Such was the face of things at the creation. Every view that could be taken was a view of order and beauty, of happiness and pleasure. Too soon, by the frailty and the guilt of man, this happy state was changed; and through sin death and misery entered into the world. Every part of our world was affected by the general disorder. The earth produced thorns and thistles. The seasons became unfavourable. The beasts grew wild and savage: and hence sprung a necessity of labour and selfdefence. Toil and weariness must be its natural consequence to bodies now become mortal and corruptible. Pain and sickness, the infirmities of old age, the fear of death and sufferings both for ourselves and our friends, with all that variety of evils that burthen human life: all are the sad effects of

The disorder of our minds, the vehemence of our passions, the dimness of our understandings, those tendencies to evil, which even the best people, sometimes, feel strongly working in their bosoms, are the bitter fruits of the original corruption of human nature in our common parent. Hence we should draw the strongest motives of humility, and throw ourselves down in the deepest abasement of soul, before that God of holiness, in whose "sight the heavens are not pure; and who chargeth his angels with folly." "How much more man, which is a worm; and the son of man, which is a worm?" Unassisted human nature could not be in a more perfect state than our first parents were created; infinitely superior to whatever we can imagine of good or excellent among ourselves. If they were such frail, such wretched creatures, and so soon forfeited their very beings, then what is the very best of us? Let our confusion be ever before us! Let the shame of our face cover us!"

Many good persons, who have deeply dwelt on this dark view of our mortal state, have represented it as utterly unfit and sinful for such creatures, in such a world, to think of any thing but suffering

and mourning. But as sure as our heavenly Father is good to all, and peculiarly so to us, his helpless new-adopted children, so surely they are widely mistaken. The blessed promise of our redemption was uttered in the same moment with the doom of our mortality, and from that moment all was good again. Pain, and suffering, and sorrow, became remedies to cure our corrupted nature: temptations but a purifying fire to prove and to refine our virtue and death a kind release from toil, a happy admission into a better paradise. Through our blessed Saviour we have obtained the grace of God to guide us in all our ways, and to support us under all our distresses. Through Him, in Him, we have every thing that can make us happy, unless we wilfully destroy ourselves. Rejoice then, in the Lord, all ye righteous; be thankful, all ye who are true of heart."

66

THURSDAY.

The Duty and Manner of being useful in Society.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." How greatly do we all of us need this blessing; poor guilty creatures, who are every day offending infinite goodness, and provoking almighty power and perfect justice! How then shall we be merciful as we ought? Can this duty be practised by any but the great, or the injured? in relieving the distressed, or in pardoning offenders? Yes: every one of us may practise it every day we live. It is a great mistake to think there is no superiority, but that which rank and fortune give. Every one of us may in something or other assist or instruct some of his fellow-creatures: for the best of the human race is poor and needy, and all have a mutual dependence on one another: there is nobody that cannot do some good and every body is bound to do diligently all the good he can. It is by no means

enough to be rightly disposed, to be serious and religious in our closets: we must be useful too, and take care, that as we all reap numberless benefits from society, society may be the better for every one of us. It is a false, a faulty, and an indolent humility, that makes people sit still and do nothing, because they will not believe that they are capable of doing much : for every body can do something. Every body can set a good example, be it to many, or to few. Every body can in some degree encourage virtue and religion, and discountenance vice and folly. Every body has some one or other whom they can advise, or instruct, or in some way help to guide through life. Those who are too poor to give alms, can yet give their time, their trouble, their assistance in preparing or forwarding the gifts of others; in considering and representing distressed cases to those who can relieve them; in visiting and comforting the sick and afflicted. Every body can offer up their prayers for those who need them; which, if they do reverently and sincerely, they will never be wanting in giving them every other assistance that it should please God to put in their power.

FRIDAY.

On the Happiness of the present State, and the Selfdenial required in it.

"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." Alas! does it not seem from this, and many other passages of Scripture, worthy of all observance, and of all acceptation, as if it was our bounden duty in this world to lead a melancholy, wretched, uncomfortable life? And can this indeed be the will of Him who delighteth in mercy; who filleth our hearts with food and gladness, and has, in not a few places, expressly commanded us to " rejoice evermore?" Is there then an inconsistency

in the duties of religion? God forbid! Yet shortsighted men, capable of taking into one view but a part of the vast and perfectly consistent scheme of duty, and guided too generally by passion or weakness, are perpetually acting as if this was the case.

Between these two extremes undoubtedly lies the plain path of duty: the narrow, but not thorny road, that leads through the truest comfort this life can afford, to everlasting happiness in a better.

The natural enjoyments of life are dispensed to us by a gracious Providence, to mitigate its natural evils, and make our passage through it not only supportable, but, at fit times and seasons, so far pleasant, as to make us go on with vigour, cheerfulness, and gratitude: and to give us some kind of earnest of what we are bid to hope hereafter some kind of faint notion what happiness is: some sensible assurances, that there really is such a thing, though not to be in any high degree enjoyed on this side of the grave. Still it is a yet more merciful dispensation of the same fatherly care, that pain and imperfection, satiety and disappointment, should be so mixed up with all our best enjoyments in this low state of being, as to turn our chief aim and desire towards heaven. And let us not fear, unless we wilfully and madly throw ourselves into a giddy round of pleasures, on purpose to be intoxicated by them, Providence will mercifully interpose in the fullest tide of innocent prosperity, and make us, by some means or other, feel an emptiness and dissatisfaction in the best this world can give; especially may this be hoped by those who take care to keep their minds always open to such serious thoughts and right impressions, as will perpetually present themselves, if not rejected; and who reserve some leisure time in every day, for reading and reflecting,

SATURDAY.

The Importance of Time in relation to Eternity. Another week is past; another of those little limited portions of time which number out my life. Let me stop a little here, before I enter upon a new one, and consider what this life is, which is thus imperceptibly stealing away, and whither it is conducting me? What is its end and aim, its good and its evil, its use and improvement? What place does it fill in the universe? What proportion does it bear to eternity?

This mortal life is the beginning of existence to beings made for immortality, and graciously designed, unless by wilful guilt they forfeit it, for everlasting happiness. Compared with eternity, its longest duration is less than a moment: therefore its good and evil, considered without a regard to the influence they may have on an eternity to come, must be trifling to a degree below contempt. The short scene begun in birth, and closed by death, is acted over millions of times in every age; and all the little concerns of mortality are pursued, transacted, and forgotten, like the labours of a bee-hive, or the bustle of an ant-hill." The thing which hath been, is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the sun." Our wisdom, therefore, is to pass through this busy dream as calmly as we can, and not suffer ourselves to be more deeply attached to any of these transitory things, than the momentariness and unimportance of them deserves.

But considering this short life as a probation for eternity, as a trial whose issue is to determine our everlasting state, its importance to ourselves appears beyond expression great, and fills a right mind with equal awe and transport. The important day will come, when there shall be a new thing indeed, but