SERMON VIII.

HEBREWS, Xi. 13.

THEY CONFESSED, THAT THEY WERE STRANGERS, AND PILGRIMS ON THE EARTH.

OUR paffage through life is compared in holy fcripture, to various things-fometimes to an arrow flitting through the air, which quickly ftrikes the mark it aimed at fometimes to a race, in which we foon arrive at the destined goal-fometimes to a flower, which is to-day in the field; to-morrow, cut down, and withered.But no -But no figure, I think, more beautifully and more comprehenfively describes it, than that of a journey, to which it is compared by the apostle in the text.-The other figures give

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us an idea of fome particulars only in the life of man-its hafty progrefs-its deftined end-or its great uncertainty. But a journey feems to comprehend it in all its ufual circumstances, from one end to the other-from the cradle to the grave. We may confider the whole world, in all its diftinctions-rich, and poor-young, and old-wife, and foolish-gay, and thoughtful-all journeying to their great home. Some travel in a more expenfive way with equipage, and attendants: others, in a humble manner, like the poor pilgrim with his staff; but all, in this confufion and variety, are haftening to one great point their everlasting home.

For your inftruction therefore to-day, I pro pofe to mark a few of thofe ftrong lines of refemblance between a journey, and our paffage through life; and fhall endeavour to make fuch obfervations on each, as I hope may be ufeful to you.

THE first great refemblance may be found in the various ftages of each.In the common journies of this world, fome are long; and marked of course, with a great variety of circumftances. Others again are fhort, quickly

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performed, and little varied with any particular

Occurrences.

Exactly thus is our great journey through life. The journey of fome is long. Many years are spent in paffing through the feveral stages of childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. Others again scarce pass through half this space, before they find themselves at their journey's end. They languish awhile under the pains of mortality, and are cut off in the flower of their age: while many begin, and finish their journey almost at the fame time.What fhould this teach us, but (as our Lord instructs us) to have our loins girt, our lights burning, and ourselves in conftant readiness to fet out, whenever we are called for notwithstanding the likeness between a journey, and our paffage through life, this difference, we must remember, exists between them-the former we conduct: in the latter we are conducted. In our great journey through life we cannot make the stages as we please. They are laid out for us. We have only to prepare ourselves properly for them.

A SECOND great refemblance, which may be traced between a journey, and our paffage through

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through life, arifes from the various roads, which present themfelves in both.-Every one accustomed to travelling, knows there are various roads commonly leading to the same place. Some are bad-others indirect-while there is generally but one, which is the beft; and which every prudent traveller would wish to pursue.

Such too is our journey towards eternal life. This is the point, to which we all fhould take the best and fafe ftroad; and all of us, who have any degree of ferioufnefs, pretend to do it. Afk any, who are not quite abandoned, and they will tell you, they hope to go to heaventhat this at least is their aim: but through what a variety of paths do they often purfue it?

I do not mean here, by different paths, the different modes of religion, by which different perfuafions of chriftians feek heaven. Far fhould I be from calling a fincere christian in any perfuafion, though differing from our own, a traveller in an indirect path. He He may, in fome points, be in error-he may, in many points, pursue the way, which we may not think best-yet if he be a pious and good man, his path cannot poffibly be much awry. By those therefore who travel in an indirect path, I mean

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fuch only as in any perfuafion, lead careless, inattentive lives-who tread the path of pleasure -who are given up too much to the worldand expect their chief happiness from it.

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And yet these often pretend to be journeying towards their heavenly home-and perhaps they may perfuade themselves they are fincere: but rarely, if ever, comparing the path they take with that marked out in the word of God, they go thoughtlefs on-far-very far from the true path which religion prescribes. It may. be hoped indeed that all thefe wanderers will in time fee their error; and at length arrive fafely at their heavenly home. But what toil-what labour-what diftrefs might they have prevented, if they had not fuffered themselves to be led aftray through all the bye-paths of pleasure, or worldly allurements; but had from the first pur

fued the direct road!As for the downright wicked and irreligious, they are not properly travelling in an indirect path-they are travelling in a courfe directly contrary to what they ought they never can get right, unless they return upon the paths which have misled

them, and take a road entirely oppofite to that, which they have hitherto pursued.

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