written down in the book of God. Do you think God does not mean what He says? Do you think that swearing is a mere trifle of a sin, that because "you mean nothing by it," as you say, God thinks little or nothing of it? Do you think that when God has said He will "not hold him guiltless" who takes His Name in vain, He will let you off and forget His own threat? Do you think that He will let you defy Him, and mock Him, and bandy about His Name in your jests, your anger, in public houses and markets, without revenging Himself upon you ? You may not be suffering now; you may now seem to be none the worse for your oaths; but unless you repent, your oaths will turn into scorpions and bite you; they will rise up against you, and cry out against you, and crush you on the last day. The whole long, long string of your oaths, all numbered in God's book, will witness against you and will prove that you despised Christ, that you defied your Lord, that you broke His commandment and cast it to the winds. Therefore I say to you in God's own words, "Swear not at all."

NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME.

WE are all for putting off the great concern. Come to me at a more convenient season; come to me by and by; come to me some other time; come to me when I have got through this business, when this pleasure has come to an end, when I have finished this matter which is now in hand; only do not come to me today." So we speak. To-morrow, to-morrow, is the day for God and the things of God; to-day is for ourselves and for the world; to-morrow is the day for the Cross of Christ, but to-day we will let the Cross alone. And as "to-morrow never comes," so some men's godliness, some men's care for their souls never comes. There is always something in the way; the farm, the oxen, the merchandise, the shop, the marriage, the pleasure, just steps in and hinders us. We often say, "if it were not for this or that, we should turn over a new leaf;" that is, if the road to heaven were broad and smooth, if it had no temptations, no trials, no difficulties, then we could tread it at once, this very day; but because it costs us

self-denial, because it requires self-devotion, and deadness to this world's gains and pleasures, therefore we put off treading the way of Christ.

Now" hell," it is said, " is paved with good intentions." The proverb is full of truth. No man says, "I will go to hell; I am bent on going to it; I intend to be lost." No; we say just the contrary; we hope to go to heaven; we hope to be saved; and we intend some day to think more about religion, in order that we may be saved. We intend by and by to return to Christ our Saviour, and to make peace with God, and to lead a serious life. Such good intentions as these are like laudanum to our consciences; all's well that ends well," so we say to ourselves, and the devil is content if he can but persuade us to delay. Delay is a great murderer of souls; it is that slow poison which eats into our life; and, lo! day goes over day, month over month, year over year, and we are only intending to serve God. Suddenly, perhaps, we die and drop into the grave, before God has been served, before "the convenient season" has been found, before we have actually cast ourselves at our Saviour's feet and given up ourselves to Him; before our "good intentions" are fulfilled.

If indeed we wait till all is smooth, till godliness is a very easy thing, till all difficulties, all temptations, all the hindrances of a religious life are gone, we shall wait for ever; we shall be like him who stood by the river's side waiting for the stream to run itself out and to give him a dry path. When the water that hindered him one hour was gone, fresh water came down to hinder him the next. So when present temptations are at an end, some new temptation will spring up; new cares, new pleasures will flow down. We shall never dry the river of temptation, and we only waste our time in waiting on the bank to see it run itself out.

Believe me, my friend, "now is the accepted time;" now is the time for serving God; now is the time for walking as a faithful disciple of Christ, as a faithful member of His Church; put off every thing, delay every thing, except the work of your soul and the service of your soul. Let every thing give way to that; break down and break through all hindrances; "where there is a will there is a way." "I will find a way," said the soldier of ancient times, "or, I will make one." So do you speak now, soldier of Christ; find a way, or by God's grace make a way through all temptations, all cares, all

toils, all business, all enjoyments, all schemes and plans, that you may at once walk with God, at once take up your Cross, at once crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts; at once enter on the task of conforming yourself wholly to Christ's will.

Talk not of to-morrow; do not give your to-morrows to God, and your to-days to the world; if the devil has you to-day, he will in all likelihood be more your master to-morrow. Now is his time; if you are his now, you are giving him an advantage over you. Remember the proverb, "possession is nine points of the law;" present possession is the thing; only let the devil say of "he is now in my possession, he is mine now," and it will be a hard matter to get out of his net some days hence; for every hour he is winding his chains tighter and tighter round your soul and deadening all your better thoughts.

you,

O fly at once to Christ; fly to-day; cut yourself off from your favourite sin; break the chain at once; do not trifle with your soul. Once more I say, "Now is the accepted time."