Materialistic thought has invaded the life of today as never before; education, literature, politics, religion, and the increased leisure that many have, have all their part in the devil's campaign against spiritual and eternal things. Responsibility and duty have 'not now the weight with the individual conscience and will that once they had, and this not only where the revelation of God is denied. The laxity is everywhere, the awe of responsibility is not felt as it was even where the Lord is owned. The cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life choke the seed of the Word, and even Christians live as though the needs and respites of this present life were all-important.

But there is a world of which the unveiled face of Jesus is the glory, and of which His everlasting service is the joy, and the Spirit of God has been given to all who believe, that they might become acquainted with that world now, and draw its power and resources down into this life, that they may be acceptable to Him.

About all this He will speak to us when we come under His scrutiny at the Judgment-seat, and in view of that we need to think and watch and pray, until our hearts are re-animated with the joy of the Gospel and a deep sense of our indebtedness to the Lord and responsibility to Him, and with the thought that we must give an account unto Him. This last will not contradict our joy in the Lord and His service, or spoil it any more than the fuel contradicts or spoils the fire that it feeds.