See the text with its explanatory context. "See, I have set before thee this day life and/ good, and death and evil; in that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it." This is the life and good which God set before the people, to be procured by their doings; it is life and blessedness in the land of Canaan, which they were about going to possess.

To proceed, verse 17. "But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away and worship other gods, and serve them, I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days in the land whither thou passest over Jordan to go and possess it."

Hence it is seen that the "death and evil" which their conduct might bring upon them, was the suffering of distress in the land, the same land in which they should disobey, and their being destroyed out of that land, or cut off from it. The address proceeds, from Moses the servant of God. "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live; that

thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him; (for he is thy life, and the length of thy days ;) that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."

This doctrine is reasonable and practical. It is as unlike the doctrine of men before considered, as light is unlike darkness, and truth unlike error. It holds forth to our choice, and to induce us to virtue, that life and good which is properly connected with the practice of goodness and truth, and grows up in it. And to dissuade us from vice, it denounces that death and evil which is properly connected with the practice of sin, and grows up in it. I say, this doctrine holds forth to us these inducements and restraints, for although the words of the text were immediately addressed to the children of Israel, and declared the good and evil which they should enjoy or suffer, according to their doings, in the land of Canaan, yet they speak a sentiment which is of universal application. In all ages, and in all places, godliness is life and good, and sin is death and evil.

1. Godliness is life and good. I deem it important that this sentiment of the Bible should be often, by various arguments and illustrations,

urged home upon the consideration of mankind, especially of the young. The tender uninformed child comes forward with pantings after happiness, every voluntary action aimed at the promotion of his enjoyment. How great then is the evil to him, of that system of education, which impresses him with the idea that his wished for happiness in this world, will be, perhaps, most likely to be found in the way of sin;-which represents that the services of religion are mere penances here; and which, having sunk those lively incentives to godliness which the Bible presents, attempts to substitute the consideration of that distant and infinite reward, the thought of which, as pending on his feeble exertions, overwhelms his mind with distraction and dismay. Many young minds have been driven by such distracting sentiments, to seek relief in carelessness and thoughtlessness, putting off a consideration of the subject of religion.

But the Bible presents a way of instruction, into which children may look and not be distracted, and in which they may walk and not err. It shows the child that godliness, which consists in trusting and loving God, and practising moral virtue, is itself that very present happiness which he so eagerly desires. It declares, in language, that cannot be misunderstood, that "Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that retaineth her." Again, "Great peace have they that love God's law, and nothing shall offend them." And again, "In keeping God's judgments, (or commands,) there is great reward."

This is our doctrine, and it is the doctrine of the Bible. About this there is no mistake. And who, and where, is the blasphemer against Bible and reason, that will pronounce this a licencious doctrine? As much as you all love enjoyment, if you really believe this doctrine, that wisdom's or virtue's ways, are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace, that she is a tree of life to every one that layeth hold upon her, and happy is every one that retaineth her ;-I say, if you really believe this, as much as you love enjoyment, you will seek to possess yourselves of the principles, and to walk in the practice of virtue. And with this sentiment the Bible abounds. What few passages we can quote in one discourse, are in comparison with the whole that teach it, as the drop to the bucket. "Ho, every one that thirsteth," saith God's prophet, "come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk, without money, and without price. Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye

that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live."

Here the prophet holds up before us a great good which we may obtain unto ourselves by attending to his instructions. Yet it is no other good than that which is found in the possession of the instructions and principles of goodness with which heavenly wisdom presents us. The thirsty are invited to come unto the waters; and the good which they are to procure by coming, is the principle of godliness which is represented by the waters, which will reward them for coming, as the waters reward the thirsty for drinking.

Again, " Wherefore do ye spend your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." It is plain that all the reward which is here held out to induce men to seek and practise righteousness and truth, is the good which they should find these principles themselves to constitute. They were to possess themselves of these principles as that which should yield them satisfaction, and make their souls to delight themselves in fatness.

And then the word life, as in our text, is employed to express the same good. "Hear, and your soul shall live." The soul's living as expressed here, is the same as its delighting itself in fatness as in the preceding verse. Hearken