face of God. "She that liveth in pleasures is dc while she is living." (i Tim. v. 6.)
WEDNESDAY.
Three Classes who follow Christ.— III.
I. A third came to Christ and offered himself to follow Him; but begged that he might first return home and dispose of his affairs, and take leave of his father and friends. " I will follow Thee, Lord, but let me first take my leave of them that are at my house." (Luke ix. 6 1.) This request was, in appearance, very reasonable, but Christ did not grant it. Every dangerous delay in the service of God ought to be carefully avoided. " Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not from day to day." (Ecclus. v. 8.)
II. Christ replies, " No man putting his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke ix. 62.) The ploughman, who has his hands on the plough and looks the contrary way, is incapable of ploughing; in the same manner, he who intends to be a disciple of Christ, and turns round to look on worldly affairs is not fit to preach the gospel. The ploughman must see what is before him, so must Christ's disciples, " forgetting the things that are behind and stretching forth to those that are before." (Phil. iii. 13.)
III. In this reply we are admonished to be constant and persevering in the service of God. "A holy man continueth in wisdom as the sun, but a fool is changed as the moon." (Ecclus. xxvii. 12.) Examine yourself how constant you are in 'your good purposes, whether you retain the first fervor of your conversion, or such as you remember you have felt on former occasions. "Be
