The great business of life.
There are thousands of professed Christians at the present day, who have utterly mistaken the great object and business of life. In all their plans, and schemes, and actions they make their worldly advantage the first great object, and their religious duties and privileges secondary to it. This is reversing the order which Christ himself has given for our guidance, and is an unmistakable evidence of that covetousness which is idolatry in the sight of God. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" is the command given to all men, but thousands who profess the name of Christ seek his kingdom and his righteousness last. They toil hard. They are active, industrious, and enterprising in their habits and calling—but it is all for the world and themselves, not for Christ and his cause. They are diligent in business selfish in spirit, serving Mammon—but not diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. They do with their might what their hands find to do—but they seldom or never find the right thing to do. They lay admirable plans, and start new enterprises to promote their worldly interests—but they never contrive a scheme or start an enterprise for the glory of God. In all that they do they are governed by interests and considerations of a worldly character with little or no regard to their spiritual advantage or improvement. They look constantly at the things which are seen and temporal, and not at the things which are not seen and eternal. Such professed Christians must be an abomination in the sight of God. Their conduct almost constantly belies their profession. They have solemnly declared before God and men, that they had renounced the world and all its vanities, the devil and all his works—and yet, they are governed in all things chiefly by the Prince and spirit of the world, which they profess to have renounced. They have solemnly covenanted with God to obey and serve him, but they obey and serve him not. They have solemnly sworn allegiance to Christ who hath bought them with his blood but they deny him before men, and oft-times put him to open shame. The great business of life here is, not to serve Mammon, nor to try to serve God and Mammon. It is not to toil and drudge and sweat, to pile up a heap of glittering dust—to add house to house and field to field,—or to gain honor, fame, or power among men. The great business of life is, to promote the glory of God and the welfare of man—to lay up treasures in heaven—to do justly and love mercy, and to "labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life."—Evan. Luth.