the Rich Man and Lazarus we behold the bitter consequences of living only to the flesh : the man who has his good things in this life, will want in the eternal world a drop of water to cool his tongue : " he will never see light," but be consigned over to the everlasting regions of darkness and despair «. We wonder not therefore, that the man, who, because he had gotten much, thought of nothing but his temporal enjoyments, " Soul, take thine ease," is by God himself derided as a fool : " Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee."]
Yet, such is the influence of example, that, not- withstanding the folly of such conduct is visible to all, the same is pursued by every succeeding generation —
[No one who considers for a moment the issue of such conduct to those who have gone before them, can doubt the folly of it : for, whatever rank or station men held in this life, or whatever may be said of them now they are gone, what remains to them of their wealth or honour, or what enjoyment have they of their posthumous fame ? If we extol them ever so high, they feel no satisfaction ; and if we condemn them ever so harshly, they are unconscious of either shame or pain : they are interested in nothing but in the quality of their actions as approved or condemned by their Judge. This we all know; yet no sooner have we a prospect of wealth and honour ourselves, than our desires are as ardent, our expecta- tions as sanguine, and our dependence as unqualified, as that of any who have gone before us. The conviction of their folly only floats in our imagination, but never descends as a principle into our hearts. We see and blame their folly ; yet approve in practice what in theory we condemn.]
As contrasted with this, let us consider,
II. The way which true wisdom prescribes —
In verse 15, the Psalmist gives us that precise view of the subject which he had before characterized as replete with wisdom : " God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave ; for he shall receive me ;" that is. Whilst worldly men have no prospects beyond the grave, I look forward to a happy eternity, which shall be the portion of all who truly serve God. Hence then we see what M^ay true wisdom prescribes : it teaches us,
1. To regard this world in its connexion with eternity —
[View this world as the whole state of man's existence;
g ver. 19.