be blamed, for people making the world a feat of folly and mifery. The children of wisdom are the children of folid durable happiness. Much there is in human life lovely, defirable, to thofe who can receive with gratitude, and relish what God hath fet before them with open liberal hand.

If the bufy heavens are always at leifure, and the striped earth is perpetually active in manifefting the wifdom, power, and goodness of their Creator, how fhameful is it that we (the flower of his creation, the most obliged, the moft capable of doing it) fhould commonly be either too bufy, or too idle, for fuch employment? fhould seldom, or never, be difpofed to contribute our beft endeavoursto advance the glory of God?" It is a good thing to give "thanks unto the Lord; and to fing praifes to thy name, "O thou, most high: to fhew forth thy loving kindnes "in the morning; and thy faithfulness every night :" Pfal. xci. 1, 2. By thus offering up the firft fruits of our diurnal labours, we do confecrate, and confign them all to his bleffing; we accoft him with humble gratitude, who is ever present with us, and watching over us. Again, our minds being fo tired out with business and care, and our fpirits fo wafted with labour and toil, that we cannot any longer sustain ourselves, but of our own accord as it were、 fink down into the posture of death; ought we not, as dying men, to refign ourselves into the hands of him, who alone never Aumbers nor fleeps? how feemly! how natural! It is thus he maketh the outgoing of the morning and "the evening to rejoice," Pfal. lxv. 8.; by recruited. means of life, health, and fubfiftence; with a nightly covering of love stretched over us. It is a praife, which,' reckoning after the manner of Mofes, may be termed continual.

He that trufteth in his riches, fhall fall; but the righ

"teous fhall flourish as a branch;" Prov. xi. 28. So great a difference there is between the covetous and liberal, in point of fecurity and fuccefs concerning their eftate. The former provoke God to take it from them, they refufe to pay in their due tribute out of their possesfions; and in defiance of the almighty Sovereign, can they notwithstanding long hope to retain it! in fuch violation of his right, they are fure to fall. Moreover, the righteous man gets an interest in the gratitude and power of all whom he hath obliged; and in the good-liking and refpect too of all who have been fpectators of his generous dealing. The hearts and memories of men are fure repofitories of what will make his branch flourish. If any mifchance happen every perfon will run to his fuccour. "He that 65 giveth unto the poor fhall not lack; but he that hideth "his eyes fhall have many a curfe." Prov. xxviii. 27. The merciful man's pofterity alfo, fhall find a refuge in the effects of his benevolence "But this I fay, he that foweth "fparingly fhall reapfparingly; but he which foweth bountifully, fhall reap also bountifully," 2 Cor. ix. 6. "God "loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all 66 grace abound towards them; that they always having "all-fufficiency in all things, may abound to every good "work" ver. 7, 8. Liberality is the most beneficial traffic that can be. It is letting out our money into the beft hands. "Honour the Lord with thy fubftance, and "with the first-fruits of all thine increase. So fhall thy "barns be filled with plenty, and thy preffes fhall burst out " with new wine;" Prov. iii. 9, 10.

"A good name is better than precious ointment," Eccl. vii. 1. No spices can fo embalm a man. No monument fo embalm his memory. His juft temper, and works of beneficence along with this, are blessed; Prov. x. 7. They

are incomparably precious, even after death.

What

fprings from power, wit, learning, may dwell in the fancies of men with fome admiration; but the remembrance of bounty reigns in the heart with esteem and affection. There it erects trophies over the grave and oblivion. His very duft is dear, like fragrance, and his tomb venerable. He is never mentioned without refpect; and his actions are spread through the tongues of men, with fincere sprightly commendations, as a true friend to mankind, and benefactor to the world. "This he leaveth as "an inheritance to his children's children;" as a legacy to heaven, for protection and bleffing.. They will not be forfaken; Pfal. xxxvii 25. "His feed fhall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright fhall be blef "fed:" cxii 2.

By the power of God, and according to his fettled order, it is that the earth at first became fertile; and that the vegetable kingdom flourished in all its glory. By his providential concourfe ftill, and according to his appointment, the plants, the herbs, the trees, the flowers, inall their tribes, and the various kinds of grain, come forth out of their feveral feeds and gradually grow up into maturity. The fpecies of them are ftill continued, and kept distinct; and they uniformly preferve their feveral virtues, their peculiar forms and appearances, and bring forth their several productions in their appointed feafons. To his conftant care and influence, all this regular courfe of things is owing. "Let the earth bring

"forth grafs," &c. Gen. i. 11, &c. We have no fecurity for thefe, but the power, wisdom, and goodness of the original caufe. "They continue this day according to "thine ordinances; for they are all thy fervants :" Pal.

❝ cxix. 91. "He fendeth forth his commandment up"on the earth; his word runneth very swiftly." cxlvii. 15. Second causes are not excluded, but ftill are under his direction and fuperintendancy. What a noble astonishment ought to poffefs our minds!

THE FOURTH DAY'S WORK.

Gen. i. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.

And God faid, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night; and let them be for figns, and for feasons, and for days and years. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth: and it was fo. And God made two great lights, the greater light to rule the day; and the leffer light to rule the night. He made the ftars alfo. And God fet them in the firmament of heaven, to give light upon the earth. And to rule over the day, and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God faw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

IGHT, here, is a different word from that made ufe of ver. 3d, and fignifies that which is made out of light, or Juminous bodies, whereby light is communicated unto us. So