XVI.

Early in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.-Pfalm 5. iii.

I will lay me down in peace, and take my reft; for it is Thou, Lord, only that makeft me dwell in fafety.-Pfalm 4. ix.

THESE HESE two paffages mark the limits (the morning, and evening) of a pious day. The religious man, in whofe life fuch a day makes an accuftomed part, rifes early, and directs his prayer unto God. All is calm, and quiet around him. His mind is not yet engaged in the buftle of the day; and he dedicates to God thofe moments of peace. The adoration of the divine attributes-a requeft for the affiftance of God's holy fpirit, in all difficulties-a grateful thanksgiving for the protection of the past night-and a humble requeft for the continuance of that protection through the following day, are the immediate fubject of his prayers. Under

the holy influence of fuch fentiments he then goes

abroad

abroad into the world; and whatever his business is, he purfues it with chearfulness, industry, and honefty. Yet ftill he hath God in all his thoughts. He hath always about him a sense of God's continual prefence and a fenfe of duty, which reminds him, that as he is a member of fociety, he is alfo a creature of God.

Recom

As night draws on, his cares end. mending himself again to God, he lays him down in peace, and takes his reft, For it is Thou only, O Lord, he cries, that makeft me dwell in fafety.

Thou

XVII.

Thou that teacheft another, teacheft thou not thyfelf?

-Romans 2. xxi.

THIS

HIS piece of fcripture fhould be the motto of every clergyman.

He who does not adopt it into his practice, is the keenest fatirist upon himself.

But the preacher, you fay, excites his hearers to go on unto perfection-to obey precepts, which neither they nor he, can live up to; and to imitate examples, which are equally beyond the reach of both.

It is true and the chriftian minister is not expected to be an angel. At beft, like the Jewish high-priest, in St. Paul's language, he will be compaffed with infirmities. Yet ftill when he exhorts others to go on unto perfection, he must endeavour after perfection himself. The point is, honestly to endeavour; and if he fail in that, then only the text recoils upon him: Thou that teacheft another teacheft thou not thyfelf?

From

From open fins, one fhould hope even decency would reftrain him. To hear a clergyman preach against drunkennefs, when he himself is known to be fond of liquor-or to hear him preach against covetoufnefs, when he is rigorous, and exorbitant in exacting his tithes or to hear him preach up charity, when all his neighbours know how hardhearted he is to the poor-or to hear him recommend industry, when his own life is spent in diffipation, and frivolous amufements-is vile and abominable; and beyond the practice of any, but fuch as are hardened into a difgrace to their profeffion; fuch as cannot reprove the unfruitful works of darkness, because they have fellowship with them.

Laying admonition on this head therefore afide, we should wish to make a closer application to the preacher, and speak-not to his outward allions-but to his heart.

Thou then that preacheft to another a belief in Chrift---a renunciation of the world---and the comforts of the gofpel---is thy own faith fully eftablished?- -Doft thou take Chrift into thy heart, as thy Lord, and mafter ?--Doft thou esteem all things as naught, that thou mayeft win Chrift? Is the world crucified to thee, and thou

to

·

to the world?

new creature?

Doft thou feel what it is to be a Art thou, in the apostle's language, a franger and pilgrim upon earth ?-All these things thou preachest to others; and tho, as was observed before, thou canst not arrive at perfection in any of these things, yet if thou doft not make a confcientious endeavour to form thy heart after the pattern, which thou thus preacheft to others, thou muft furely feel the diftrefs of felfconviction---and haft paffed a sentence upon thyfelf, which will furely, one day, appear against

thee.

So much for thyfelf; and as to thy hearers, it will be difficult to imprefs them with any thing, that does not come from thy heart. It will be cold, and languid, and uttered without that energy, which a confcious love of truth infpires.

The