we shall complain without pity, and perish without relief.

After all, our time is truly fhort: we ought to know this, and to confider it seriously, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom; that we may in this our day know the things that belong unto our peace, left they be for ever after hid from us.

Even they that are young ought to know this, for the days will come in which they will have a nearer fight of death. They that are in health ought not to forget it, for, ere long, fickness and death will put them in mind of the folly of not thinking of them fooner.

But if the young and the healthful have reason to reflect upon the fhortness of life, much more reason have they to do so, with concern and thoughtfulness, who have spent much of their time in fin and folly, who are already in years, and have done nothing towards their errand into the world.

Those who are of a weak conftitution ought to confider this in earneft; and they that are old should ever have it in their thoughts.

They that have done little good, ought to think the time fhort in which they are to make amends for their negligence; and they that have done much wrong, may well fear the time short in which they may make restitution for the injury they have done.

In fhort; the days of our age, by the juft appointment of God, are reduced to a narrow compafs: but here is our comfort:

II. We have time fufficient for all the purposes of falvation, if we are wife enough to make good ufe of it: and this takes away all juft occafion of complaint.

We may want time for our pleasures; we may want time for our vices; but we fhall not want time to work out our falvation, provided we spend not our time for that which will not profit us. For the fame juft God, who has made our age as it were a span long, has made our duty poffible to be performed within that short space: and even where we want time to do what his mercy is pleased to allow of, there his goodness often accepts of the will for the deed.

Our happiness in the next world is not to be measured by the time we fpend in this. Many go to heaven out of the arms of the mother; many are delivered out of the fnares of a finful world, even as foon as they are come into the danger; many are taken away in the midst of their days, to practise the graces in heaven which they had begun on earth; and it may be, they are the fewest in number who leave this world in a good old age, to take poffeffion of the bleffings of the next life.

In short; the ways of God are unfearchable, and the reasons of his providence past finding

out.

out. This only we know, That our happinefs is owing to his mere mercy in his Son Jefus Chrift, which accepts of our obedience: and, where that is wanting, of our fincere repentance. If he prolongs our days, it is because he expects we should make use of our time to his honour and our own greater good; if he takes us away in the beginning of our days, it is because he has allowed us time fufficient for the work appointed us, that we may more devoutly adore the greatness of that mercy, which rewards his creatures according to his own great goodness, not according to their defervings.

Thus all ages of men tafte the goodness of the Lord; all ages are capable of his mercy; and if there are many who come fhort of eternal happiness, it is not for want of time to do their duty, but for want of a will to perform it: either they are in love with wickedness, and will not leave it for the hopes of heaven; or they purpose to repent fome time or other, and continue thus to purpose, and repent not, till death calls them unawares to judgment; or they have deceived themselves, and have depended upon fuch righteousness as God will not accept of..

For these, and fuch reasons as thefe, men may be fhut out of the kingdom of heaven, but not for want of time fufficient in which to work out their falvation.

Our

Our bleffed Saviour has difcovered to us a new and living way by which we may be reconciled unto God, and prepared for heaven. It is he who has made known to us, that there is joy in heaven for repenting finners; that charity will cover a multitude of fins; that hearty repentance, and true faith, are fometimes accepted, instead of a long obedience; that a finful prodigal, returning to his duty, has been received into favour, and treated as one who had never offended.

Now thefe are comfortable truths indeed. Truths they are that may be depended upon; and they are written for our admonition, that men may at all times be encouraged to come unto God by Jefus Chrift; that all who are weary and heavy laden with the burthen of their fins, may know where to find reft; and lastly, that none may perish but by their own wilful negligence: for, notwithstanding the goodness of God in accepting of our repentance, many there are that perifh; amongst these, the greatest number, it is probable, are of fuch as put off their repentance from time to time, till at last they were prevented by death from bringing forth fruits meet for repentance.

This is, no doubt of it, the ruin of many fouls. To prevent which mischief, there is. another circumftance of our life fit to be confidered; namely,

III. That the end of our days is unknown to us, and uncertain.

It is true, our lives are in God's hands; nothing can befal us without his permiffion. But fince the time when he will call us out of the world is altogether, as to us, uncertain; it is highly reasonable we should be prepared for God's good time, which, though it may not perhaps be the best for us, if we are not prepared for heaven, yet it will ever be the fittest to manifeft the glory of God, and his juftice upon those who are deaf to all the methods of his mercy.

He has not made known to us the day of our death,―That we, not knowing when he will call for us, may be ever prepared for his coming; that we may, all our life long, live like men who know and believe that there is another world after this; that this life is only in order to fit us for a much better; and that if we neglect the opportunity of making our peace with God while we are here, or defer the doing fo till we are furprized by fickness and death, we do lofe the only opportunity of fecuring our eternal welfare, and confequently are undone for ever.

In fhort; we know not when we shall die, whether this year or the next; but this we know, and ought to think seriously of it, that the only way to make the uncertainty of our life comfortable to us is this:-To confider that the year we are entering upon may be the laft we have to live in this world; and fince may be fo, to refolve, by God's grace, fo to

it

husband