at our tables?-is not the fame order of diverfions perpetually returning, and scarce any thing elfe thought of? does not the fame levity in drefs, as well as difcourfe, fhew itfelf in perfons of all ages? I fay of all ages, for it is no fmall aggravation of the corruption of our morals, that age, which by its authority was once able to frown youth into fobriety and better manners, and keep them within bounds, feems but too often to lead the way, and by their unfeasonable example give a countenance to follies and weakness, which youth is but too apt to run into without fuch a recommendation.-Surely age, which is but one remove from death, fhould have nothing about it but what looks like a decent preparation for it.-In purer times it was the cafe, but now,-grey hairs themfelves fcarce ever appear, but in the high mode and flaunting garb of youth,with heads as full of pleasure, and clothes as ridiculously, and as much in the fafhion, as the perfon who wears them is ufually grown out of it;→→ upon which article give me leave to make a fhort reflection; which is this, that when→ ever the eldest equal the youngest in the va nity of their drefs, there is no reason to be given for it, but that they equal them, if not furpass them, in the vanity of their defires.--. But this by the byen

Though in truth the obfervation falls in with the main attention of this difcourfe,→→ which is not framed to flatter our follies, or touch them with a light hand, but plainly to

point them out; that by recalling to your mind, what manner of perfons we really are, I might better lead you to the apoftle's inference, of what manner of perfons ye ought to be in all holy converfation and godliness; looking for, and haftening unto, the coming of the day of God.

The apoftle in the concluding verfe of this argument, exhorts, that they who look for fuch things be diligent, that they be found of him in peace, without fpot, and blamelefs; --and one may conclude with him, that if the hopes or fears, either the reafon or the paffions of men are to be wrought upon at all, it must be from the force and influence of this awakening confideration in the text." That all these things fhall be diffolved;"-that this vain and perishable scene muft change, that we who now tread the ftage, muft fhortly be fummoned away;-that we are creatures but of a day, haftening unto the place from whence we fhall return no more; that whilft we are here, our conduct and behaviour is minutely obferved; that there is a Being about our paths and about our beds, whofe omnifcient eye fpies out all our ways, and takes a faithful record of all the paffages of our lives-that these volumes fhall be produced and opened, and men fhall be judged out of the things that are written in them;-that without refpect of perfons, we shall be made accountable for our thoughts, our words and actions, to this greatest and beft of Beings, before whofe judgment-feat we must finally

7

appear,

appear, and receive the things done in the body, whether they are good or whether they are bad.

That to add to the terror of it, this day of the Lord will come upon us like a thief in the night;-of that hour no one knoweth; —that we are not fure of its being fufpended one day or one hour; or, what is the fame cafe,—that we are standing upon the edge of a precipice with nothing but the fingle thread of human life to hold us up;and that if we fall unprepared in this thoughtless state, we are loft, and must perish for evermore.—

What manner of perfons we ought to be, upon these principles of our religion, St. Peter has told us, in all holy converfation and godlinefs;—and I fhall only remind, how different a frame of mind, the looking for and haftening unto the coming of God, under fuch a life, is, from that of fpending our days in vanity, and our years in pleasure.

Give me leave, therefore to conclude in that merciful warning, which our Saviour, the Judge himfelf, hath given us at the clofe of the fame exhortation.

Take heed to yourselves, left at any time your hearts be over-charged with furfeiting and drunkennefs, and the cares of this life; --and fo that day come upon you unawares; for as a fuare thall it come upon all that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always,

that

that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that fhall come to pass, and to ftand before the Son of man. Which may God of his mercy grant, through Jefus Chrift. Amen.

SERMON XXXI.

ST. PETER'S CHARACTER,

ACTS, 111. 12.

And when Peter faw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Ifrael, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye fo earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holinefs we had made this man to walk?

THESE words, as the text tells us, were spoke by St. Peter, on the occafion of his miraculous cure of the lame man, who was laid at the gate of the temple, and, in the beginning of this chapter, had afked an alms of St.Peter and St. John, as they went up together at the hour of prayer; -on whom St. Peter fastening his eyes, as in the 4th verfe, and declaring he had no fuch relief to give him as he expected, having neither filver nor gold,-but that fuch as he had, the benefit of that divine power which he had received from his Mafter, he would impart to him,-he commands him forthwith, in the name of Jefus Chrift of Nazareth, to rife up and walk.-And he took him by the hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ancle-bones received ftrength; and he leaped up, ftood and walked, and entered with them into the temple, leaping and praifing God.