Confidering themselves merely as creatures of this world, born for no higher employments than animal inftinct enjoins, fuch reafoners could form no other conclufion. And yet they talk of virtue—and yet they recommend the practice of it to their deluded pupils-But what is their virtue? What is the idol, to which they would have mankind bow the knee? It is at best but a fort of fullen content, an affectation of Stoical apathy, a mock refignation of they know not what, to they know not whom, without the leaft tincture of that Divine Sweetness and Compofure, which fooths and delights the hearts of thofe, who "look "for a better country, even an Heaven"ly one."

On the other hand, the fpiritually enlightened philofopher confiders himfelf as an heir of glory, as well as an heir of corruption; a child of GoD, as

well

well as a child of the duft; a citizen of Heaven, and a partaker of the Divine Nature, as well as a citizen of earth, and a partaker of the fame nature with the beafts that perifh: and therefore he makes every state and relation, every event and occurrence of his prefent life, read him fome falutary leffon, or awaken fome pious thought, fome good and virtuous fenfibility, all which help to fit and prepare him for a higher and happier life. He fuffers no portion of his precious time to be wholly occupied by worldly cares and anxieties, or to steal away unnoticed and unimproved.

This being the general doctrine implied in my text, let us endeavour seriously to apply it to our own particular practice.

And is there, indeed, "to every "thing a feason, and a time to every

purpose under Heaven?" Does every moment come to us charged with fome important duty? And are the minutest occurrences of every day, the very feafons, in which fome purposes of eternal confequence are to be answered? -Gracious GOD! What are we then about? Eating, drinking, sleeping—eating, drinking, fleeping again !-This is certainly the cafe with the listless and enervated fons of floth. Times and seasons are nothing to them. At least they think of no other purposes, to which they can be adapted. Give them but a plentiful repast, and a pillow of down-these are their virtue, their Heaven, and their GOD!

As to men of business, who are perpetually toiling and bustling on the crouded stage of life, who "rise early, "and go to bed late, and eat the bread "of carefulness," they cannot, indeed, be charged with the neglect of times

and

and feafons. and the exchange, they know that particular hours are to be devoted. The moment of clofing or refufing a contract, the times and feafons of managing their traffick to the greatest advantage, they mott feriously and punctually obferve and improve.

To the compting-house,

The fons and daughters of pleasure, too, are far from being unacquainted with, or inattentive to, "times and fea

fons;" and the man of ambition knows their importance fo well, that he most faithfully avails himself of them to aid his atpiring views, and carry his felfith purpofès into execution.

But alas! thefe times and feafons are only fuch, as have refpect to the purpotes and interefts of the prefent world. Were they indeed observed and kept, in fubordination to the fuperior intereits of a fuperior world; and would men but turn their thoughts with equal chearfulness

chearfulness to the times and feafons, in which the calls and purposes of Virtue, Goodness, Heaven, are to be anfwered; they would then act a truly wife and fenfible part, even that of immortal fpirits, travelling through the vale of mortality, attentive indeed to the common exigencies of their pilgrim state, but infinitely more attentive to the acquifition of thofe tempers and qualities, that will fecure them an happy reception in the world to which they are haftening.

Indeed, my brethren, were we once captivated by the lovely form of Virtue; did we know her origin to be Divine, the offspring of GOD, made manifeft in his only begotten Son JESUS CHRIST, and by him, through the Eternal Spirit, communicated to that whole race of fallen beings, which inhabit this globe of earth; did we know, that these communications of Virtue were made VOL. II. C

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