actions conformable to his knowledge? Where is the Christian, who, in order to secure a portion in the glories of eternity by a right employment of his time, useth half the diligence which is commonly used by the merchants of the earth to purchase an uncertain tenure of its perishable goods? But so it is, that let us look where we will, whenever the things of this world are in view; we find men acting, in their several professions and callings, according to the best and most approved maxims of each; projecting their schemes wisely, and executing them vigorously; in a word, taking their measures as if they were in earnest whereas, behold the same men considered as Christians, engaged in the concerns of a better world; and a view of their conduct is really sufficient to make a thinking unbeliever conclude that nine parts in ten of them either believe no more than himself, or else that a statute of lunacy ought forthwith to be taken out against them. If therefore we acknowledge, that time once past never returns, let us acknowledge likewise that this is a good reason why we should redeem what is past, by making a right use of what is present. And let us act accordingly.

A third reason why time ought to be redeemed, is the consideration that it must be accounted for. A steward intrusted with the management of his lord's goods, and a person employed to trade for another, should of all men be the most diligent and careful; seeing that at a certain stated time they are to deliver in an account of what they received, and the profits they have made; upon the fidelity and exactness of which their future welfare is to depend. By these.

two cases our Lord has thought proper to represent to us our state and condition in this life, in the parable of the unjust steward, and that of the ten talents. The goods and talents committed to our trust, · to manage and improve to the best advantage, are all the gifts of God, whether those of nature, fortune, or grace, that is, in short, every thing we are, and every thing we have. Of the use and improvement we shall have made of all these, an account is to be delivered in at a day appointed; and our eternal welfare depends upon its being such a one as will abide the strict scrutiny of him who committed them to us. The steward, who appeared to have wasted his lord's goods, was dismissed from his service; and from the unprofitable servant, who, instead of trading with his talent, buried it in the earth, that talent was taken, and he was "cast into outer darkness, where was "weeping and gnashing of teeth." Now time being, as I have shown, one of the choicest and most precious gifts of God to men, will, at the last great day, be accounted for with a strictness proportionable to its value. Let us, therefore, take care that the accuser of the brethren, the ever watchful and malicious adversary of our salvation, have it not in his power to lodge an accusation against us with our Lord, of our having wasted that good thing committed to us; of having hidden that most precious talent in the earth, instead of trading with it to the best advantage; of having killed and buried our time in sensuality, sloth, and idleness. For this murder, like others, will not always be concealed; the hours destroyed in secret will appear, when we least expect it, to the unspeak

able terror and amazement of our souls; they arise from the dead, and fly away to heaven (whither they might have carried better news), and there tell sad tales of us, which we shall be sure to hear of again, when we hold up our hands at the bar, and they shall come as so many swift witnesses against us. The consideration, therefore, that we are to account for our time will be allowed as a third reason why it should be redeemed.

A fourth, and that no less strong and powerful than the former, is the shortness and uncertainty of human life. No man knows precisely when his accounts will be called for; but this he does know most infallibly, that it cannot be very long, and it may be very soon. "Why, alas! does mortal man think to "live long, when he cannot promise to himself the "next minute! How many have lamentably deceived "their own hearts in this point, and been sud

denly snatched away! How often do we hear, "how often do we read, such a man is slain, "another is drowned, a third has broken his neck "with a fall; this man died eating, and that playing; one perished by fire, another by the

sword, another of a disease, another was slain by "thieves! Thus death is quickly the end of all, and "man's life passeth away like a shadow that depart"eth;" like a tale that is told; like a flower that fadeth; like a post that hasteth by; like a bubble that rises, and shines, and sinks again into the common mass; like a vapour that appeareth for a little while,

a KEMPIS.

and then vanisheth. This again is a truth universally acknowledged, insomuch that it is difficult to be for an hour in company, where the rapid progress of time is not made the subject of an observation. And yet we are under such a delusion in our reckonings of this matter, that although the time past be certain, and that which is future be to the last degree uncertain, yet we regard the former as nothing, and trust to the latter as if we could demand at least half the days of Methuselah, and had entered an effectual caveat against any claim which death might have upon us, until the expiration of four hundred years. Whereas " though men be so strong," that sometimes, and that but very seldom indeed, comparatively speaking, "they come to fourscore years, yet "is their strength then but labour and sorrow; so "soon passeth it away, and we are gone." And what use does the Psalmist make of this consideration? It follows in the next verse but one; "Lord, teach us so to number our days, that we may apply our "hearts unto wisdom;" that is, teach us so to meditate on the shortness of our time, that we may improve it aright to the purposes of salvation. The same reflection, and the same inference drawn from it, occur in the xxxixth Psalm: "When thou with rebukes "dost chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty "to consume away like as it were a moth fretting a

garment: every man therefore is but vanity." This thought melts the heart of the royal suppliant into a religious tenderness; and, dissolved in penitential tears, he pours forth the following most affecting strains, that should be continually in the mouth

of the Christian pilgrim. "Hear my prayer, O "Lord, and with thine ears consider my calling; "hold not thy peace at my tears; for I am a stranger " with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. "O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength "before I go hence, and be no more seen." It may be farther observed, upon this head, that we may learn an useful lesson from an enemy. It is said of the devil, that "he is come down upon the earth, "having great wrath, because he knoweth that he "hath but a short time." Now, if the shortness of the time allowed be an argument with him for labouring hard to destroy our souls, surely it ought to be one with us for labouring as hard to save them; especially if we consider what that work is, and the difficulty of accomplishing it, which shall therefore be the

Fifth argument adduced for the redemption of time. Time ought to be redeemed, because of the work we have to do, and the difficulty of doing it. Did we see the husbandman dreaming away his time, when all his fields lay uncultivated; or the generals of an army killing an hour at cards, when the enemy was preparing to storm the camp; or a pilot asleep, when the ship was running directly upon a rock; and did all these allege, as the reason of their behaviour, that they had nothing to do, we should think a madhouse the only proper place for them; and we should think right. But why do we not perceive, that there is not less of absurdity and madness in the conduct of that Christian, who wastes his precious hours in idleness, and apologizes for it by saying, in the same