all their future being depends. By afflicted persons life begins seriously to be thought to be such a day, when their afflictions begin. In consequence of this new thought, a new train of thinking follows. All the work of salvation now first appears to them to be future, and yet to be begun. They discern and feel, that it must, if ever done, be done on this side of the grave. Now they see God reconcilable to them. Now they hear the Saviour invite them to lay hold on eternal life. Now "the Spirit and the Bride say, Come; and let him that heareth say come; and let him that is athirst come; and, whosover will, let him take of the water of life freely." Now the Word of life is in their hands. But"in the grave, whither they go, there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom."

Life, therefore, begins now to seem to them of infinite value. In life, if ever, the soul is to be saved. If neglected now, it will be neglected forever. Short and uncertain, as the period is, it is the only period in which salvation is to be secured.

To the mind, in such a state, will naturally recur the thought how much of life it has already lost. Salvation is not already secured by those, of whom I especially speak. Of course, all the preceding part of life has been wasted by them. This may be almost the whole of life, and must be much of it; infinitely too much to have been thus lost and squandered, to have been given to the world, the flesh and the devil, to sense and sin, to guilt and perdition.

To such a mind will naturally rise up, in solema and dreadful remembrance the numerous Sabbaths, which it has lost, profaned and abused: the ordinances, which it has neglected and despised; the calls of mercy, to which it has turned a deaf ear, and a hard heart; the prayers and praises, in which it has steadily refused to unite; and the sermons, which it has neglected and trampled under foot.

It will also remember with deep regret, how often and how long the word of God has been left on the shelf, or in the closet, unopened, unread, forgotten, and despised; how many religious instructions it has cast away, ridiculed, and disobeyed;

and how many good resolutions it has formed, only to be violated, and to be left, as mere memorials of its folly and its sin.

At such a time, it is apt to feel how little it has done, and how much it has had to do; how barren a fig tree it has been in its master's vineyard; and how strongly it has provoked him to say, "Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground."

To the Christian, all these instructions, so far as they are applicable to him, are also given by afflictions. In addition to them, he is most affectingly reminded how cold, stupid and unfruitful, he has been in the service of his Lord; how much of his heart, his labours and his time, he has given to the world, and sin, and folly, and shame; how many opportunities of improving in all Christian graces, and in the divine life, he has either wholly or chiefly lost; how many opportunities of doing good to the souls of men, of honouring Christ, of glorifying God, of adorning Christianity, of proving a blessing to himself and to mankind. Every such opportunity will now naturally recur to him, as of value mightily enhanced; as most diligently and earnestly to be employed as eagerly to be seized, and carefully to be husbanded. He will see the world, and life, and talents, in a light, which in various respects is new, and of increased importance. The voice of affliction is to him the voice of GoD, calling upon him for renewed diligence; to consider life as only a time of doing good; and to feel that his duty is all, for which he was sent into the world, and all, for which his residence in it is continued. Hence he will be quickened to greater and greater efforts; to lose no time; to neglect no talent; to pass by no opportunity of doing all the good in his power; and especially of promoting the salvation of his fellow creatures.

Religion, and all the means, instructions, precepts and duties, of it will now appear invested with a character and importance, peculiarly solemn and affecting. Religion he will, with new and enlightened vision, behold to be all, for which life is worth having or enjoying; the end of his creation, preservation and blessings; the source of his happiness, and his worth; and the foundation of all his hopes in the future world. Religion is, therefore, seen

and felt to be his all. The world, to him more empty and worthless than before, appears now almost merely as a stage of action; a scene of duty. In performing this duty he will more than ever intend to find his enjoyment; and will fully realize that it is "more blessed to give than to receive;" to do good than to gain it.

All these instructions affliction also writes with "a pen of iron, and the point of a diamond." They are engraved on the heart; and are therefore long, and often indelibly, legible. They are accordingly read daily and efficaciously. Like the instructions of childhood, which survive all the changes of life, which are remembered and powerful, when all succeeding instructions have vanished, they remain in strong and glowing characters, and produce mighty effects, long after they would be naturally supposed to have been forgotten. Time, which effaces all other images, often makes these brighter and stronger. The soul feels them in every variation of its circumstances; in every change of human events; and, recognising them in their full power on a dying bed, carries them into eternity. There, not improbably they assume new force; are remembered as means, eminently kind and merciful, of its escape from sin, its assumption of holiness, its attainment of a title to endless life, its renewed vigour and faithfulness in the service of GOD, its increased beneficence to mankind, and its supreme enjoyment of the divine favour and celestial glory, throughout ages which cannot end.

SERMON XV.

CONSIDERATIONS IN ADVERSITY.-SERMON II.

ECCLESIASTES vii. 14.

In the day of adversity consider.

In the former discourse, I proposed to notice,

I. Some of the proper Subjects of consideration, in the day of adversity.

II. The Motives to a faithful performance of this duty.
Under the first head, I considered

1st. The Source of our afflictions.

2dly. Their procuring Cause.

3dly. The End for which they were sent and

4thly. The Instructions communicated by them.

Among these I noticed,

First. That the world was not designed to be a place of happiness.

Secondly. That life is frail, uncertain, and momentary.

Thirdly. That our Probation is equally transient.

In pursuing this subject I shall mention, as another important instruction communicated by Afflictions;

Fourthly. That the day of death, though always near, is still absolutely uncertain.

This is a most profitable theme of consideration. "Boast not thyself of to-morrow;" says Solomon, "for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." No rule of life can be more obviously just, and reasonable, than this; yet no rule is more generally disregarded. We are always boasting of to morrow; always prom. ising ourselves long life and good days.

How foolish and unreasonable is this overweening! Were an enemy at hand, prepared and determined to attack us, could we justify ourselves in sleeping at our posts under the expectation, that, because the time of assault was unknown to us, a long period would of course intervene? What soldier would be excused by his Commander in such conduct, for such a reason?

In the present case, infinitely more is depending. Our life, our souls, our eternity, are at hazard. The arrival of death determines the destiny of them all, and determines it finally.

Precisely the contrary conduct ought to be pursued by us to that, which we actually pursue. As death is always near; we ought always to feel deeply this amazing concern. As death is always uncertain; we ought always to believe, and to feel, that it is near; that, instead of being more remote, it is nearer than we most naturally believe; that it may arrive to day, to morrow, or the next day; and that we are inexcusable and mad, if we neglect to prepare ourselves for it, a single moment.

To this end it is not necessary, that we should neglect any part of our worldly business, which our duty demands of us. Every day, we waste time enough in unreasonable care about the world, about riches, honours, and pleasures, or in idle, loitering, and useless amusement, to furnish ample opportunity for attending efficaciously to the great business of preparing for death. This wasted time, wasted in that which is of no profit to us, we ought to devote to Religion. Every day furnishes sufficient op portunities for this purpose. The business of religious men is not more apt to be neglected, or to decline, than that of other men; nor are they apparently more hurried, or perplexed; nor are they more uncomfortable, or more destitute of enjoyment. But they husband life better; and aim at more rational and sincere enjoyments. If we comprehended the meaning of that memorable precept, "With all thy getting get understanding," and were willing to obey it; we should see that the salvation of the soul might be easily secured, without neglecting any useful worldly object.