heavy and dull in discovering the signs of the Lord's coming and so when that day arrives, it will find the self-indulgent christian unprepared, and take him unawares. Whenever it does come, its preparatory tokens will be so arranged, that they will be like a snare laid for every body all over the world: there may be so many different ways of accounting for the signs, that people will not believe they are to end in the Lord's coming; and no one will escape, but those who are really aware of the danger, and carefully preparing for it. Christians must therefore be watchful, and in a spirit of prayer, under all circumstances and at all seasons; in order that they may not be deceived by mistaken notions concerning the signs, but may be found in that state of mind and heurt, which shall mark them out as fit to pass safely through the dreadful things which are to happen for the trial of christians, and to be raised up to stand before Christ at the time of his return to the earth, called (Rev. xx. 5, 6.) " the first resurrection."

Our Lord, having thus instructed his disciples to watch for those preparatory events, by which they might know that his return to earth was at hand, and so avoid being taken unawares, now contrasted this looking for the signs of his coming, with the impossibility of men discovering the exact time, unconnected with the circumstances by which it would be marked. As to the exact day and hour when Jesus will appear again, no created being is made acquainted with it, neither men upon earth nor augels in heaven. So entirely is this great event kept secret in the mind of God the Father, that even the eternal Son of

God, by becoming man, placed himself out of the communication of the knowledge of it to him, as a man. (John xiv. 28. Acts i. 7.) It could therefore only be known by the signs he had given them; to which he now added another-the general character of the times immediately before that coming, which he had described upon the former occasion when he had particularly prophesied upon the subject. (Luke xvii. 22-37; see page 4.) As the time of Christ's second coming draws near, the state of the world will be just the same as when Noah was preparing the ark before the flood:-in those days people went on in their usual habits, without taking any heed to the dreadful judgment drawing nigh. They took their meals, and made their family arrangements-marrying and giving in marrage-just as if nothing particular was about to happen : and this continued up to the very moment that Noah went into the ark. He had preached to them, and warned them of the coming destruction (Heb. xi. 7. 1 Peter iii, 19. 2 Peter ii. 5); but they had paid no serious attention to his words, and knew nothing of what they had been so often told; until they found it out by the event, when the waters were let loose upon the earth, and every soul was drowned in the midst of their careless security, (Gen, vi. 5-8; vii.) Just such shall be the state of things, when the Lord again visits the earth: that great event shall separate persons who have been engaged in the same occupations, nay living in the closest intercourse; and shall appoint them to different conditions, to be either with the Lord or cast out of his presence, according as their affections have been placed on things above, or

on things of the world. (Col, ii. 1-4. 1 John ii. 15-17.) Two labourers will be engaged together at their work in the fields; one of them being in Christ will be taken up to him in his glory, and the other will be left behind in the world; two women employed in the domestic occupation of eastern countries-the use of the handmill (see page 6); one being in Christ will be taken up to Him in his glory, and the other left in the world to which she belongs. (1 Thess. iv. 13-17.)

As this will be the state of things, and as none can know the precise time when this awful separation will take place, Christians must constantly be upon the watch, and in the habit of prayer, in order to be prepared for the Lord's return. He may be likened to a person who went on a long journey; and who, upon leaving home, appointed the proper mode of conducting his household until he should return; giving certain authority to his servants, and arranging the work of each member of the family; specially commanding the person in charge of the door of the house to be on the watch for his arrival. Jesus bid every christian consider himself as a door-keeper under such a charge; and as not knowing whether his absent Master might knock at the door to be admitted at one hour or at another-in the evening, at midnight, at early dawn, or in the full morning-and as always fearing lest he might come unexpectedly, and find him asleep or negligent. Or, to make use of another comparison,-suppose the master of a house had been informed that an attempt would be made to break open bis house at a certain hour in the night, certainly he would have sat up and watched against the attack, rather than

allow his house to be robbed. It is reasonable then for a Christian to act in the same manner, when he is told that the Lord Jesus shall come again from heaven in the same secret and silent way as a thief makes his attempts to rob at night. (1 Thess. v. 1-7.) Each one must be in readiness to receive him; remembering that He will not let any one know the exact time, but will come when least expected. Our Lord specially de. clared that these earnest and repeated warnings were not meant only for the apostles, or for his ministers in general; but that, in speaking to them, he meant that all Christians should take the warning to themselves and watch.

V. THE REPETITION.

Now read again the Scriptures: see No. II.

VI. THE APPLICATION.

It is of great importance for us to get a clear view of the true meaning of this prophecy of our Lord; and to have broken the passage into short portions, would bave made it impossible to shew fully the connexion of the whole. But for this, it would have been desirable to point out the various applications as they occurred, in the manner which has hitherto been adopted. As, however, the explanation has included so much Scripture, from which so many applications might profitably be suggested, we shall only make a short reference to a few of them; and then consider something more at length the one great application of the whole portion, that which leads us to prepare for the glorious Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. The conduct of the disciples upon leaving the Temple, after hearing that most alarming

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discourse which our Lord had just delivered, (Matt. xxiii. see page 183,) is an instance of the way in which the mind is easily attracted by outward things, from the most serious and important spiritual warnings. Their attention was drawn away from the awful things spoken by our Lord, by the beautiful appearance of the Temple and in like manner the impression of many a powerful preaching of truth has been greatly done away by the attractive effect of the beauty of the building in which it was delivered; which has kept the thoughts occupied, when they should have been given to the preacher. Our Lord, in his answer, pointed out the passing nature of the beautiful things which drew away their minds; and thus conveyed a gentle rebuke of all similar inattention.

QUESTION.

How has my mind been occupied upon leaving Church, after hearing the word of God? Upon the beauty of the passing things of the present world, or upon the subject connected with eternal things, which has been pressed upon me in the Sermon ?

2. Our Lord took every opportunity of bringing forward important truths, in connection with the remarks made by others. Upon this occasion, the observation of the disciples on the beautiful stones of the temple, led him to speak of their destruction, in order to shew how little they ought to be valued, in comparison with the things of the "kingdom which cannot be moved." (Heb. xii.28.) Christians, in imitating this example, should not fail to check the light conversation of the world, by such remarks as may tend to direct the mind to the passing away of the things of this world, and the establishing of that kingdom which shall never pass away. (1 John ii. 15, 17.)