"shall have departed from the vain "shadow of this world, and have received glory of the Lord." But, is it, that the words of my text, and all that has been said upon them, are of concern only to one period of man's life? Have I been preaching all this while only to the aged and infirm? Is there no moral to be gathered from these words, applicable to us all in general? Certainly life is not such a sure holding, as that any of us can depend upon being preserved till the head becomes hoary with age; and yet certainly every one of us has a secret wish to live as long as his fellows. Now, I have before shewn, that all the lusts and vanities of life, have a natural tendency to shorten our days. Those, therefore, that pass their lives in such excesses, have no reason to expect the sober moments of old age, in which they shall have time to repent and turn to God. A man, who is wasting the early part of life in drunkenness and debaucheries, sin and wickedness, has only these two chances before him, either that of being cut off prematurely, in the midst of

SERM. years,

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of his errors, or else of living to undergo SERM. the pains and torments of a disordered body, added to the bitter reflections of a wounded conscience. On the contrary, he who applies himself to honest industry, is frugal and temperate, and above all things keeps himself in the way of righteousness, is likely to see long life and good days, to preserve his body, if not strong yet at least healthy, and free from pain to the last hour; to sink gradually to the grave, content to quit the transitory scenes of this world, and prepared to meet his Saviour and his God, in the everlasting realms above. But, to conclude, let us not think we are to wait till the head is hoary, before we need put ourselves into the way of righteousness; though we may not attain to old age, we shall certainly attain to another life. In the other world, crowns of glory are awaiting the good, whether this, their mortal life, shall be concluded in youth, in manhood, or in second childhood; but punishment, and grievous pains are prepared for the bad. The aged have this blessing peculiar to them, that they may,

X.

SERM. may, if they will, make up their accounts before they go hence, and are no more seen; but the young will equally be called upon hereafter, and therefore it is equally of importance to them to keep themselves prepared; for righteousness is the only ground of hope, whether we are young or old, healthy or infirm, rich or poor; age, and bodily strength, and outward advantages, have really nothing to do with it, "for," as Solomon saith, "though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest; for honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years; but wisdom is grey hair unto men, "and an unspotted life is old age;" and yet further, and with which I shall conclude, the righteous that are dead shall "condemn the ungodly that are living, and youth that is soon perfected, the many years "and old age of the unrighteous."

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SERMON

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ON DOING WHAT WE WILL WITH OUR OWN.

MATTHEW xx. 15.

Is it not lawful to do what I will with mine own?

XI.

STRICTLY speaking, there is but one SERM, Being in the universe to whom this question can apply; and to him in fact it refers, when the parable in which it occurs is rightly interpreted. Except the Eternal God of all, no one has what he may really call his own; every thing is derived; the laws of society may give us a right against the intrusion and usurpations of our fellowcreatures, but they can never give us an absolute independent right to the most common earthly possession. But though

N

this

XI.

SERM. this is capable of demonstration to any one but a confirmed atheist, yet it is astonishing how many errors men fall into by acting upon a contrary persuasion-upon a full persuasion that many things are so much their own, that it must be lawful for them to do with them exactly what they will. The laws of man, indeed, when wisely instituted, seldom go higher than to prevent our using our possessions to the detriment of others. As long as this is avoided, it is pretty generally acknowledged to be lawful, where the laws are at all liberal, that men should do what they will with their own. But how many things may be abused without immediate detriment to other men! If individuals could be defended against themselves by human laws, as well as against others, the occasions are almost infinite in which the legislative power might justly interfere. To begin with the two great articles of life and health. Are these a man's own? Commonly speaking, and as far as they regard our fellow creatures, they are so. No man