To keep the mind directly and conftantly fixed on our eternal concerns and final hour, is impoffible. Were it poffible, it would unfit us for the duties of our stations and relations. To give attention to these is our indifpenfible duty. Still the things of our peace fhould employ our thoughts, when we lie down and rife up, go forth and come in. Their weight and influence fhould be apparent at all times, in all places and circumftances. In fuch a state of mind, all his concerns being in fuch a posture, under fuch regulation, the good man, when notified of approaching death, retires within himself, disentangled from worldly cares, and is entirely devoted to the contemplation of his change; and the invisible, eternal scenes opening upon him.

The pfalmift prayed, Remember how fhort my time is. If our time is fhort, and our work great, no part of our time should hang heavy upon us-we fhould be bufy in our particular and general calling all our life long, from its firft dawn to its evening ray. The young have the Saviour's example, calling on them to be about their heavenly Father's business-to attend it while it is ́day, ever mindful that the night of death cometh, when no man can work. Put the cafe that they may be lofers in the present world by being affiduous in the concerns of another and better; this would, notwithstanding, be the trueft wisdom. Things feen and temporal are unworthy to be compared with things unfeen and eternal. The fufferings of this tranfitory state are un worthy to be compared with the far more exceeding eternal weight of glory. The husbandman ploweth all day to fow, and waiteth with long patience for the harveft to reward his toil. The fpiritual harveft, at the end of the world, is far more joyful and bright, than that of the husbandman returning with joy from his fields, bringing his fheaves with full grain. "Be * ye therefore patient, stablish your hearts: For the "coming of the Lord draweth nigh." Be intent on the concerns of your high calling. "Be not weary in

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well-doing: For in due season

"faint not.

ye

fhall reap,

if ye

Your fpiritual and immortal hopes are far too dear to be postponed and facrificed to the things of this empty and paffing world. Suffer not these things to detain you from the wiser choice, or to obstruct and entangle you in working out your own fal. vation. In this chief concern of all orders and ages no pains or circumfpection can be too great.

The voice of God's providence conftantly unites with that of his word, calling upon us to give the more earneft heed to the prefent fubject. Our intimate friends, our dearest connections, languifh and die to quicken us in redeeming time. When earthly ties are broken, when our connections in this world are leffened, where, but in religion, fhall we find fuccour? This affures us, that the dead do not fleep eternally-that they shall rife again-that this mortal fhall put on immortality, when earth and time fhall be no more. Why should we be flothful? It highly concerns us to "fhew the fame "diligence unto the full affurance of hope unto the "end," as thofe "who through faith and patience in"herit the promises." With them time is closed. They have received the end of their faith, the falvation of their fouls Why fhould we not, by patience in well doing, by always abounding in the work of the Lord, look for the bleffed hope? Why are any loth to meditate on the end of all men? why backward to lay to heart inftances of mortality from day to day-examples of the frailty of man at his best estate? why flow to believe that the time is at hand? why unwilling to look into eternity? unwilling to examine into their own preparation to exchange worlds? unwilling to cherish, in the day of health and profperity, the juft fentiments which are excited by the day of adverfity, fickness and death?

I would stir up myself and all my hearers to look forward to the end of time. My own time, in the course of nature, must be much shorter than that of

far the most who hear me. My daily and great concern is to poffefs the character of the fleward, whom the Lord when he cometh fhall find watching. May you, my brethren, whether young or old, or in the midft of life, duly appreciate time in this your day. You are haftening to the coming of the day of God. The redemption of time will be your best preparation for that day. Be diligent then that you may be found of him in peace. May God give you all grace duly to estimate and improve life and the price in your hands.

AMEN.

SERMON XXII.

REFLECTIONS ON DEATH.

GENESIS. 19.

---FOR DUST THOU ART, AND UNTO DUST SHALT THOU RETURN.

"GOD formed man of the duft of the ground,

"and breathed into his noftrils the breath of life; and "man became a living foul. And God planted a gar"den eastward in Eden; and there he put the man "whom he had formed, to drefs it and to keep it.-"And the Lord God commanded the man; faying, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayeft freely eat: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, "thou shalt not eat of it: For in the day that thou "eatest thereof thou fhalt furely die." Man violated the prohibition, which was the only teft of fidelity to his Creator, the only condition of immortality. For that violation, the doom was paffed upon him; Duft thou art, and unto duft fhalt thou return. The above recited paffage is a fummary hiftory of his formation, his fituation and employment in Eden, the condition on which he held life from the Creator; and the threatened penalty to tranfgreffion. It is alfo a general comment upon the text.

The fcriptures uniformly reprefent death as man's return to the duft, out of which he was taken. Then the duft returns to the earth as it was. Thou takeft away their breath, they die, and return to their duft. Thou turneft man to deftruction, and fayeft, Return, ye_children of men.

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