says, that "in such an hour as you think not, the Son of Man cometh :" while, in the following passage, he more particularly declares the same thing: "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all; even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." To the certainty and manner of his coming, we may add, the purpose and consequences of it. When Christ first came into the world, he tells us, that "He was come not to judge the world, but to save the world." In his state of humiliation he came as a Saviour. When he comes in glory, he will come in a different character. He will then come as a judge. He" will sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations." He will come not to save, but to judge the world. Then indeed, in the words of the prophet immediately following the text, he will be "like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap." He will separate the dross from the sterling gold. will divide the chaff from the wheat, the goats from the sheep. He will make an awful and everlasting distinction between the righteous and the wicked; and by his just sentence will assign to each the reward or the punishment to which they are entitled. He will condemn the wicked to everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. He will crown the righteous with "Who everlasting glory in the kingdom of his Father. may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth ?" The meaning of this question is

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plain.

"We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." But who among us will be able to bear the severe and close inquiry which will be then made into our lives and characters ? Who will stand with comfort, with confidence, with acceptance, in the presence of his heart-searching Judge, and will escape in that fearful judgment? In answering this question, I shall show, in the first place, who those are that will not be able to "abide the day of Christ's coming, and to stand before him, when he appeareth ?" Among these we must first place every open and habitual sinner. The drunkard, the liar, the thief, the Sabbath-breaker, the profane swearer, the impious scorner, the impure fornicator, the malicious, the envious, the revengeful man, the extortionate, and the oppressor; all these persons, and all such as these, will assuredly be unable to stand before Christ at his appearing. Whatever they may now think-by whatever excuses they may now silence the voice of conscience-whatever peace they may now feel-whatever security they may now promise to themselves in their iniquities, very different will be their thoughts and feelings wheu they shall be called before the judgment-seat of Christ. They will then see how vain are their excuses, how vast is their guilt. Their boasted confidence will fail. Their tongues, which here spoke so stout against the Lord, will be speechless. Their hearts will tremble and melt like wax. Unable to abide the presence of the Lord, they will be overwhelmed with horrible confusion. In anguish of soul they will " say to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand." To these persons we may add, the worldly man; the man, who has made this world his God, and has set up his idols in the heart," the lust of the flesh,

or the lust of the eye, or the pride of life." All his days he has been constantly engaged in pushing his worldly interests. His treasure has been on earth. His affections have been set on things below. The main employment of his time, of his thoughts, and of his talents has been, how he may procure to himself a somewhat larger portion of worldly goods. Of such a man the world thinks favourably, and looks on him, it may be, with admiration and respect for "the world will love its own ;" and "men will praise thee when thou doest well to thyself." But what will become of such a man in "the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God?" Will he be able to stand in that fearful judgment? No. His idolatrous love of He will

the world will then become his utter confusion. see his beloved idol, the world, and all things in it, consumed with fire; and glad will he be, could he perish in the same flames, rather than stand before the face of his offended judge. But he must stand before the judge, and receive sentence, together with those who,

having served the creature more than the Creator," have held the truth in unrighteousness," and when they knew God, "glorified him not as God." But, perhaps, you begin to think we are carrying things too far. You are ready to say that, according to this way of judging, we condemn all mankind; that not one is left who shall abide the day of Christ's coming, and shall stand when he appeareth. But it is not so. There is

another character to be described-the humble, penitent, believing Christian-a character widely differing from every other which has been drawn, and easily to be distinguished from them all. He is not an open, nor an impenitent sinner. Whatever he may have formerly been, however deeply enslaved to sin, he is now a new creature in Christ Jesus. By the grace of the gospel he has been brought to repent of his sins, to condemn him

self on their account, and to forsake the practice of them. He is not a worldly man. From a principle of conscience, and a sense of duty, he is attentive indeed to his worldly calling, and diligently performs the works committed to him. But his heart is not in these things. He is 66 an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile." His religion is not merely on the outside. His heart indeed is far from being perfect. Much remaining corruption still dwells within. But he watches, prays, and strives against it. Were it in his power he would be holy, even as God is holy. His dependence is solely on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. It is Christ's righteousness, and not his own, in which he hopes to be found. It is the blood of Christ to which he looks for the cleansing of his soul. His declaration is, "In the Lord have I righteousness and strength."-Rev. Edward Cooper.

REUNION OF FRIENDS AT THE LORD'S COMING.

"If we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

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Wherefore, comfort one another with these words."-1 Thes. iv. 13-18.

St. Paul's application of this passage touches a chord which is very legitimately to be used in harmony with this subject. Indeed it must be so used: for the inspired apostle, speaking "by the word of the Lord," so uses it. Have any of us lost some dear friend-one of whom we would gladly have given up this world's wealth to have kept here a little longer? What mother has had a child of her heart torn from her? What husband his wife? What wife her husband? Or if mercifully preserved from these deep wounds of the heart, who has appropriated the facts revealed in the word of God, and

marked the sufferings, and the patience, and the faith of the saints of old, and not anticipated the time when we shall see those saints face to face, and hold sweet intercourse with them in the glorified body? The apostle tells us the particulars of that glorious coming of the Lord that looking forward with a faithful patience for that day, we may comfort our hearts with the assured confidence of seeing them all—all who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

Our Lord says that his elect shall be gathered from the uttermost parts of the earth and heaven. All God's elect-every one whose name is written in the book of life-every one who has loved him on earth-we shall meet them all there. If we be dead-if we be fallen asleep in Jesus, we shall be raised from the dead, and these our mortal bodies shall be changed: " for this mortal must put on immortality." Those who are dead

shall be raised, and those who are alive shall be changed to join them. What unspeakable feelings will that meeting produce!

THE BLESSINGS OF RELIGION, OR DEWY FLEECES ON DRY GROUND.

The Bible is fitted to instruct persons in every station in life. Do you happen to be a fisherman ? You will read there of many who followed the same calling. Have you been called to serve your king and country as a soldier? In the sacred volume you will read of many companions of that profession? Are you a taxgatherer, or as it was called formerly, a publican? You may learn from the accounts of Matthew, of Zaccheus, of the Publican who prayed in the temple, what may be useful to yourself. Or if you are a farmer or a