are not continually watching unto prayer? How easily are we carried away, in a kind of waking dream, projecting distant schemes, and drawing fine scenes in our own imagination! We think what good we will do when we are in such a place, or when such a time is come! How useful we will be, how plenteous in good works, when we are easier in our circumstances! How earnestly we will serve God when once such a hinderance is out of the way!

Or perhaps you are now in heaviness of soul: God, as it were, hides his face from you. You see little of the light of his countenance: you cannot taste his redeeming love. In such a temper of mind how natural is it to say, "O how will I praise God when the light of his countenance shall be again lifted up upon my soul! How will I exhort others to praise him when his love is again shed abroad in my heart! Then I will do thus and thus: I will speak for God in all places; I will not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Then I will redeem the time. I will

every talent I have received."

Do

use to the uttermost not believe thyself. doest it now. of whatsoever kind it be, whether it be worldly substance, or the fear or love of God, "will be faithful in that which is much." But if thou now hidest one talent in the earth, thou wilt then hide five: that is, if ever they are given; but there is small reason to expect they ever will. Indeed, "unto him that hath," that is, uses what he hath, "shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly. But from him that hath not," that is, uses not the grace which he hath already received, whether in a larger or smaller degree, "shall be taken away even that which he hath."

Thou wilt not do it then, unless thou "He that is faithful in that which is little,"

And take no thought for the temptations of to-morrow. This also is a dangerous snare. Think not," When such a temptation comes, what shall I do? how shall I stand?

I feel I have not power to resist; I am not able to conquer that enemy." Most true: you have not now the power which you do not now stand in need of. You are not able at this time to conquer that enemy, and at this time he does not assault you. With the grace you have now you could not withstand the temptations which you have not. But when the temptation comes, the grace will come. In greater trials you will have greater strength. When sufferings abound, the consolations of God will, in the same proportion, abound also. So that in every situation the grace of God will be sufficient for you. He doth not suffer you "to be tempted" to-day "above that ye are able to bear;" and "in every temptation he will make a way to escape." "As thy days, so thy strength shall be."

lose not an hour; use this "Who knoweth the things

"Let the morrow," therefore, "take thought for the things of itself;" that is, when the morrow comes, then think of it. Live thou to-day. Be it thy earnest care to improve the present hour. This is your own, and it is your all. The past is as nothing, as though it had never been. The future is nothing to you; it is not yours; perhaps it never will be. There is no depending on what is yet to come; for "know not what a day may bring you forth." Therefore live to-day; moment, for it is your portion. which have been before him, or which shall be after him under the sun?" The generations that were from the beginning of the world, where are they now? Fled away, forgotten. They were; they lived their day; they were shook off the earth as leaves off their trees; they mouldered away into common dust! Another and another race succeeded; then they "followed the generation of their fathers, and shall never more see the light." Now is thy turn upon the earth. "Rejoice, O young man, in the days of thy youth!" Enjoy the very, very now, by enjoying Him "whose years fail not." Now let thine eye be singly

fixed on Him "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning!" Now give him thy heart; now stay thyself on him; now be thou holy, as he is holy! Now lay hold on the blessed opportunity of doing his acceptable and perfect will! Now "rejoice to suffer the loss of all things, so thou mayest win Christ!"

Gladly suffer to-day, for his name's sake, whatsoever he permits this day to come upon thee. But look not at the sufferings of to-morrow. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Evil it is, speaking after the manner of men, whether it be reproach or want, pain or sickness; but in the language of God all is blessing: it is a precious balm, prepared by the wisdom of God, and variously dispensed among his children, according to the various sicknesses of their souls. And he gives in one day sufficient for that day, proportioned to the want and strength of the patient. If, therefore, thou snatchest to-day what belongs to thee to-morrow; if thou addest this to what is given thee already, it will be more than thou canst bear: this is the way not to heal, but to destroy thy own soul. Take, therefore, just as much as he gives thee to-day; to-day do and suffer his will! to-day give up thyself, thy body, soul, and spirit to God, through Christ Jesus; desiring nothing but that God may be glorified in all thou art, all thou doest, all thou sufferest; seeking nothing but to know God, and his Son Jesus Christ, through the eternal Spirit; pursuing nothing but to love him, to serve him, and to enjoy him at this hour, and to all eternity!-Sermons, vol. i, pp. 275–278.

66

SECTION XIII.

Evil Speaking to be guarded against.

Speak evil of no man," says the great apostle: as plain a command as, "Thou shalt do no murder." But

who, even among Christians, regards this command? Yea, how few are there that so much as understand it? What is evil speaking? It is not, as some suppose, the same with lying or slandering. All a man says may be as true as the Bible; and yet the saying of it is evil speaking. For evil speaking is neither more nor less than speaking evil of an absent person; relating something evil which was really done or said by one that is not present when it is related. Suppose, having seen a man drunk, or heard him curse or swear, I tell this when he is absent; it is evil speaking. In our language this is also by an extremely proper name termed backbiting. Nor is there any material difference between this and what we usually style tale-bearing. If the tale be delivered in a soft and quiet manner, (perhaps with expressions of good will to the person, and of hope that things may not be quite so bad,) then we call it whispering. But in whatever manner it be done, the thing is the same; the same in substance, if not in circumstance. Still it is evil speaking; still this command, "Speak evil of no man," is trampled under foot; if we relate to another the fault of a third person when he is not present to answer for himself.

And how extremely common is this sin among all orders and degrees of men! How do high and low, rich and poor, wise and foolish, learned and unlearned, run into it continually! Persons who differ from each other in all things else nevertheless agree in this. How few are there that can testify before God, "I am clear in this matter; I have always set a watch before my mouth, and kept the door of my lips?" What conversation do you hear of any considerable length, whereof evil speaking is not one ingredient? And that even among persons who, in the ger.eral, have the fear of God before their eyes, and do really desire to have a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man.

And the very commonness of this sin makes it difficult to be avoided. As we are encompassed with it on every side, so, if we are not deeply sensible of the danger, and continually guarding against it, we are liable to be carried away by the torrent. In this instance, almost the whole of mankind is, as it were, in a conspiracy against us. And their example steals upon us, we know not how; so that we insensibly slide into the imitation of it. Besides, it is recommended from within, as well as from without. There is scarce any wrong temper in the mind of man which may not be occasionally gratified by it, and consequently incline us to it. It gratifies our pride to relate those faults of others whereof we think ourselves not to be guilty. Anger, resentment, and all unkind tempers are indulged by speaking against those with whom we are displeased; and in many cases, by reciting the sins of their neighbours, men indulge their own foolish and hurtful desires.

Evil speaking is the more difficult to be avoided, because it frequently attacks us in disguise. We speak thus out of a noble, generous, (it is well if we do not say,) holy indignation against these vile creatures! We commit sin from mere hatred of sin! we serve the devil out of pure zeal for God! It is merely in order to punish the wicked that we run into this wickedness. "So do the passions" (as one speaks) "all justify themselves," and palm sin upon us under the veil of holiness!

But is there no way to avoid the snare? Unquestionably there is. Our blessed Lord has marked out a plain way for his followers, in the words above recited. None who warily and steadily walk in his path will ever fall into evil speaking. This rule is either an infallible preventive, or a certain cure of it. In the preceding verses our Lord had said, "Wo to the world because of offences:" unspeakable misery will arise in the world from this baleful fountain. (Offences are all things whereby any one is