perpetually to remind you of your duty. Bear your tribulation, whatever it be, patiently. Rejoice in it as the appointment of the wif dom and the mercy of God. Rejoice in it as a leffon of faith and righteoufness and true holiness. Are your fufferings and your afflictions great? How little in comparison of your fins! Glorify the Lord your Redeemer. Look up to Him, trust in Him, and be comforted. You are flourishing in the vigour of youth. Shall the tree withhold from the planter the prime of its fruit? When wilt thou ferve thy God, if not now? Doft thou count on years to come, thou who art a paffing fhadow, a dew-drop of the morning, a flame which an inftant may extinguish? I have feen the young man in great power, and spreading bimfelf like a green bay-tree. Yet he passed away, and lo, he was not: yea I fought him, but he could not be found (d). Doft thou poftpone, the remembrance of thy Creator unto the evil days of old age? Hear then the language of thy thoughts." O God! I love Power I love: riches I love: "Thee not. " pleasure I love. To thefe objects I have "devoted my heart: to thefe I would willingly dedicate my whole life. But on that (d) Pf. xxxvii. 35. 3 "refo "refolution I dare not venture. Though I "love Thee not; I am afraid of Thee. I "will therefore take a middle path. The noon of life I give to my darling purfuits. "And when declining years fhall have ftripped indulgence of its relish; I will affign a portion of my time to Thee." Doft thou recoil from fuch bafenefs? Doft thou tremble at fuch ingratitude? Set the Lord thy God before thee. Honour Him with His own gifts. present ftrength. best of thy ftrength. Confecrate to Him thy Confecrate to Him the Confecrate to Him the whole of thy ftrength. Be thou like a green olive-tree in the house of God, that bringeth forth its fruit in its feafon (e). But age has already ftamped its characters upon thee. Does the ancient tree count on length of years? Does it refufe to its owner the scanty produce, which it ftill has energy to fupply? Its fummit is bare: its branches are fapless its trunk is hollow its roots are decayed. The earliest blast may lay it low. Even fooner, it may perish by the sentence; Cut it down. Why cumbereth it the ground (f). Planted in the Chriftian church, the garden of God, haft thou been wilfully barren during the fulness of thy vigour; and art thou (e) Pf. lii. 8. i. 3. (f) Luke, xiii. 7. wilfully wilfully barren ftill? Or, if hitherto productive, doft thou now at length refufe to thy-God the tribute, which his nurturing grace even yet enables thee to offer? Remember the Lord, thy rock; and the High God, thy Redeemer. Let it fuffice that youth deludes itself with diftant profpects. Thou art about to put off thy tabernacle: the time of thy departure is at hand. The night cometh work, while it is called to-day. In the grave is no repentance: feek mercy while yet it may be found. 1 Iclofe thefe illustrations in reminding you that to fet the Lord conftantly before you is no lefs your duty while you are following the daily business of your station, than while you are employed in public worship, in private prayer, or in any other special act of religion. Your whole life is to be one continued act of religion. Whatfoever you do, do all to the glory of God, that God may in all things be glorified through Jefus Chrift (g). Thus if you are engaged in a mercantile tranfaction; reflect that God fees your proceedings, and the train of thought which paffes in your heart. He' fees whether you demand an unreasonable profit. He fees whether you are defirous of impofing on the other party. He fees whe(g) 1 Cor. x. 31. 1 Pet. iv. 11. ther ther you take pains to conduct yourself towards the perfon with whom you are dealing, not only with fairness and moderation, but also with kindness. All these things He fees, and marks them down against the day of judgement. If you have covenanted to execute a piece of work for an employer; confider that the eye of God is fixed upon you. He observes whether you perform your undertaking, whatever it be, carefully and effectually, as you would act under fimilar circumstances for yourself. He observes whether you honeftly confign to your employer's fervice all the time for which he pays you: or whether defraud him, when you prefume that you fhall efcape difcovery, by wafting part of it in idleness, or by expending it on business of your own. These things he obferves; and marks them down against the great day. If you are cultivating your farm; if you you are felling your articles in the market or in a fhop; if you are ferving a master in your daily labour; if you are managing the concerns of your friend or of your country: remember that God is contemplating all your motives, all your thoughts, all your words, all your actions; and that for all your motives and thoughts and words and actions you will have to render an account at the judge judgement-feat of Chrift, when the books fball be opened and the dead shall be judged out of thofe things which are written in the books, accarding to their works (b)anan, siis olis man to yeb ed: falsgs avob musicasın Luna IV Direct your cattention to the recompence of thofe who fet the Lord always be fore them: The Lord is on their right hand : they fall not be moved radiow revision boThem that honour nte, faith the Lord; I will bonoun (ipt ruffa man love me, saith Chrift, my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him (k). The habitual piety of David was recompenfed with the protection of his God? The habitual piety of a Chriftian fhall not receive adefs bounteous reward. The God whom he places before his eyes, the Lord his Redeemer whom he ferves with finglenefs of heart, will shelter him from evil, will refcue him from danger, will crown him" with bleffings, will make all things work together unto Him for good in the end. Because he barb fet his love upon me, therefore will I Heliver him. "I will fet him on high, becaufe He Bath known my name. He hall call upon Me, and I will anfwer him; I will be with (b) Rex. VOL. I. (i) 1 Sam. ii.-30.) (k) John, xiv. 23. him |