places of confinement, where the wicked have a general rendezvous. Here vice increases by contagion: which might have been checked by confining each perfon to his feparate cell.

The ftate however of human affairs will not admit of feparate cells. For the purposes of civil fociety, these hords are neceffary. They are neceffary in bringing to perfection the arts of life-the civilization of manners-and the progrefs of learning. We may add alfo, that a long catalogue of virtues are cultivated in fociety; which could not be cultivated in a fequeftered life. So that although the human fpecies might be kept more innocent by being kept apart, they would become more favage, and in many refpects lefs virtuous.We must take the world therefore as it is, with all its good, and all its bad qualities; and make the best of it. We fhall find much to admire, and more to avoid. Our danger arifes chiefly from its amusements-its free opinions—and its vicious example.

N. B. All these heads might be confidered more at large, in a fermon.

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XXXIII.

Neither is God in all his thoughts.—Pfalm x. 4.

THIS feems to be spoken of the same fool, who, as David tells us in another place, faid in his heart, there is no God. He was not such a fool, as to declare it abroad; but he was fool enough to say it in his heart-that is to perfuade himself to believe, what his bad life, no doubt, made him wish.

I shall not here attempt to reafon a point with a person of his difpofition. I only mean to borrow the subject of a discourse from that part of his character which is held out in the text, Neither is God in all his thoughts.

THE duty of prayer, I think, may be divided into three kinds.-The firft is public worship -a fpecies of homage, which the serious part of all mankind-heathen, jews, and christians, have

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have thought themselves bound to perform.The fecond is private prayer; when we enter into our clofet, and fhut the door, and pray in fecret to our Father.-The third is what is alluded to in the text-having God in all our thoughts.This laft is the kind of prayer, 'which I mean at present to explain. I fhall examine, first, the nature; and fecondly, the advantages of it.

By having God in all our thoughts, I mean encouraging in ourselves that heavenly difpofition, which mixes Deity, as it were, with the most common concerns of life. If any little fuccessful event arises (I speak of the smallest events of life) the first fentiment is an ejaculation of praise to God; accompanied perhaps with a pious hope, that its iffue may be morally improving. The fame pious hope, accompanied with an ejaculation fignifying perfect refignation, attends every little sinister event-When any thing is done, it is the first question of the heart, Is this pleafing to God?-When any thing is left undone, How far, O God, am I guilty in thy fight? Cleanfe me from my fecret faults. Does any little difficulty arife ?-Guard me, Q God, with thy good spirit! Have I used a wrong expref

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expreffion?-Set a guard, O God, upon my lips!

When we thus mix God and religion, with all the little offices of life, it appears, that in the beft fenfe, we have our converfation in heaven; and fulfil the precept of doing every thing, whether we eat, or drink, or whatever we do, to the glory of God. This conftant attention to our heavenly Father, David expreffes thus: As the eyes of fervants look unto the hand of their mafers; and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her miftrefs; even fo our eyes wait upon the Lord our God.-Let the fceptic fcoff; but let us perfuade ourselves, that by thus mixing God, and religion, with the common affairs of life, we obey that God, who has graciously informed us, he has an eye upon our minutest concerns and that not even a Sparrow falls to the ground, without his concurrence.

LET us next turn to the fpecial advantages of this mode of worship.

The first is, that it tends more perhaps, than any other fpecies of devotion, to form the heart. All men are more or lefs, inclined to the opus operatum. It is by no means folely confined to popery. Though we should be impreffed on all occafions,

cafions, when we pray to God, with the highest reverence, yet we are too apt, both when we pray at church, and in our clofets, to make our prayers matter of form. Do the best we can, they are often cold, and languid. The occurrences of life are too apt to obtrude themselves upon us. But when we have God in all our thoughts, the occurrences of life make up our very prayers. They furnish materials for them.

The diffenter therefore ufes no form: the minifter keeps up the attention of the congregation by an extempore prayer: which would certainly have the preference, if every minifter was properly qualified for this fervice; and if a congregation could readily follow an extempore prayer. But in fact, I think the chief difference with regard to form, between them and us, is, that their forms are gotten by heart; and ours are writ

ten.

* On particular occafions, I think, the diffenter has the advantage. An occasion of this kind I recollect. It was in the beginning of the year 1786, when the firft fleet failed to Botany Bay. The fhips ftood through the Needles, which are oppofite to Lymington. It was on a Sunday-morning when the people were affembling at church; and the diffenting minister took a very juft óccafion, as the fleet failed past, to defire the prayers of the congregation for the success of the expedition.