man would shun
some infectious distemper, who should know that he was pre-disposed to
take the contagion. It will prevent a thousand difficulties, and decide
a thousand questions, concerning worldly compliances; by which those
persons are apt to be embarrassed, who are not duly sensible of their
own exceeding frailty, whose views of the Christian character are not
sufficiently elevated, and who are not enough possessed with a continual
fear of "grieving the Holy Spirit of God," and of thus provoking him to
withdraw his gracious influence. But if you are really such as we have
been describing, you need not be urged to set the standard of practice
high, and to strive after universal holiness. It is the desire of your
hearts to act in all things with a single eye to the favour of God, and
thus the most ordinary actions of life are raised into offices of
Religion. This is the purifying, the transmuting principle, which
realizes the fabled touch, which changes all to gold. But it belongs to
this desire of pleasing God, that we should be continually solicitous to
discover the path of duty; that we should not indolently wait, satisfied
with not refusing occasions of glorifying God, when they are forced upon
us; but that we should pray to God for wisdom and spiritual
understanding, that we may be, acute in discerning opportunities of
serving him in the world, and judicious in selecting and wise in
improving them. Guard indeed against the distraction of worldly cares;
and cultivate heavenly mindedness, and a spirit of continual prayer, and
neglect not to watch incessantly over the workings of your deceitful
heart: but be active also, and useful. Let not your precious time be
wasted "in shapeless idleness;" an admonition which, in our days, is
rendered but too necessary by the relaxed habits of persons even of real
piety: but wisely husband and improve this fleeting treasure. Never be
satisfied with your present attainments; but "forgetting the things
which are behind," labour still to "press forward" with undiminished
energy, and to run the race that is set before you without flagging in
your course.

Above all, measure your progress by your improvement in love to God and
man. "God is Love." This is the sacred principle, which warms and
enlightens the heavenly world, that blessed feat of God's visible
presence. There it shines with unclouded radiance. Some scattered beams
of it are graciously lent to us on earth, or we had been