But if we

the pains it cofts; the conftant attention to every word, and action. In fact, it would coft lefs to be good in earneft.Befides, we deceive ourselves, if we think we can long deceive the world. Rarely did hypocrify ever carry its deceit to the grave. could deceive the world, and carry off our deceit, with our grey hairs, to the grave; (and I fuppofe this is as far as the most practifed hypocrite can hope to carry it) is it worth while? Will the best gains of hypocrify repay us for a bad confcience; or give us any folid return for the remorfe of a death-bed?

What, may we fuppofe, were Balaam's fentiments, when he lay bleeding on the plains of Midian? when all his wicked vifion was fledwhen he found himself ftruck with the hand of death, deft rate of all comfort upon earth; and of all hope from heaven? In those bitter moments, we may fuppofe, he faw things in their true light-in the agony of despair and horror, he was at length convinced of the folly, and wickedness of all his worldly schemeshis Sin had now found him out and he exclaimed in earneft, (what in the hypocrify of his foul, he had once uttered) Oh! that I might die the death of the righteous, and that

my latter end might be like his!

-May

we all catch the warning voice! and may God

through Jefus Chrift our Lord!

grant us grace to make a better use of it,

bs.

(88)

SERMON VIII.

HEBREWS, XI. 13.

THEY CONFESSED, THAT THEY WERE STRAN GERS, AND PILGRIMS ON THE EARTH,

OUR paffage through life is compared in holy fcripture, to various things-fometimes to an arrow flitting through the air, which quickly ftrikes the mark it aimed at-sometimes to a race, in which we foon arrive at the destined goal-fometimes to a flower, which is to-day in the field; to-morrow, cut down, and withered. But no figure, I think, more beautifully, and more comprehenfively describes it, than that of a journey, to which it is compared by the apostle in the text.-The other figures give

us an idea of some particulars only in the life of man-its hafty progrefs-its destined end-or its great uncertainty. But a journey feems to comprehend it in all its ufual circumftances, from one end to the other from the cradle to the grave. We may confider the whole world, in all its diftinctions-rich, and poor-young, and old-wife, and foolish-gay, and thoughtful-all journeying to their great home. Some travel in a more expenfive way with equipage, and attendants: others, in a humble manner, like, the poor pilgrim with his staff: but all, in this confufion, and variety, are haftening to one great point their everlasting home.

For your inftruction therefore to-day, I propofe to mark a few of those strong lines of refemblance between a journey, and our paffage through life; and fhall endeavour to make fuch obfervations on each, as I hope may be useful to you,

THE first great resemblance may be found in the various stages of each.In the common journies of this world, fome are long; and marked of course, with a great variety of circumstances. Others again are short, quickly

per

performed, and little varied with any particular

Occurrences.

Exactly thus is our great journey through life. The journey of fome is long.

Many years are fpent in paffing through the feveral stages of childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. Others again scarce pafs through half this space, before they find themselves at their journey's end. They languish awhile under the pains of mortality, and are cut off in the flower of their age while many begin, and finish their journey almoft at the fame time.What fhould this teach us, but, (as our Lord inftructs us) to have our loins girt, our lights burning, and ourselves. in conftant readiness to set out, whenever we are called for notwithstanding the likeness between a journey, and our paffage through life, this difference, we must remember, exifts between them-the former we conduct in the latter we are conducted. In our great journey through life we cannot make the ftages as we please. They are laid out for us. We have only to prepare ourselves properly for them.

A SECOND great resemblance, which may be traced between a journey, and our paffage through