the course of a relapsing sinner leads to final impenitence. A merchant had four ships, three so new and splendid that, not to mar their beauty, he went with all his merchandise on board the fourth that was old. But one ship cannot float the cargo of four, and so the old ship sank, and its owner with it, and now his three beautiful vessels are to him profitless things of the past. Brethren, we have four ages — childhood, youth, manhood, and old age — and if we load the entire burden of penance on old age, be sure we will fare no better than the foolish merchant. " Now," says the Scripture, " now is the acceptable time — now is the day of salvation."
Brethren, at times — in our better moments — we realize our debt of gratitude to God and we cast around for ways of paying it saying: " What shall I give to the Lord for all He hath given me?" Let me send you away this morning with this one idea fixed firmly in your minds, that your first, most sacred duty is to be kind and gentle with one another as your heavenly Father is merciful to you. How rare soever be the gift you propose to lay at the feet of the Saviour, remember always that rarer still is a merciful, a forgiving heart. " If," says Our Lord, in Matt. v. 23, 24, " if thou offer thy gift at the altar and there thou rememberest that thy brother hath anything against thee, leave thou thy gift before the altar and go first to be reconciled to thy brother and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift."
