Whether our time of trial be long or short; whether our talents be many or few; a day of account must come. Though it was long before the LORD of the servants came, yet at last he returned and reckoned with them. Every one of them was called upon to give an account of his stewardship. The man who had received one talent was required equally with him who had received ten talents, to shew what he had gained by trading. Thus will it be with us.

Christ will call every one of his servants to account. Whatever may have been their station or condition in life, whether they have been high or low, rich or poor, in this respect

there will be no difference. Christ will surely say to every one of them, "Give an account of thy stewardship." None will be too great, none too mean, to escape from this inquiry. The king and the slave; the rich man who fares sumptuously every day, and the beggar who is fed with the crumbs from his table; the saint and the sinner must alike give up their account. There is no one truth in Scripture' more plainly insisted on than this. It is expressly said, that "God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man, whom he hath ordained," even Jesus Christ: "for the

Father has committed all judgment to the Son;" and "He it is which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead."* Therefore "we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ;" and then " every one of us shall give an account of himself to GOD." The solemnities of this great day are described in very awful language."The Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him." The LORD himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of GOD." "Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations."-The examination also, which will be made into men's lives, and characters, will be most strict and searching. "The books shall be opened and the dead shall be judged out of those things, which are written in the books." 66 Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." "The Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart."And for what

*Acts, xvii. 31. John, v. 22. Acts, x. 42.

+ Rom. xiv. 10, 12.

Matt. xxv. 31, 32. 1 Thess. iv. 16.
Rev. xx. 12. Matt. xii. 36. 1 Cor. iv. 5.

purpose will this examination be made, this account be required? For the most solemn and important of all purposes: that "every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad;"* that every one may receive his just recompence of reward, and be sentenced to that state of happiness or misery, in which he will remain for ever; that the faithful stewards, who have improved the talents committed to them, may "have praise of GOD," and be admitted into the joy of their LORD: that the slothful and wicked servants who have buried or wasted their master's goods, may be exposed, condemned, and "cast into outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And "these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."+

These, my brethren, are truths, which ought to make a deep impression on every heart. But to aid and increase this impression, I shall go more into particulars. Having shewn you that we are Stewards, and must one day give an account of our Stewardship, I shall endeavour, by way of application, more clearly and distinctly to point out to you the nature of that account; what it will be, and how it will be required of us. With

* 2 Cor. v. 10.

+ Matt. xxv. 46.

this view, I shall set before you what we may reasonably conclude will in that day be the grand subject of inquiry to all the servants of Christ. Let us suppose this our great Lord and Master then speaking to every one of us in these solemn and searching words:

"Give an account of thy stewardship." Call to mind the goods and talents which I intrusted to your care: and shew what use and improvement you have made of them.

'I gave to you a soul, a reasonable, an immortal, an invaluable soul. I committed this precious treasure to your keeping.What have you done with it? Have you lost, or have you saved it? What have you done to save it? Have you made the care of your soul your chief concern? Amidst all your engagements and employments in the world, has it been your grand, your first business to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling?" I admit that the work was hard, the labour was great, the difficulties were many; but I left you not without sufficient help. I am not the hard master which some represent me to be. I do not expect to reap where I have not sown, nor to gather where I have not strewed. I provided you with ample means for the saving

of your soul. Have you carefully and faithfully employed these means?

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'I gave to you my Word. What use have you made of this gift? It was "able to save your soul;" "to make you wise. unto salvation."* It was intended to be "a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your paths."+ Have you used it as such? Have you received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God?" Have you read it, meditated on it, prayed over it, and sought for grace, that you might understand it, and that it might be mixed with faith in your heart? Have you practised what you did understand of it? Have you governed your life by its holy precepts, doing what it commands, and abstaining from what it forbids? Have you believed its precious promises, casting all your care upon them, and patiently waiting for their accomplishment?

'I gave to you my Sabbaths. How have you employed this gift? My sabbath was designed to be a day of holy rest. I commanded you on that day to cease from worldly labour not that you might waste the hours in idleness and worldly pleasurebut that amidst your earthly callings, you *James, i. 21.-2 Tim. iii. 15. + Psalm, cxix. 105. 1 Thess. ii. 13.