one concern of my life from day to day is, how shall I save my soul ? " What shall it profit me if I gain the whole world, and lose my own soul?"
Now, my dear brethren, is this your state ? are you thus concerned about your souls? and does your conscience bear witness, that, whilst others are occupied chiefly about the things of time and sense, " you account the whole world but as dross and dung, that you may win Christ, and be found in him, not having your own righteousness, but his^?" Is this, I say, your state ? Is it the state of all amongst you ? of all ? O would to God it were ! But, if the truth were known, and it is most assuredly known to God, there are but few who can truly declare this to be the daily habit of their minds : yet must it be your habit, if ever you would be Christians indeed, and behold the face of God in peace.]
2. For the honour of our God ?
[Little is this thought of by the world at large. But the true Christians are not unconcerned about it. They know that God may be honoured by them : and it is their most anxious desire to bring glory to their God. There is not a perfection of the Deity which they do not endeavour to honour and exalt: his omniscience, by walking as in his immediate presence : his omnipotence, by committing altogether to him their every concern : his love, his mercy, his truth, his faithfulness, by embracing his gracious offers in the Gospel, and relying on his promises as a sure ground of their hope. They walk with him, as Enoch did: they maintain " fellowship with him and with his Son Jesus Christ" all the day long^: accounting it their -chief joy to have a sense of his presence, and the light of his countenance lifted up upon them. In their actions, they consider not what will advance their own honour or interests, but what will promote his glory : and, having ascer- tained that, they go forward in the prosecution of it, without any regard to consequences : a fiery furnace, or a den of lions, has no terrors for them : they fear nothing but sin : and account it an honour and a privilege to lay down life itself in His ser- vice, and for His glory''.
And now let me ask, is it thus with all of you? Are all of you thus studious to exalt, to honour, and to glorify your God? Have earthly things no value in your eyes, in com- parison of God's favour, and of his love shed abroad in your hearts? Yet without this you cannot be Christians indeed. Our blessed Lord has said, that " whoso loveth his life shall lose it ; and that he only who is willing to lose it for his sake, shall find it unto life eternal ^"]
z Phil. iii. 7—9. ^ i John i. 3.
^ Phil. ii. 17, 18. c Matt. X. 39.