means by which this is accomplished, is so tender, so kind, so suitable to our weakness and to our wants, that when it is once rightly seen, seen in its real character, it ravishes the heart, and men wonder that the things of this vain world could ever for a moment seduce their affections, and bind them down to earth, while infinite love and mercy thus allured them to the skies.

But then it will be asked, How are we to procure these views which certainly we have not? How are subjects of this kind, which have been hitherto insufferably tiresome, to acquire this interest with us? And we meet this by another remark. The discovery of these things is the result of spiritual sight. You want that spiritual sight. You want spiritual conversion. Nothing but the converting power of the Spirit of the Lord, changing the habit and direction of your thoughts and affections, can ever give you that which you need, and surround eternal things with a greater fascination than you have felt in the things of time. And yet on this the salvation of your soul depends. This alone can break the spell, which yet keeps you earthly and sensual. But for this you must apply diligently and earnestly to God. God only can give this blessing: and he, blessed be his name, has promised to all that ask it. Go, then, to the Lord, and cry, "My soul cleaveth to the dust, quicken thou me, O Lord, according to thy word." "Open thou mine eyes, that I may see wondrous

things out of thy law." This prayer will be answered, if it is offered in sincerity. You have only to be faithful to yourself, and diligent in the way of God's appointment; and then, in a short space of time, you will have grace given you to shake off the fetters which bind you to this present life. You will see the beauty of eternal things. You will drink of the waters of life, and you will have a right given you through the merits of the Mediator, to sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

SERMON V.

THE FLOOD OF FIRE.

MATTHEW XXIV. 37.

As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

THE lapse of time is regular, definite, and certain; but it is to us almost imperceptible; and events regarded as remote, creep upon us unawares. This is partly owing to the nature of things; and partly to the diseased state of our moral nature; by which we are so absorbed in the present, as to give little serious heed to the future. "We take no note of time but by its flight;" and the close of another year of life comes upon us with inconceivable swiftness. It seems almost impossible that we should have again to record the flight of one more year of our three-score and ten,-of another year gone never to return. How many plans and purposes remain unfulfilled! How many objects unattained. How much time wasted! How many valuable op

portunities lost! How little knowledge gained! How little progress in the love of God, or the sanctification of the soul! And how far short, in all these respects, have we fallen of the expectations and intentions with which we began the year! But the last hours of it are now running fast away, the period is gone by; its account is given in, and whatever it is, it stands recorded against us, to meet us at the judgment-seat of Christ. That which was contingent and in our power, is now for ever irrevocably fixed.

We may learn however from this, a very important lesson. This practical measure of the rapid flight of time, should not be lost. There are future events before us, far more solemn than the close of the year. The last day of each year may well call up to our attention, the last day of this whole scene of things, when this earth shall have rolled its last annual revolution, when it shall have turned its last diurnal round upon its failing axis, and when it shall sink again into the chaos out of which it was called. And that will be an awful day; for then the Son of man shall come in his glory, to judge the world. Then he shall call every guilty individual to his bar, and execute upon him the vengeance written in the book of God.

Now, seeing that the close of another year reaches us so unexpectedly; and that at the very utmost we have but a few years remaining to us as individuals, and are not really certain of our

continuance here for another; we are warranted from the analogy of the case of one year, to fear lest even the awful day of final account and retribution should glide imperceptibly upon us; and lest, before we are aware, the appalling clamour of the last trumpet should ring upon our ear, "Awake, dead and come to judgment."

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But we are not left merely to this conclusion from analogy. It is fair to infer, that as life is made up of years, so the last day of life may reach us in the same unexpected imperceptible way, as the last day of any one year. But besides this, we have the authority of the Saviour for the fact, that the last scene of this world's solemnities will, to a large portion of mankind, be precisely such a sudden unlooked for and unwelcome visitant. For he says, "As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and swept them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." There is something very tremendous in this; and something deeply interesting to us all; for on that day, on that solemn occasion, we must all be present to take our part; and if it be true that that day shall burst unexpectedly upon a large portion of mankind, it becomes us to look diligently to ourselves, that we may be found ready, watching unto prayer,