds his want of foresight
made up by the Omniscience of Him who is his support. He is not sensible
of his own want of strengths when he knows that his helper is almighty.
In short, the person who has a firm trust on the Supreme Being is
powerful in His power, wise by His wisdom, happy by His happiness. He
reaps the benefit of every Divine attribute, and loses his own
insufficiency in the fulness of infinite perfection.

To make our lives more easy to us, we are commanded to put our trust in
Him, who is thus able to relieve and succour us; the Divine goodness
having made such reliance a duty, notwithstanding we should have been
miserable had it been forbidden us.

Among several motives which might be made use of to recommend this duty
to us, I shall only take notice of these that follow.

The first and strongest is, that we are promised He will not fail those
who put their trust in Him.

But without considering the supernatural blessing which accompanies this
duty, we may observe that it has a natural tendency to its own reward,
or, in other words, that this firm trust and confidence in the great
Disposer of all things contributes very much to the getting clear of any
affliction, or to the bearing it manfully. A person who believes he has
his succour at hand, and that he acts in the sight of his friend, often
exerts himself beyond his abilities, and does wonders that are not to be
matched by one who is not animated with such a confidence of success. I
could produce instances from history of generals who, out of a belief
that they were under the protection of some invisible assistant, did not
only encourage their soldiers to do their utmost, but have acted
themselves beyond what they would have done had they not been inspired by
such a belief. I might in the same manner show how such a trust in the
assistance of an Almighty Being naturally produces patience, hope,
cheerfulness, and all other dispositions of the mind that alleviate those
calamities which we are not able to remove.

The practice of this virtue administers great comfort to the mind of man
in times of poverty and affliction, but most of all in the hour of death.
When the soul is hovering in the last moments of its separation, when it
is just entering on ano