this is a means to make us forget the LORD of glory. This makes us only fit to do fuch drudgery, as the devil fhall fet us about; this is only preparing to run wherefoever the devil fends: this, inftead of denying ourselves, is indulging our felves; this is not, nor cannot be called, a celebration of the birth of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, when we are making our→ selves worse than the beafts that perish.

I am not speaking against eating and drinking of the good things of life, but against the eating and drinking of them to excefs, becaufe, thus they unqualify us for the fervice of GOD; and to our fellow-creatures they make us unfociable, and may occasion us to be guilty of faying and acting those things, which we should be ashamed to think of, if we had only eat or drank with moderation.

Therefore, my dear brethren, let me befeech you to fet a watch over yourselves; be careful that you do not run into that company which may tempt you to evil; for would a man run himself into danger on purpose? Would a man enter himself into that company, where, before he goes, he knows he shall be exposed to great temptations; and therefore, if you have any reafon to think that the company you are going into will be a temptation, I beseech you, by the mer cies of GOD in CHRIST JESUS, that you would not run into it.

J!

How can you fay, "Lead us not into temptation," when you are refolved to lead yourselves into it, by running into the occafions of fins. You are commanded to keep from the appearance of evil; and do you do that, by running into the place and company where it is like to be committed? No, this is so far from avoiding, and thunning it, that it is a plain proof to the contrary; therefore, if you are for obferving this time, this feftival of our church, let it not be done by running to excess; for you plainly fee, that those who are guilty thereof, cannot be faid properly to celebrate it.

Thirdly, Nor can they, my brethren, be faid to keep, of rightly observe the commemoration of the birth of our Redeemer, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who neglect their worldly callings to follow pleafures and diverfions.

Alas! many, instead of keeping this time as it ought to be, run into fin with greediness; inftead of devoting their time

to the LORD, it is only devoted to the devil and their own lufts. How many who thus mifpend their time, at this feafon, lay by the work of their callings for a confiderable time, with no other view, but to follow earthly, fenfual, and devilish pleasures. If they fhould go to hear a fermon, or to a fociety, my brethren, the mouths of all the Pharifees at once are open against them, that they are not only a going to be ruined themselves, but are going to ruin their families too; they think it needlefs to make fo much ado; this is being righteous over-much; but you may be as wicked as you please, and they will not cry out; however, when you are wicked over-much, by ferving the devil and your own pleafures for a week or a month together, then, my brethren, with them you are only taking a little recreation, fpending your time in innocent diverfions; no one cries out against you, there is no outcry that you are going to be ruined. Again, if you give never so small a matter among the poor people of God, for their relief, then you are robbing your families, then you are going to turn madmen, and in a few days will be fo methodiftically mad, that you are not fit for a polite gentleman's converfation; but if you fpend one hundred times the money in playhouses, &c. on your lufts and pleasures, then you are liked and efteemed as a good friend and companion; but, my dear brethren, thefe good companions in the world's account, are never fo in the LORD JESUS CHRIST'S. You cannot ferve GOD and mammon; you must either lofe your lufts your pleasures, and your delights, or you cannot expect to find favour with GOD; for indeed, and indeed, the ways that too many follow at this time, are finful, yea, they are exceeding finful. You fee they cannot be faid to celebrate this holy time, who thus mifpend their precious time to the neglect of their families; fuch are deftroying themfelves with a witness.

Thus, my dear brethren, I have fhewn you who they are who do not rightly obferve this holy festival.

II. I come now, in the fecond place, to fhew you, who they are who do rightly observe, and truly celebrate the birth of our Redeemer.

And I fhall fhew you who they are in two particulars, directly oppofite to the others; and then, my brethren, take

your

your choice: you must choose the one or the other, there is no medium, you must either ferve the LORD or Baal; and, therefore, my dear brethren, let me beg of you to confider,

First, That those spend their time aright, and truly observe this feftival, who spend their hours in reading, praying, and religious conversation.

