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Prov. viii. 17. And advises US TO DO WHAT OUR HAND FINDETH TO DO, WITH OUR MIGHT: Eccles. ix. 10. He advises young people to remember their Creator in the days of their youth, while the evil days come not, in which they shall say they have no pleasure; Eccles. xii. 1. So here in the text he advises us to a wise improvement of the present season......... In the words are two things to be particularly observed.

The wise man would

1. The precept NOT TO BOAST OF TOMORROW; i, e. not to speak or act as though it were our own. It is absurd for men to boast of that which is not their own. not have us behave ourselves as though any time were ours but the present. He that boasts of tomorrow, acts as though he had tomorrow in his possession, or had something whereby he might depend on it, and call it his own.

2. The reason given for this precept; FOR THOU KNOWEST NOT WHAT A DAY MAY BRING FORTH. It is a good reason why we should not behave ourselves as though the morrow were our own, that indeed it is not our own; we are not sure of it; we have no hold of future time; we know not whether we shall see the morrow: Or if we do know that we shall see it, we know not what we shall see on it.

DOCTRINE.

We ought to behave ourselves every day as though we had no dependence on any other day.

In handling this doctrine, I shall (1.) briefly say something which may be needful to prevent misunderstanding. (2.) Show what is implied in this doctrine. (3.) Show when men behave themselves, as if they had dependence on another day. (4.) Show why this should be avoided.

I. To prevent a misunderstanding of the doctrine, I observe to you, that it is not meant, that we should in every respect behave as though we knew or concluded that we should

not live another day. Not depending on another day, is a dif ferent thing from concluding, that we shall not live another day. We may have reason for the one, and not for the other. We have good reason not to depend on another day, but we have no reason to conclude, that we shall not live another day. We may have no reason to depend upon another day, and so that may be one extreme. On the other hand, neither may we have any reason to depend upon it that we shall not enjoy another day, and therefore that may be another extreme.

In some respects we ought to carry ourselves, as though we knew we should not live another day, and should improve every day as if it were the last. Particularly, we should live every day as conscientiously and as holily as if we knew it were the last. We should be as careful every day to avoid all sin, as if we knew that that night our souls should be required of We should be as careful to do every duty which God requires of us, and take as much care that we have a good account to give to our Judge, of our improvement of that day, as if we concluded that we must be called to give an account before another day.

us.

But in many other respects, we are not obliged to behave ourselves as though we concluded that we should not live to another day. If we had reason to conclude that we should not live another day, some things would not he our duty which now are our duty. As for instance, in such a case it would not be the duty of any person to make provision for his temporal subsistence during another day: To neglect which, as things now are, would be very imprudent and foolish, as the consequences would show, if every man were to act in this manner; at this rate the whole world would presently murder itself.

If so, it would never be man's duty to plow or sow the field, or to lay up for winter; but these things are man's duty; as Prov. vi. 6. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise: Which, having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest." And chap. x. 5. &c. "He that gather

eth in summer is a wise son; but he that sleepeth in harvest, is a son that causeth shame." And many other places might

be mentioned.

So, on the other hand, if we were certain that we should not live another day, some things would be our duty today, which now are not so. As for instance, it would be proper for us to spend our time in giving our dying counsels, and in setting our houses in order. If it were revealed to us, that we should die before tomorrow morning, we ought to look upon it as a call of God to us, to spend the short remainder of our lives in those things which immediately concern our departure, more than otherwise it would be our duty to do.

But the words of the text, which forbid us to boast of tomorrow, cannot be extended so far as to signify, that we ought in all respects to live, as if we knew we should not see another day. Yet they undoubtedly mean, that we ought not to behave ourselves in any respect, as though we depended on another day.

I now proceed,

II. To show what is implied in the precept, Boast not thys self of tomorrow, or in behaving ourselves every day as though we had no dependence on any other day. In this precept two things seem to be forbidden.

1. Boasting ourselves of what shall be on the morrow, or behaving ourselves as though we depended on particular things to come to pass in this world, in some future time. As when men behave themselves, as though they depended on being rich, or promoted to honor hereafter; or as though they were sure of accomplishing any particular design another day. So did the rich man in the gospel, when he did not only promise himself, that he should live many years, but promised himself also, that he should be rich many years. Hence he said to his soul, that he had much goods laid up for many years.

And if men act as though they depended upon it, that they should another day accomplish such and such things for their souls, then may they be said to boast themselves of to

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morrow, and not to behave themselves as though they depended on no other day. As when they behave themselves, as though they depended upon it, that they should at another day have such and such advantages for the good of their souls ; that they should at another day have the strivings of God's spirit; that they should at another day find themselves disposed to be thorough in seeking their salvation; that they should at another day have a more convenient season; and that God at another day would stand ready to hear their prayers, and show them mercy.

Or if they act as though they depended upon it that they should have considerable opportunity on a death bed to seek mercy; or whatever they promise themselves shall come to pass respecting them in this world, if they act as depending on it, they boast themselves of tomorrow.

2. Another thing implied, is our boasting of future time itself, or acting as though we depended on it, that we should have our lives continued to see another day. Not only is the command of God delivered in the text transgressed by those who behave themselves as depending upon it, that they shall see and obtain such and such things tomorrow; but by those who act as depending upon it, that they shall remain in being in this world tomorrow.

Both these ways of boasting of tomorrow are reproved by the Apostle James, chapter iv. 13. "Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain." By promising themselves that they shall do such and such things, and that they shall get gain, they boast themselves of what shall come to pass in such a time. The apostle in the next verse teaches them, that they ought not to do this, no nor so much as depend upon seeing another day, or on having their lives continued. Verse 14. "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow: For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." And in verse 15, he teaches us that both are uncertain and dependent on the will of God, viz. Whether we shall live another day, and

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