Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/29

 their time  in  seeking  honors,  riches,  and  pleasures! Their conduct  is  as  foolish  as  would  be  that  of  the  mariner, who,  wishing  to  sail  to  the  north,  steers  towards the east — neither  will  arrive  at  the  end  of  his  journey. Of such  the  prophet  speaks  when  he  says,  "You  have sowed  much  and  brought  in  little;  you  have  eaten  but have  not  had  enough;  you  have  drunk,  but  have  not been  filled  with  drink. "  (Agg.  i.  6.)  In  fine,  "  they spend  their  days  in  wealth,  and  in  a  moment  they  go down  to  hell." (Job xxi.  13.)  Do  not  follow  their  example.

I. The  whole  duty  of  man  in  regard  to  his  God  is comprised  in  this  short  sentence:  "  Decline  from  evil  and do  good." (Ps. xxxvi.  27.)  These  are  the  two  principal points in  a  Christian  life;  they  are  the  two  wings  on which  we  must  fly  to  heaven. In regard  to  the  first branch of  a  Christian's  duty,  the  declining  from  evil, " the  life  of  man  upon  earth"  is  declared  in  Holy  Scripture to  be  "a  continual  warfare"  (Job  ix.  28);  and Christians are  termed  soldiers,  because  it  is  their  duty to stand  on  their  guard,  and  resist  the  suggestions  of the  enemy  and  his  temptations  to  sin.

II. In this  warfare  we  are  to  combat  sin,  even  to  death; we must  never  desist,  or  think  ourselves  secure,  but  always stand  under  arms  with  watchful  care  and  fear. Job, with  all  his  virtue,  examined  and  feared  the  smallest of  his  actions. David, though  a  man  according  to God's  own  heart,  did  in  his  own  emphatical  language continually "sweep  his  spirit." (Ps. lxxvi.  7.)  The Baptist, although  sanctified  in  his  mother's  womb,  led  a retired  and  austere  life,  for  fear  "lest  (as  the  Church