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TIE
RIGHT IMPROVEMENT
OF
LIFE.
[SERM.XXXIX.
reached your
soul even
at
the
borders
of
hell, it
spread
wide
to
cover all
your great and
heinous
iniquities; it
rises
high,
for
it
has
lifted your hopes to heaven,
and
it
stretches
its sweet
and
sovereign influence beyond the
length
of
time,
and provides for your
life
and
happiness
that
shall measure
out
eternity.
Here
you may
proclaim
the praises
of
your Redeemer
to an
ignorant
world, you
may
promote
his
interest a hundred
ways on
earth,
and
thus
glorify
your Saviour
which
is
in
heaven.
sa(This
is
not
to
be
done
in the same
manner,
nor
for the
ne
blessed
purposes amongst
the
saints
above.
When
the
body
lies
senseless
and mouldering
in
the
grave, the
tongue cannot praise
the
Lord;
"The
living,
the
living,
they praise thee
as
we
do this
day;"
as
Hezekiah
did
when he
was
recovered from
sickness,
and had
a sense
of
pardoned
sin.
Is.
xxxviii.
17,
'18.
"
In
love to
my
soul,
thou
hast
delivered it from the
pit
of
corruption,
for thou
hast cast
all my sins
behind thy back.
Thé
grave
cannot
praise
thee,
the dead
cannot
celebrate
thee, they
that
go down to
the
pit cannot hope
for
thy
truth." This
is
the proper
work
of
the
livin
saint, to make known to
sinners the grace
of
salvation
Life
is
the
only
time of
suc work
and
service.
"
Op-
portunity, (
saith
a
writer
on
this subject)
is
like a golden
instrument
to dig
for heavenly
treasure
:
Do not
wear
it
out
as
many have
done in
digging for pebbles, and
at
your
latter
end become
a
fool.
Plead not your
mean
capacity
:
Kings
of
the
earth, and
all people,
old
men
and children, may
praise the
Lord,
Ps.
cxlviii.
11, 12.
Serve
your
age
according
to
your
talent;
Mat.
xxv.
15.
He that
had
but
one
talent, but
a single capacity, was
called to
account
for
it,
and cast into
outer
darkness.
Think
how
many opportunities
you have
out- lived,
which
will
never
have
their resur
ction
:
Redeem lost
time,
by
improving what
remains.
Project
improvements
of
life,
since
your light
is
nearly
e
tinguished.
Make
up
in
af-
fection what
may be
wanting
in
action.
If
you
cannot
do much,
yet
love much.
If
our
servants should work
no
better
for
us
than many
have
done for
God,
we should.
turn
them
out of
doors. Stir up
others
to
work for
God,
that
you may do
by
their hand
what
you
cannot
do
by
your
own,"
Thus
this
pious
author.
Let
us
consider what glorious services
have been done