greater importance. The duties of religion are consistent with each other, and may be made to harmonize in practice. If they interfere, it is because you throw them into confusion, and your time into disorder. Distribute your seasons properly, and arrange your works prudently; then you will find means for all incumbent acts of beneficence and righteousness; liberty for the daily exercises of piety and devotion; leisure for family instructions and counsels, and time sufficient for the prosecution of your secular labors.

We have seen how we are to redeem the time.

II. We will briefly attend to the argument subjoined, "The days are evil."

We shall not dwell long on this argument; for it has been in part inticipated under the preceding branch of our subject.

Our days may be called evil in a moral sense, as we have done much evil, and there is evil still within us. Some are under the full power of sin. These have not only the work of religion to begin, but much sin to repent of, many vicious habits to eradicate, many fleshly Iusts to mortify, the work of their past lives to undo, and a new work to accomplish. They have hitherto been travelling in a wrong path, and their guilty way they must tread back by the careful steps of repentance. We have all much work on our hands. If we have exercised repentance unto life, yet our work is not finished. There are corruptions to conflict with, temptations to watch against, daily duties to perform and continual improvements to make. We must cleanse ourselves from all pollutions, go on to perfection and give diligence to the full assurance of hope. Our work is important; upon our fidelity in it depends our comfort here, and our happiness hereafter. Now is the season to provide for eternity. There is no work in the grave. We have no time to spare.

Our days may be called evil, as they are few. We may say with the patriarch, "Few and evil have been the years of our pilgrimage." Since our work is great and our time is short, we have need to redeem the time by a diligent application of it to the work before us. A considerable proportion of our time is gone already If this has been wasted, how frugally should we use what remains ?

Some have arrived to that time of life, which is eminently called an evil day. It concerns them to review their days, prove their works, examine their hearts and know the condition of their souls. If they have been slothful in business, let them now become fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. If they have slept in their guilt it is high time to awake out of sleep; for their time is far spent.

The days are evil, as iniquity abounds. Many temptations to a waste of time, will meet us from the enticements and examples of the wicked, from the suggestions of evil spirits, and from the influence of worldly cares. Let us walk circumspectly redeeming the time. While the world around lies dead in sin, saints too easily lose their zeal. When the foolish virgins slept, the wise slumbered with them. Let us not sleep as do others, but watch and be sober.

The days are evil, as this is a state of mortality. We are subject to affliction and exposed to death. Our fellow mortals are dropping around us; and we are soon to fall. Our last day is at hand; we are not sure of another. What time may be allowed us, let us wisely improve, in examining our hearts, correcting our errors, repenting of our sins, amending our lives, cultivating religion in ourselves, promoting it among others, and seeking the mercy of God for our own and the common salvation. Thus, when the time of our departure is come, we may adopt the language of the Apostle; "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness””

SERMON XXXIX.

Temperance.

EPHESIANS ▼. 18)

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess.

DRUNKENNESS, though in general disallowed among the Heathens, was admitted in their Bacchanalia, as an expression of gratitude to the God, who gave them wine. This Pagan rite the Apostle seems to have in his mind, when he says to the Ephesians, newly converted to the religion of Christ, " Be not ye drunk with wine, wherein is excess," dissoluteness and luxury," but be filled with the Spirit." Instead of those wild and brutal indulgencies, by which you once pretended to express your joy, seek the sober and rational pleasures, which are communicated by the Holy Spirit.

The opposition here made between being filled with wine, and filled with the Spirit, shews that drunkenness is inconsistent with the pure religion taught by the gospel.

We will, first, consider the nature and extent of this vice; and then represent the guilt and danger which

attend it.

I. We will consider the nature and extent of the sin, which the Apostle calls drunkenness.

"Be not drunk with wine."

The Apostle does not mean to debar Christians from all use of wine and other spiritous drinks; for " every creature is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving." He advises Timothy to "use a little wine for his stomach's sake." God caus

es the earth to bring forth wine, which rejoices, as well as bread, which strengthens the heart of man. It is not a life of austerity and mortification, but a life of rational sobriety, which the gospel enjoins. We are not to emaciate the body, and extinguish the glow of health by an abstinence from innocent delights; but to keep under the body and bring it into subjection, by an abstinence from fleshly lusts.

"Take heed to yourselves, says our Lord, "lest at at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this world." The use of meat and drink is to support and comfort the body. Whatever is more than these, may be called

excess.

Of intemperance, as of other vices, there are various degrees. The highest degree is such an indulgence as suspends the exercise of the mental and bodily powers. It is this idea, which is usually attached to the word drunkenness. And some who are wholly un. der the dominion of a sordid appetite, may perhaps think themselves temperate, because they seldom or never run to this gross excess. But remember; as you may be guilty of murder without taking away your neighbor's life, and of injustice without burning his house-so you may be guilty of intemperance without transforming yourself into a beast.

If by the indulgence of your appetite, you unfit your body for the service of the mind, or your mind for the service of God-so waste your substance, as to defraud your family of a maintenance, or your crcd

itors of their dues become enslaved to a sensual habit, and fascinated to dissolute company-are diverted from the duties of religion, or the business of your worldly calling-Awaken criminal desires and excite guilty passions-stupify your conscience, extinguish the sentiments of honor and banish the thoughts of futurity; you are chargeable with a criminal excess. Though the world, perhaps, will not stigmatize you as a drunkard, yet you are not far from that odious character. They who serve divers lusts and pleasures-they who are given to appetite-they who are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink— they who tarry long at the wine, and go to seek mixed wine, they who rise up early that they may follow strong drink, and continue until night, till wine inflame them -in a word, they who make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof, fall under the condemnation of scripture, as well as the atrocious drunkard. I proceed,

II. To represent the guilt and danger which attend the vice under consideration.

1. This is an ungrateful abuse to God's bounty.

God gives us all things richly to enjoy, and fills our hearts with food and gladness. He not only allows us necessary supplies, but indulges to us a thousand comforts. A rich variety of creatures he has put into our hands, some for our support, others for our delight, And shall we abuse to his dishonor the fruits of his beneficence, which are given to strengthen our faculties gladden our hearts and awaken our gratitude?

2. This vice divests the man of his native dignity, and sinks him, below the brutal herds.

"Wine takes away the heart"-the understanding, which constitutes the man. It is only reason and speech, which raise man above the animal tribes. While these powers are suspended, what is he better than they? Man, brutalized by intemperance, is really more despicable, than the native brute. The latter