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¿HRISTIAN DILIGENCE.
IsERM.VIII.
their'professien,
and expose themselves
to the
just
and
severe sentence
Of
the apostlé
;
2
Thess. iii.
10;
"
He
that
will
not
work,
let
him
not eat
;
'
that
is,
let
him
starve,
for
christianity
is
no
just
pretence
for idleness.
6.
The
diligent christian
finishes
his
work with peace,
hópe,
and
joy.
He
shall review
his
conduct
and
his
la-
bours
with an inward satisfaction; :and
a
sacred pleasure
of
soul
his
conscience
is a
joyful
witness
;
he
bath not
only a
safe
but
an
abundant entrance
generally
adrnini=
stered
to him
into
the
heavenly kingdom,
and
he
obtains
a'fairer
crown
;
for
"
the Lord the righteous Judge
will
reward
every
one
according
to
his
works
;"
Rom.
ii.
6'T
11.
Ile
who
had one
talent, and
improved
it,
by
gains-
ing' ten
more,
had rule over ten
cities
:
He that
gained
five
talents; had
five
cities
under
his
government;
Luke
xïx.
17;
19.
But let
us
dread
the curse
of
the wicked
and
slothful
servant;
Observe
the slothful servant
is
pro-
nounced
wicked
by the
mouth
of
Christ
himself:
Mat.
xxv. 26.
He
is
to
be
"
cast
into utter
darkness there
shall
be
weeping"
and gnashing
of
teeth." The
slothful
~wretch
at
the end of
his days, sees his
great
work
undene,
his'
heart
not
yet
turned
to
God
and
godliness,
and
is
overwhelmed
with
horror
when in view
of
death
and
judgment.
It
is
the
cry of
his soul,
"
O
that
I
might die
the death
of
the
righteous;"
Num.
xxiii.
10.
but there
is
no grown
of
righteousness
for
-him,
no prize
of glory;
he bath
neither
run nor
fought,
nor laboured
so as
tb
obtain
it.
He
wishes for
heaven
in
vain
:
his
desires
are
his
torment,
for they shall never
he
fulfilled,
desire and
despair are
misery enough.
Happy
soul, who
bath
been
faithful,
diligent and
watchful in every
station
of
life,
and
has made suitable advances
in
faith and
love,
and
heli=
ness.
He
waits till
his
Lord
shall come,
and
he
re-
joices
in
hópe, for
he
shall
then
receive
the:glorious.sen-
tence
from the
lips
of
his
Judge,
"
Well done
good
and
faithful servant,
enter into
the
joy
of
thy
Lord ;"
Mat.
xxvi 21,
23.
'and
be
thou
possessed
of
blessedness
in
the
upper
world,
in
proportion
to
the
talents
I
trusted
thee
with on
earth,
and to
thy
diligent and faithful
improve
-
ment
of-every
talent."
Amen.