interferes here to bias your sentence. You cannot look around upon mankind, "early rising, and so late taking rest, and eating the bread of carefulness;" you cannot hear their conversation upon topics of gain or pleasure; you cannot observe the keenness and avidity with which the opportunity of profit or enjoyment is seized; you cannot, in a word, behold the large portion of time and toil, which is devoted to the world, without surmising, that too little is appropriated to God; and without judging that they are more intent upon the evils or the pleasures of this life, than upon the sufferings or the joys of the life to come.

It is not every day, that you meet with men whose conduct impresses you with a persuasion that they zealously desire to "do all to the glory of God;" or that they feel any particular solicitude for their spiritual welfare. You cannot fix upon many persons of whom you would say, "That man is constantly alive to religion: he has God always before him: if he were this hour summoned before the judgment-seat of God, he would, as far as I can presume to form an opinion, certainly be received into the joy of his Lord.'

Characters, such as this, are not to be met with every moment. Your search for such would add force and conviction to our Sa

viour's remarks, that the bulk of mankind are intent upon the world, and require to have their attention constantly recalled to the "narrow path," that leadeth to life.

But, if inference be correct, and you my have but few such characters as that just mentioned, within the sphere of your knowledge; if a large portion come rather within the description given by our Saviour; what grounds have you to persuade yourselves that you differ from this portion of mankind? To our question we must recur. Again we ask How has this year been spent? With what reasons does it present you, to conclude that you are not, as many others are, in the broad way that leadeth to destruction? How has this year been spent? What precise points

in

your conduct can you recollect, which discriminate you from those described by our Lord?

Have you been less solicitous than such persons about your pleasure or profit; and more earnest in working out your salvation? Have you been more ready to refer all your actions to the glory of God, and more eagerly bent upon striving to enter the strait gate? Have you more than others, sought the good things of this life rather as talents, which you must improve, and for which you are to ac

count, than as means to be applied entirely to your own gratification?

In these and in many other respects, which your own reflection may suggest, put the question to your consciences, How has this year been spent? What points of difference can you discover, from which you can infer, that you are not pursuing the same fatal and delusive course, as these thoughtless and unhappy beings, whom, before the flood and ever since, death has been continually surprising, engaged only " in eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage;" in business, in pleasure, in vanity, in every thing, but "the one thing needful."

But, if a review of your conduct during this

year furnishes you with no peculiar, no

decided marks of distinction in your characters from the characters of such men, it seems self-evident, that you can have no rational foundation for a hope, that you are in “the narrow way that leadeth unto life." You cannot be sincerely and earnestly striving to enter in at the straight gate.

F

If such be your situation, attend most seriously to our SECOND QUESTION. What security have you that the next year, nay, the next forty years (if you should be permitted to live so long) will not be passed in the very

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self-same manner? What security have you, what reason to expect, that you will not continue in the same thoughtless career, till death shall cut it short, and hurry you before the bar of judgment. What security, I repeat, have you for this? what have you done? what resolutions have you formed? what steps have you taken? what plans have you laid down? what assistance have you implored ?

Rouse yourselves, my brethren, from this fatal delusion, exert yourselves to sustain harmless the dangerous fascination of the great serpent. "Flee from the wrath to come;" bring forth" fruits meet for repentance." Fix your regards upon your high, and holy calling in Christ Jesus. Here, be it remembered, we are no sojourners, here we are as pilgrims and travellers passing onward to a promised land, we must have our "loins girt, our staff in our hand, and our shoes on our feet." We must be always pressing onwards, our first, our last thoughts must be bent upon the END of our pilgrimage, the attainment of everlasting rest and happiness.

This life indeed does require its proper portion of our attention, and of our exertions. While we are here there are offices, of which the careful discharge, is a duty we owe to

ourselves, to our families, and to society. But we have also duties to perform to God

But the

There is a time for all things" time, which ought to be devoted to God, and to our salvation is too often encroached upon, and misapplied. Whereas, it ought to be the time of all others, most diligently employed, most highly valued, and most scrupulously confined to its proper purposes.

A devout Christian, indeed, in all his works, and in all his ways, has God almost continually before him, and does all things to his glory. Almost every action, however in itself trivial, derives lustre and dignity, from the frame of mind, with which it is performed. If he eats or drinks it is with gratitude to the great Giver, and preserver of life. If he rejoices, he rejoices" in the Lord ;" and forgets not the Author of every blessing. If he is afflicted, he recognises the chastening hand of his wise, and loving Father. In all things and under all circumstances he gives thanks, and glorifies God.

Let not, then, the world and its pursuits supplant God in our thoughts. Redeem the time. If this year present us with a retros

* See Bishop Horne's Sermon on " Redeeming the Time."