’Knowing the time;’—­the time of this our mortal life.  How soon it will be over, at the longest!  How short the time seems since we were young!  How quickly it has gone!  How every year, as we grow older seems to go more and more quickly, and there is less time to do what we want, to think seriously, to improve ourselves.  So soon, and it will be over, and we shall have no time at all, for we shall be in eternity.  And what then?  What then?  That depends on what now.  On what we are doing now.  Are we letting our short span of life slip away in sleep; fancying ourselves all the while wide awake, as we do in dreams—­till we wake really; and find that it is daylight, and that all our best dreams were nothing but useless fancy?  How many dream away their lives!  Some upon gain, some upon pleasure, some upon petty self-interest, petty quarrels, petty ambitions, petty squabbles and jealousies about this person and that, which are no more worthy to take up a reasonable human being’s time and thoughts than so many dreams would be.  Some, too, dream away their lives in sin, in works of darkness which they are forced for shame and safety to hide, lest they should come to the light and be exposed.  So people dream their lives away, and go about their daily business as men who walk in their sleep, wandering about with their eyes open, and yet seeing nothing of what is really around them.  Seeing nothing:  though they think that they see, and know their own interest, and are shrewd enough to find their way about this world.  But they know nothing—­nothing of the very world with which they pride themselves they are so thoroughly acquainted.  None know less of the world than those who pride themselves on being men of the world.  For the true light, which shines all round them, they do not see, and therefore they do not see the truth of things by that light.  If they did, then they would see that of which now they do not even dream.

They would see that God was around them, about their path and about their bed, and spying out all their ways; and in the light of His presence, they dare not be frivolous, dare not be ignorant, dare not be mean, dare not be spiteful, dare not be unclean.

They would see that Christ was around them, knocking at the door of their hearts, that He may enter in, and dwell there, and give them peace; crying to their restless, fretful, confused, unhappy souls, ’Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:  and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’

They would see that Duty was around them.  Duty—­the only thing really worth living for.  The only thing which will really pay a man, either for this life or the next.  The only thing which will give a man rest and peace, manly and quiet thoughts, a good conscience and a stout heart, in the midst of hard labour, anxiety, sorrow and disappointment:  because he feels at least that he is doing his duty; that he is obeying God and Christ, that he is working with them, and for them, and that, therefore, they are working with him, and for him.  God, Christ, and Duty—­these, and more, will a man see if he will awake out of sleep, and consider where he is, by the light of God’s Holy Spirit.