them, and hals them away to hell with him. Again, think how painfully and curiously the fpiders weave their cobwebs to catch flies, never confidering that, before their prey be caught, both they and their webs may be fwept down by the befom, and trode in the dust. What is this but a lively emblem of the curious projects which fome frame for gaining the world? What are they elfe but a taking great pains to catch a fly? And oft, before it be caught, death comes with its befom, and fweeps them and their fine projects down in the grave altogether; "For in that day all their thoughts perifh," Pfal. cxivi. 4. But O how wife are those fouls, who are laying out all their thoughts, and using all means this day to win Chrift! This is a project that will furvive death; here is gain that death cannot rob them of. Thus we see how every thing might learn us a spiritual leffon, if we were fpiritually minded.

9. If you be far from home, and have not a houfe to which you can conveniently go betwixt fermons, then improve your time as well as you can, either in the church or church-yard, by reading, meditating, private ejaculations, or fpiritual conferences. It is very fad to hear people in the church yard this day talking about their markets, corns, cattle, and other worldly fubjects: Alas! the devil is as bufy sowing his tares in the churchyard as Chrift's minifters are in fowing the good feed in the church, and hath far more increase than they. Is it not strange that people fhould go forth from hearing a warm fermon, yea, a fermon exactly adapted to their fouls cafe, and yet have never a word of it among them, more than they had been deaf or fleeping all the time; but no fooner is the word out of the minifter's mouth, but presently the world is in theirs!

Queft. May not we afk or hear news this day?

Anf. Afking, hearing or telling news this day is finful, if it be done to fatisfy curiofity, to divert or put off the time; this would be a " finding our own pleafure," which is forbidden on the Lord's day. But if it be done that we may know how it fares with the church at home or abroad, and that we may get our hearts fuitably affected with the cafe of Zion, as it was with Ne

hemiah,

hemiah, Neh. 1. 2. "I afked them concerning the Jews, and concerning Jerufalem;" I fay, in that cafe it is lawful; for thus we fhew our concern for the kingdom of Chrift in the world, and hereby we may be furnished with matter both of prayer and praife. Outward events and occurrences, if rightly improven, will be fo far from unframing the fpirit for the duties of the Sabbath, that we may reap much spiritual advantage from them. Let us therefore take care to make a fpiritual improvement of the news we hear this day; for God's power, mercy and juftice, may be seen and admired in the occurrences of providence, as well as in the works of creation. Doft thou hear any news that makes thee glad? let it excite thee to bless God for the fweet gofpel news of "Chrift's coming to fave loft finners," which thou haft been hearing this day. Let it put thee in mind what glad tidings it will be to a believer to hear the found of the laft trumpet, and the abfolving fentence of Chrift his Judge. Doft thou hear of the raging contentions, divifions and confufions, that are in the world? Let it mind thee of the bleft agreement and harmony that is among the faints and angels above. Doft thou hear of bloody wars and rumours of wars? Remember the day is at hand, O believer, when thou shalt be housed with Chrift the " Prince of peace," where there is nothing but perfect peace, union and tranquillity.

But, in cafe you fit or walk alone betwixt fermons, in the church or church-yard, you may either think upon what you have been hearing, or meditate upon your latter end, which the graves you fee and tread on, loudly call you to. Think how "one generation comes, and another goes." Our fathers had their day upon the stage, and they are gone off to make room for us; now we have our day upon the stage, but in a little we must go off alfo, and give place to the fucceeding generation. As we draw on fome upon the stage, these do thurft us off it again, and we must fhortly be laid with our fathers. Again, think what a mortifying fight is before our eyes; there lies the rubbish of a thoufand generations. What is the whole world al

VOL. IV.

moft,

moft, but a heap of graves and dead mens bones? Much of the ground we now tread on, as well as thefe graves, was once living; fo that we plough up and dig through our forefathers, and must fhortly turn earth ourfelves to bury our pofterity. What caufe have we then to be humble? We are made of the fame metal with the ground we walk on: God's hands have kneaded our bodies of the fame clay with others, and his fingers will crumble us again into the fame duft. Let us abhor pride, for this piece of ground will lay us all low enough in a fhort time: As fix foot of air doth contain us while we live, fo fix foot of earth here will fuffice us when we are dead; and why should we boaft of any earthly enjoyments? What is it we value ourfelves upon? Is it our high extract? Ah! the worms have as noble an extract as we; nay, they are of an older f mily and rife, for "every creeping thing" was made before man, Gen. i. Do you value yourfelves for your riches? remember both the poor and you fhall ly down in the duft together, and the worms fhall cover you alike, Job xxi. 26. Nay, the body of a beggar makes as good duft as the body of a king; the grave duft of the one fmells as fweet as the other, there it makes nơ obeifance to it, nor keeps any distance from it.

