kept an equal pace with the flow of time, one generation has paffed away, and another has risen up in its place, each year, and day making fome change or other in the temporary poffeffors of the earth.

View the fepulchres of the Great, the Wealthy, and the Wife; what do all the fplendid titles without, more than mark that fuch men have existed? Within is to be found the fum of all human excellence, Duft and Bones.

That we too muft follow the generations of our forefathers, is a truth obvious from the history of every people, and confirmed too by the evidence of our own daily obfervation; fo familiar, indeed, are the proofs, from their frequency, that we give them but a momentary attention. We feel, for a while, the particular lofs of a relation or friend, but overlook without concern or application, the general certainty and awfulness of death itself.

Nor is this to be wondered at, when we contemplate the bulk of mankind, engaged

gaged fo bufily as they are in the various purfuits of this tranfitory life. Projects of gain, honour, or pleafure, find a place in every man's breaft; even they whose neceffities oblige them to rife early, and late take reft, in order to provide themfelves, and their families with a scanty portions of daily bread, even they, the prudent and fober part at least, have fome more distant object in view to which they prefs forward, in hopes by the acquifition, to obtain a favourable change in their circumstances and fituation.

The prevalence of this expectation, is ftill more confpicuous in the higher gradations of fociety; nor is the human mind lefs impelled by imaginary than real wants. Be the circumstances, or fituation in life, ever fo favourable, be the prefent time gratified by all the enjoyments of health, affluence, and honours, ftill nevertheless there appears in the generality of men fomething wanting to fill up the measure of their content, which they endeavour to

fupply

fupply by the pursuit of £a distant object, So that it seems to be the natural lot of man, through the whole courfe of his existence to depend for great part of his fatisfaction upon futurityo ilavert. -But, admitting the fact, as it is here frated, and that men are fo formed as ever to have in view the attainment of fome greater good than what they actually pof fefs. It may not unreasonably be afked, Where is the guilt or folly ins indulging the hope of future advantages, and endeavouring to acquire them, provided the means employed care free from fraud, injustice, or oppreffion? Is it not a difpofition both useful and laudable to be anxious for the future welfare of ourselves and our families??

There is nothing in the paffage of my text which can juftly be conftrued to imply cenfure on a proper regard to our own temporal concerns; nor is there the least reason to suppose that the Apostle meant to difcourage either prudence in the manage

nagement of our fortune, or activity in carrying into execution our lawful designs for its improvement.

True religion neither drives us to the defert, nor to the cloifter; nor is it neceffary that in order to be Christians we must cease to be men. Wealth, power, and honours in the prospect of life may reafonably stimulate and encourage us to action, in the feveral departments we are qualified to fill, without the imputation of avarice, or unwarrantable ambition.

the

The purpose of the Apostle is, to reprefs rage of an immoderate attachment to the things of this life; but principally to reprove the presumption of fuch as plan their worldly schemes without properly confidering their dependance upon the providence and favour of God.

Were men but candidly inclined to acknowledge the fallacy of those arguments whereby they find pleasure in being deceived; we need but refer them to the light of nature, for the discovery of their folly,

in setting too high a value on the objects of their ordinary pursuits.

Reason, unaffifted by revelation, has fhewn with the force of truth and wisdom, the vanity of an exceffive fondness for any thing which this world has to give, as well from the uncertainty of life as from the precarious duration and variable influence of the objects themselves.

The Apostle insists only on the first of these confiderations; it is, indeed, alone fufficient to establish the charge both of folly and prefumption on the vain boasting of those, who, confident either in the fecurity of their existence, or fuccess, say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into fuch a city, and continue there a year, and buy, and fell, and get gain: Ye know not, says he, what shall be on the morrow; For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and vanifheth away.

This plain reflection, obvious as it is to the understanding, is, nevertheless, with difficulty brought home to the heart, we readily