51 AN HUMBLE ATTEMPT, &C. taining some of the nobler prizes in heaven, and of wearing some of the brighter crowns. Let each of us then say to our- selves, "Open thine eyes, Omy soul, and take a just and wise survey what are thy talents, what are thy advantages : has thy improvement 'in divine knowledge, thy advances in grace, thy superior practices of virtue and piety been proportionable to the blessings and privileges that God has conferred upon thee? Awake at this voice of warning ! Awake, and bethink thyself, and mourn for thy former sloth, for thy shameful negligence, for thy dulness in the christian race, and all thine abuse of the favours of heaven : awaken all thy active powers, and press for- ward withnew zeal and activity : strive to answer all the demands of thy high and holy and heavenly calling, and of the peculiar advantageswhich thou hast enjoyed, that when Jesus thy judge, shall at last repeat this solemn question, What hast thou done more than others ? thy tongue and thy conscience may give a happy account of thy past behaviour: then shalt thou receive this blessed sentence from the lips of thy Lord, " Well done good andfaithful servant, thou hast beenfaithful to the many obli- gations under which I laid thee, thou hast improved the numer- ous talents and advantages with which I entrusted thee in the days of thy flesh ; here, take thou from myhands one of these fairer crowns, and ascend thou into some of the higher regions of immortality and blessedness. Amen."
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