and christian conduct? How readily is the daily prayer postponed or curtailed, the reading of the scriptures omitted, and even the public worship of God neglected at the call of any common worldly interruption. How rapidly does an eagerness about worldly trifles. pervade the meditations of the christian, eating like a canker into the heart of all his spiritual peace. Some domestic embarrassment, some relative difficulty, some personal anxiety shuts out eternity from the eye of his contemplation, and causes him to swerve from the narrow way of his heaven-ward journey. He loiters: he gathers fair but forbidden (because poisonous) flowers: their deceitful influence bribes the inner man to a guilty connivance: the holy tone of his conversation degenerates into the common cant of religious gossip, which is only another name for the unprofitable jargon of mixed and tumultuous assemblies: his aim is to shine rather than to edify, to elicit admiration rather than to communicate instruction: he draws off from his intimacy with really spiritual christians: he affects to despise as unscriptural weakness, their watchful tenderness of conscience and unwearied strivings against sin; and endeavours to unite in himself what God has eternally separated, a worldly and a christian spirit.

But, my brethren, I should certainly lose sight of an important part of our subject, if after exposing and grieving over the evil, I did not suggest to you some of those reflections which when fairly considered and acted upon, will be found to supply the true scriptural remedy. And,

1. The children of light should never plead the remaining sinfulness of their nature, as an excuse for their transgressions, or their slothfulness. It is true that perfection is not to be reached in this world, but it is equally true that it is continually and resolutely to be sought after. In-dwelling sin is an evil to be deplored by the christian, to be prayed against and struggled with, but never pleaded in extenuation of guilt. When this declension in principle is harboured, a corresponding declension in practice naturally follows. Our standard of christian holiness being lower, we easily rest satisfied with lower attainments in it. This is a sore disease in the Church of Christ. Behold the children of this world: thousands of them know they never can be rich; but is their ardour in pursuit of money damped thereby? No, by no means. True to their principles they labour diligently to acquire as much as possible, and are never contented with their present possessions. "The lord commended the unjust steward be

cause he had done wisely." Go, Christian, and learn from the world; not to follow their fleeting shadows, but to follow your own "enduring substance" with their wisdom, assiduity, and consistent zeal. God hath created you anew unto good works. God hath predestinated you to be conformed to the image of his Son: be content with nothing less: set the example of Jesus continually before you: forget those things which are behind and reach forth unto those things which are before; press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."*

66

2. The children of light should set a high value upon present christian peace. An holy confidence towards God is the privilege of every true believer. Being justified by faith we have peace with God. The ways of genuine religion are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. These ways of pleasantness and peace, are ways of holy watchful diligence, and to the real christian there is no happiness in My little children, let us neither in tongue; but in

any other ways. not love in word,

deed and in truth.

And hereby we know we

are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved if our heart condemn us not,

Eph. ii. 10. Rom. viii. 29. Phil. iii. 13, 14.

then have we confidence toward God." And

66

our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world."*

.

3. The children of light should bear in mind the recompense of the reward, and endeavour so to run that they may obtain. Glory, honour, and immortality are set before them, with a distinct and emphatic promise, that no faithful service, no effort of diligent wisdom in the cause of God shall be forgotten. The children of this world strive for a corruptible crown, Christians for an incorruptible. Let the earnestness of the pursuers be proportioned to the object of pursuit, and we shall do well. "Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Ye are not of the night, nor of darkness, but the children of light, and the children of the day, wherefore watch and be sober, putting on the breast-plate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation; " and while and while ye are in all your dealings, connexions, and arrangements, upon the earth, "harmless as doves," be ye in your heavenly calling wise as ser

66

1 John iii. 18, 19, 20, 21. 2 Cor. i. 12.

pents." If thou wilt receive my words, saith the Lord, and hide my commandments with thee so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures: then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. FOR THE LORD GIVETH WISDOM, * and the children of this world, should not be wiser in their generation than the children of God.