probation. All here are sojourners in a strange land; both the judge, and the prudent; the ancient, and the honourable man; the counsellor, and the eloquent orator. What flattery has ever soothed the dull cold ear of death? Even the paths of glory have led but to the grave. Those who have been worshipped as gods, have died like men. The mounting, and glowing spark of ambition has gone out, and fallen into the heap of common ashes. Our life is in our nostrils. Health and ease are variable as the weather. Danger prowleth at midnight, and pestilence wasteth at noonday. If accident do not cast us out of the world, nature herself soon will. Our shattered bodies will become unfit for the soul to live in. We shall be as a dead man, out of mind. Even to those, who lived the lives of the patriarchs, their years, when they were past, seemed evil and few. Said aged Jacob to the inquiring king of Egypt: The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years; few and evil have the days of the years of my pilgrimage been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers, in the days of their pilgrimage. In our times, our lives are dwindled to a shorter span. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. When we reflect on such truths, 'How low, how little are the proud; how indigent the great.'

I have not thus dwelt upon this affecting topic, because it required discussion, or was not universally self-evident to the understanding. But although a truth of infinite moment, it is generally overlooked by a thoughtless world; and demands to be often recalled, and reimpressed upon the heart. It is a consolation, however, that the shortness of life; and especially the deaths of so many infants; with the trials of the good, and the forbearance towards the evil; independent of Revelation, give strong assurance of a retributory world,

VOL. II,

20*

II. THE WISDOM, THEREFORE, OF DEVOTING OUR

TIME TO VIRTUE AND RELIGION.

If man knoweth not his time, how hazardous to presume on one day. Seeing then, that these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy conversation and godliness. How should we watch, lest Judgment should be turned away backward, and Justice stand afar off; lest Truth should be suffered to fall in the streets, or Equity be refused to enter. Not only Inspiration, but Italian and Spanish wisdom teaches us: That mercy and goodness alone make us like to God; and the best thing in this world is to live above it. That while it is more painful to do nothing, than to do something; God's providence is the surest and best inheritance; and virtue is the best patrimony for children. That, heaven once named, all other things are trifles; therefore, in every work we should begin and end with God. That the love of God prevails forever; all other things come to nothing. That the truest content is that, of which no man can deprive us; and the short and sure way to reputation is, to take care to be in truth, what we would have others think us to be. That a man is valued as he makes himself valuable; and no man knows more to any good purpose than he practises. That all vice infatuates and corrupts the judgment; and every sin brings its punishment along with it. That there is a much shorter pass from virtue to vice, than from vice to virtue; yet things are so ordered, that a man must take more pains to perish, than to be happy. That he who lives disorderly one year, does not enjoy himself for many years after. That he is unhappy, who wishes to die; but more so, he who fears it; and the more we think of dying, the better we shall live. That happy is he, who knows his follies in his youth; who reproves others, but corrects himself. That the knowledge of God, and of ourselves, is the mother of true devotion, and the perfection of wisdom. That he who amends his faults puts himself under God's protection; and the best and noblest conquest is that of a man's own reason over his passions and follies. Then should we not be over-joyful in prosperity, nor over-anxious in adversity. We should enjoy cheerfully, what we obtain

honestly. If we possess internal endowments, which fit us for private life, how should we hold them in all usefulness and sobriety. If we possess an eminency of them, which fits us for public stations, how should we minister as those, who must give an account. If earthly enjoyments do not soon leave us, we shall soon quit them. For the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thine heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth; and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment. It is a fearful thing, to fall into the hands of the living God.

