wealth will not purchase, nor the poor man's sufferings merit the kingdom of heaven. Both, before they can be admitted into it, must become qualified for it by a heart dead to the world, and alive to God. There may be some duties peculiar to the rich, and others peculiar to the poor; but the substance of religion is the same in both, and alike necessary for both. And if they are suitably impressed with a sense of the nature and importance of religion, both will be less anxious about the interests of the world.

Religion is equally necessary for the young and for the old. You who are young think, that an attention to futurity infinitely concerns the aged; for they are just about to leave this world, and go to their long home. You wonder that men, who expect not to live more than three or four years longer, can live a day thoughtless of their souls, which are so soon to pass away, and of that eternity which is just before them. You wonder that men in this solemn condition can have any solicitude about the interests of this life about repairing their buildings, enriching their furniture, enlarging their farms, or extending their business. It seems to you, that, if you were as near to death, you should think of nothing but how to meet it, and contrive nothing but how to prepare for it. But know, my friends, what is wisdom in your fathers, is wisdom in you. You are as mortal as they. You are hastening to another world as fast as they, and, for aught that any of you can tell, you may be there as soon. You can no more enter into heaven without repentance of sin, and the choice and practice of religion, than others can. It is not age that makes religion necessary. It is necessary in its nature, and by God's immutable constitution. If this will be your wisdom forty years hence, it is your principal wisdom today You see religion to be important to others.

But whatever reasons make it important to them, the same reasons make it so to you.

Apply then the exhortation in the text, for to you it is spoken, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom, and with all your gettings get un derstanding."

The word of God is able to make you wise to salvation, and to furnish you unto every good work. They who perish for want of wisdom, are the fools who despise instruction. There is a price in your hands to get wisdom; apply your hearts to acquire it. In the oracles of God you may find all that you need to know in relation to life and godliness.Think not that religion is dark and mysterious: It is plain and simple. To understand it, there needs only diligent application and an honest heart. When knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you and understanding will keep you. Other things you can easily learn; why not this? The rudiments of science and of business you can acquire with facility, because your hearts are set upon them. Apply your minds with the same engagedness to the doctrines and duties of religion, and to the means and the terms of salvation, and you will as easily learn them. The difficulty of acquiring the knowledge of religion, arises not from the obscurity of the subject, but from the aversion or the indifference of the heart.

You will say, "It is God who gives wisdom." This is true: So says the scripture. Therefore, "if you lack wisdom, ask it of God, who gives liberally and upbraids not, and it shall be given you." "If you cry after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding; if you seek it as silver, and search for it as for hid treasures, then will you understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowl edge of God."

Wisdom comes to the soul by diligent attention and inquiry. Accustom yourselves therefore to serious meditation and selfexamination. Often re

view your conduct, search your hearts, reckon with yourselves, condemn your follies and correct your errors. Think of the dangers of a sinful, and the advantages of a godly life. Recollect what God has done for you-contemplate what still he is doing, and is ready farther to do; what encouragements he has set before you, and what assistances he offers you. Realize the uncertainty of life and the preciousness of time. Walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

The company which you keep will give a correspondent complexion to your habits and manners. He who walks with wise men will be wise, but a companion of fools will be destroyed. Therefore shun the company of the profane, and associate with the godly. Depart from evil doers, and be the companions of them who fear God.

Stand armed for sudden temptations, and avoid such as you foresee. A prudent man looks well to his goings; he foresees the evil and hides himself : The simple-the thoughtless pass on and are punished.

Before honor is humility. He who humbles himself shall be exalted. If you see one wise in his own conceit, well may you pity him, for there is more hope of a fool than of him. Think not of yourselves above that which you ought to think, but think soberly.

Be always attentive to hear, and forward to receive instruction and reproof. Think not yourselves too wise to be taught, too good to be admonished, or too infallible to be corrected. He who loves instruction shall find wisdom; but he who hates re

proof is brutish. A scorner seeks wisdom and finds it not; but knowledge is easy to him who is dis posed to understand.

To depart from evil is understanding. Immediately renounce every known iniquity, and guard against the temptations to repeat it. If you think of setting out in the way of wisdom, the first step is to turn from the way of folly. Lay aside every weight-every sin which besets you, and run with patience the race set before you.

In a word; devote yourselves entirely to God; yield yourselves to him without reserve and without delay serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind. "The Lord searcheth all hearts, and knoweth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you for sake him, he will cast you off forever."

Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.

THE prophet in the example of Ephraim, describes the exercises of a penitent heart under a conviction of sin; and he represents God's gracious acceptance of the prayers of penitents in his attention to Ephraim's prayer.

God is here introduced as saying, "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, "Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke." God sees the returning sinner, when he is a great way off, and hears his penitential complaints before they are uttered.When David said, "I will confess my transgressions unto thee," God forgave the iniquity of his sin.

I. You here observe, first, What Ephraim chiefly bemoaned was his long impenitence under the means used for his reformation.