avoidable, is an apology for neglect and tranfgreffion. The times even of comparative ignorance God may have winked at. But now commands he every man every where to re

may

pent. You have been, and it is probable that most of you have been, of the number of those who have again and again committed that very fin, concerning which St. James difcourfes in the paffage which you have heard. Reflect, and call yourselves to an account. Confider whether you have not indulged yourselves in the habit of laying plans including a large space of time, and of looking forward to expected events ftill at a distance without a due and lively fenfe of the uncertainty and the shortnefs of life, the vanity of 'all worldly wisdom, and the perpetual changes, impoffible to be foreseen by man, to which all human affairs are every moment expofed; in a word, without a faithful and lively recollection of the overruling providence of God, a cheerful fubmiffion to His counfels, and a grateful dependence on Him alone for ftrength, protection, and fuccefs. Confider whether your language, when you have communicated your defigns to others, has not been a counterpart, in fpirit if not in expreffion, to that of the boafters in the days of St. James, who arrogantly declared their intentions of going to

traffic

traffic for a year in this or in that city with as much confidence as though there had not exifted a God to controul or to cut them off. Confider whether, if on fuch occafions you have introduced fome mention of reference to the divine pleafure and permiffion, the expreffion of refignation and dependence has flowed warmly from your heart or has been a cold and formal phrafe produced only to fuftain a decorous appearance among men. Does your conscience reply that in fpirit and in language you have refembled thofe children of pride? I fear that you have little to plead in extenuation on the ground of ignorance. In this country, and in your fituation, you cannot have remained venially ignorant of your duty. In this country, and in your fituation, in proportion as you have been ignorant, you have been ignorant wilfully. Humble yourselves and repent. In the fincerity of humiliation and penitence fupplicate the Father of mercies, that through the atonement and the interceffion of the Lord Jefus your fin may be blotted out: that for His fake the prefumptuous devies of your heart and the boastful language of of your lips may be forgiven; and that grace may be bestowed upon you by the Holy Spirit to preferve you from repeat

ing the offence. By whatever clouds your mind may heretofore have been obfcured, you now know that which is good: and, if you do it not, to you it is fin. Be confcientiousin acting conformably to the full extent of your knowledge. Be careful for nothing, except faith and holinefs. Seek firft the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all things effential to your earthly welfare fhall be added unto you. Stretch not your thoughts forward to remote plans of worldly intereft, In all your plans remember that the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth, and distributeth. all things to every man feverally as He will.. Leave all things in His hands, with gratitude for His paft mercies, with undoubting reliance on His wifdom and his love. In difcourfing concerning your future purposes, be not afbamed when it concerneth thy foul. Let it be vifible, unoftentatiously yet clearly visible,. you refer and commit every event to the good pleasure of your Father who is in heaven. Why takeft thou thought, why art thou difquieted with anxiety; for the morrow? The morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Why ftraineft thou thine aching eyes in fpeculating on airy phantoms? Why buildeft thou for thy felf vifionary palaces amidst the vapours that hang on the extremity

that

of the sky? Thou haft here no continuing city. Seek one to come. Seek an house not made with bands, eternal in the heavens: a city having foundations, whofe builder and maker is God (m).

Finally: remember that the concluding admonition which St. James has fo pertinently applied to the immediate fubject of his difcourfe, is in its nature a general precept, applicable to every branch and circumftance of duty. Whether faith or practice, whether doctrines to be received, tempers to be cherifhed, or actions to be performed, be in queftion: whether to govern or to ferve, to labour or to endure, to glorify God through the Lord Jefus by evil report or by good report, by life or by death, be the office to which the Chriftian is called forth: it is equally and univerfally true, that, to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is fin. Reftrict not to special occafions, circumfcribe not by unwarranted limitations, a precept comprehenfive as the sphere of human agency. Are you weary of welldoing? Are you folicitous to curtail the required tribute of obedience? Are you inclined to cherish ignorance, or to diffemble know

(m) 2 Cor. v. 1.

Hebr. xi. 10.

VOL. I.

Z

ledge,

ledge, if you may thus escape from the obligation of rendering an additional testimony of love and gratitude to God? Is there any love, any gratitude, in the bofom where fuch thoughts are harboured? Is there any fense of equity in that bofom? Has thy Creator merited thus at thine hand! Has He been a niggard in His mercies to thee? Has He pared away from thy portion every superfluity of comfort? When thou waft in bondage to fin and death eternal; did His power make no exertion, did His wisdom devise no counfel, did His goodness fuggeft no facrifice, for thy fake? Out of thine own mouth shalt thou be judged, thou wicked fervant! Is this the free-will offering of the heart? Is this to ferve God not grudgingly, and as it were of ne ceffity? What is the language of genuine gratitude, of genuine love? I am thine: I have longed after thy precepts. With my whole heart have I foaght thee. In the path of thy commandments do I delight. Thy word is very pure therefore thy fervant loveth it. I love thy commandments above gold, yea above fine gold. I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great Spoil. I efteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right. All thy commandments are righteoufnefs. O that my ways were directed to keep thy flatutes! Then shall I not be ashamed

when