school of affliction; but you may go there many years, and not learn any thing to purpose, unless Christ be your teacher.-This, then, is another reason why I wish, that, whenever you go abroad, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may be with

you.

6. It is the only thing that can support and comfort you in a dying hour.

And an awful hour you will find that to be, when it comes, though it may be difficult to make you think so now. Indeed, the truth is, you seldom think of it at all: the business or the gaieties of life so engage and engross your attention, that the gloomy, and (as you suppose) distant, scenes of death are almost forgotten. But if you would allow yourself to think of it seriously even now, it must strike you with some awe. To change worlds to go from places and persons that are endeared by long acquaintance, and to go where you know nobody; and to fix there for ever, whether you like it or not, whether it be a state of the most perfect joy or complete wretchedness;-to know, that when you are once entered either into heaven or hell, you shall go no more out for ever:-Can you think of it at all, and especially can you think of it as near, without a serious concern upon your minds, and wishing that you may die the death of the righteous? But methinks I would fain have you to do something more than wish it, before you go to sea.--I do not aim at alarming you with needless, groundless fears; but there can be no impropriety in saying, that a sea-faring life is a very hazardous one; that you are "in deaths oft." Take the year round, there is scarcely a week---I might say,

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scarcely a post ---but brings an account of some ships lost.---But it is possible for a sailor to be drowned without a shipwreck. You can recollect many instances, where one man hath been washed overboard, and the rest preserved. You may be that one! And are you prepared for such a sudden summons? Could you, at so short a warning, be willing to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and take your trial for eternity? tell

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you again, you may not all live to come home again; and therefore it is that I so earnestly wish and pray, that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may be with you: for then die when you will, or die where you will, or (as to external circumstances) die how you will, Christ will take care that your death shall be safe and happy: and if I could attend you at that awful hour, I should find you clasping about Jesus, and singing, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.'

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II. I shall consider how it appears that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is better than any thing that could be wished you.

And here my business lies principally with the parents and friends of those who are going abroad.-You are now busy looking up their things, and charging them, 'Be sure you do not forget to take this, and do not forget to take that:' but if you loved them as you ought, this would lie most upon your hearts, and this would be your most frequent and. solemn charge to them; My dear child, my dear brother, my dear friend, Be sure you carry the

grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with you.'---This is best, in point of Necessity, Usefulness, and Security.

1. In point of necessity.

The necessity of food and raiment is nothing to this and yet that is all which the generality are solicitous about. If you take care that they be furnished with a sufficiency of these things, you are easy: you have done your part, all that could be expected of you. And if, some time hence, you should be told that the vessel was kept so long at sea, by bad weather, that their provisions were all spent; or that they were wrecked on some barren coast, where nothing was to be had; how would your hearts bleed at the melancholy tale, and how passionately would you cry, Oh! if I could but hear that they had necessaries, barely necessaries, were they never so coarse and scanty, I should be satisfied!'

A distress of that kind you can feel sensibly enough. And yet, though their souls are in infinitely greater danger; though you see them in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; liable every moment to be cut off in their sins, and to perish in everlasting burnings; yet who concern themselves about that?--- though (comparatively speaking) it is the only thing you should be concerned about! You think it necessary to lay-in a stock of provisions, clothes, and cordials, and suchlike things, for the body: but is it not ten thousand times more necessary to provide something for their poor destitute souls? Is it not necessary that some care should be taken to secure them from the curse of the law, from the bondage of sin, from the

tyranny of Satan, from the wrath of God, and from the flames of hell? Is it not necessary that they should love God, and that God should love them; and that they should be made fit for communion with him in his ordinances below, and for the enjoyment of him in his kingdom above?

These, these are the grand necessaries, which you should be principally solicitous to provide for them and if these things were at your own disposal, I presume you would not let one of them go to sea without them. But, however, should not you do what you can to procure these blessings for them? Should not you be earnest with the God of all grace, in secret prayer, for them; and endeavour to convince them of their need of these things, and the value of them; and stir them up to pray for themselves?

2. In point of usefulness.

Nothing that you can give them will do them so much good. Some things may be highly serviceable to one, which are of no use at all to another; and some things may be useful at sea, which are not wanted ashore; but the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is useful to all persons and at all times. I know it must lie with great weight upon your minds, when you think how full the world is of snares and temptations; and see how many youths are drawn aside, and bring guilt and shame, and often ruin on themselves, and all who belong to them you wish that yours may turn out better; that they may be "companions of them that fear God," and "of them that keep his precepts;" that they may remember what you early taught them, and make it their chief end to glorify God and

enjoy him for ever. And if the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with them, they will do so. Then they will remember their Creator in the days of their youth," and flee youthful lusts. Then they will be sober-minded, and heavenly-minded: they will abstain from bad company, bad houses, bad hours, and all appearance of evil; and will take diligent heed unto their ways, according to God's word. Then, as children, they will be dutiful and affectionate; as apprentices and servants, they will be faithful and diligent; as masters, they will be just and kind :-in short, they will "adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things." -And if they thus behave well, there is no fear of their being well provided for. And this will be another burthen off your minds. minds. It has

It has many times made your hearts ache, to think, if you should be taken away before your children are grown up, what would become of them and many a wakeful hour have you had on their account, contriving for their future maintenance. But the shortest and surest way is, to get them interested in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; for then (if I may so speak) their fortunes are made at once. Then, come what will, they are sure of a competency; for they will then be within the reach of these promises: "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Ps. lxxxiv. 11) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. . . . Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,