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Now is the time, when every soldier of Jesus should be at his post, should be a full man, should have on the whole armour, should do valiant battle for the Lord. See how God has honoured us-what a breach he has given us to fill! O that we may feel our mission, and rise up and gird ourselves to honour it! Now the world wants men, fullgrown Christian men, not babes or dwarfs. The man who will dignify his position at this crisis, or even hereafter, must be worthy of it. If you would do anything, men of God; if you would not be ciphers in the glorious strife; if you would not die without issue, prepare for the portentous day in which God has seen fit to give you existence. Behold your work! Behold your privilege! Do not come short, be animated to duty: and may God make of us such a people, as, in his providence, the wants of the age and race require! See, what a work is before us! It hastens. We need to be up, in earnest. Everything now is in earnest. The universe is in earnest. Quick time is the watchword. What we do must be done quickly: a moment, and the opportunity rushes past us; a moment, and we are gone; a step, and the grave contains us. If we would make impression for God, for man, we must strike now. O that we could awake and see and feel the mighty verities thronging around us, and display for once that noble and glorious spirit which becomes sons and daughters of the Most High! Every thing else will perish. Our fortunes, our heroic deeds, our distinctions-these will all sink down to be remembered no more; what we do here, and in this cause, will live forever; the waves we create here will roll on in widening circles through eternity.

And let us look away for a moment into that glorious eternity; is there no motive here? How evanescent and

transient are all things beneath the sun! How like a vanishing shadow, "the fading glories disappear, the shortlived beauties die away!" Nothing abideth in one stay. "Our fathers, where are they? The prophets, do they live forever?" Behold, what a fleeting, transient thing is earth! Soon we shall leave it all. But what then? Is this all ? Is there nothing beyond? No life beyond the grave? No home for the soul, when the frail tenement of earth decays? Shall we sleep in the grave forever? You do not think so. You would not think so for the universe. The body dies— the soul lives on. Ages roll their lengthened periods round -it blooms still. Behold! Look forward. Explore the future. Learn hence the value of that great boon, “without which no one can see God." You may live without holiness here you cannot hereafter. Would you see the value of holiness, linger here. Concentrate your thoughts. Pursue the upward destiny of a soul brightening under the smile of God forever, see its ever-increasing and unfolding beauty, hear the ravishing melody of its triumphant, song. A thousand ages are fled. Behold the augmented and ever expanding glory, ascending, widening its circle, becoming more and more like God, and losing itself ever in his ineffable radiance. Such is the destiny of a soul washed in the blood of Jesus. Behold, on the other hand, a soul darkening under the frown of Jehovah. Ages fly away: its darkness broods darker still, its sorrow gathers down in denser folds it is lost. The lengthened periods of eternity roll by, but they bring no redemption; deep, dark, dismal gloom, settles down around its sphere forever. Learn by the contrast the value of holiness. Its presence is life-its absence is eternal death. Could you pursue this contrast through eternity, could you have but a faint glimpse of the reality,

you would no longer rest, but fly in trembling haste to a Saviour's wounds for shelter and for life.

To these impressive motives many others, equally forcible, might be added; and these might be greatly and profitably elaborated, so as to increase their weight and influence: but this will be left to your own minds. We wish you to ponder them, and seek to feel their force. Retire alone, take the Word of God, bend your knees in humble prayer, think of a coming judgment, have eternity full before you, and then ask yourself the simple question, Ought I to be holy? You will have an answer, an answer fraught with a thousand motives. Only follow it, and all will be well. Let nothing hinder you; let God prevail.

In dismissing this subject, I feel an inexpressible solicitude. I look into the future, and ask, What will be the result? Soon writer and reader will disappear from earth. The hand that traced these lines will be cold in the grave, and your eyes that now trace them will be sealed in death. How will it be with us? A million ages will pass,-how

will it be with us then?

CHAPTER X.

ADVICE TO CHRISTIANS PROFESSING THIS HIGH ATTAINMENT.

CHRISTIANS often need to be admonished; not always the less, because of the greatness of their attainments. Admiting, as we do, that no degree of religious progress precludes mental imperfection and infirmity, even the most mature Christians may need counsel and advice; and, whether they need it or not, they will, in proportion to their humility and self-distrust, thankfully receive it, when given with a good intent, and in a proper manner.

It is believed that you are sincere in your profession, and that you well understand your state. You are not fanatics, not enthusiasts, not pretenders. You are God's sanctified children. Your faith has claimed, and your hearts embraced, the promises fully. You know the power of God, and are "made partakers of the Divine nature." "You live, yet not you, it is Christ that liveth in you; and the life you live is a life of faith in the Son of God." But you are yet in the world; your warfare is not finished, your work not done. There are duties, trials, sufferings, responsibilities, and privileges still before you, more, and greater, it may be, than if you stood in a greatly inferior lot. The strongest and best-armed battalion are usually stationed in the most exposed and dangerous part of the fight. You ought to know, and doubtless do, that many eyes are upon you; that your position is a shining one; that you are "compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses,"-witnesses thronging the earth, ascending from the pit, and clustering from the skies, gazing upon you with

very different feelings, but with a common interest. How much depends upon your action! How important that you stand nobly to your post! You will need much grace, much heroism, more than the martyr's firmness. If you fall, or even waver—you are a standard-bearer-great will be the sensation. If you stand firm, great will be your recompense in that day.

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Having found the invaluable prize of holiness, nothing is so desirable to you as its extension among your fellow-men. For this you live; for this you labour, and toil, and pray; watching for it, as they that watch for the morning." Great is your responsibility in these connexions, great your peril. It will be well to keep this before your minds, and lay it away in your hearts; and, for your assistance in your great emergency, the following advices of Mr. Wesley, that truly great and good man, will be of service to you.

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Q. What is the first advice* that you would give them?

"A. Watch and pray continually against pride. If God has cast it out, see that it enter no more: it is full as dangerous as desire. And you may slide back into it unawares; especially if you think there is no danger of it. Nay, but I ascribe all I have to God.' So you may, and be proud nevertheless. For it is pride, not only to ascribe anything we have to ourselves, but to think we have what we really have not. Mr. L., for instance, ascribed all the light he had to God, and so far he was humble; but then he thought he had more light than any man living, and this was palpable pride. So you ascribe all the knowledge you have to God; and in this respect you are humble. But if you think you have more than you really have, or you think you are so taught of God, as no longer to need

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