Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

tion of their latter end, and a neceffary preparation for it, than the ferious contemplation on the shortnefs and vanity of human life. This is an argument which requires no depth of wisdom to conceive, no fuperior faculties to difcufs, but appeals to the fenfes, and fpeaks to the hearts of all men; and yet the fenfes of all men deceive, the hearts of all men betray them, and thofe things which fhould be, for their learning, are unto them an occafion of falling. The certainty of death is perhaps among those truths, which, merely becaufe they are obvious, we do not think fufficiently worthy of our attention; it is almoft the only thing we know, and we treat it as if it were the only thing we were ignorant of. In the midft of life we are in death; but, like hardy and fearless foldiers, though we are in the heat of the battle, though thoufands fall befide us, and ten thoufand on our right hand, yet, whilst we have fociety to animate, whilft we have hope to encourage, and all the noife and buftle of the war to divert our thoughts, we are ftrangers to fear, and infenfible of our danger. The goodness of the Almighty is alike visible in what it fhews, and in what it conceals from us: God, of his mercy, has thought fit to hide from our knowledge the fatal hour of our diffolution, becaufe, were the profpect of death continually before our eyes, the affairs of this world could never be carried on with that chearfulnefs and alacrity which are fo highly requifite to the performance of them. It would damp all the faculties, and

put

put a stop to all the efforts and defigns of the human mind, and leave a gloom and horror upon it, too great for reafon and reflection to remove: in fhort, were the fword perpetually hanging over our heads, the feaft of life would afford us but little comfort in the enjoyment of it.

An eminent heathen writer, in an elegant difcourfe on the idle purfuits and enjoyments of men in this uncertain ftate, among many other fenfible reflections, put into the mouth of one of his imaginary deities, thus ridicules the folly of mankind. "Look, fays he, on "that builder there, and think, what would " he not rather do, though he now fo induf

triously preffes on the labourer to finish his "coftly manfion, did he know it should be no "fooner built but that he must die, and leave "the poffeffion of it to his heir, ere he, poor "wretch, fhall have had even once the plea"fure of fupping in it. Or look on him who

hugs himself on his becoming a father, en"tertains his friends at a feast of joy, and calls "the boy by his own name. If he knew this

CC

darling child fhould never outlive his fe"venth year, would he, think you, be fo "wanton at his birth? But he fondly imagines "himself happy in a child who fhall hereafter "be crowned in the olympic games, and ob"ferves not, at the fame time, his afflicted neighbour carrying out his fon to the last "fire."

[ocr errors]

Thus could an unenlightened heathen laugh at, and expofe the folly and vanity of mankind,

and

and deservedly reproach them for not confidering their latter end. If their behaviour, in a point fo important, was a proper fubject of ridicule, what fhall we fay to thofe to whom life and immortality are brought to light by the Gospel of Chrift? We, who have fuch threats to alarm, and fuch hopes to encourage us, ought to be wifer, to understand better to number our few days, and feriously to confider and prepare for our latter end.

But that the weight and importance of the precept in my text may appear the more plainly, it may not be amifs to confider and enforce it in the various ftages of this our fhort journey, that men may be convinced how neceffary it is to number their days, and apply their hearts unto wifdom. To thofe therefore who are in the Spring of life, I would first addrefs myself; those who are yet untainted by falfe principles, and uncorrupted by bad example. Let us fend up our offerings to the Almighty, whilst we have fomething worthy of his acceptance: our loyalty to our Sovereign will then be moft meritorious, when the enemy is ufing ever method to alienate our affections from him: let us not make a merit of refigning what we can no longer maintain, but when the paffions are most importunate, and the appetites moft unruly, yield them up to the guidance of reafon and religion; with fuch facrifices God is well pleafed. To whom fhould we dedicate the temple, but to him that raifed it? or who is more worthy of the first-fruits, than he who gave us the whole harveft? If in

the

the days of our youth we remember our Creator, we may reft affured he will not forget us in our more advanced years; if we give the earlier part of life to religion, habit will ftrengthen reafon, and felf-love fide with virtue. When the mind has long employed itself on any particular ftudy, it contracts a fondness and partiality not easily removed; befides that the elder biafs of the foul, either towards good or evil, will ever claim the privilege of its birth-right, and affume an authority over the future conduct of our lives. With how much care and caution therefore are the firft tendencies of youth to be observed. How much may their happiness, both here and hereafter, depend upon them?

It has of late years been too often obferved, that the foolish vanity of parents hath confpired with the natural forwardnefs of their children to ruin and deftroy them, by pushing them too early into the bufinefs and pleasures of a licentious age. Our youth have found out methods to antedate old age, and haften the foot-fteps of death; to croud their vices into as fhort a space as poffible, and fill up as foon as they can the measure of their iniquity. They fcorn to owe their infirmities to grey hairs, or their decay to nature; but without ever numbering their few days, are quickly worn down by vice and debauchery, and hurry themselves out of the world at an age when their forefathers were scarce entered into it.

Pafs we on then from the flippery and dangerous path of youth, to the middle ftate of manhood.

manhood. Here our feet tread firmer, and our labour grows more eafy: judgment fteps in to our affifiance, the voice of reafon is clearer and more diftinct, the violent and tumultuous paffions begin to fubfide; but becaufe the waves are lefs difturbed, and the ftorm a little blown over, we must not therefore fancy ourfelves in the haven; we are as loth to confider our latter end, and to think on the one thing needful, at this time, as at any period of our lives. In infancy and in youth every toy can please, and every novelty delight; and as we advance in years we do not lay afide, but change the bauble; cur amufements are ftill as idle as before, and only not fo innocent. When we are talking to men, to put them in mind that they were men, would, one fhould think, be a fufficient reproof: it is then high time to put away childish things, and apply our hearts unto wifdom; to reflect that the hour is come when there is no dallying with life, when youth can no longer excufe our errors, nor inexperience palliate our crimes, and every fin is aggravated and inflamed by our own knowledge and confcioufnefs of it. And yet I know not how it is, but in this ftage of life we are ftill liable to the temptations of pleasure, and all thofe vices which are ftrengthened and improved by habit; be.. fides that the common bufinefs and affairs of life call away our attention, and will not let our affections there be fixed where only true joys are to be found; we apply our hearts, in fhort, too much to the wisdom of this world,

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinua »