greatly erred on one occasion, in his conduct towards the Gentiles ; as Paul also did in reviling God's high priest. You must not therefore conceive that you are certainly and altocjetlwr right, because you have prayed to God for direction: God may have many wise and gracious purposes to answer by leaving you still under some measure of darkness and ignorance : if it be only to humble you still more, and to shew you the blind- ness of your minds and the deceitfulness of your hearts, it is a good and gracious end, for which you will in the issue see reason to be thankful. Be modest then, and diffident in your conclusions: and instead of assuming infallibility to yourselves, be always ready to suspect that your way is still far from per- fect ; and to the latest hour of your lives be praying to God to lead you in a right path, and to fulfil to you that gracious promise, " The meek he will guide in judgment ; the meek he will teach his way."]
Prov. iii. 9, 10. Honour the Lord tvith thy stihstance, andxv'ith the first-fruits of all thine increase : so shall thy barns he filled icith plenty, and thy presses shall hurst out tvith new trine.
TO instruct men how to ensure success in their agricultural pursuits or commercial speculations, is no part of a minister's office. Were we able sub- stantially to benefit mankind in those particulars, there would be no want of hearers, nor any complaint that we laboured too zealously in our vocation : on the contrary, the more successful we were in effecting our wishes, the more gratefully should we be acknow- ledged as public benefactors. Shall I then, for once, exceed, as it were, the commission given me, and at- tempt to teach you how to thrive in this world ? Yes ; suffer me for once to usurp this office ; and to assure the most unlearned person amongst you, that by acting on the principles which I will set before him this day, he shall be as sure to prosper in his busi- ness, as if he were ever so conversant with the arts of trade. I mean not indeed to say, that a person going- out of his own proper line shall be enabled to pro- secute that line to advantage ; but that, whilst pro- ceeding prudently in his proper vocation, he shall succeed more certainly, and to a greater extent, than