and yet have no real desire to devote ourselves to Him who thus loved us and suffered for us.

Bring, therefore, the matter home to yourself. Remember continually, that your soul was lost, that you were an unworthy sinner, an "enemy in your mind by wicked works,"1 and that for you He came down from heaven, for you He shed his blood upon the cross, for you He opened the gates of heaven by dying for your salvation. And again consider that the Lord requires you in return to be deeply sensible of His goodness; He looks to you to receive the salvation which He has purchased so dearly for you; He expects you to love Him with all your heart, and to live not unto yourself, but "unto Him who died for you and rose again." He will not account your love to be real, neither will He accept it on the great day of recompense, unless it manifest itself in a dutiful and earnest endeavour to fulfil His will and keep His commandments: yea, to be holy and unblameable before him in love.

PRAYER.

O Lord Jesus, whose love towards us surpassed all imagination, and wrought for us such unspeakable benefits, let Thy grace work in us a true and sincere love towards Thee, that we may ever seek to do Thy will and promote Thy glory; and putting away all malice, envy, and uncharitableness, be ready to every act of kindness and brotherly love for Thy sake, so that it may be known of all men, that we are Thy disciples indeed, and that we may find grace and favour with Thee, in the day when Thou comest in Thy glory.

1 Col. 1. 21.

XIII.-DILIGENCE IN DOING THE WORK OF OUR SALVATION.

John ix. 4.-I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

WHAT our blessed Lord here said of Himself applies to every Christian in full force. God has given us all a work to do-He has sent us into His vineyard to labour, to weed out evil from our hearts, to plant good dispositions there, to bring fruit to perfection, even those "fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God."

And He has given us a day to do it in-the time of this mortal life. When once the night of death. overtakes us, it for ever closes up the opportunity of labouring in this holy work. How soon will this night come upon us! a few short days, and months, and years, and the longest lived will be gone to their account. And who can tell "what may be on the morrow ?" 2 To-morrow, the young, the blooming, and the strong may be stretched on the bed of death.

How precious then is the present moment! Now we may make "our peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Now we may "walk in the Spirit.' Now we may be occupied in those good works which God has prepared for us to walk in. And while so engaged death may come upon us, but it cannot take us unawares. God may call us suddenly to our account, but we then are ready; and what matters it to those who are prepared how soon they enter into the joy of their Lord?

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But those who delay their repentance; who put off to some more convenient season their attention to the word of truth and righteousness; who, in the time

1 1 Philip. i. 11.

2 Jam. iv. 14.

of youth, think that they must be gay; and, in the prime of life, be devoted to providing for the wants of an increasing family, and laying up in store against the helplessness of declining life; and who, as old age draws on, still defer their preparations for eternity, or carry them on with such heartlessness and reluctance as they never showed in seeking the fleeting goods of this present life,-what danger are they in! how nigh to everlasting ruin! If they should ever be able to reach unto heaven, how must it be through much tribulation! How must it be with deep sorrow and anguish of mind at the thought of their past folly! How must it be with exceeding toil, and with many fears lest the Lord should have been so provoked that no place of repentance and mercy be left them! What awakening and alarming appeals to their conscience will they need, before ever they can arouse themselves to the work of their salvation! And what is to become of them if the Lord should leave them, as they have deserved, to their own hard and worldly hearts?

Be yours a wiser course. Like your blessed Lord, be ever intent upon doing the work which God has given you to do. Remember the night of death that is fast coming on, and stir up yourselves to more earnest exertion. "Be diligent, that you may be found of Him in peace."1 Ever look upon yourself as a servant of

God-a steward to whom He has committed some of His goods in charge and live, not unto yourself, not after your own will, not doing your own works nor finding your own pleasure, but live unto the Lord, seeking to glorify His name, to promote His cause upon earth, and "to please Him well in all things," mindful of that hour when He shall call His servants before Him "to give to every man as his work shall be." 2 Then shall "the slothful servant who hid his lord's talent in a napkin," who indolently let his life pass away without serving God in his station, neither

12 Pet. iii. 14. 2 Rev. xxii. 12. 3 Matt. xxv. 25. Luke xix. 20.

seeking to know His will and grow in grace, nor striving to do good, shall be delivered over to everlasting vexation and torment. But they that have diligently worshipped God according to the Gospel of His dear Son, and have been ever occupied in doing good and promoting the everlasting welfare of men, shall hear a voice that shall fill them with eternal gladness, saying to, them, "Well done, good and faithful servants, enter ye into the joy of your Lord."1

PRAYER.

O God, our Maker and Preserver, and exceeding great Reward, teach us always to regard ourselves as Thy servants, and in all our words and works still to seek Thy honour and glory. And that we may not let the opportunity pass away which Thou affordest us of serving Thee in thy fear and love, and of doing good in our generation, make us ever mindful of the hour of death and the day of judgment, that we may with unceasing diligence be occupied in doing the work which Thou givest us to do, and at the last find a gracious acceptance with Thee for our unworthy and imperfect services, through the merits and intercession of Christ Jesus our Lord.

XIV. THE DELAY OF JUDGMENT ARISES NOT FROM SLACKNESS, BUT FROM THE LONG-SUFFERING OF GOD.

2 Pet. iii. 9.-The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

WHAT a hateful perverseness it shows to grow bolder in sin by the very mercies we receive from God! Yet how common it is! How many in the time of

1 Matt. xxv. 21.

distress and sickness, call upon God to spare them awhile and to remove their affliction; and then, as soon as He has taken His correcting hand off them, they begin to doubt whether their visitation was indeed the Lord's doing, and to question whether it did not rather both come and depart in the usual course of things. It is of such that the prophet complains, saying, "Lord, when Thy" chastening "hand is upon them, they will not see." Thus, the longer they live, the more presumptuous and hardened they grow; flattering themselves that God does not mark their conduct, and will not ever call them unto judgment.

But oh! shun this folly, this wickedness. Give no place to the blasphemous thought, even for a moment. God is ever watchful over us-ever noteth down in

His book the doings of men. "Every day he is provoked" by wickedness. Never does He change, never delay. In the riches of His mercy, He stays His hand, “waiting to be gracious; not as being "slack concerning His promise" of coming to judge the world, but only as being stedfast in His desire to "bring many sons to glory," by giving time and grace to repent. "But if a man will not turn, He will whet His sword; He hath bent His bow and made it ready;' ;"2 and the arrow of eternal vengeance is pointed to destroy the impenitent and hardened sinner.

Let every day that is added to your life be thankfully received and conscientiously improved. The time of the Lord's coming is unknown to us. It may be very near. It may take us by surprise. It will certainly come in God's approved time, and its consequences to us will be greater than mortal tongue can tell. Take then every seeming delay as a token of God's long-suffering and patience, while he seeketh our salvation; and so far from becoming more careless while peace and safety seem to prevail, rather study to be always "growing in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ," being "diligent that you

1 Is. xxvi. 11.

2 Ps. vii. 13.

32 Pet. iii. 18.