pre-eminence to which he afpires. Mark the votary of interest. Behold him toiling early and late; felf-immured in a contracted abode; breathing the unhealthy atmosphere of crowded streets; and in his eagerness to ac cumulate additional wealth, denying himself the enjoyment of that which he poffeffes: Follow the votary of fame. Behold him careless of repose, patient of fatigue, fearless of death. Behold him indifferent to feafons to climates and to dangers, croffing continents, traverfing oceans, facing the bayonet, storming the breach. Widely as thefe men differ, each from the other, as to their pursuits; in the leading principle of their conduct they are perfectly united. The heart of every man is fixed upon his object. His object is ever before his eyes. To his object his time is appropriated; his faculties are devoted; his indulgences are facrificed; his plans are made subservient. The children of this world are in their generation wifer than the children of light (a). Whofoever thou art, who hast chofen the favour of God for thine object: receive a leffon from the children of this world. Contemplate their ever-wakeful remembrance of the idols which they worship: and thou wilt difcern what it is to fet the Lord thy God always before thee.

II. Let us, in the next place, inveftigate the

diftinct characters, under which it is our duty to fet the Lord our God before us.

1. In reflecting on the different characters, under which we may regard the Deity as having manifefted himself towards man; the first which naturally ftrikes the mind is that of Creator. He made us and all the world. There was a period when this earth was not in exiftence; when there was neither fun nor moon nor ftar; when neither mankind, nor any of the inumerable tribes of living creatures, which have inhabited and still inhabit this world, were in being. God, in his unbounded goodnefs, determined to create all thefe things. He called the earth into being, and feparated the land from the feas. He faid, Let there be light; and there was light : and he made the returns of morning and evening to praife

him. He created and placed upon the earth a countless variety of animals, to dwell on the land, in the air, and in the waters, and to poffefs the happiness which he had made all, each according to its nature, capable of enjoying. And laft of all he created man. On man he conferred dominion over all other living creatures. On man he showered down a fuperior measure of understanding. Within man he implanted the light of confcience. And to crown every other gift with one ftill greater,

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greater, to man alone he unfolded the prof pect of a glorious immortality.

If then you deem life a bleffing, remember Him who bestowed it. Remember that it was the Lord God Almighty who formed you from the duft of the ground, and breathed into your noftrils the breath of life, fo that you became a living foul. Remember that your Creator formed you of his own free will, of his own unbounded mercy: not because he needed your exiftence; but in order to difplay the riches of his goodness, to render you happy here, to train you up for bleffednefs hereafter. Set the Lord your Creator before you. Remember the wonders which he has wrought for you in bringing you into the present scene of existence, and inviting you to look forward to a better. O come and worship, and bow down and kneel before the Lord your Maker (b). From the gracious Author of your exiftence withhold not the poor tribute of gratitude and love.

2. In the next place, when you contemplate yourself as an inhabitant of the earth, and turn your thoughts to the Supreme Being; you cannot fail to recognise Him as your Preferver. To what caufe is it owing that you are at this moment alive? To what cause

(b) Pfalm xcv. 6.
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is it owing that you have escaped the innu merable fnares of death, by which you have continually been encompaffed? To what caufe is it owing that you have not been afflicted with feverer fickneffes; that you do not labour under heavier and more nume rous infirmities; that you have not drunk more frequently and more deeply of the cup of diftrefs? To the preferving mercy of God. How many perfons, whose constitution and generaliftate of health were in humans eftíma tion at least as firm as your own, have you feen fnatched away to the grave! How many have you feen laid on the bed of lingering decay, maimed and crippled by accidents, or reduced to mifery by loffes and misfortunes! Who has guarded you under fimilar dangers, and faved you from fimilar calamities? God your Preferver. What claim had you to this compaffion and goodnefs at his hand? Have you performed greater deeds in the fervice of God than others? Have you difplayed a more lively faith? Have you manifefted a more devout and holy life? Have you furpaffed the rest of the world in kindness to your fellowcreatures? You fix your eyes on the earth, and confefs that you advance not any plea of fuperiority. Remember then that to the 3.

loving

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loving kindness of God, unmerited on your part, you owe the security which you have enjoyed from the perils and tribulations, by which fo many others have been overwhelmed; and the poffeffion of all the comforts, all the happiness, with which you find yourself surrounded. Set the Lord your Preferver before you.

3. Farther, remember God as your Redeemer and your Sanctifier. Adam, by wilful difobedience, forfeited the ftate of happi nefs and immortality for which he was created. His nature became corrupt; and he was made fubject to death. You are the children of Adam. You have inherited from him a corrupt nature alienated from God; and a bodily frame which is foon to be turned into duft. You have provoked the wrath of your Heavenly Father by offences without number. You have continually done thofe things which you ought not to have done, and left undone thofe things which you ought to have done. You have broken his laws, difregarded his warnings, and made light of his favour. You have fubjected your felves by fpontaneous tranfgreffion to the everlafting punishment which he has denounced against finners; which, during the time when you have been committing fins, you

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