prosperity, as the leading motive to greater liberality, run the venture of casting men upon this dire dilemma; and lodge they, ultimately, upon one horn or the other, the issue is decidedly unfavorable. If it lead men to make a 'gain" of their godliness, it will foster impiety for devotion.. If the secular gain is not realized, it will lead to a distrust of God, and a denial of the Scriptures. But the sincere doer of the word will rest his benevolent action upon the broad basis of love to God, and good will to men. As has been already suggested, he gives by faith in the divine precept and example; and leaves the subject of temporal remuneration with Him, who has an equal right to bestow or withhold, whether we be dutiful or disobedient. He will not undertake to determine the amount of divine favor on the scale of dollars and cents, or by any other form of temporal prosperity; but, remember ing that this world is a school of discipline for the next, he will not be surprised, if his Father should reward him even with trial, as being the more needful to his spiritual and eternal welfare. CHAPTER XIV. THE DOER OF THE WORD FINISHING HIS COURSE. EVERY thing which spends by using must have an end. Hence there is a limit to human toil; and every successive effort is an approximation to the last. These earthly tabernacles in which our spirits live must be dissolved. Facts like these, the doer of the word keeps constantly in view; and, as he cannot, and would not "live always," he makes it a cardinal principle to work while the day lasts. "Son, go work to-day in my vineyard" is a requisition which he interprets literally. Under the direction of this heavenly mandate, he forgets the things that are behind; and, reaching forth to those which are before, presses forward, in his prescribed course, steep and rugged though it be. In this course there was one, who drew near its close; and, while sustaining its burdens, he counted not his own life dear unto himself; so that he might finish it with joy. He even considered it a privilege to fill up that, which remained behind of the sufferings of Christ. He kept his body under the restraints of his renewed spirit, and brought all into such complete subjection to the law of his Divine Master, that, instead of predicating life of himself, he preferred to say, it was Christ who lived in him. Having marked such a one in the vicisitudes of life, we feel an irrepressible desire to know what the end will be. In this particular instance, we have a satisfactory view of it, in the language of the individual contemplated. I have fought the good fight; I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. So much of the scene was retrospect. Retrospect taken from a moral elevation is such, that we hardly know whether it is nearer earth, or heaven. We feel, therefore, it is not arrogance, but truth which is uttered. He who stood there had a right to say what he did, because it was the unvarnished expression of fact. Had he said less, there had been less honor to Christ, in whose fulness he had been made thus able. Every faithful doer of the word will, in a retrospect of his course, find occasion to say, I have fought. It may be, that contest is the word, which will most appropriately express large portions of his experience. He must remember the conflict he has had with himself. His native indolence has cost him many a struggle, and many a vain attempt to do what duty enjoined. enjoined. Often has his slothful propensity indulged in dreams and visions of great achievement for his Lord and Master. But to get up from this bed of dreams-to clear away the fancies from his morbid vision, and put on the strength, really essential to do some |