and honours, though they fhould accompany us to the laft period of life, muft leave us at death: "Naked we came into

the world, and naked we must return :” but holinefs fhall pafs with us beyond the grave, and attend us home to our Father's houfe, there to fhine with increasing brightnefs through all the ages of eternity. Do we then afpire to the heavenly state? let us endeavour to enjoy as much of heaven as we can, even while we fojourn in this houfe of our pilgrimage." Surely

every man that hath this hope in him," -the hope of being thoroughly changed into the likenefs of his Lord, when he "fhall fee him as he is," at his fecond appearance,-muft, by this hope, be excited to purify "himself even as he is pure."

Let us then hearken to that affectionate exhortation of the Apostle Peter, Dearly "beloved, I befeech you as frangers and

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pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lufts, which "war against the foul."Let us Let us "add our faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; " and

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"and to patience, godlinefs; and to god༦ linefs, brotherly kindnefs; and to brotherly kindnefs, charity. For fo an

entrance fhall be miniftered unto us "abundantly, into the everlasting king"dom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus "Chrift."

3dly, It becomes ftrangers and fojourners to endure with patience and fortitude any hardships they may meet with on their journey homeward.---We ought, indeed, my brethren, to lay our account with inconveniences by the way: our Mafter, who " was a man of forrows," hath told us exprefsly, that "in the world we "fhall have tribulation." "Ye know," faid he, " that the world hated me, be"fore it hated you. If ye were of the "world, the world would love his own: "but becaufe ye are not of the world, but "I have chofen you out of the world, "therefore the world hateth you. -Yet however painful thofe fufferings may be, the profpect of the joy that awaiteth us, is more than fufficient to fupport us under them; especially when it is confider

ed,

ed, that the afflictions of this prefent life, if wifely improved, fhall exalt us to higher dignity in the kingdom of our Father. It is recorded of the primitive Chriftians, that " they took joyfully the fpoiling of "their goods," becaufe "they knew in "themselves, that they had in heaven a "better and an enduring fubftance."

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They were troubled on every fide, yet "not diftreffed; perplexed, but not in defpair; perfecuted, but not forfaken; caft "down, but not destroyed;" as we read, 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9: And if any fhall inquire, what it was that rendered them fuperior to these trials, they may be fully informed by St Paul himself in the clofe of that chapter, where he faith, "For this caufe we faint not, but though our outward man perish,

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yet the inward man is renewed day by «day. For our light affliction, which is "but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of

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glory; while we look not at the things "which are fcen, and are temporal, but at "thofe things which are not feen, and are "eternal."

4thly, If we view heaven as the place of our everlasting abode, we fhall, above all things, be folicitous to be thoroughly acquainted with the way that leads to it. David prayed with the utmost propriety, when he thus expreffed himself, Pfalm cxix. 19. "I am a ftranger in the earth, "hide not thy commandments from me." He knew that "the word of God was a "lamp to his feet and a light unto his "path" he therefore, "hid it in his "heart," as the most inestimable treafure he could poffefs, and made it the fubject of his conftant delightful meditation: "Thy teftimonies," faid he, " are my delight, and my counfellors ;" and "thy ftatutes have been my fongs in "the houfe of my pilgrimage."

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I do not deny that reafon, even in its prefent dark and corrupt ftate, may, in many important inftances, lead a fober inquirer to the knowledge of his duty; but, alas! in a great variety of cafes, he would find himself utterly at a lofs, not knowing which road to take for though reafon,

unaffifted,

unaflifted, may ftill be able to trace out the capital lines of fin and duty, yet the confines of each, the precife boundaries which divide the lawful from the forbidden ground, require a more penetrating eye to difcern them. But in the Holy Scriptures these are plainly marked out to us by the finger of God, who cannot err. The ten laws published from Sinai, which were afterwards explained and amplified by our Saviour in his fermon upon the mount, furnith us with a complete and unerring rule of life, and defcribe that "high way of holiness," in which we may walk without fear or diffidence. We need not perplex ourfelves with the doubtful reafonings of our own minds; we may find an eafy folution of all our difficulties in that written "law and tefti"mony," according to which we shall be finally judged for "the testimony of "the Lord is fure, making wife the

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fimple :"-" the judgements of the Lord "are true and righteous altogether."

Such is the guide which God hath provided for directing his pilgrims in their way homeward: