terror or amazement to the thought of his protection in the dark valley and fhadow of death. Even in that gloomy paffage, he fears no evil; but commits himself to the Lord his Shepherd, who will make goodnefs and mercy to follow him all the days of his life, and at laft will bring him to dwell in his houfe above for ever.

These are fome of the inftructions which we may derive from the amendment here fuggefted by the Apostle: "For that ye ❝ought to fay, If the Lord will, we shall live " and do this or that."

From what hath been faid, let us learn, in the

ift place, To guard against that extravagance in laying down fchemes for the time to come, which, upon cool reflection, appears fo unjustifiable in the example before us. Had the perfons here defcribed, upon finding it inconvenient to fet out immediately, asked themselves this question, What affurance have we of another day? this might have given them a timely check. But their imagination having taken poffeffion

feffion of the morrow, it carried them forward without the least interruption, brought them safe to the end of their journey, fixed their refidence, tranfacted their business, and reaped the profits of the whole enfuing year. One prefumptuous ftep leads on to another. The first object is near, and appears to be within our reach: but if we affure ourfelves of poffefling that before it actually becomes ours, then we see another object a little farther on, which appears as near to it again; afterwards a third but a little beyond that and thus we proceed ftep by step, till we have passed the utmost bounds of probability, before we begin to fufpect that we have gone any length at all. Let us then, in the

2d place, Realize this awful and important truth, That our life is but "a vapour, which "appeareth for a little time, and then "vanifheth away." Die we must, and we know not how foon. Our worldly enjoyments must be relinquifhed, our worldly plans and projects must perish. "The "wind fhall pafs over us, and we shall be

gone, and our place fhall know us no "more."

more.

Nature will look as gay on the day of our decease as it ever did; the bufinefs of the world will go on as brifkly as before; our habitations will make our fucceffors as welcome as they made us; and even our names, in a few years, fhall perish as if we had never been. What wife man, then, would build his house on fuch unftable fand? How wretched muft that man be, whofe inheritance lies wholly upon earth? What pangs must he feel at the parting hour? with what horror must he hear the fummons of diffolution ?

Let us then be perfuaded to raise our affections above the things of the earth to thofe things which are above. Let us plan for eternity, and let us choose the unchangeable God for our portion. Knowing that we have here no continuing city, let us feek one to come; a city which hath foundations, whofe builder and maker is God. Let the Lord Jefus be our leader and guardian; under his conduct let us prefently set out for the heavenly Jerufalem; and in due time he will bring us fafe to the city of the great and univerfal King, where we shall continue,

continue, not for a year only, but for ever; and where we fhall get poffeffion of fubstantial gain, even that glorious inheritance of the faints in light, which is incorruptible, and undefiled, and which fadeth not away. Amen.

VOL. III.

M

SER

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

T

*HE too general and growing abuse of the Christian Sabbath muft render a discourse on this subject both feasonable and neceffary; and I propofe therefore, in dependence on divine aid,

If, To inquire how far the precept in this text is binding on us.

2dly, To fhow how this commandment ought to be kept or obferved. And,

3dly, To enforce the obfervance of it by fome motives and arguments.

First, I begin with inquiring how far this precept of keeping holy the Sabbath day is binding on us.

Although your stated attendance on this

day,