hereafter not at all the worse. If his views here are fruftrated, he has fomething to comfort him; he has fecured a happiness in reverfion, which cannot be taken away from him; he is not afraid of any evil tidings, for his heart standeth fast and believeth in the Lord. Nay, even fuppofing the very worft that can happen; fuppofing he fhould, by his attention to Religion, be reduced to the most deplorable, condition that can befal mortality, fo as that the body should perish, whilst he is confulting the health of his foul; the only confequence of this last and most grievous calamity would be, to put him in immediate poffeffion of that treasure, which he had been fo industriously laying up in Heaven. But if the man of business, on the contrary, whilst he is heaping together the good things of this world, should receive his final fummons to another, it then behoves him to confider not only "whose "thofe things fhall be which he has provid"ed," but what the lot of his foul fhall be for which nothing is provided. It is a ferious, it is an alarming confideration, to be fummoned unexpectedly to answer for his conduct, without having once examined it; to

enter

enter upon a state of eternity, without the leaft preparation made for it. Yet fuch is but too often the cafe of that infatuated man, who (as it is expreffed in the parable) layeth up treafure for himself, and is not rich towards God; who, in the foolish fecurity of his heart, fays to his foul, "Soul, thou haft much goods laid up for many years, take thine eafe, eat, "drink, and be merry." But in the very midst of this his fenfelefs confidence, and vifionary plans of future happinefs, he is fnatched away with that deferved and dreadful taunt, (the prelude only of fomething ftill more dreadful) "thou fool, this night fhall thy foul be re"quired of thee*."

If, then, either our temporal or fpiritual interefts must be entirely neglected for the fake of advancing the other, there can be no doubt which ought to give place. But the truth is, they are both perfectly confiftent, and may, with the utmost eafe, be carried on very amicably together. The Scripture no where forbids us to make a comfortable provifion for ourfelves, our families, and our friends; on the contrary, it enjoins it. What it condemns,

Luke xii. 20.

is only fuch an intemperate pursuit of worldly things, as is destructive of all Religion, and not fuch a prudent and moderate regard to them as the calls of nature, of justice, and of humanity, demand. These calls must be properly attended to, these duties must be fulfilled, to render us capable of any others; and all the Gospel requires is, that they should be made fubfervient to our everlasting happiness.

It is true, that fome men muft neceffarily, from their indigence in private, or their elevation in public life, be more involved in cares than the rest of the world. But still we may, in the bufieft fcenes, find certain breaks and intervals, or if we do not find, we ought to make them, which eagerly feized, and properly applied, will, through the merits of our Redeemer, make our final calling and election fure.

Some of the most essential duties of Religion confume no time at all. To keep ourfelves unfpotted from the world, to abstain from intemperance and fenfuality, from falsehood and detraction, to do no injury to our neighbour, to fupprefs all anger, malice, and revenge, does not, in any degree, interfere with

with our usual occupations. We may do a kind action just as eafily and expeditiously as we can do a cruel one; nay, generally, with infinitely less pain and trouble to ourselves; and, by a charitable donation judiciously beftowed, we may make a fellow-creature happy in an instant, without the leaft interruption to bufinefs. By felecting the best and worthiest men for the management of our concerns, we may give countenance to virtue, and fix a brand upon vice. By renouncing all the fecret craft of the world, and all the finifter, though not unusual, methods of accumulating wealth, we may give the strongest proofs of our integrity. By contenting ourselves with the reasonable emoluments of our profeffions, and our employments, we may make our moderation known unto all men. By refusing to take advantage of public fcarcity and distress, and difdaining to raife ourselves on the ruin of our fellow-creatures, we may display to the whole world a generous and difinterested love of our country. We may, in short, by a thousand inftances of this kind, "make to our"felves friends of the Mammon of unrighte

66

oufnefs," and whether we eat, or drink, of

work,

1

work, or whatever we do, may do it all in fuch a manner as to promote the glory of God, and the falvation of our own fouls.

Then, as to the pofitive duties of Religion, and the offices of piety and devotion, we can all of us fpare one day in feven, at least, for the performance of them. By this we lose no ground in the race for riches and honours, because most of our competitors lofe equally; and they who spend it in idleness and debauchery lose more. We can all of us fnatch a little time at morning, and at evening, and at noon-day, for converfing with our Maker and ourselves. We can all of us, in the very midft of our hurry, fend up a fhort prayer, or a filent ejaculation to the throne of grace; whilst our hands are employed, our hearts may be with God; whilft our converfation is on earth, our thoughts and affections may be in Heaven. No man, in fhort, can poffibly, except by his own fault, be fo circumftanced as to want the time that is indifpenfably neceffary for working out his falvation. cafes of neceffity, we must do what we can, when we cannot do all we with. We are fometimes obliged to give up to business part

In

of