OBSERVATIONS, &c.

As in all human affairs, things of apparently small importance are valued in proportion as they tend to some desirable object; and as the Christian religion has ever delighted to exalt and sanctify to its wise and holy purposes, that which is *humble, obvious, or disesteemed; the simple circumstance of early rising is a subject on which the force of worldly and religious wisdom may conjointly bear;

* "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen."-1 Cor. i. 27.

B

indicated by the sagacity of man as the palpable source of the most solid of temporal advantages, and urged by the authority of Scripture as instrumental to our eternal interests.

The spirit of Christianity is to lay the axe to the root of all that is evil within us. The authority which forbids adultery and murder, denounces each incipient thought or temper which can possibly lead to them; and the same Scriptures which universally prohibit sloth, condemn likewise those habits which induce it. The very command to be watchful, implies that we put away from us all that has a tendency to render us supine; and though it must be left to honest prudence to limit and determine the extent of each definitive obligation, intimated in a command so general, yet it is unwise wilfully to omit a practice congenial to watchfulness as to every other virtue which Christianity enjoins, As far, therefore, as means are

conducive to an end, so far is it deducible from Scripture that early rising is a duty.

On the other hand, as it is ordained by divine wisdom that happiness as well as every other good and perfect gift should be bestowed, not without the co-operation of our own endeavour and constancy, and as that constancy is unstable which has not its foundation in religion; as we are, moreover, not.more able to procure our happiness by our own agency solely than to continue our life without His favour who is the Giver of both life and happiness; and as it is absurd to seek for His favour by other means than by the faithful performance of the duties he has prescribed to us, and by acquiring the spirit of devotion; I shall endeavour to consider,

I. The expediency of using all the means in our power to increase the spirit of devotion, and that of those means,

indicated by the sagacity of man as the palpable source of the most solid of temporal advantages, and urged by the authority of Scripture as instrumental to our eternal interests.

The spirit of Christianity is to lay the axe to the root of all that is evil within us. The authority which forbids adultery and murder, denounces each incipient thought or temper which can possibly lead to them; and the same Scriptures which universally prohibit sloth, condemn likewise those habits which induce it. The very command to be watchful, implies that we put away from us all that has a tendency to render us supine; and though it must be left to honest prudence to limit and determine the extent of each definitive obligation, intimated in a command so general, yet it is unwise wilfully to omit a practice congenial to watchfulness as to every other virtue which Christianity enjoins, As far, therefore, as means are

conducive to an end, so far is it deducible from Scripture that early rising is a duty.

On the other hand, as it is ordained by divine wisdom that happiness as well as every other good and perfect gift should be bestowed, not without the co-operation of our own endeavour and constancy, and as that constancy is unstable which has not its foundation in religion; as we are, moreover, not more able to procure our happiness by our own agency solely than to continue our life without His favour who is the Giver of both life and happiness; and as it is absurd to seek for His favour by other means than by the faithful performance of the duties he has prescribed to us, and by acquiring the spirit of devotion; I shall endeavour to consider,

I. The expediency of using all the means in our power to increase the spirit of devotion, and that of those means,