What can we do to employ our time to a more noble purpose, than reading of what our dear Redeemer has done and suffered; to read, that the King of kings, and the LORD of lords, came from his throne and took upon him the form of the meanest of his fervants; and what great thnigs he underwent. This, this is an hiftory worth reading, this is worth employing our time about: and furely, when we read of the fufferings of our Saviour, it should excite us to prayer, that we might have an intereft in the LORD JESUS CHRIST; that the blood which he fpilt upon mount Calvary, and his death. and crucifixion, might make an atonement for our fins, that we might be made holy; that we might be enabled to put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man, even the LORD JESUS CHRIST; that we may throw away the heavy yoke of fin, and put on the yoke of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Indeed, my brethren, thefe things call for prayer, and for earnest prayer too; and O do be, earnest with GOD, that you may have an intereft in this Redeemer, and that you may put on his righteoufnefs, fo that you may not come before him in your filthy rags, nor be found not having on the wedding garment. O do not, I beseech you, truft unto yourselves for juftification; you cannot, indeed, you cannot be juftified by the works of the law, I intreat that your time may be thus fpent; and if you are in company, let your time be spent in that converfation which profiteth: let it not be about your dreffing, your plays, your profits, or your worldly concerns, but let it be the wonders of redeeming love: O tell, tell to each other, what great things the LORD has done for your fouls; declare unto one another, how you were delivered from the hands of your common enemy, Satan, and how the LORD has brought your feet from the clay, and has fet them upon the rock of ages, the LORD JESUS CHRIST; there, my brethren, is no flipping; other conVOL. V.

R

verfation,

verfation, by often repeating, you become fully acquainted with, but of CHRIST there is always fomething new to raise your thoughts; you can never want matter when the love of the LORD JESUS CHRIST is the fubject: then let JESUS be the fubject, my brethren, of all your converfation.

Let your time be spent on him: O this, this is an employ, which if you belong to JESUS, will laft you to all eternity. Let others enjoy their cards, their dice, and gaming hours; do you, my brethren, let your time be spent in reading, praying, and religious conversation. Which will ftand the trial beft at the last day? which do you think will bring moft comfort, moft peace, in a dying hour? O live and spend your time now, as you will wish to have done, when you come to

die.

Secondly, Let the good things of life, you enjoy, be used with moderation.

I am not, as the fcoffers of this day tell you, againft eating and drinking the good things of life; no, my brethren, I am only against their being used to an excefs; therefore, let me beseech you to avoid those great indifcretions, those finful actions, which will give the enemies of GoD room to blafpheme. Let me befeech you, to have a regard, a particular regard to your behaviour, at this time; for indeed the eyes of all are upon you, and they would rejoice much to find any reason to complain of you. They can fay things against us without a caufe; and how would they rejoice if there was wherewith they might blame us? Then they would triumph and rejoice indeed; and all your little flips, my dear brethren, are, and would be charged upon me. O at this time, when the eyes of fo many are upon you, be upon your guard; and if you use the good things of this life with moderation, you do then celebrate this feftival in the manner which the inftitution calls for.

And intead of running into excefs, let that money, which you might expend to pamper your own bodies, be given to feed the poor; now, my brethren, is the feafon, in which they commonly require relief; and fure you cannot act more agreeable, either to the feafon, to the time, or for the glory of GOD, than in relieving his poor diftreffed fervants. Therefore,

fore, if any of you have poor friends, or acquaintance, who are in diftrefs, I befeech you to affift them; and not only those of your acquaintance, but the poor in general. O my dear brethren, that will turn to a better account another day, than all you have expended to please the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eye, or the pride of life. Confider, CHRIST was always willing to relieve the diftreffed; it is his command also; and can you better commemorate the birth of your king, your Saviour, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, than in obeying one of his commands?

Do not, my dear brethren, be forgetful of the poor of this world; confider, if providence has fmiled upon you, and bleffed you with abundance of the things of this life, GOD calls for fome returns of gratitude from you: be ye mindful of the poor, and when you are fo, then you may be faid to have a true regard for that time which is now approaching; if you would truly observe this feftival, let it be done with moderation, and a regard to the poor of this world.

Thirdly, Let me beg of you not to alienate too much of your time from the worldly bufinefs of this life, but have a proper regard thereunto, and then you may be faid rightly to obferve this feftival.

GOD allows none to be idle in all ages business was commended; and therefore do not think that any season will excuse us in our callings: we are not, my brethren, to labour for the things of this life inordinately, but we are to labour for them with all moderation: we are not to neglect our callings; no, we are to regard thofe places and stations of life, which GOD in his providence has thought convenient for us; and therefore, when you neglect your business to the hurt of your families, whatever pretence you thereby make for so doing, you are guilty of fin; you are not acting according to the doctrine of the gospel, but are breaking the commands of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, both according to his word, and to his own practice.

At this feftival, persons are apt to take a little more liberty than ufual and if that time from our vocations is not prejudicial to ourselves or families, and is spent in the fervice (of GOD, and the good of immortal fouls, then I do not