66 Prayers to God morning and evening: and, in your prayers, remember your Benefactors. Remember alfo the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy;" and do not let any thing tempt you, on this day, to absent yourselves from Church, to worship God in public. For, remember, it is too often acknowledged by those who are brought to an untimely end, That the first Crime of their youth (and which was the inlet to every future one) was SABBATH-BREAKING. This, they confefs with their dying lips, brought them into BAD COMPANY; and bad Company led them on to thofe dreadful Crimes which they must expiate-and perhaps not expiate even with their blood! -May no fuch fate attend any of you! And may what has been faid, leave fome useful Impreffion upon your Minds !-I now recommend you to the Protection of Almighty God.-Be virtuous, and He will blefs you: will guide you fafely through life: will give you comfort in death; and at laft will conduct to immortal happiness.--- you You, their Benefactors, I need not again exhort in their Behalf; for exhortation, I am I am fure, on this fubject, is unneceffary. Every Englishman has an Advocate for Charity within his own Breaft, that superfedes the Tongue of Eloquence, and almost that of information.---The former is not mine: and, on the prefent Occafion, I lament not the Want of it. For, could I speak with the tongue of men and of angels, and you had not Charity---it would profit me nothing. All Eloquence would be as founding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.---Did I fuppofe it neceffary: were I confcious that your Feelings muft be awakened before your Pity would flow,-I would atone for my inability, by having recourfe to a Power that must prevail,-to an Eloquence that could not be refifted :-That is the filent Eloquence of WANT-there pleading for Relief.- Methinks I can read what now paffes in their little hearts, as they furvey you-their Protectors, feated around them. -----Panting with Gratitude and Holy Joy, they bless you for themselves, and for thofe Parents they have loft, or whofe Poverty with-held from them the Comforts which your Goodness fupplies.----- We,"---say they, they, in grateful rapture---who "are orphans and fatherlefs, and whofe mothers are as widows,"*-who have nothing but what we receive from you,---we cannot recompenfe you; but"-(and grant it, gracious Heaven!)" MAY YOU BE RECOM PENSED AT THE RESURRECTION OF THE Amen. PRAYE R. O Lord, who never faileft to help and govern them whom thou doft bring up in thy ftedfast Fear and Love: keep these Children, we beseech thee, under the Protection of thy good Providence; and make them to have a perpetual Fear and Love of thy Holy Name. And may the Alms which are now about to be given them, by these thy Servants, rife up to heaven as a Memorial before thee, and plead for the Salvation of their Souls, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. SERMON IV. ON SUICIDE. PSALM CXIX. 109. My Soul is alway in my hand; yet do I not forget thy Law. TH MATT. xix. 18.-Or, The fixth COMMANDMENT. Thou shalt do no Murder. HERE are certain Subjects which a Preacher's own feelings would induce him to avoid, if local circumstances and a fense of duty did not require them. Of this nature is the Subject which the Text propofes to our Confideration: a Subject which (if fad Experience did not convince us to the contrary) we might think it unneceffary to discuss before a Christian Au dience. dience. Favoured with a Divine Revelation, we all may difcern our Duty,—and be convinced of the Importance of human life. Inftructed by a Meffenger from Heaven, even the SON OF GOD, we ought to act as it becomes the difciples of fo great a Master, and endeavour to accomplish the gracious defigns of his coming. One of these was to reconcile man to his lot, and to fhew him the connexion there is between this life and a future one: to convince him that all actions are of consequence; and will be followed by eternal Rewards or Punishments. He came alfo to give reft to the Souls of the weary," to bind up the brokenhearted, and to comfort all that mourn:' to teach us, both by Precept and Example, that we ought to ftand firm against all the shocks of Adverfity; and not to suffer any Evils to overwhelm us with Despair. Like his first illustrious followers, we ought to be supported with a Perfuafion that our " prefent Afflictions, which will foon be ended, work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory." Like them, we should be able to fay, during the feverest difpenfations: "We are troubled on every fide, E |