"dinances: I abftained from criminal gra"tifications. Exempted by wealth from "the neceffity of labouring for fubfiftence; "I configned my hours to eafe and amuse"ment?" You anticipate the answerCaft the unprofitable fervant into outer darknefs: there fhall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Let not our inveftigations, my brethren, be closed without some brief and practical remarks.

Confider with attention proportioned to the importance of the fubject the univerfal obligation to labour. If you wifh to withdraw your shoulder from the burthen; fufpect the foundness of your Chriftian profeffion. For those whom you love, even at the defire of thofe whom you love, you delight to labour. Do you love God, and loiter when he commands you to work for Him? Whatfoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might: for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wif dom, in the grave whither thou goeft. Whatfoever ye do, do it heartily; as to the Lord, and not unto men. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have fhewed towards His name. And we defire that every one of you do fhew the

Jame

fame diligence to the full affurance of hope unto the end that ye be not flothful, but followers of them who through faith, and patience inherit the promises (n).

Secondly. Be frequent in propofing to yourself the enquiry, "What is my Occu"pation?". Satisfy yourself, not merely that you are occupied, but that you are occupied in employments acceptable to God. To labour in trifles is not Chriftian occupation. To labour in fin is to labour for the devil. What numbers whom the fun rifing and fetting beholds in an unceasing hurry of occupation, shall appear at the hour of account to have been worse than idle! What numbers whofe labours, highly useful to their friends or to their country, have filled the mouth of the world with praife, fhall ftand convicted in the hour of account as having never laboured for God! What doeft thou here, Elijah? was the queftion of Jehovah, to his prophet, who had relinquished in a mo-. ment of alarm the proper scene of his labours. Under every circumstance regard this question as addreffed in conjunction with the former to yourself. Is this the place of duty? Is this the labour of (n) Eccl. ix. 6. Col. iii. 23. Hebr. vi. 10-12. P4

duty?

you labouring for the Moft you labouring in your ap

you fe?

y. Would you labour efficacioufRemember whofe is the ftrength in sh you must labour. Truft not in an

of flesh. Lean not to thine own unCeutanding. Be ftrong in the Lord, and in e power of His might. Not by might, not by power; but by My Spirit, faith the Lord T Hofts. Through Chrift who strengtheneth thee, thou mayeft do all things, Without Him thou canst do nothing (o).

Fourthly. Be vigilant, be humble, bę devout, in guarding through the all-fufficient grace of your Redeemer against thofe fnares and forms of fin, which attach themselves to your occupation. Be fortified against its toils, its pleafures, its rewards, its difappointments. When under the garb of avarice, or of pride, or of ambition, or of fenfuality, or of felf-complacency, or of difcontent, Satan lays claim to your heart; What is your reply? I ferve the Lord Chrifti.

Finally In the fpirit of Him whose meat and drink it was to do the will of his Father, accuftom yourself to regard enjoyment as

XV.

(0) Eph. vi. 1o. Zech. iv. 6. Philipp. iv. 13. John,

5.

confifting

confifting in the performance of duty. By multitudes, duty and pleasure are beheld as diftinct; as drawing in oppofite directions: duty, toiling in one quarter, and fummoning to an irksome task; pleasure smiling in an adverse region, and inviting to compenfatory gratification. He, and he alone, whom Chriftianity enables to identify them, poffeffes the fecret of virtue and happiness.

SERMON XI.

On the neceffity of unreferved Obedience.

JAMES, ii. 10.

Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

TO fome perfons it has been a fubject of unreasonable furprise, that the Scriptures fhould contain paffages apparently of dark and ambiguous import. All the works, all the appointments of God, abound with difficulties. The nature of the air which you breathe, the properties of the foil on which you tread, the growth of the plants and animals by which you are fuftained, exceed your 'comprehension. the common difpenfations of Providence, in the moral government of the world, there is much which is obfcure to the li

In