y the lower ends for which the moment might serve. These have to be
surrendered--sometimes abandoned altogether, always rigidly restricted
and kept in utter subordination to the highest purposes. To-day is given
us mainly that we may learn to know God better, and to love Him more,
and to serve Him more joyfully. Our daily duties are given us for the
same purpose. But if we go about them without thinking of God or the
highest ends which life is meant to serve, then we shall certainly lose
the highest ends, and an opportunity will go past us unimproved. But if,
on the other hand, whilst we follow our daily business for the sake of
legitimate temporal gain, we see, above that, the aspect of daily life
as educating in all Christian nobleness and lofty thoughts and purposes,
then we shall have given away the lower ends for the sake of attaining
the higher. You live, suppose, to found a business, to become masters of
your trade, to gain wisdom and knowledge, to establish for yourselves a
position amongst your fellow-men, to cultivate your character so as to
grow in wisdom and purity, apart from God. Or you live in order to win
affection and move thankfully in the heaven of loving associations in
your home, amongst your children. Or you live for the sake of carrying
some lower but real good amongst men. Many of these ends are beautiful
and noble, and necessary for the cultivation and discharge of the
various duties and relationships of life; but unless they are all kept
secondary, and there towers above them this other, life is wasted. If
life is not to be wasted, they must be bartered for the higher, and we
must recognise that to give all things for the sake of Christ and His
love is wise merchandise and good exchange. 'What things were gain to
me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea! doubtless, and I count all
things but loss that I may win Him and be found of Him.' You must barter
the lower if you are to secure the higher ends for which life is the
appointed season.

And then, still more minutely, my text gives us another suggestion about
this 'redeeming the time.' 'See, then,' says the Apostle, 'that ye walk
circumspectly.' The word rendered circumspectly might better, perhaps,
be translated in some such way as 'strictly,' 'rigidly,' 'accurately,'
'punctiliously.' As I take it, it is to be connected with the 'walk,'
and not with the 'see, then,' as the Revised Version does.

So here is a practical direction, walk strictly