6

The true definition of time is, a term given for repentance. We are ever murmuring that our days are so limited, and yet we act as though they would never end. We waste life, in doing what we ought not, or in doing little that we ought to do. How many of us do good to those who affront us; overcome evil with good; turn the face again, rather than be revenged; and lose our interest rather than our charity? for by these precepts we shall be judged.' Many hope all is well with them, if they refrain from civil, penal crimes, such as have a name in the laws; but that secret sins, crafty cozenage and malicious lawsuits, revelling and petty spites, and rudeness, and pride, and lying, and churlishness, will be winked at. If every idle word shall be brought into judgment, what shall those answer, who corrupt justice, and pervert innocence; who preach evil doctrines, or declare perverse sentences? We call ourselves Christians, and we defame our Lord; we call men brothers, and we oppress one another. Man destroys his neighbour, and makes the poor fear him, and builds up new religions, and confounds the old, and lets the trivial affairs of the world take up so much of his time, that little is left for piety. All this while, God is silent, except by his Word, and our conscience.' But soon, God will speak, and no man shall answer. What profit

will you then have of those things, of which you should now be ashamed? However well you may have improved your time in temporal pursuits, all is mispent, unless you have gained the one thing needful. Every man that lives

wickedly disgraces his nature. Every professor, especially, that is a hypocrite, or a backslider, strikes a blow at the church. He discourages strangers from entering into it, he cools the hearts of them that are in already, and makes the adversaries speak reproachfully of the name of its divine Founder.' He is treasuring up wrath for his soul against the day of wrath; for to be carnally minded is death. O that people were wise, that they would consider their latter end. He that accuses himself of his crimes here, means to forsake them; he looks well upon them on all sides, and spies out his deformity, and is taught to hate them; and by making shame the instrument of repentance, he takes away the sting, and makes that his medicine, which would otherwise be his death.' The way to be prepared for futurity is not to endeavour to forget it; but to retire from the crowd, and patiently, and repeatedly, to meditate upon death. To fortify the soul against all gloomy presages, we must secure to ourselves the protection of the great Disposer of Events. We must struggle particularly against our easily besetting sins. While we are trifling, and proud, and merry, all is serious around us. God, the Saviour, the Bible, Creation, all are serious. These monitions are not designed to wound or depress your minds; but, on the contrary, to prevent future remorse. First follies are not

unpardonable, but may be redeemed; the second are hazardous; and the third more fatal; but nothing is absolutely hopeless, but a perseverance in irreligion. Therefore, let the time past of our lives suffice, and more than suffice, in which to have wrought the will of the flesh. 'While the tremendous realities of the eternal world are out of view, unthought of, and disregarded; as alas, they generally are by the most of mankind; what mighty things in their esteem are the relations, the joys and sorrows, the possessions and bereavements, the acquisitions and pursuits, of this life. How do they engross our anxious thoughts and cares, and exhaust our strength and spirits.' How do they draw us from the daily duties of religion; from solemn reflection and discourse, from reading useful books, from advising the ignorant, relieving the needy, and comforting the afflicted. The virtuous mind turns

with distaste from the impure pleasures of the world, and finds delightful employment for its secret hours, in holding communion with its Creator. The humble Christian, although forsaken by earthly comforters, can find a welcome refuge with his heavenly Friend.

All earthly joys are but a feverish, incoherent reverie. The fascinating pageantry of human scenes will vanish like a vain show. The memory of man passeth away, as the remembrance of a guest, that tarrieth but one day. 'Every hour carries us nearer to the fragrant atmosphere of angels, or to the pestilential vapours of demons.' It remaineth, that both they that have wives, be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it. It will soon be found, that men are not wits for talking deistically, nor valiant for being tyrannical, nor wise for circumventing; that wealth is not the greatest fortune, that pride is an ill counsellor, and that to persecute even in a good cause is no piety. It is, comparatively, of little moment, whether our lives be longer or shorter; but all-important, that we make a good use of our time. For honourable age is not that, which standeth in length of time, or is measured by number of years; but wisdom is the gray hair to man, and an unspotted life is old age. Good men are sometimes taken away speedily, lest that wickedness should alter their understanding, or deceit beguile their souls. The shortness of our troubles here, should make them more tolerable; knowing that here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. We should work while the day lasts; for the night cometh, wherein no man can work. For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither we are hastening. 'Those of our friends, who have gone before us, now know by a woful, or blissful experience, the worth of time; the incalculable value of every hour to a soul on probation. But our business is not with the dead, but the living.' Heaven's prophets are sent to warn his people of their sins. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Cry aloud, and spare not; lift up