At prefent we have various means, many impelling motives and encouragements to good; at present we have parents, friends, teachers, to inftruct, to admonish, to exhort, to affift us, who go before us with their example, who co-operate with us in our improvement, and facilitate to us the performance of our duty. Perhaps, in the enfuing year we may lofe, altogether or in part, these helps, these incitements to virtue; perhaps in their stead we may meet with a thousand impediments, obstacles, temptations, and fnares on the path of life; and if we are not able now to cope with them with courage and vigour, it is hardly poffible that we then fhall ftand out the combat and come off victorious.

At present, in all these respects, we are enlightened by the day, which renders our work eafy and pleafant; perhaps in the fucceeding year the night may come on, the night of afflictions, of misfortunes, of the diseases and infirmities of age, when no man can labour and toil with fuccefs. How important then on this argument likewife muft not one year be to us, and how much cause have we to press on with the most ardent zeal in the profecution of the work that is given us to do, fince we know not whether, in the following year, we may be able to purfue it fo well, or even at all!

Confider, laftly, that each year may be the last to us, and learn from this circumftance alfo how to estimate the value and importance of one year. And we cannot have the least doubt of how much depends

im

on the right use of it, and how much it produces, if we repeatedly think with ourselves: Perhaps this may be the last year that I fhall attend in fociety with my brethren the worship of God, and be able to do the will of my creator and redeemer on earth; the laft I fhall have for extending my researches, discarding my errors, and enlarging and rectifying my knowledge and then I go to the state of departed fpirits, where this knowledge, whatever its nature, will compofe the matter of my reflections, my enter tainment with myself and my pleasure. Perhaps this is the last year I fhall have for labouring at my provement, for exercifing myself in virtue, and for demonftrating the integrity of my faith by good works and then fucceeds the retribution; and this retribution will be exactly proportioned to the degree of my integrity and virtue. Perhaps this is the laft year in which I can be useful to my brethren, and endeavour at their advantage; and then I must leave them; and then perhaps I fhall lament that I was not of greater utility to my brethren, that I did not perform more good, and did not lay up larger trea fures for futurity. Perhaps this is the laft year in which God will call me to repentance; that he will grant me his grace and the forgiveness of my fins; that he will warn me of corruption and condemna tion: and then this call will reach me no more; then these benefits will be no longer allowed me, then perhaps the most horrible perdition will be my portion; then will, the night be come upon me, when

no

no man can work. Ah, no; to-day, while I hear the voice of God, I will hearken to it; I will do to-day, what perhaps I may not be able to do to-morrow! This year may be my laft; the good or bad employment of it may be decifive to me!

Of fo great importance, my brethren, of fo great importance is one year to perfons who in one year do fo much good or evil; who can neither make amends for the good they neglect, nor fully repair the evil they have done; who are fubject to so many changes and revolutions in their prefent condition; and whofe life is fo fhort and uncertain! And fhall we not exclaim with our Saviour:-" I must work the works of him that fent me," who has placed me on this earthly ball; I must labour at my improvement and perfection, must do as much good as at all times I can, must be as useful to other men as I can at all times be, "while it is day," fo long as I have time, means, abilities, and opportunity for it, for "the night cometh, when no man can work!"

Yes, let this be the refolution of you all! In fuch difpofitions may you commence and complete this year! May it be truly important to you; and may the sentiment of its importance incite you to the best and worthiest employment of it! To us all may it prove abundantly fruitful in wife and pious thoughts, in instructive and improving words, in good and generous deeds! Far advance us all in knowledge, in virtue, in christian integrity, and bring us constantly nearer to the mark of our high vocation! May

every one of us, while it is day to him, be doing that which he has to do on earth, and profecute it with unremitted and chearful ardour, that the night of death may fall on none-o gracious Lord! on none, ere he have fitted himself for an entrance into eter nal life!

New-year's-day.

SERMON XXII.

Of the Detriment and Danger of too frequent Diffipation and Diverfions.

GOD, thou haft created us for pleasure and for happiness. But thou requireft that we seek our pleasure and our happiness on the way of duty and of obedience to thy commands. Thou requireft that, as rational creatures, we fhould not fuffer ourselves to be dazzled by every false glare of pleasure and happiness; and that, as christians who are called to immortality, we should not look merely to the prefent, but principally to the future. Thy bountiful goodness has opened to us various sources of delight, and made us fufceptible of manifold agreeable sensations; but they are not all of equal value, and the immoderate use of them may frequently convert them into fources of trouble and misery to us. Oh that we were so wife as constantly to make the best choice between the fatisfactions and pleafures that

offer