Concerning the Afternoon's Worship.

When the time for the afternoon's worthip is come, fee that ye return again to it in due time; think not the half of the day enough for the fervice of God; remember the whole day is his Your fouls neceffities alfo require your attending on all diets of worship; therefore mifs no opportunity, for you know not when you may meet with Chrift. Thomas, by being abfent from one meeting of the difciples, loft a joyful fight of Christ which the reft got, and for fome time afterwards laboured under fad doubting and unbelief: So you that withdraw from any of the meetings of God's people In the fanctuary, have reason to fear plagues' upon your fouls. You that go away unneceffarily from the afternoon's worship, (as many in the country do) confider what a fhrewd uign it is, that ye have got little

good

good the forenoon, and that ye are very indifferent what become of your precious fouls. Know you not that the lofs of one opportunity may be the lofs of your fouls? It may be, in your abfence, the Spirit, who blows when he lifteth, did vouchfafe a gile, which might have melted your frozen heart; it may be, then then the word was fpoke, that, through God's bleffing, might have begun a good work on your foul: And when you provoke him, by neglecting fuch an opportunity, what do you know if ever he vouchfafe fuch, another gale to you all your life again?

As for your carriage during the afternoon's worship, I refer you to the foregoing directions; for they fuit the afternoon, as well as the forenoon.

Only there are fome few things more I would mind. you of:

I If there be fick perfons who defire the aid of your prayers; as you ought to fympathize with them fo you ought alfo to remember God's goodness to you, that preferves you in health, when others are toffed on fick beds that allows you to fing his praifes, while others. are groaning with pains; that gives you liberty to attend his ordinances, when others, better than you, are detained therefrom.

II. If baptifm be adminiftred after fermon, then take thefe directions concerning your carriage on that occafion. 1. Beware of removing before it is over, as many do, for this argues both a contempt of Christ's ordinance, which he hath folemnly inftitute for his church's good, and want of charity to the perfons to be baptized, in that you will not stay to pray for them, or receive them into the communion of the vifible church: As alfo, it fheweth that you have little regard to your own fouls, in that you turn your back upon fuch an excellent mean of edification as this is. that are guilty this way, beware of it for the future. Confider what an irreverent and unbecoming thing it would be, if all would do as you do: And, do you not tempt others, by your example, to go off with you?

You

2. Stay ftill and pray for the members to be ingrafted as others did for you: Pray that God may give D d 2

the

the inward grace with the outward feal, and apply Chrift's blood to the foul, as water is applied to the body.

3. Remember your own baptifm and folemn engagements, to Chrift in infancy. Remember whose name you bear, whofe livery you wear, and whofe colours ye are fworn to: And be humbled for your manifold pollutions, your falling fhort of the grace of baptifm, and walking contrary to your folemn vows. Examine what fruits you reap from your baptifm, and if you have got your intereft in pardon of fin, fanctifying grace, and other bleffings, fealed to you in that facrament, cleared up and fecured: And try if ye feel the efficacy of Chrift's blood, reprefented and applied in that ordinance, melting your hearts, cleanfing you from fin, and quickening you to holiness. 1 fhall fay no more in this place concerning our improving of our baptifm, nor of the duties of parents who prefent their children to it, nor of those who are witneffes; feeing I have handled these points pretty fully in my Sacramental Catechifm, to which the reader is referred.

III. If you be called after the difmiffing of the congregation, and before you return home, to attend the funerals of any of your deceast neighbours, let your words and carriage be grave, and fuitable to the occafion; abhor that levity and frothinefs which many fhew at fuch occafions. When you draw nigh, and fee the open grave, think, God is caufing the grave to open its mouth, to warn me of my latter end, and to tell me, "that I must ly there ere long." When you fee the. bones fcattered about the grave's mouth, in fearful confufion, think, My fkull and bones will be thus lying and trampled on in a fhort time, and will not be diftinguished from the bones of others; and what folly is it for men to be lifting up themselves, and defpifing others now? When you hear the doleful murmur that is made by the skulls and clods of earth ftriking upon the coffin, think with thyfelf, that it founds forth thefe words, "Remember thou muft die, confider thy latter end." When you fee the grave filled up, and covered

with