himself, that "when the wicked forsakes his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and returns unto the Lord, he will have mercy upon him, and abundantly pardon."

This constant and devout practice is both the effect and cause of confidence in God. He will naturally pour out his supplications to the Supreme Being, who trusts in him for assistance and protection; and he who, with proper fervour and humility, prostrates himself before God, will always rise wi an increase of holy confidence. By meditating on his own weakness, he will hourly receive new conviction of the necessity of soliciting the favour of his Creator; and, by recollecting his promises, will confirm himself in the hope of obtaining what he desires; and if, to secure these promises, he steadily practises the duties on which they depend, he will soon find his mind stayed on God, and be kept in perfect peace, because he trusteth in him.

244

SERMON XV.

JOB, CHAP. XIV. VERSE 1.

Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

THE position contained in this sentence neither acquires nor admits proof or illus tration; being too evident to be denied, and too clear to be mistaken. That life is of short continuance, and is disquieted by many molestations, every man knows, and every man feels: and the complaint, attributed to Job, in the history that is supposed to be the oldest book of which mankind is in possession, has been continued, and will be continued, through all human generations, with endless repetitions.

But truth does not always operate in proportion to its reception. What has been always known, and very often said, as it impresses the mind with no new images, excites no attention, and is suffered to lie unheeded in the memory. Truth, possess

ed without the labour of investigation, like many of the general conveniences of life, loses its estimation by its easiness of access; nor is it always sufficiently remembered, that the most valuable things are those which are most plentifully bestowed.

22

To consider the shortness, or misery, of life, is not an employment to which the mind recurs for solace or diversion, or to which it is invited by any hope of immediate delight. It is one of those intellectual medicines, of which the nauseous essence often obstructs the benefit, and which the fastidiousness of nature prompts us to refuse. But we are told by Solomon, that there is "a time not only to laugh," but "a time to weep;" and that it is good sometimes "to enter into the house of mourning." Many things which are not pleasant may be salutary; and among them is the just estimate of human life, which may be made by all with advantage, though by few, very few, with delight. As it is the business of a traveller to view the way before him, whatever dangers may threaten, or difficulties obstruct him, and however void may be the prospect of elegance or pleasure; it is our duty, in the pilgrimage of life, to proceed with our eyes open, and to see our state; not as hope

or fancy may delineate it, but as it has been in reality appointed by Divine Providence. From errors, to which, after most diligent examination, the frailty of our understandings may sometimes expose us, we may rea sonably hope, that He who knows whereof we are made, will suffer no irremediable evil to follow; but it would be unreasonable to expect, that the same indulgence shall be extended to voluntary ignorance, or that we shall not suffer by those delusions to which we resign ourselves by idleness or choice.

Nothing but daily experience could make it credible that we should see the daily descent into the grave of those whom we love or fear, admire or detest; that we should see one generation passed, and another passing, see possessions daily changing their owners, and the world, at very short intervals, altering its appearance, and yet should want to be reminded that life is short; or that we should, wherever we turn our eyes, find misfortune and distress, and have our ears daily filled with the lamentations of misery; that we should often feel pain and sickness, disappointments and privations; and yet, at every respiration of momentary ease, or gleam of fugitive and uncertain joy, be elated beyond the true sense of our condition, and need

the voice of salutary admonition, to make us remember that life is miserable.

But, since the mind is always of itself shrinking from disagreeable images, it is sometimes necessary to recall them; and it may contribute to the repression of many unreasonable desires, and the prevention of many faults and follies, if we frequently and attentively consider,

First, "That man born of a woman is of few days." And,

Secondly, "That man born of a woman is full of trouble."

As this changeable and uncertain life is only the passage to an immutable state, and endless duration of happiness or misery, it ought never to be absent from our thoughts, That "man born of a woman is of few days.'

The business of life is to work out our salvation; and the days are few in which provision must be made for eternity. We all stand upon the brink of the grave; of that state in which there is no repentance. He, whose life is extended to its utmost natural boundaries can live but a little while; and that he shall be one of those who are comparatively said to live long, no