dition; and one great end of religion, as far as this life only is concerned, is to regulate our intercourse with the world, not to dissolve our connection with it altogether.

But there is another and incomparably worse extreme, of which men stand in far greater danger, and into which a much greater number run; that of being wholly devoted to the world, and things present; of being absorbed in the pleasures, and business, and all the various pursuits and interests of life, and of being uninfluenced by the prospect of any other condition, in a future state of existence; or if they do not go so far as this, which however numbers do, yet of attaching more importance to the things of sense and time, than to those of the spirit and eternity, so as to value earth more than heaven, to consult the welfare of the body more than that of the soul, to love the world more than God, to study pleasure more than religion, to think advancement in riches, honour, power, and other temporal engagements and distinctions, more desirable, and more worthy of their labour and anxiety, than growth in Christian graces, and an increase of divine favour. And who are the persons most liable to estimate these things so falsely? Those, who forget the shortness and uncertainty of life; considering their present

existence as almost an endless state, they will of course think every thing connected with it as almost of infinite importance. The longer they expect to live, the higher value will they set on such things as they can enjoy in life; the more earnestly therefore they will strive after them; with the greater interest will they indulge in them; until at length they become altogether worldly-minded and sensual; the "lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life," will take entire possession of their hearts; and their whole study and occupation will be to provide the means of obtaining those earthly gratifications and indulgences which their opinion, concerning the length and security of life, has caused to appear so important in their eyes. Such is the practice of worldly and thoughtless men; let us now see, in the second place, wherein the folly of this conduct consists.

The Apostle in my text expresses it in these words, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow, for what is your life? it is even a vapour, which appeareth for a little while, and then vanisheth away." Hear also how our blessed Saviour expresses it; "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that they come upon you unawares; for

as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth." And again in that striking parable with which he illustrated the subject; "The ground of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought within himself, what shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my goods? and he said, this will I do, I will pull down my barns, and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits, and my goods; and I will say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, thou fool! this night shall thy soul be required of thee, and then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." "So is he"--what does this mean? I suppose that he is guilty of equal folly, and (if he does not speedily repent) will be taken unawares in the midst of his fancied security. And the observation does not apply merely to the "laying up of treasure," properly so called, but to the providing in general for our enjoyment in life, and to the indulging in distant prospects of earthly selfishness, without taking into consideration the uncertainty of life, and without entertaining any purpose of devoting to God's service, the time that may be granted us. You

are furnished then with the strongest and most decisive objection to that senseless habit of calculating on the future, and to all the conduct which such unreasonable calculations are apt to produce. What is it? Why that you cannot

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call a day your own; be on the morrow whether you shall behold to-morrow's sun, for "this night your soul may be required of you." What a vain thing then to be arranging the method in which you will employ the next year, or a series of years to come, in settling what pleasures and occupations you will pursue for a long space of time, when perhaps in one day your life may have vanished away like a vapour! You know that an accident, or sickness, may carry you off at any time; you have frequently, either witnessed, or heard of such occurrences; and you know that you yourselves (each individual among you) are as liable to them, as any others. It may be true, you are strong and healthy, and in no apparent danger; but let me remind you of what has happened often, and will often happen again-Why not to any of you? A man "hastes to rise up up early in the morning, that he may go forth to his work, and to his labour, until the evening." He forgets perhaps to address himself to the "God of his

you know not what shall

you do not know even

life, and of his salvation," in prayer for his protection and guidance through the day, for a blessing upon his exertions, for preservation from sin under the temptations to which he may be exposed; in fact, he goes forth alone without God, that is, without God in all his thoughts, though he cannot prevent him from being about his paths; depending on his own strength and skill, for the execution of his work, and on his own precautions for security from danger, he applies himself with industry to his usual business; he knows of no particular danger at hand, he perceives none, he has no reason to suspect the existence of any; to-day is as yesterday, as every former day; How can he be less secure? what ground is there for apprehension? It does not enter into his thoughts. In the midst of his work his mind is running on various subjects, earthly cares, trifling imaginations, sinful pleasures; religion does not intrude; he will have plenty of time for that hereafter; it is set aside, and reserved for old age, or for the bed of sickness, and of death; no, he thinks of his prospects in life, how he shall increase his means, how he shall thrive in the world; perhaps he looks forward to the end of the day, when he shall, (not return thanks to God in the midst of his family, for the mercies