objects as are but vain and unfatisfying, and will in the end, difappoint our expectation. I take this to be not only a part, but a very important part of the Prophet's, meaning. The world is the great fource of temptation; the powerful and unhappy influence of which we may daily fee; or rather, all of us daily and fenfibly feel. What is it poffeffes the fancy, misleads the judgment, inflames the affections, confumes the time, and ruins the foul, but these prefent enjoyments, of which the wifeft of men, after a full trial of them, have left us their character,' vanity of vanities.'

I am fenfible that I have now entered upon a fubject, which is far from being difficult to enlarge upon, and yet, perhaps, very difficult to treat with propriety, or in such a manner as to have the intended effect. There is nothing more eafy than, in a bold declamatory way, to draw pictures of the vanity of human life. It hath been done by thousands, when, after all, their broken fchemes and difappointed views, they have juft fuffered fhipwreck upon the coaft of the enchanted land of hope. But from fuch men we may expect to hear the language of despair, rather than of experience; and as it is too late for the inftruction of the fufferers, fo it very rarely has any effect in warning others to avoid the danger. What I would, therefore, willingly attempt is, to confider this matter in a fober fcriptural light; if fo be, that it may please God to carry conviction

to

to our hearts, and make it truly useful, both to fpeaker and hearers.

Let me, therefore, my brethren, point out to you precifely, wherein the vanity of the world lieth. The world, in itself, is the workmanship of God, and every thing that is done in it, is by the ordination or permiffion of God. As fuch it is good, and may be used in fubferviency to his honour, and our own peace. But through the corruption of our nature, the creature -becomes the rival and competitor of the Creator for our hearts. When we place our fupreme happiness upon it, instead of making it a mean of leading us to God, then its inherent vanity immediately appears. When men allow themselves in the indulgence of vicious pleafures, how justly may they be called 'vanity and lies !' They are fmiling and inviting to appearance, but how dreadful and deftructive in their effects! Whoredom and

wine, and new wine taketh away the heart.' Those who refuse to be confined by the laws of piety and fobriety, vainly think they are walking at liberty, when they are bringing themfelves into fubjection to the feverest and most inflexible of all mafters. Read the juft and striking defcription, by Solomon, of the effects of whoredom; and reflect on the innumerable calamities brought, in every age, on perfons and families by unbridled luft. See alfo the effects of intemperance and excefs Wine is a mocker, ftrong drink is rag

ing, and whofoever is deceived thereby is not

⚫ wife.' And again: • The drunkard and glutton fhall come to poverty. Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it moveth itfelf aright; at laft, it biteth like a ferpent, and ftingeth like an adder? . 77 G

Think on the unhappy confequences of difhönefty and fraud. Bread of deceit is fweet to ⚫ a man, but afterwards his mouth fhall be filled

with gravel.'-You may alfo fee, in innumerable paffages of Scripture, that oppreffion of others, as it is a fin of the deepest dye, so it is often remarkably overtaken, and punished in the course of providence, even in the prefent life. Envy thou not the oppreffor, and choose none of his ways; for the froward is abomination to the Lord, but his fecret is with the righteous. The curfe of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, but he bleffeth the habitation of the ' juft.'

But there is fomething more in this request, than being preferved from practifes directly vicious; for the fetting of our hearts upon worldly things, and making them our chief portion and delight, is certainly feeking after vanity and lies." They are far from affording that happiness and peace which we demand of them, and expect

from them.

'A little that a righteous man hath,

⚫ is better than the riches of many wicked.' Can there be any thing more comfortable to experience, than that strong expreffion,

Thou pre

' parent

t pareft a table for me in the presence of mine < enemies, thou anointest my head with oil, my

cup runneth over.' You may also find in the word of god, many warnings of the folly of those who travel in the path of ambition, and put their truft in man. 'Surely men of low degree are ' vanity, and men of high degree are a lie. Put < not your truft in princes, nor in the fon of man, " in whom there is no help. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whofe hope is in the Lord his God.' But the most comprehenfive remark of all, upon this fubject, is, that human life itself is fo exceedingly precarious, that it must write vanity and emptinefs' on every thing, the poffeffion and ufe of which is confined to the present state. 'Behold thou haft 'made my days as an hand-breadth.' What a ftriking picture does our Lord draw of the vanity of human happinefs, in that parable of the ground of the rich man, which brought forth plentifully! "And he thought within himself, saying, what 'fhall I do, because I have no room where to be• ftow my fruits? And while this man is feduloufly employed in making provifion for a long and happy life, God faid unto him, thou fool, this night fhall thy foul be required of thee, 'then whofe fhall those things be which thou ' haft provided?'

The whole of the preceding reprefentation may be summed up in this excellent féntence of the wife man: 'The wicked worketh ́a deceitful

F

' work

Now, my brethren, need I add, how prone we are to be led aftray, in a greater or lefs degree, by fuch vanity and lies ?I do not infift upon the many victims, which, in every age, have been seen to fall by the deftructive hand of vice. How many have been ruined by luft, flain by intemperance, or beggared by difhonefty! But I intreat you particularly to obferve, that when we fet our affections immoderately upon any earthly object or enjoyment, or when they are not truly fanctified; how much they difappoint our expectation in poffeffion, and what fcenes of diftrefs we prepare for ourselves by their removal.

3. This request, 'Remove far from me vanity and lies,' implies, that God would gracioufly preferve us from deceiving ourselves, and thinking our character better, and our state safer than it really is. When we take a view of the ftate of the world, and the conduct of thofe who have not yet caft off all belief of eternity, and a judgment to come, it is impoffible to account for their fecurity, but by a great degree of felf-deceit. We may fay of them with the prophet Ifaiah, ' He feed⚫eth on afhes, a deceived heart hath turned him a

fide, that he cannot deliver his foul, nor fay, • Is there not a lie in my right hand?' And from ' the reprefentation given by our Saviour, it is plain that many fhall continue in their mistake, and only be undeceived at the last day. Not,