people, for despising and abusing the instructions and admonitions of his word: and we have just ground to fear, that he will punish us as severely as he did them, for sinning against all the light and instruction which he has given us by his faithful servants. In the view of our guilty and dangerous situation, we have abundant reason for humiliation, fasting, and prayer before God this day. We ought to bewail the atheism, the infidelity, the licentiousness, the impenitence and stupidity, which abound through the nation. These national sins will certainly draw down national judgments, unless we reform, repent, and return to the God of our fathers, from whom we have unreasonably revolted. This is the duty which God requires of a degenerate people, and upon the performance of which, he promises to forgive and save them. "Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach. Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people." Amen.

SERMON XVII.

PUBLIC SPIRIT.

OCTOBER 15, 1806.

FOR David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep. Acrs, xiii. 36.

As GOD is pleased to employ human agents in carrying on his designs in this world, so he never fails to find those persons who are best qualified to answer his purpose. This he intimates by the mode of expression in the twenty-second verse of the context. "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will." The Lord saw something in David, the youngest son of Jesse, which neither he, nor Samuel saw, when he was sent to anoint him and set him apart for the service of God. It seems they would have preferred either of his seven brothers; but God, who looked on the heart, and not on the outward appearance, preferred him. Nor was the divine choice misplaced; for as soon as David appeared in public, he seized every opportunity of promoting the cause of God, and the good of his fellow men. And it is truly astonishing what talents he displayed, and what signal services he performed, in the course of his life. After he had undauntedly fought his way to the throne of Israel, he found the kingdom weak and divided. But he soon united the nation in peace, and conquered their numerous and powerful enemies. Having finished his long and bloody wars, he turned his attention to the internal concerns of the nation. He devised the best methods to regulate the services of the sanctuary, and promote the public worship of God. He prepared many materials for the building of the temple, and it was in his heart to have accomplished that noble and pious design. But when God

denied him this privilege, and acquainted him that the time of his departure drew near, he set his kingdom, his house, and his soul in order, and prepared to die in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor. This fully authorized the Evangelist to say, "David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep." The mode of expression here is designed to signify the composure and serenity of mind in which he died, and not to intimate that his death put a final period to his existence, or threw him into a state of insensibility. The text plainly represents. David as living a useful life, and dying a peaceful death, whether it be read as it now stands, or more exactly according to the original. The literal translation is, "David, in his own generation having served the will of God, fell on sleep." This reading is rather to be preferred to the other, because it presents David's character in a more pious light, and more strongly marks the connection between his piety and usefulness in life, and his hope and happiness in death. These things, which were inseparably connected in David, always will be inseparably united in all good men who faithfully serve God and their own generation. This suggests a plain and important truth to our present consideration: That a useful life prepares men for a happy death.

To illustrate this subject, I shall consider first, what it is to live a useful life; and then, how this prepares men for a happy death.

There is a

I. Let us consider what it is to live a useful life. sense in which all men are useful. They all, in some way or other, serve the divine purposes. Pharaoh, Haman, and the king of Assyria, were instrumental in bringing about the designs of Providence. Howbeit, they meant not so, neither did their hearts think so. They intended to accomplish their own ambitious designs; but God overruled all their views and operations in subserviency to his own glory and the good of his people, whom they sought to destroy. But in order to be useful in the sense of the text, and according to the common acceptation of the phrase, men must imbibe the spirit of the patriarch, and act from the same principles of piety and benevolence. This leads me to observe,

1. That, to live a useful life, men must live in the exercise of supreme love to God. They must give him the throne in their hearts, before they can take their proper place at his footstool, and feel and act as his dutiful subjects. They cannot serve both God and mammon at the same time. While they love themselves supremely, they will seek a private separate interest, which is wholly hostile to the glory of God and the interest of his moral kingdom. They must seek first the kingdom of God,

and give their hearts to him, before they can do any thing which will be acceptable in his sight. None can take a single step towards usefulness, until they make a sincere and unreserved dedication of themselves to the service of God. David took this step in his youth, which had a most happy influence upon his future life. He often recollected and renewed his vows and engagements to be the Lord's. "I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. I delight to do thy will, O God; yea, thy law is within my heart. I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. I esteem thy precepts concerning all things to be right. I will run in the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart." It appears from these and many other declarations of David in his most solemn moments, that he lived in the habitual exercise of supreme love to God. He made the divine will his rule, and the divine glory his ultimate end, in all he did to promote the temporal and spiritual good of his fellow men. The same spirit will have the same influence upon the lives of all those who possess it. While they keep themselves in the love of God, they will cheerfully subordinate all their own interests to his glory, and be sincere and steadfast, and persevering, in his service.

2. Not only a spirit of piety, but a spirit of universal benevolence is necessary, in order to live a truly useful life. Every man ought to love his neighbor as himself, and live in the exercise of that charity, which seeketh not her own. This is enjoined by divine authority. "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth." Pure disinterested benevolence inspires a man with a tender concern for all the human race, and leads him to do to others, as he would that others should do to him. It makes him willing to give up his private right, or his personal interest, whenever the public good requires such an act of self-denial. It disposes him not only to love those who love him, and to do good to those who do good to him, but to love all, and to do good to all, as he has opportunity. David acted under the influence of such a benevolent spirit, while he served his own generation by the will of God. He placed his happiness in theirs, and sincerely sought their highest good. He could say from the bottom of his heart, " If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." He felt and expressed true benevolence towards his enemies and the enemies of God. "But as for me when they were sick, my clothing was sack

cloth; I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother." The sincerity of these professions appears from some singular instances of his disinterested conduct. Though Saul was his mortal enemy, yet he once and again spared his life, when he had him entirely in his power. He loved Jonathan as his own soul; and acted a truly noble and friendly part towards him. He was ever ready to jeopard his life in the high places of the field for the safety of his kingdom; and nothing but the importunity of his subjects could, in any case, restrain him from it. Yea, when he saw the destroying angel holding his sword over Jerusalem, he prayed that it might rather fall upon himself than upon his innocent people. In a word, his whole life was filled up with acts of kindness, beneficence and public utility. This was the genuine fruit of true benevolence, which will always have the same effect upon those who feel its happy influence.

It will enable them to discern, and dispose them to pursue, the public good; which must render them extensively useful through the whole course of their lives.

3. Those who would live the most useful life, must not only possess the principles of piety and benevolence, but faithfully perform the various duties of the various stations in which they are placed. As God has endowed different men with different talents, so he has assigned them different parts to act upon the stage of life. And it is only by moving properly in their proper spheres of action, that they can become the most extensively serviceable to the world. No man can fail of being a useful member of society and a blessing to others, who faithfully discharges the duties of his proper place. But those who are raised above the rest of the community, are under the strongest obligations to employ their superior talents in the faithful discharge of the important duties of their elevated stations. Where much is given, much is required. Where God has bestowed five talents, he requires the faithful improvement of five. And every man improves his talents the most properly and most usefully, when he faithfully employs them in discharging the duties of his particular station, whether it be high or low, public or private, civil or religious. It was in this way that David became eminently useful in every stage and station of life. While a child under his father's care, he performed the duties of a child. While a servant under Saul, he performed the duties of a servant. When he became the head of a family, he walked within his house with a perfect heart, and faithfully maintained family government and family religion. And when he was raised to the highest place of power and trust,