SERMON I.

ON THE BENEFITS OF EXPERIENCE AND REFLECTION.

DEUT. iv. 9.

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy foul diligently, left thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and left they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life.

TH

HE great fource of all human knowledge is experience; and that experience which teaches us practical wifdom, and informs us of the many evils that conftantly wait on life, is acquired chiefly by obfervation and reflection. Time, indeed, is continually forcing the inftructions of this fage monitor on our notice, and when " length of days" has not made

VOL. I.

B

us

us fufficiently acquainted with her, we fly to the aged that we may learn her counfels; or read them, with fufficient certainty, in the misconduct, difappointment, and miferies of others.

THE hiftorian makes it his peculiar glory, that, by faithfully recording the fates of kingdoms, by delineating the virtues which raised fome to magnificence, and the vices which brought others gradually to deftruction, he anticipates the future, by a true representation of the past, and teaches men wisdom by the examples of others. But though, from the fhort period of human life, the narrowness of our views, and the neceffary calls of duty, we are obliged to recur to the experience of those who went before us for almost all our knowledge; yet the few events that happen to ourselves, or that fall within the circle of our own obfervation, make a far more lafting impreffion on us, and have a much greater influence over the heart.

THE

THE ftrange viciffitudes of fortune that happen to others we hear with faint emotions, and often regard them only as they ferve to gratify curiofity, and increase our ftore of knowledge. The hiftorian's eloquence and the poet's fancy can scarcely raise the tear of sympathy, while they relate, with all the decoration of language; the miseries of life; and those forrows which only the beft and fofteft bosoms feel occafionally for the misfortunes of others, are but of fhort duration. They vanish quick as the morning dews dissolve before the rifing fun; and often, like them, leave no trace behind. But fuch calamities and disappointments as we might call our own, are confidered as dear-bought experience, and treafured up in the heart. These are the counfellors that will make us wife and good; unless in despite of reason and of nature, we let life glide away unnoticed, without improvement in knowledge or in virtue.

SERIOUS reflection on what has paffed, with a constant habit of comparing it to the future, feems, indeed, to be a rule of moral difcipline natural to the mind of man, and is one of the greatest fafeguards of virtue, as well as the best means of acquiring useful knowledge. It is neceffary, even from the fluctuating state of the heart, to take these retrospective views of life, and to fettle stated periods alfo for our religious duty, if we wish to increase prudence, establish ourselves in virtue, and acquire the fteady habits of rational devotion. A full perfuafion of the efficacy of this difcipline, induced the inspired author of the text to addrefs his people in these remarkable words; "Only take heed

to thyfelf, and keep thy foul diligently, " left thou forget the things which thine

eyes have feen, and left they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life."

To this important fubject permit me to call your attention; and, as the most effectual means of rendering it profitable,

fuffer

gene

fuffer me to point out fome of those ral concerns, which are continually happening to the fons of men, and which, therefore, claim your frequent reflection and ferious meditation.

FIRST, let me exhort you, when you ponder the path of life," not to let the remembrance of your disappointments, whatever they might have been, " depart "from your hearts." Few there are, I truft, who have not met with these in some shape or other. Human hopes and expectations run fo high, and the affairs of this world are conducted by so mysterious a hand, that we have almost daily cause to exclaim, "all is vanity and vexa"tion of fpirit." Were our hopes, indeed, ever fo well founded, and our endeavours exerted with the moft vigorous perfeyerance, we are affured that "the race is "not always to the fwift, nor the battle to the ftrong; but time and chance happeneth to us all.". Difappointments therefore are to be numbered among those neceffary

B 3