nothing but flowers in their progress, they will foon be pierced with its thorns. If we look round us, we will fee misfortune, pain, and death imprefling their melancholy flamp on all the best enjoyments of human life. This vale of tears, after a fhort and uncertain courfe, leads to the grave, in which we, and all our fellow-travellers fhall be fucceffively fwallowed up. It is then the part of wifdom, ferioufly to confider our itate, and frequently to look forward, and be prepared for the folemn and interesting clofe of the prefent fcene. Much pleasure is unfriendly to ferious reflection. It diffipates the heart. It engages it in frivolous purfuits, and too often finks it, at last, in low and criminal enjoyments. Solid wifdom is beft drawn from the fober and thoughful fcenes of the houfe of mourning: for there we learn to make the molt juit eftimate of ouríelves and of the world.

The houfe of mourning, and the houfe of feafting are figurative expreflions perfectly in the eaftern itile defigned, the former, to fgnify thofe afflictions that call for the fympathy and commiferation of the humane and good; the latter, all high plea

fures of the sensual kind, especially, if they are accompanied with fcenes of feftivity.

and gay, the objects

The manner in which the facred writer flates the comparison between them, ftrongly fuggefts the dangerous influence of pleafure. For, however gloomy and painful, especially to the young and may be that are prefented in the house of mourning, better it is according to him to make the facrifices which we must make in converfing with them, and learning the grave and useful leffons which are taught there, than to expofe the frailty of youthful virtue to the frong temptations of the houfe of feafting. This is the obfervation which I purpofe to illuftrate and press in the following difcourfe. For although the text recommends alfo familiarity with those mournful fcenes that call forth the humane fympathies of the heart, and invite reflection on the vanity of the world; yet it equally conveys the inftru&tion which I have flated. And i have chofen to confider it chiefly in this light, because we every where fee pleafure acting upon the young with fatal power, and bearing them irreliftibly down its impetuous ftream.

It is an inftruction that deferves from you the higher confideration, because it comes from one who could have no intereft to reprefent religion in a gloomy lightwho was not a difappointed mifanthrope railing at pleasures which he could no longer talle, nor an auftere reclufe condemning from his cell enjoyments which he had never known. He was a man acquainted with the world, and by no means averfe from pleasure. He had even pursued it to thofe extremes against which he knew fo well to caution other youth: and, when he wrote, was in poffeffion of that power which gave him unlimited command of it in every form that inclination or fancy might demand. Yet this is the author who cautions you against its dangers-for, it weakens that watchfulness and guard which a wife and good man will find it neceffary always to maintain over himfelf-it lays the heart open to too frong temptations-it tends to impair the fentiments of piety towards God -it is unfriendly to the exercife of the benevolent affections-it enfeebles the principle of felf-government-and lafly, it is unfavourable to thofe ferious reflections on our mortal condition, and the inflability of

human things, fo useful to prepare the foul for her future existence, and her immortal deflination.

I. Much indulgence in pleafire tends, in the first place, to weaken that watchfulness and guard which a wife and good man will find it neceffary always to maintain over the frailty of the heart.

The heart, which is the principle of all that is good or ill in man, requires the molt perfevering vigilance to guard it against the accefs of temptation. A habit of profound and ferious reflection on ourselves, and on the real flate and duties of life is necellary to impose a conflant rein upon the pallions, and to correct the illufions by which fancy is always ready to aid the errors of the heart. The fcenes of delight prepared in the house of of fealling are little calculated for thefe ends. Reflection would mar enjoyments that depend upon the levity and riot of the fpirits. Pleafure feldom admits wifdom of her party. The wand of truth which the carries would defroy all those unreal images, and airy vifions with which the deluded voluptuary is furrounded.

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There the heart is thrown loofe from reftraint, and laid open to the lively and warm impreflion of every feducing idea. Gaity circulates from breaft to breaft, and dilipation is held to be neceffary to enjoyment. The fenfes, the fancy, the paffions, all heated and inflamed, hurry it away, deprived almost of the power of refiftance. Keep the heart with all diligence, fays the wife moralift, for, out of it are the illues of life." And a good man will find it incumbent on him, in partaking even of the most moderate pleasures, to exert an unceasing felf-command, and to preferve a mind always collected, and awake to the fentiments of duty. His emotions he should obferve as they begin to rife, he should attentively remark their progrefs, and be prepared to reprefs their firft tendencies to tranfgrefs the temperate and lawful bound prefcribed to them by reafon, and religion. Examine then on what fide you are weakeft and molt acceffible to evil-there fix your principal guard. When the heart is guarded, temptation will affail it in vain. But, when lulled to fecurity by the foothings of pleasure, or transported beyond itself by the vivacity of its feelings, or by the fpright