full blown, and difplay themfelves, without any re ferve, to the view.

We are some of us very fond of knowledge, and apt. to value ourselves upon any proficiency in the sciences: one science, however, there is, worth more than all the reft, and that is, the fcience of living well; which. shall remain, when " tongues fhall cease," and, "knowledge fhall vanifh away." As to new notions, and new doctrines, of which this age is very fruitful, the time: will come, when we shall have no pleasure in them: nay, the time fhall come, when they fhall be exploded, and would have been forgotten, if they had not beenpreferved in those excellent books, which contain a confutation of them; like infects preferved for ages in. amber, which otherwife would foon have returned to the common. mafs of things.. But a. firm belief of Christianity, and a practice fuitable to it, will fupport: and invigorate the mind. to the. laft; and most of all, at laft, at that important hour, which must decide our hopes and apprehenfions: and the wisdom, which, like our Saviour,, cometh from above,, will, through his me-rits, bring us thither.. All our other ftudies and pur fuits, however different, ought to be fubfervient to, and centre in, this grand point, the purfuit of eternal. happiness, by being good. in. ourselves,, and useful to the world..

SEED.

SECTION VIII,

On the Importance of Order in the Diftribution of our Times

TIME we ought to confider as a facred truft com. mitted to us by God;, of which we are now the de

pofitaries, and are to render account at the laft. That portion of it which he has allotted us, is intended partly for the concerns of this world, partly for thofe of the next. Let each of these occupy, in the distribution of our time, that fpace which properly belongs to it. Let not the hours of hofpitality and pleasure interfere with the discharge of our necefsary affairs; and let not what we call necefsary affairs, encroach upon the time which is due to devotion. To every thing there is a feafon, and a time for every purpofe under the heaven. If we delay till to-morrow what ought to be done today, we overcharge the morrow with a burden which belongs not to it. We load the wheels of time, and prevent them from carrying us along fmoothly. He who every morning plans the tranfactions of the day, and follows out that plan, carries on a thread which will guide him through the labyrinth of the most bufy life. The orderly arrangement of his time is like a ray of light, which darts itself through all his affairs. But, where no plan is laid, where the difpofal of time is furrendered merely to the chance of incidents, all things lie huddled together in one chaos, which admits neither of diftribution nor review.

The firft requifite for introducing order into the management of time, is to be imprefsed with a just fenfe of its value. Let us confider well how much depends upon it, and how faft it flies away. The bulk of men are in nothing more capricious and inconfiftent, than in their appreciation of time. When they think of it, as the measure of their continuance on earth, they highly prize it, and with the greateft anxiety feek to lengthen it out. But when they view it in feparate parcels, they appear to hold it in contempt, and fquan

der it with inconfiderate profufion. While they complain that life is fhort, they are often wifhing its dif ferent periods at an end. Covetous of every other pofsefsion, of time only they are prodigal. They allow every idle man to be mafter of this property, and make every frivolous occupation welcome that can help them to confume it. Among those who are so careless of time, it is not to be expected that order should be obferved in its diftribution. But, by this fatal neglect, how many materials of fevere and lafting regret are they laying up in ftore for themfelves! The time which they fuffer to pass away in the midst of confufion, bitter repentance feeks afterwards in vain to recall. What was omitted to be done at its proper moment, arifes to be the torment of fome future feafon. Manhood is difgraced by the confequences of neglected youth. Old age, opprefsed by cares that belonged to a former period, labours under a burden not its own. At the close of life, the dying man beholds with anguish that his days are finishing, when his preparation for eternity is hardly commenced.

Such

are the effects of a disorderly waste of time, through not attending to its value. Every thing in the life of fuch perfons is mifplaced. Nothing is performed aright, from not being performed in due feafon.

But he who is orderly in the diftribution of his time, takes the proper method of escaping those manifold evils. He is juftly faid to redeem the time. By proper management, he prolongs it. He lives much in little space; more in a few years than others do in many. He can live to God and his own foul, and at the fame time attend to all the lawful interefts of the prefent world. He looks back on the paft, and pro

4

vides for the future. He catches and arrefts the hours as they fly. They are marked down for useful purpofes, and their memory remains. Whereas thofe hours fleet by the man of confufion like a fhadow.. His days and years are either blanks of which he has. no remembrance, or they are filled up with fuch a confufed and irregular fuccefsion of unfinished transactions, that though he remembers he has been bufy, yet he can give no account of the business which has em ployed him.

BLAIR

SECTION IX..

The Dignity of Virtue amidst corrupt Examples."

THE most excellent and honourable character which can adorn a man and a Chriftian, is acquired by refifting the torrent of vice, and adhering to the cause of God and virtue against a corrupted multitude. It will be found to hold in general, that all thofe, who, in any of the great lines of life, have diftinguifhed themselves for thinking profoundly, and acting nobly, have defpifed popular prejudices; and departed, in feveral things, from the common ways of the world. On nơ occafion is this more requisite for true honour, than where religion and morality are concerned. In times of prevailing licentioufnefs, to maintain unblemished virtue, and uncorrupted integrity; in a public or a private caufe, to ftand firm by what is fair and juft, amidst discouragements, and oppofition; defpifing groundless cenfure and reproach; difdaining all compliance with public manners, when they are vicious and unlawful; and never afhamed of the punctual

difcharge of every duty towards God and man;-this is what shows true greatness of spirit, and will force approbation even from the degenerate multitude themfelves. "This is the man," (their confcience will oblige them to acknowledge,)" whom we are unable to bend to mean condefcenfions. We fee it in vain either to flatter or to threaten him; he refts on a principle within, which we cannot shake. To this man we may, on any occafion, fafely commit our caufe. He is incapable of betraying his truft, or deferting his, friend, or denying his faith."

It is, accordingly, this fteady inflexible virtue, this regard to principle, fuperior to all cuftom and opi nion, which peculiarly marked the characters of those in any age, who have fhone with diftinguished luftre ; and has confecrated their memory to all pofterity. It was this that obtained to ancient Enoch the moft fingular teftimony of honour from heaven. He continued to"walk with God," when the world apoftatifed from him. He pleafed God, and was beloved of him; fo. that living among finners, he was tranflated to heaven without feeing death; "Yea, fpeedily was he taken away, left wickedness fhould have altered his underftanding, or deceit beguiled his foul." When Sodom could not furnish ten righteous men to fave it, Lot res mained unspotted amidst the contagion. He lived likę an angel among fpirits of darkness; and the deftroying flame was not permitted to go forth, till the good man was called away by a heavenly mefsenger from his devoted city. When" all fiefh had corrupted their way upon the earth," then lived. Noah, a. righteous man, and a preacher of righteoufnefs. He ftood alone and was fcoffed by the profane crew. But they by