The Tradesman Missing His Customer

“YoiL that are tradesmen are troubled if yoit happen to be abroad when a good custofner cometh to deal with you: the ordinances of God are the market for yotir souls j if you had not been abroad with Esau yott might have received the blessing, and go?ie away richly laden from a prayer-7neeting, from the word, and the Lord’s Stepper; but you lose yotir advantages for want of attention With what diligence should we use the means of grace,” not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is;’’ and when we are there, we should be like the shopkeeper — on the look-out for business; not half asleep, or wandering in our minds. If we were more lively at sermons, we should find them more lively. Nothing profits a man which is done carelessly; when our minds are not in our business we cannot prosper in it, and we may be even more sure that we cannot profit by sacred exercises if we are not intensely earnest in them. If customers call, and find the tradesman away, he loses all hope of gain; and when grace and blessing come, and our hearts are not on the watch, we miss heavenly treasure, and remain in a poor and miserable condition. My soul, bestir thyself. Lord, quicken thou me in thy ways.