sible. How much better was the course which the Apostle took with those who held the language of the text, in order to bring them to a sense of their folly? He doth not go about in quest of remote objects, nor seek to surprise them with new and uncommon discoveries; but he surprised them most effectually, by pointing to an object just at hand, one view of which was sufficient to check their presumption,-an object which stood always before their eyes, though overlooked through the pride, or inattention, or perverseness of their minds.

It hath already been observed, that the matter of the project, here represented by the Apostle, is in itself plausible; and that his reproof is chiefly aimed at the form or manner of expressing it. And if he treated this with so much severity, what would he have said, had the end proposed been criminal in its own nature, or the means of obtaining it base and dishonourable? What would he have said to those who puzzle themselves with schemes to get rid of their money, or to throw it away upon the most ridiculous trifles? who have no higher objects than the superfluities of dress, the luxury of entertainments, the multiplicity of diversions, and all the expensive arts of dissipation and sensuality? What would he have said to those who, in the same presumptuous style, lay deliberate schemes for low vice and debauchery, for drunkenness and whoredom, and other works of the flesh? What would he have said to those who devise methods of making gain by secret fraud or open violence? to those who practise deceit in buying and selling, or who, without either buying or selling, support a useless and pernicious life by the base and infamous occupation of gaming? Compared with these, the scheme which the Apostle condemns is wisdom, and honour, and virtue.

But the Apostle doth not rest in censuring what was

wrong. He goes on at the 15th verse to correct what was faulty, and to supply what was defective. "For that ye ought to say," adds he, "If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that."-This amendment, suggested by the Apostle, was the

Second thing which I proposed to consider.-And, 1st. It furnisheth us with a rule by which all our undertakings ought to be examined. Whatever scheme we have in view, to which we cannot prefix this preface, "If the Lord will," we may be assured is essentially wrong, and ought to be abandoned without delay. There is nothing truly good or profitable to us, for which we may not address God by prayer. Let us then convert the views which we have in any undertaking into the form of a petition, and try whether we can, with decency or propriety, offer up such a petition to God. Let us consider, whether the means by which we propose to compass these views are of such a nature, that we may ask or expect the divine blessing to accompany them. Happy were it for us, that all our schemes and projects were brought to this test. We should then be seasonably delivered from that fatal enchantment which first engageth us in unlawful pursuits, and then stimulates us to persist in them against the remonstrauces of our own consciences.

We should then escape from those fatal snares into which our rash unadvised plans betray us. For who would dare to say, "If the Lord will, I shall live," and rob and steal, game and defraud, oppress and overreach my neighbour? Such a connexion of thought would startle the mind at the first conception of lust, before it had brought forth sin. And I am persuaded, that if men were faithfully to practise this one easy and reasonable precaution, they would at least avoid many

of those presumptuous offences which lay waste the conscience, and destroy the peace of the soul.

2dly. This amendment, which the Apostle suggests, teacheth us to consider the shortness, and particularly the uncertainty, of life. "Ye know not," saith he, "what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? it is even a vapour which appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Thus David describes the life of man by those things which are most frail and fugitive in nature. "As for man, his days are as grass." Nay, as if the grass, which endures for a season, were too permanent an object of comparison, he immediately corrects the similitude, "As the flower of the field, so he flourisheth:" As the flower of the field, which is exposed to the foot of every passenger, to the tooth of every wild beast, to the wanton hand of every destroyer. It is not by rare and striking events only that the thread of life may be broken. There is no need that the thunder should break on you, or that the fire should devour you, or that the earth should open and swallow you up. Things far more common and familiar are sufficient for so easy a purpose, as that of cutting off your days. There is not an element so friendly, nor a circumstance so trifling, that it may not become the minister of death. Ought not this manifest uncertainty of life, then, to cool our pursuit of earthly projects? We are apt to meditate great and complicated schemes to attain wealth, or power, or honour in the world. But could we penetrate a little into futurity, we might perhaps see our grave opened far on this side of half way to the objects of our keenest pursuit. "For what is our life? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that we ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that."

3dly. This amendment, suggested by the Apostle, teacheth us to live in an habitual dependance on God, not only for life, but also for activity and prudence to carry our lawful designs into execution. There are two assertions in the 10th chapter of the book of Proverbs, which have a seeming opposition to each other. At the 4th verse, it is said, that "the hand of the diligent maketh rich;" where it would appear, that prosperity, in our worldly callings, is to be ascribed to our own activity and skill. On the other hand, it is asserted at the 22d verse, that "the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich; and he added no sorrow with it." These two assertions are not opposed; but the one is subordinate to the other; and the meaning is, that the hand of the diligent, by the blessing of God, is the means of gaining wealth and honour. Accordingly, we find that God gave this caution to his ancient people. "Beware that thou say not in thine heart, when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied, My power, and the might of my hand, hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth." How often do we see the best laid schemes miscarry; while others, far less flattering, succeed in a wonderful manner? One man shall toil with incessant industry, rise early, and sit up late, and eat the bread of carefulness, and yet all in vain. Another, who, compared with this man, hath neither a head to contrive, nor hands to execute, shall prosper in all bis plans. "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." Men are too apt "to

sacrifice to their own net, and to burn incense to their own drag." In great mercy, therefore, God denies riches to those who may be said to live for no other end but to obtain them; while, on the other hand, they sometimes drop, as it were, into the lap of others, who have no talents and little anxiety to acquire them. These observations are not meant to discourage industry or skill in the management of our lawful business. For it is still true, notwithstanding what hath been said, that wisdom excelleth folly, as much as light excelleth darkness; and that without proper means being used, we have no title to expect the blessing of God upon our affairs. But they ought to teach us to "commit our ways unto God” in well doing; to trust also in him that he may bring it to pass; to acknowledge him in all our ways, that he may direct our steps."-In the

4th and last place, This amendment, suggested by the Apostle, teacheth us to resign ourselves entirely to the will of God, and to submit all our schemes to him, to prosper or to disappoint them as seemeth good to him. This is the true spirit of the text. "If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that." Resignation to the will of God frees the mind from a grievous bondage, the bondage of earthly pursuits and expectations. Whatever God wills, is pleasing to the resigned soul; and when a Christian hath, by prayer and supplication, made known his requests to God, then the peace of God which passeth all understanding keeps his heart and mind through Jesus Christ. Then only is life truly enjoyed, when we relish its comforts, at the same time that we are prepared to part with them. The anxieties of the worldly man torment him with the pangs of a thousand deaths. His soul dies within him as often as he conceives the apprehension of losing those good things which he would wish always to enjoy. Whereas he who