know they are not ours. We know, we only pass by them. It would be ridiculous, we are well convinced, to fet our affections on what we cannot poffefs.

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And is not this juft the cafe of the things of this world? Do a few days, or a few months, or a few years, give us any more real property in these things, than if they were the vifions only of an hour?-Let us then at least be confiftent. If we do not fet our hearts on the beautiful things we see on a journey, because we cannot poffefs them; let us for the fame reason withhold our affections from the things of this world. We know we can poffefs neither of them. What is poffeffion? Nothing furely, of which we may be deprived in be deprived in a moment, can

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deferve that name.

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IF, again, life is a journey, let us not loiter in it. In our worldly journies-at least, where we are earnestly bent on any business of importance, we keep conftantly going on. Whether the fun beam hot upon us, or whether the storm gather, close behind, ftill we proceed.-Why should we do lefs in our heavenly journey? Let us then urge our way. Let us not be misled by trifles,

and stop, and loiter, till the fun goes down, and leaves us in the dark.

LASTLY, if life be a journey, let us keep the great end of it continually in view. We are journeying to our great home-the eternal manfion of fpirits. What is there here to detain us from fuch an end? Our valuables are not about us; they are at home, at the end of our jour ney. Where our treasure is, there then let our hearts be alfo. It is for want of believing this great truth, that we are mifled. If we in earnest believed, that heaven is the place, where our treasure is, we fhould in earnest endeavour to feek it there.Let us then strive to attain, this bleffed end of all our labours. It cannot. be a flight poffeffion, which our gracious Redeemer hath purchased for us with his blood.; Let us change our truft in this world therefore into faith in God through Christ. Let us be thofe ftrangers, and pilgrims upon earth, of whom the apostle fpeaks, looking for a manfion prepared for us in the heavens-not like the unstable mansions of this world-but a city, which bath foundations, whofe builder and founder, is God.

SEE THAT YE FALL NOT OUT BY THE WAY.

IN my laft difcourfe I explained to you the véry beautiful fcripture-comparison of a journey, and thewed you, in how many inftances, it bore a refemblance to our paffage through life. I thall now fhew you, how we ought to behave to each other on this journey. See that ye fall not out by the way.

Thefe words were spoken by Jofeph to his brethren, after he had made himself known to them in Egypt. He had loaded them with kindness; had made each of them a prefent; and had sent them away to their father. At the fame time, confidering the bad difpofition of

mankind

mankind in general; and the bad difpofition, which he knew by experience had formerly appeared in fome of them, he gave them a charge not to fall out by the way-but to travel peaceably like brethren; and make their journey as comfortable to each other, as they could.

I intend, in the following discourse, to give the good patriarch's caution a more extensive fense; and to advise you to travel peaceably together through life; as he advifed his brethren to travel peaceably together into Canaan. fhall fhew you, first, what are the principal caufes of our falling out by the way; and, fecondly, the reasons that should prevent it.

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ONE of the principal caufes of our falling out by the way, is the little pains we take in governing our paffions and tempers.As it hath pleafed God to make the fame difference in the difpofitions of men, as in their persons, we must expect in our journey through life, to meet with as many that differ from us in our humours, as in our faces. All this we fhould confider as matter of course. We fhould be prepared for it; and to make our journey easy, we should be forbearing. To think we can pafs quietly through life without this condefcending temper, would

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would be as abfurd, as to suppose people could travel easily through a frequented road, without mutually giving way. How troublesome would it be to travel in fuch a road, if we were continually justling, and elbowing every one who travelled in a contrary direction?· And yet how feldom are we difpofed, in our paffage through life, to give way to others? We should often confider (what few of us do confider) that we have wrongneffes in our own difpofitions; and that if we are difpleafed with an oppofition to our humours, we ought to fhew a condefcenfion to the humours of others. The rich fhould particularly confider thefe things, whofe ill-dif pofitions and petted tempers, are generally full fed with flattery and vanity. Among themselves indeed we commonly find a certain civility of manners, which is fomething like condefcenfion, and in the common occurrences of their journey through life, keeps all tolerably quiet, But though they may travel decently with their equals, they often treat their inferiors with great contempt. On the other hand, thofe in low ftations dare not fhew their ill-humour to those above them; but often fhew it with violence enough among each other; in their families at home especially. Follow them there, and you