terrible! Fifty-two in every year! one seventh part of life in sabbaths! Sabbaths so called, but no days of rest to the many. Clipped at both ends, the remnant given to God, if such can be said to be given unto Him. Oh! if Herod feared the murdered John Baptist, whom guilt pictured to him as risen from the dead, how much more may sinners dread the resurrection of those days which were lent them for their souls' profit, but which have been abused by them to their souls' destruction.

Your property. I fear that however exactly our accounts are kept, few of us keep them for the eye of God. Those that have little, excuse themselves on that score from gladly giving of that little, and those that have much explain away or forget their Lord's words, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of heaven." Some give not to their neighbour's wants at home or to the heathen's wants abroad, who yet find money for vanity in dress, luxury at their board: whilst others at the public-house (too often the devil's workshop) pay for the very forging of the chains that shall bind their souls in hell.

Of the relationships of life Christ saith "Occupy till 1 come. Masters, give to your servants

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that which is just and equal," not only in the wages for the body, but in the care of the soul. Servants, be obedient to those over you in the Lord, watch over their interests as over your own, showing "all good fidelity and adorning the doctrine of God your Saviour in all things." Parents, train up your children for God.

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Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." Content not yourselves with a parent's pardon on his death-bed, seek that a parent's blessing then, yea ever, be yours. Oh, ye that are members of one household live in peace, live in love; your mutual influence is great for good or for evil: may it be said of your house as of the family at Bethany, "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus,' John xi. 5.

Such are some of your responsibilities, they are talents committed to your charge, they are yours but for a short season, and then will appear as witnesses for you or against you at the judgment seat of Christ. The Occupation is now yours, but let us proceed to notice,

II. The Term of its Continuance.

How uncertain that term! With some childhood is the extent, with others more lengthened is the period, few attain to old age, but with one and all it is uncertain. Do you ask,

as that word "Occupy" reaches your ear, "Lord how long?" the only reply is, "till I come." And "ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." "At midnight," we read, Matt. xxv.6, "there was a cry made, 'Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him."""Behold I come as a thief," saith our Lord, Rev. xvi. 15. "Go to now, ye that say to-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city and continue there a-year, and buy and sell and get gain. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow," James iv. 13, 14. It is awful trifling "to fold your hands to sleep," with a promise to awake by and by and then to "consider your ways," as though to you belonged the issues of life and death. Of "the earthly house of this tabernacle" thy soul is but a tenant at will. Let the word go forth from Him whose tenant thou art, (and it may at any moment), "then the dust shall return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God who gave it," Eccles. xii. 7. But though the limit be uncertain to us,

2. It is known and fixed in the purpose of Him who ordereth all things after the counsel of His own will. "Occupy," saith the Lord, but"till I come." One Name of the Lord we may say

is "He That Shall Come," Heb. x. 37. Enoch prophesied of that coming, "Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints," Jude, ver. 14. The prophets, lifting up their voices one after another, told of the same coming, till Malachi, the last, thus solemnly forewarns us thereof in its double aspect; as that day "that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble,” and yet as that day when to those "that fear His name,' "the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings," Mal. iv. 1, 2.

Yes, brethren, "there is a reward for the righteous." "The Lord is at hand." The scorner may delight in his scorning, but his raillery is out of place even now, and shall then cease for ever. They that sow to the flesh may now hope that their work passes unheeded, but the Lord shall come and they "shall reap corruption." The loiterer may say to his vows, Come again and then I will pay you. But let such be up and doing, or the wheels of His chariot Who cometh on the wings of the wind shall tread them down. "He is gone to receive a kingdom and to return." Blessed Lord! (may the child of God say) Thou wilt see us again and our hearts shall rejoice, and our joy no man taketh from

us.

But though the Lord thus cometh in that Day of days, it may be we shall not be alive and remain: this we know not, but

3. There are other ways in which the term may cease, or the power to use it be taken away.

The Lord may come in present judgment. What if He should say concerning any as of Israel of old, "Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone:" the strivings of the Spirit cease, and they be given over to a reprobate mind! Sickness may lay us aside, compel us to say, "I am shut up, I cannot go up to the house of the Lord." In vain shall we desire then to tread its courts, neglected perhaps in health. Or sight be dimmed that we cannot see as once we did to read the precious truths of the word of God. Or hearing be gone that we strain but to no purpose to catch some faint sounds of the Gospel of peace. Death must come, gradually or suddenly. By the gentle wearing away of old age, will "the silver cord be loosed," or by the shock of some swift messenger of accident or disease "the golden bowl be broken." The harvest be past, the summer be ended, the books be opened. It is of the solemn account then to be given we would lastly speak, namely of

III. The Reckoning that will follow.