1. Prudence is necessary to direct our duty to God himself.

The aid of prudence, even when the heart is truly de voted to God, is needful to facilitate the practice of piety, to promote the pleasure and the lustre of it To omit any branch of real piety, to avoid the reproach of profane persons, or to make our end in religious exercises, to be seen of men, is carnal policy. But it is Christian prudence to avoid any such indecencies in our devotions as may unnecessarily give offence, or occasion censure. It will teach us to accommodate ourselves in our frames and actions, and to regulate the time, and manner, and length of our devotions. The time should be that, wherein we may expect to be most lively and least interrupted; the manner that wherein our minds are most free; and it is generally most expedient, that our devotions be rather frequent than long and tedious. And this should especially be avoided in family worship, lest we occasion a disgust of religion.

2. Prudence is of use to discover the bias of our own constitutional tempers, to discern the devices of Satan, to descry temptations, and to direct us to avoid them. And it is of vast service in making the interests of soul and body consistent, and our care of both happily comport together. We may often avoid by innocent prudence, temporal inconveniences for our profession. And this we should endeavour, as far as they may lawfully be avoided. And so far as we are governed by it, we shall not be so liable to sufferings brought upon ourselves by needless provocations or indiscretions.

3. Prudence is necessary in the successful discharge of our duty to our neighbour.

As far as may be done without sinful compliances, ministers and private Christians should study to render themselves acceptable, in order to be useful; accommodating themselves to men's capacities and prepossessions, and condescending thereunto by an easy behaviour and prudent address, in order to serve them in their everlasting interests. Prudence is peculiarly requisite in reproving them for their sins; it is also necessary for the management of our own outward affairs with discretion, to distinguish the most proper objects of charity, and to

proportion the measures of our bounty to the extent and importance of occasions. Prudence is of equal use in common conversation, to judge when it is fit to speak, and when to keep silence; to consider the different tempers, expectations, and views of those with whom we converse; and so to order our conversation, that nothing may ever drop from us to offend, much less to corrupt their minds; and that we may be frequent in religious, improving dis

course.

III. To enforce the exhortation, we are desired to consider the state of Christians in this world, in which they are as sheep in the midst of wolves.

In danger from the devil, as a roaring lion, seeking to devour; and as an old serpent, seeking to seduce. But the danger here suggested is principally from men. Good men are imperfect; and there may be danger from their imperfections. But the number of bad in the best times, calls especially for prudence to prevent their reproaching us, or our profession; for which they will gladly lay hold of our real crimes, or in defect of them, our imprudences. The Holy Scriptures are recommended as fitted to be of singular use to our improvement in prudent conduct by the way, as well as to make us wise unto salvation. And the proverbs of Solomon, and the pattern of Christ, should especially be studied to this purpose. The lives of wise and good men may furnish us with several profitable hints to make us wiser and better; and especially experience and careful observation of men, and things around us, and principally of ourselves and our own conduct.

But, together with the utmost of our care and improvement in this needful skill, by other means, let us daily ask wisdom of God, and his guidance and conduct, which will be our best security through a dangerous world, and bring us to glory at the end of life.

THE SLUGGARD SENT TO THE ANT TO OBTAIN INSTRUCTION.

Go to the ant, &c.-Prov. vi. 6—8.

SINCE man's apostacy from God, he is often sent in the scriptures to learn his duty from the meanest creatures ; his ingratitude is reproved (Isa. i. 3;) his inattention to Divine Providence, and neglecting the proper seasons of activity, are condemned; his excessive worldly cares and unbelieving anxieties are censured. (Luke xi. 24.) And in the text, to cure us of negligence and sloth, Solomon sends us to a creature of the smallest size, but of surprising activity. Let us first consider the character to whom -this advice is addressed; the sluggard's picture is so well drawn in this and in the book of Ecclesiastes, that we soon may be acquainted with it. Sloth is certainly not confined to the common affairs of life only, but the character of a sluggard is applicable to men of every description, who are not earnestly working out their salvation with fear and trembling. The laborious mechanic, the busy merchant, the painful student, and the bustling statesman, are all sluggards in a spiritual sense, unless they are active in the love and service of the God that made them; it may be added, that even those who have chosen the better part, have too much of this disposition remaining in them. Ps. cxix. 37.

Let us now consider the good counsel here given: the ant instructs us not by a speech, but by actions, and therefore we must consider her ways not merely to gratify laudable curiosity, or increase our knowledge of natural history, but, that we may become wiser and better.

2. The ant teaches us foresight, making provision for the time to come. How dreary must the winter of his life be, whose youth has been spent in criminal idleness and sin; and who has never seriously considered for what purpose he came into the world, till he is forced by discase, and the dreadful approach of death, to think of VOL. II.

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leaving it? And, above all, how will the horror of the slothful servant be increased when he hears the Judge pronounce the final sentence.

3. Activity and diligence; she never remits her labours while the season lasts.

4. Prudence in embracing the properest season in doing her necessary work. It is plain, if summer and harvest were neglected by the ant, her work must be entirely let alone ; this she knows, and though she has no guide to go before, and mark out her task, none to superintend or prompt her to labour; none to require an account of her industry, or to punish her neglect, yet she never fergets her labour, or pretends weariness as an excuse from her necessary work. We may draw some useful inferences from this subject.

1. The sluggard offends against the very nature of things; for what are all the high powers and faculties with which man is endowed, but so many intimations that he is formed for active service?

2. He offers violence to that inclination of mind which is so natural to man: this the spiritual sluggard clearly discovers by the wicked and often laborious methods he finds out and practises in wasting his time and talents.

3. He sins against the manifest design of providence ; for though God liberally supplies our returning wants, yet he certainly requires us to labour even for the necessaries of life.

4. He sets himself against the designs of our gracious Redeemer, who gave himself for us, not to procure a patent for idleness and sloth, but to purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works; let us hear and reverence the language of the gospel, and let us be no longer slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. We shall have time enough to rest from our labours, when an abundant entrance is ministered unto us into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

THE EXPEDIENCY OF CHRIST'S REMOVAL.

It is expedient-not only for me, but for you, that I go away. John xvi. 7.

THE expediencies of Christ's departure will appear if we observe,

1. It was so appointed in the divine councils, and they cannot be altered: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? He that gives freely, may recall one gift before he bestows another, whilst we would fondly hold all.

2. It is suitable that the ambassador extraordinary should be recalled, before the envoy come that is constantly to reside.

3. The sending of the spirit was the fruit of Christ's purchase, and that was to be made by his death, which was his going away.

4. It was to be this effect of his intercessions within the vail, it must both be purchased and prayed for, that we might learn to put this greater value upon it.

5. The great argument used by the Spirit, in convincing the world, was Christ's ascension as our forerunner to heaven.

6. Christ's bodily presence could be only in one place at one time, but his spiritual every where, in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered together in his name.

7. The first might attract their eyes, the last must attract their hearts.

II. The work of the Spirit is to reprove or convince. 1. Ministers are reprovers by office. But the Spirit by the word, conscience, and providence convinces of sin. to convince is a law term, and denotes the office of a judge in summing up the evidence, and setting any matter that has been accurately examined, in a clear and just light.

2. To put to silence the adversaries of Christ and his eause by demonstrating the falsehood of that which they had maintained, and the truth and certainty of that which they had opposed; man may open the cause, but the Spirit only can open the heart. The method here taken is,