Thus much for the house of feafting; which, by the way, though generally open at other times of the year throughout the world, is fuppofed in christian countries, now every where to be univerfally fhut up. And, in truth, I have been more full in my cautions against it, not only as reafon requires, but in reverence to this feafon * wherein our church exacts a more particular forbearance and self-denial in this point, and thereby adds to the restraints upon pleasure and entertainments which this representation of things has fuggefted against them already. Here then, let us turn afide, from this gay fcene; and fuffer me to take you D 4 * Preached in Lent with with me for a moment to one much fitter for your meditation. Let us go into the houfe of mourning, made fo, by fuch afflictions as have been brought in, merely by the common crofs accidents and difafters to which our condition is expofed,-where perhaps, the aged parents fit broken hearted, pierced to their fouls with the folly and indifcretion of a thankless child the child of their prayers, in whom all their hopes and expectations centred: perhaps a more affecting fcene - a virtuous family lying pinched with want, where the unfortunate fupport of it, having long struggled with a train of misfortunes, and bravely fought up against them is now piteously borne down at the laft overwhelmed with a cruel - blow which no forecaft or frugality could have prevented. O GOD! look upon his afflictions.- Behold him distracted with with many forrows, furrounded with the tender pledges of his love, and the partner of his cares without bread to give unable, from the remembrance them, of better days, to dig;-to beg, afhamed. When we enter into the house of mourning fuch as this, - it is impoffible to infult the unfortunate even with an improper look under whatever levity and diffipation of heart. Such objects catch our eyes, they catch likewise our attentions, collect and call home our fcattered thoughts, and exercife them with wifdom. A tranfient fcene of diftrefs, fuch as is here fketch'd, how foon does it furnish materials to fet the mind at work? how neceffarily does it engage it to the confideration of the miferies and misfortunes, the dangers and calamities to which the life of man is fubject. By By holding up fuch a glafs before it, it forces the mind to fee and reflect upon the vanity, the perifhing condition and uncertain tenure of every thing in this world. From reflections of this ferious caft, the thoughts infenfibly carry us farther we are and from confidering, what what kind of world we live in, and what evils befall us in it, they fet us to look forwards at what poffibly we hall be for what kind of world we are intended what evils may befall us there and what provision we should make against them, here, whilft we have time and opportunity. If these leffons are fo infeparable from the houfe of mourning here fuppofed we fhall find it a ftill more inftructive fchool of wisdom when we take a view of the place in that more affecting light in in which the wife man feems to confine it in the text, in which, by the house of mourning, I believe, he means that particular scene of forrow where there is lamentation and mourning for the dead. Turn in hither, I befeech you, for a moment. Behold a dead man ready to be carried out, the only fon of his mo ther, and fhe a widow. Perhaps a more affecting spectacle - a kind and an indulgent father of a numerous family, lies breathlefs fnatch'd away in the ftrength of his age torn in an evil hour from his children and the bofom of a difconfolate wife. Behold much people of the city gathered together to mix their tears, with fettled forrow in their looks, going heavily along to the house of mourning, to |