to know what will be next wanted, so are we to wait on the hours, and even on the moments of each passing day, to know what duties they point out to us, or what employments they suggest for the improvement of our minds.” Thus it was, brethren, that our departed friend endeavoured to discharge the office of a servant in his own generation. He served it, by a public profession of the gospel of Christ; by a consistent and influential character; by his liberal contributions to the cause of humanity and religion; by his personal efforts and writings; and by seizing present opportunities of usefulness, and acting in accordance with the requirements of the times. But we have still to remark, secondly, that a Christian is to serve his own generation IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WILL OF GOD. The text may indeed be read, “after he had, in his own generation, served the will of God.” But even this arrangement of the words implies, that the service which he rendered, in the midst of his own generation, was according to the will of God; and as this refers to the principle and motive of Christian service, it can be applied, equally with the former expression, to the service rendered by our Christian brother, the strongest desire of whose heart it was, so to serve as to please God. A man may do right acts from wrong motives. The Pharisees gave alms to the poor. That was right. But their motive in giving, was to be seen of men. That was wrong. It was seeking to please men rather than God, who trieth the hearts. No action can be religious which has not its motive and its end in God, and which is not in accordance with his will. The man, therefore, who properly and acceptably serves his own generation, must do it by the will of God. This was exactly the opinion of our beloved friend. “Paul,” says he, often declares himself to be “an apostle by the will of God. Now we may rest assured that had not his will been surrendered at discretion, he would neither have been enabled to lead a life of holiness, nor have been qualified for his peculiar path of religious duty. His whole work and service would have been marred; and he would have been comparable to nothing better than a stunted tree, bringing forth fruit destined not to ripen. Such a sacrifice of the will, is indeed absolutely necessary, not merely to the general purposes of virtue, but to the specific value and usefulness of every member of the church of Christ.”