either to be depofited with the one in the granary, or condemned with the others to the fire. If we turn about to the transactions of the world, the like instructions ftill crowd upon us. Every traveller we meet on the road, reminds us that we ourselves are travelling through life, having here no fixed abode; and that therefore we fhould fet our faces right, and make the best of our journey to our destined home. When we obferve our fellow-creatures rising up early, and labouring so hard for the meat that perisheth; are we not admonished to exert our endeavours, and fecure that meat which endureth to everlafting life-When we fee men eager in pursuit of wealth, heaping up fruitless and fading treasures, are we not led to confider the neceffity of acquiring the true riches, and of laying up in ftore for ourfelves a good foundation against the time

to

to come? And with respect to that time, are we not moved to reflect on what will be our lot, by the impreffions that are made on our fouls at prefent? Have we not some specimen daily given us of the happiness and misery that await us hereafter, in the enjoyments and fufferings we experience here? And do not those senfations the pleasure we love, and the pain we hate-loudly warn us to take care of ourselves, and to adjust our conduct after such a manner, that we may at last be happy, and not miferable in that future state, which is either all happiness, or all misery for ever?

Thus it is that the Almighty calls up all nature to our affistance, to put us in mind of what we should do, and keep us steady to the performance of it. The vain and the thoughtless indeed, who look only on

the vail of nature, and admire it for nothing but its gay colouring, will gather from thence but little inftruction, though it exhibits to them a lively picture of the fading glories of human life. Blinded with the glare of outward fhow, and intent on the Follies that are current in the world, they will still pursue and caress their pleafures, though the roses and flowers with which they deck and adorn themselves, would fain inftruct them by their quick decay, "fo to number their days, that they may apply their hearts unto wisdom." But others, it is to be hoped, of a more ferious turn, look into the things beneath the vail-confider their ufe in a spiritual light-and find by experience how well they are adapted both for correction, and inftruction in Righteousness-How well they are adapted—to keep alive a sense of duty to quicken us in the discharge of

it-and make us ready unto every good work-How well they are adapted-to dif engage our affections from the world-to lead and raise them up to God-and prepare us for the life of Heaven. And let those who despise this art of life, and make light of these filent calls of Nature, remember that the time is coming on, when, devoid of the improvements they might have made, they shall heartily wifh, they had used the world to better purpose.-For when the delirium of the fenfes, and the hurry of the paffions, are once allayed, and fickness or distress will foon allay them, things will appear in a different light: the world and its vanities will fink upon our hands, and we shall fee the importance of all these applications that GOD makes, and how greatly it behoves us to comply with them. For it is not his own fuit that he thus earnestly folicits with us,

neither

neither is it for his own advantage that he makes these continual appeals to us. But it is our intereft, and our concern that he efpouses; and as it is to us he speaks, so it is for us, and for our fupreme good. That which he defires is-that we would be happy; and that we would take fuch a course as will make us fo. That we would live and act wifely and like ourselves, that is, like rational creatures. That we would fit and dispose ourselves for the happiness he has provided for us-bring ourselves within the compafs of his love and mercyand fo demean ourselves for this short time, that he may reward us with a blessed eternity.

See then, my brethren, that ye refuse not him that speaketh fuch things. For if you do, the confequence ftands close to the words of my text, and is delivered in alar