more or less abundant; mental endow ments, in whatever proportion poffeffed Honours, wealth, influence, leifure, how ever large or however small be the extent in which they are feverally or collectively enjoyed; whence are these bleffings? Are they our own independent acquifitions? Are they our own indefeasible and inherent rights? They are gifts, all of them gifts, which we have received. From whom have we received them? From God.Life itfelf flows from the exuberance of his free bounty. Naked came we into the world! naked in body, naked in mind, powerlefs, deftitute, helpless. Whence is it otherwife with us now? Through the exuberance of the free bounty of God. Whatever we poffefs; health, or ftrength, or mental endowment, or honour, or wealth, or influence, or leifure, or under whatever other description the bleffing may require to be comprehended; is the unmerited donation of Him from whofe fulness we have all received, of Him from whom cometh every good and perfect gift. To whom ought the gift to be confecrated? To Him who bestowed it. For whofe glory ought it to be employed? For the glory of the Giver. When in the parable to which recent allu99 fion fion has been made, and in the fimilar natrative recorded by St. Matthew (b), the Lord according to his discretion delivers to those of his household certain talents: whofe are thofe talents? His own. Who are the perfons to whom he commits them? His own fervants. For what purpose does he entruft the talents? That they may be employed. On whose behalf are the occupiers to employ them? On behalf of their Lord. To whom are they to render an account? To their Lord when he fhall return to inveftigate the tranfactions of their ftewardfhip. In proportion as every man hath received the gift, and whatever the gift may be, even fo let him minifter the fame, even fo let him feduloufly labour in the employment of the talent, as a good steward of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him fpeak as the oracles of God; let him glorify God by speech conformed to the dictates of His word. If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: whether he labours in a public or in a private capacity, whether he difpenfes fpiritual or temporal benefits, whatever be the nature or the fpecific object of his oc %! (b) Luke, xix. Matth. xxv. cupation; cupation; let him glorify God by a grateful acknowledgment of the fource whence every talent which he employs, every faculty with which he labours, is derived; and by fuch an application of both as befits one who remembers, that it is required in Stewards that a man be found faithful. If he lets his light Shine before men; be it allowed to Thine, that men, by feeing his good works, may be excited to glorify his Father, who is in heaven. Thus, at all times and under every circumftance, let him labour that God, in all things, may be glorified through Jefus Chrift (c). Whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus: Ye are bought with a price; not with corruptible things as filver and gold, but with the precious blood of Chrift; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (d). But are we not in all things to labour for our individual falvation? Unqueftionably. Are we then to labour, it is afked, primarily for our individual falvation, or for the glory of God? Away with the diftinction! Produce me a single paffage I Matth. v. 16. (c) 1 Cor. iv. 2. 1 Pet. iv. II. from from the commencement to the clofe of the Scriptures, in which the glory of God is disjoined from the falvation of man; and then fhall your question become entitled to confideration. To live unto Chrift is to glorify God. To glorify God through Christ with your body and your spirit, which are His, is the appointed method of attaining the falvation which Chrift has purchased. As a practical believer in Christ Jefus, labour that in all things God may thus be glorified: and you fhall receive the end of your faith; even the falvation of your foul. ILAdvert to the general lines of human labour, and to their attendant tempta→ tions... The moft obvious and the moft com→ prehenfive of the divifions of human labour is that which, from the inftrument principally employed, is denominated manual. To men occupied in this branch of exertion belongs, in its literal import, the primeval sentence; In the sweat of thy face foalt thou eat bread. Under this class are included all the toils of agriculture ; and all the ruder arts of life, by which the earth is fubdued, reduced under the do minion of man, and rendered, as far as is dependent on his induftry, a fecure and comfortable abode. In the profecution of these objects the frame advances in robuft nefs, and is inured to patient endurance. The hand is hardened by the spade, the arm ftrengthened by the hammer. The mind, in the mean time, though neceffarily fummoned into action, and in no respec excluded from its proportion of employs ment, experiences lefs exercife and cultivat tion than the body. Its powers grow torpid; and habit fteps into the place of reflection. Hence, unless the heart in its proclivity to evil be ftayed by fupernatural grace, proceed roughness of manners, harthnefs of temper, covetousness, fenfuality, brutish ignorance. How can he get wildom that holdeth the plow, and that glorieth in the goad; that driveth oxen, and is accupied in their labours; and whofe talk is about bullocks? Every carpenter, and worke mafter, the fmith fitting by the anvil, the potter turning the wheel all their defire is in the work of their craft (e). That stupid unconcern which extinguishes the defire of mental improvement, not seldom extends (e) Eccl'us, xxxviii. 25-34 itfelf نات |