SERM.
III.

SERMON III.

On the IMPROVEMENT of TIME.

GENESIS, xlvii. 8.

And Pharaoh faid unto Jacob, How old art thou?

TIM

IME is of fo great importance to mankind, that it cannot too often employ religious meditation. There is nothing in the management of which wifdom is more requifite, or where mankind display their inconfiftency more. In its particular parcels, they appear entirely careless of it; and throw it away with thoughtless profufion. But, when collected into fome of its great portions, and viewed as the measure of their continuance in life, they become fen

fible

fible of its value, and begin to regard it

with a serious eye.
wafted in a courfe of idlenefs or vicious
pleasures, if fome incident fhall occur
which leads the most inconfiderate man to
think, of his age, or time of life; how
much of it is gone; at what period of it he
is now arrived; and to what proportion of
it he can with any probability look for-
ward, as yet to come; he can hardly avoid
feeling fome fecret compunction, and re-
flecting seriously upon his ftate. Happy,
if that virtuous impreffion were not of mo-
mentary continuance, but retained its in-
fluence amidst the fucceeding cares and
pleasures of the world! To the good old
Patriarch mentioned in the text, we have
reafon to believe that fuch impreffions
were habitual. The queftion put to him
by the Egyptian monarch produced, in his
anfwer, fuch reflections as were naturally
suited to his time of life. And Jacob faid
unto Pharaoh, the days of the years of my pil-
grimage are an hundred and thirty years:
few and evil have the days of the years of my

While day after day is

III.

1

SERM. life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers, in the days of their pilgrimage. But the peculiar circumftances of the Patriarch, or the num ber of his years, are not to be the fubject of our present confideration. My purpose is, to fhow how we fhould be affected in every period of humán life, by reflection upon our age, whether we be young, or advanced in years; in order that the que ftion, How old art thou? may never be put to any of us without fome good effect. There are three different portions of our life which fuch a queftion naturally calls to view; that part of it which is paft; that which is now prefent; and that to which we fondly look forward, as future. Let us confider in what manner we ought to be affected by attending to each of these.

I. LET us review that part of our time which is paft. According to the progrefs which we have made in the journey of life, the field which past years present to our review will be more or less extensive. But

to

III.

to every one they will be found to afford SERM. fufficient matter of humiliation and regret. For where is the person, who having acted

for

any time in the world, remembers not many errors, and many follies, in his past behaviour? Who dares to say, that he has improved, as he might have done, the various advantages which were afforded him and that he recalls nothing for which he has reafon either to grieve, or to blufh? When we recollect the several stages of life through which we have paffed; the fucceffive occupations in which we have been engaged, the defigns we have formed, and the hopes and fears which alternately have filled our breaft; how barren for most part is the remembrance; and how few traces of any thing valuable or important remain? Like characters drawn on the fand, which the next wave washes totally away, fo one trivial fucceffion of events has effaced the memory of the preceding; and though we have feemed all along to be bufy, yet for much of what we have acted, we are neither wiser nor better than if fuch

actions

SERM. actions had never been.

III.

Hence, let the re trospect of what is paft produce, as its first 'effect, humiliation in our own eyes, and abasement before God. Much do human pride and felf-complacency require fome correction; and that correction is never more effectually adminiftered,' than by an impartial and ferious review of former life.

But though paft time be gone, we are not to confider it as irredeemably loft. To a very profitable purpose it may yet be applied, if we lay hold of it while it remains in remembrance, and oblige it to contribute to future improvement. If you have gained nothing more by the years that are past, you have at leaft gained experience; and experience is the mother of wisdom. You have seen the weak parts of your character; and may have difcovered the chief fources of your misconduct. To these let your attention be directed; on thefe, let the proper guards be fet. If you have trifled long, refolve to trifle no more. If your paffions have often betrayed and degraded you, ftudy how they may be kept, in future,

under