hearsed at the last day, in token that we did our part, but our children despised and neglected the opportunities and advantages offered to them!

But we must now turn, 3rdly, to the direction given us in the text as to the influence which the words of God should have upon us, in our daily conversation and habits of life. "Thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

This part of the text also is repeated in almost the same words by Moses in another place.* It seems to me to furnish us with advice as to the subjects on which we should speak,-1. In our own domestic circle, "When thou sittest in thine house." 2. In our intercourse with others abroad-" When thou walkest by the way." 3. In our family worship,"When thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

1. First, then, we are to talk of God's

* Deut. xi. 19.

laws when we sit in our houses; that is, in our familiar intercourse with our domestic circle. Now I imagine we are not to conclude from this, that we may not talk upon any other subject: for God requires no such extremes of us. He never bids us do anything which can make us unfit to bear our part in the duties which our station in life imposes on us; and therefore, undoubtedly, we are at perfect liberty to talk upon all those subjects which naturally and necessarily interest us, whether they immediately concern our own temporal interests, or those of our friends or neighbours, or the community at large. We learn, however, that as opportunity offers for saying something which may tend to the glory of God, it should not be allowed to pass neglected, neither should we allow ourselves to talk eagerly about worldly subjects, and suddenly stop, feeling as if a damp was thrown upon our spirits, if anything should happen to introduce graver matters;

if that is our feeling, we may be sure that this world has too much hold upon our affections, and that our Lord Jesus Christ and his kingdom, to which we profess, as Christians, to be pilgrims and travellers, is not enough in our minds. When we sit in our houses, therefore, let us not be content to trifle away all our time in the news of the day, the gains or losses of ourselves or our neighbours; or if we do occasionally talk of those things, let us at least sometimes turn from them to that "word of God which liveth and abideth for ever," and delight to point out to our children and friends, by our fireside, the good things pertaining both to this present life and to that which is to come, which the mercy of Almighty God has placed within our reach, that our talk may be " good to the use of edifying, and may minister grace unto the hearers."*

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2. The same advice is given to "when we walk by the way;" but this requires more courage, and greater faith. * Ephes. iv. 29.

Many a man is neither ashamed nor afraid to talk of God's word, and to acknowledge his mercies, when quietly seated by his own fireside and surrounded

his domestic circle, who, when he "walketh by the way"-when he goes out among his neighbours, and mixes in the world, is afraid to confess that fear of God which he really has before his eyes. He fears ridicule;-he dreads being thought singular, or righteous overmuch. This, however, is not the way to be faithful to the cause of Christ. We ought to fear God rather than man ; and knowing how much He has done for us, we ought never to be ashamed of Him before men, but "talk of his wondrous works," and publish to our kinsfolk and friends "how great things He hath done for us, and hath had compassion on us.'

3. Once more, in our family worship, morning and evening, we are to speak of God's law; for this we may take to be the meaning of the expression, "Thou

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shalt talk of them when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." A set time is here marked out for talking of God's laws, and that, the morning and the evening and what more fit time could be chosen? Whether the "talking" here meant signifies a regular and stated rehearsal of God's laws, and confession of the benefits He has bestowed upon us, as addressed by the head of each family to his assembled children and servants; or whether it be a still more solemn act of thanksgiving and prayer addressed to Almighty God, which we are to understand from this part of the text; it teaches us equally that it is our bounden duty not to suffer those two holy seasons, the morning, when we rise from sleep, and go forth to the difficulties and temptations of the day- and the evening, when we betake ourselves to rest again, trusting to his providence who "neither slumbereth nor sleepeth," to pass by without a fixed, solemn, and