you spend your years in pleasure? then obey and ferve God. Serve him with gladness of heart in the abundance of his gifts. The pious man, the Chriftian, goes on his way rejoicing: He walks in the light of God's countenance, and rejoices in his name all the day. Shall the mirth of the fenfualift, or of the gay, or the pageantry of the great, be compared with the gladnefs of the upright man, to whom there arifeth light in the darknefs? who fhall not be moved for ever, his heart being fixed trusting in the Lord? The former walk through dry places, ever enquiring, Who will fhew us any good? but never finding reft. The latter can fay, "My foul fhall be fatisfied as with mar"row and fatnefs. How excellent is thy loving-kind"ness, O God? Whom have I in heaven but thee? and "there is none on earth that I defire befide thee."With thee is the fpring of life. My flesh and my "heart faileth; but God is the ftrength of my heart. "In thy prefence is the fulness of unmingled, ever"lafting joy. Delight thyfelf in the Lord; and he "fhall give thee the defires of thy heart."

Thofe who are lovers of pleafures more than lovers of God are wholly infenfible where their true happinefs lies, and of the way that leads to it. The way of peace they know not; because they have no fear of God before their eyes. They who are "given to pleasures, "dwell carelessly. They regard not the work of the "Lord, neither confider the operation of his hands." They have no apprehenfion of danger, when deftruction is at the door. Sunk in voluptuoufnefs, ancient Babylon was thoughtlefs of the hour when all her pleafant things were laid waste. She trusted to her opulence, to her high wall and towers, her gates of brafs and bars of iron. She glorified herself, and lived de-, liciously, and blafphemed God. Pleafures infatuate the wife, and enervate the ftrong. Lulled into fatal fecurity, the king and nobility of Babylon, his wives and concubines, were dancing, drinking, revelling, the

fame night in which that great city fell. In the midft of laughter the heart is forrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness. Luxury, the unfailing attendant on opulence, takes off the heart from God: It drowns reflection, filences the voice of confcience, and banishes all concern for the foul. This country has advanced in diffipation and fecurity as it has in wealth."Jefurun waxed fat, and kicked Then he forfook "God who made him, and lightly esteemed the rock "of his falvation."

Will you then refolve to enjoy pleasure, to the forgetfulness and contempt of God-the God who brought you into existence, and fupports you in it? to whom you are indebted that you enjoy any thing in life? who, in addition to the outward favours which he heapeth upon you, hath above all given his own Son, to fave you from fin and death? Would you banish this God from your thoughts? then caft in your lot with the lovers of pleasures. Will you join with them, and forget and flight the bleffed Redeemer, who gave his life a ranfom for you? Will you be thoughtlefs of your immortal fouls, and of all the dearest interests of time and eternity? The love of pleasures alienates all the excellent powers and faculties of the foul from the knowledge and life of God: It makes a facrifice of the worship, fervice and enjoyment of this God and Saviour, to the indulgence of the lower appetites to fuperficial, evanefcent joys-joyś which are foon turned into heavinefs.

What excufe? what vindication have you to offer for inconfideration,fenfuality and addictedness to pleasures? Produce your caufe; bring forth your strong reafons, to defend the forgetfulness of God, of the Redeemer of the world, and of your fouls to defend your putting far away the evil day-to defend the cry of fafety, when fudden destruction impends. Or if fuch carelessness, indifference and impiety admit no defence or excuse, then acknowledge the truth and force of Solomon's

words, Madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go down to the dead.

You fee, from the preceding difcourfe, the various and great facrifices which the lovers of pleasure make to their favourite object. Firft, the facrifice of their time. This is given to be spent in glorifying God and doing good; in laying up in ftore for ourselves a good foundation for eternity. But, forgetting God and a future reckoning, the men of pleafure fpend their years as though time was their own; and demand, WHO IS LORD OVER US? They rob God, the author and preferver of life; and rob fociety of the fervices they owe to it.

