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Particularly, begin at the right end; otherwise you will lose your labour. If you desire to rise early, sleep early secure this point, at all events. In spite of the most dear and agreeable companions, in spite of their most earnest solicitations, in spite of entreaties, railleries, or reproaches, rigorously keep your hour. Rise up precisely at your time, and retire without ceremony. Keep your hour, notwithstanding the most pressing business: lay all things by till the morning. Be it ever so great a cross, ever so great self-denial, keep your hour, or all is over.

I advise you, fourthly, Be steady. Keep your hour of rising without intermission. Do not rise two mornings, and lie in bed the third; but, what you do once, do always." But my head aches." Do not regard that; it will soon be over.—“ But I am uncommonly drowsy; my eyes are quite heavy." Then you must not parley; otherwise it is a lost case; but start up at once. And if your drowsiness does not go off, lie down for awhile an hour or two after. But let nothing make a breach upon this rule: rise, and dress yourself, at your hour.

Perhaps you will say "The advice is good, but it comes too late; I have made a breach already. I did rise constantly for a season; nothing hindered me. But I gave way by little and little; and I have now left it off for a considerable time."-Then, in the name of God, begin again! Begin to-morrow; or rather to-night, by going to bed early, in spite of either company or business. Begin with more self

diffidence than before; but with more confidence in God.

But do not imagine that this single point, rising early, will suffice to make you a Christian. No: although that single point, the not-rising, may keep you a Heathen, void of the whole Christian spirit; although this alone (especially if you had once conquered it) will keep you cold, formal, heartless, dead; and make it impossible for you to get one step for ward in vital holiness; yet this alone will go but a little way to make you a real Christian. It is but one step out of many; but, it is one. And having taken this, go forward. Go on to universal selfdenial, to temperance in all things, to a firm resolution of taking up daily every cross, whereto you are called. Go on, in a full pursuit of all the mind that was in Christ; of inward, and then outward, holiness. So shall you be not almost, but altogether, a Christian : so shall you finish your course with joy: you shall wake up after His likeness, and be satisfied.

Rev. Thomas Scott.

(FROM HIS COMMENTARY.)

PATRIARCHAL LONGEVITY.

GENESIS V.

THIS chapter contains nearly all the history, that God hath pleased to transmit to us, of the Antediluvian World, which subsisted for the space of 1656 years. Considering how long men lived and had children, before the Flood, we may well suppose that the earth was filled with inhabitants; and conjecture, with apparent probability, that there were many flourishing kingdoms, many revolutions in states, many mighty achievements and renowned characters, which are all now buried in oblivion: while nothing is recorded but what relates to the holy seed; among whom true religion was maintained, and who, doubtless, were despised and hated in their generation. In the judgment of God, the saints are the only excellent and eminent persons, and true religion the grand concern on earth; compared with which, all things else are scarcely worth mentioning.

The power of God alone," in whom we live, and

move, and have our being," could preserve the curious fabric of the human body for the few years, now allotted to us; and the same powers would suffice to preserve it to the age of Methuselah, or for ever. Man lives as long as his Creator pleases, and no longer which should warn us not to provoke him, but to be prepared for, and expecting, our summons. Nor have we any cause to regret the shortness of our present lives: Abel and Enoch, the two most-favoured characters before the Flood, were removed at an earlier period than any others, whose history is recorded. Even were the world less miserable, it could be no loss to die and go to heaven: nor can it ever be gain, to live and treasure up wrath by sin: and as the long lives of the Antediluvians might encourage procrastination and increase presumption, so the shortness of our days may warn us, without delay, to hearken to the voice of God in the gospel.

ENOCH.

"WALKING with God," is a figurative description of the intimate communion which subsists between a merciful God and true believers. Without coincidence in sentiment, judgment, and disposition, there can be no cordial union or harmony. But man is naturally propense to those things, which God abhors and forbids; and averse to those, which he loves and commands. Man's understanding is darkened, his

judgment perverted, his affections depraved, and his taste vitiated, by sin; so that, in almost every thing, his views, his choice, his desires, and pursuits, are the reverse of those which the Scripture requires. Thus he is induced to walk contrary to God, to contract guilt, and merit condemnation. A sinner's walk with God, therefore, commences with the change of his judgment and disposition, by divine grace. Then he begins to repent of his sins; to despise the world, in comparison of the favour of God; to "hunger and thirst after righteousness"; to seek forgiveness and acceptance, in the way of God's appointment; and to devote himself to His love and service, and the pursuit of holiness. Having been thus reconciled to God, he walks with him by habitual repentance, and “faith in our Lord Jesus Christ"; in a realizing regard to the presence of God in his whole conduct; a daily dependence on the promise, providence, and grace of God, for all things needful for soul and body; and a continual attention to His word, that from thence he may learn his truth and will, and derive the peace and comfort of his salvation; by pouring out his heart before the Lord in fervent prayer and grateful praise; by a believing, reverential, and delightful attendance on all the ordinances of his worship, and an open profession of his faith and love; by a conscientious obedience to all his commandments, without regarding the praise or censure of men; by submission to his providential appointments; and, finally, by attention to every relative obligation, a careful improvement

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