unprofitableness and shortcomings. Let us acknowledge with shame
do more than others. Let us all henceforth remember Sardis and Laodicea - let us resolve to be more holy and more bright. Let us bury our idols. Let us put away all strange gods. Let us cast out the old leaven. Let us lay aside every weight and besetting sin. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God. Let us renew our covenant with our beloved Lord. Let us aim at the highest and best things. Let us resolve by God's blessing to be more holy, and then I know and am persuaded we shall be more useful and more happy. I name some things for prayerful consideration.
1. Let us then, for one thing, begin with a humble confession of past unprofitableness and shortcomings. Let us acknowledge with shame and contrition that we have not hitherto lived up to our light. We ought to have been the salt of the earth - but there has been little savor of Christ about us. We ought to have been the light of the world - but we have most of us been little glimmering sparks that could scarcely be seen. We ought to have been a peculiar people - but the difference between us and the world has been faint and small. We ought to have been, like the Levites in Israel, a distinct people among professing Christians - but we have too often behaved as if we belonged to some other tribe. We ought to have looked on this world as an inn, and we have settled down in it as if it were our home - it ought to have been counted our school of training for eternity, and we have been at ease in it as if it were our continuing city, or trifled away time in it, as if we were meant to play and not to learn. We ought to have been anxious for nothing, and we have been anxious and troubled about many things - we have allowed the affairs of this life to eat out the heart of our spirituality, and have been cumbered with much serving.
How rarely we have heard the Gospel like men in earnest - and read the Bible as if we were feeding on it - and prayed as if we wanted an answer! How poor and feeble has been our witness against sin! How seldom have we looked like men about our Father's business! How little have we known about singleness of eye, and wholeness of heart,