Therefore, fecondly, they make a facrifice of their talents. The voice of reafon unites with that of fcripture, "As God hath diftributed to every man, as God "hath called every man, fo let him walk." But the lovers of pleafures, whether they have received five talents, or two, or one, wafte their Lord's goods. They reflect not that they are stewards. They wander from their place, and feek whom they may devour. "To every "one that hath fhall be given, and he shall have abund "ance; but from him that hath" no improvement "shall be taken away, even that which he hath. Take "the talent from him, and give it to him who hath" improved his talents well.

A third facrifice is their reputation. A good name is as precious ointment. But what claim to this have the lovers of pleasure? Inftead of contributing to public order, virtue and happiness, they make continual inroads on the peace and welfare of individuals, families, neighbourhoods, and the community. They make no due returns for what they conftantly receive from others; but injure and abuse them. They merit contempt, and can but be abhorred by the friends of

virtue.

Their fubftance is a fourth facrifice. They confume it upon their pleasures. They are reduced to the con

dition of the prodigal, who fquandered his inheritance in riot and gallantry.

A fifth facrifice is their health. All excefs impairs the animal frame. Whatever interferes with proper application to fome laudable employment, and the useful exercise which animal nature calls for, brings on languor and disease.

A fixth facrifice is the tranquillity of the mind. They walk in a vain shew, and are difquieted in vain. I faid of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doth it? A conftant rotation of amusements, a laborious search for new ones, intenfe application to pursuits deftructive of health, fubftance, reputation, order and morality, indicates a mind diffatisfied and restless, as well as vain and unprincipled-a mind resembling the troubled fea. They who know no enjoyment, but amidft amufements and pleasures; who borrow all their happiness from the company, perhaps from the spoils, of others; who are always uneafy when alone, are at great pains, not to acquire contentment, but to facrifice it.

Not content to facrifice their own tranquility, that of all the tender relations of life is a feventh facrifice.Those whofe eafe, comfort and delight, honour and usefulness they ought by all means to confult; to whom, by the laws of nature and fociety, their obligations are the greatest-To these they are a fource of unutterable diftrefs; facrificing their comfort, depriving them of all advantages to enjoy life, degrading them from their rank and refpectability, and leffening their good offices in fociety. The lovers of pleafures facrifice every friendly and focial affection, public and private virtue.

Laftly, they facrifice their fouls. We no fooner read of the death of a diffipated character, than we are told, that he lifted up his eyes in torments. His good things were all fled-fled for ever! An impaffable gulf was fixed between him and blifs. In this probationary state he lived regardless of the voice of God in a standing

revelation. There is no reason to prefume, that those, who are liftlefs to this voice, would be convinced by an extraordinary interpofition. Sayeft thou, Soul, take thine eafe? This night thy foul may be required. You may lift up your eyes in woe, and behold heaven irrecoverably loft. Guilty pleasures destroy foul and body

in hell.

To what are the above mentioned great facrifices made? What pleasure is there in fauntering days and fleepless nights, in the depths of poverty and neglect? in reducing your kindred, friends, or household to indigence, infamy and wretchednefs? in feeing them dishonoured, reduced to the laft ftraits, and pierced through with grief and difappointment, by your means? What pleasure is there in violence of paffion, the very common attendant on diffipation? Ye lovers of pleasures, ye neither enjoy the world, your connections, nor yourselves. Your vain and empty pursuits choke all impreffions of virtue, all fentiments of order, propriety and gratitude, of righteoufnefs, temperance and a judgment to come. You lay a fure foundation for endless pain. Confider these things, ye who forget God.

What then is the dictate of wisdom? and what the course which her children choose? Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. Put far away frivolous amufements, and learn to be fober minded. Confider the nature and end of every purfuit. Be emulous of order, economy and judicious arrangement in your private affairs, induftry in the improvement of your time, and purity in your morals. Splendour and vain magnificence, wafte of time, and the abufe of life can never unite with transcendent talents, patriotism, philanthropy, and true dignity of character. Indolence and any kind of profufion dishonour those who have the ampleft fortune. Dignity confifts in enjoying an abundance with ftrict virtue, and applying it to the best uses. Thus ufing the world as not abufing it, there