ted forever into "the joy of his Lord." His sins were all forgiven, and washed away in the blood of the Redeemer. His soul was purified from every stain; and delivered from every error, and from every fear. His former hopes were now terminated in fruition immensely superior to all that eye had seen, or ear heard, or heart conceived. His faculties were ennobled and perfected. To know, to love, and to enjoy, was henceforth his only business; the proper destination of a rational, virtuous, and immortal mind.

To the Resurrection he looked forward without impatience, but with a delightful assurance of hope. Then his vile body, committed to the grave in weakness, corruption and dishonour, he knew would be raised in power, incorruption, and glory; and changed, and refashioned like unto Christ's glorious body, accor ding to the working, whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. He knew, from the promises of GoD, that, at that period, his body and mind would be re-united; and would constitute one perfect and glorious man, formed for none but exalted purposes and enjoyments. He also knew, that, at that period, all his companions in the faith and patience of the saints would be united with him; and that, thus united, all would commence the divine system of virtuous existence and virtuous conduct, destined to adorn the new heavens and the new earth, wherein righteousness shall dwell forever.

SERMON XXI.

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

LUKE Xii. 40.

Be ye therefore ready, also; for the Son of Man cometh at an hour, when ye think not.

In the preceding part of this Chapter our Saviour gives us a series of most solemn and important instructions concerning our conduct in the present life, and our preparation for that which is to come. In the 35th verse he enjoins the duty of watchfulness as eminently interesting to man, especially to Christians; and in the succeeding verses, enforces it by several solemn considerations. To this injunction he returns, immediately, in the text; and annexes to it a reason, of the highest moment : "Be ye, therefore, ready, also; for the Son of Man cometh at an hour, when ye think not."

In discoursing upon this passage I propose to consider briefly I. The persons, to whom the command is addressed;

II. The command itself; and

III. The Reason, by which it is enforced.

I. The persons, to whom the command was addressed, were originally, the audience, to which our Saviour was speaking. These, as St. Luke informs us, were "an innumerable multitude of people," gathered as it would seem, to hear him preach the Gospel. A part of them were his disciples: a part of them were his enemies and a part, probably including the greatest number, could scarcely have known any thing of him, unless by report. To all these classes of men the command is addressed in the written Gospel. To him, who reads it, and to him, who

hears it, it is addressed alike; and that, whether he be a christian, or a sinner; acquainted with Christ, or unacquainted. At the present time, it is addressed immediately to every member of this audience.

II. In examining the command itself I shall briefly mention, 1st. What that is, for which we are to be ready and 2dly. What is included in being ready.

1st. We are required to be ready for the Coming of Christ. There are several senses, in which this phrase may be fairly understood, as used in the Scriptures. When it is applied to individuals, it particularly denotes the day of death. Death to every man is the time, in which Christ will come; which will terminate every man's probation, and put an end to the necessity and duty, of watching, so solemnly enjoined in the text. All the purposes, for which he is to watch, are then finally settled; and all the opportunities of becoming ready for the appearance of his Master are ended forever. Whatever privileges, whatever means, of amendment he may have possessed; he will posses them no more. Whatever resolutions he may have formed, whatever labours he may have begun, towards the preparation, enjoined; they will all cease at this period. If the work is not now done; it will never be done. For the coming of Christ, then, on our dying day we are here commanded to be ready.

We are also required to be ready for the Judgment. When we leave the world, we shall be summoned to give an account of the manner in which we have spent our probation, and employed our talents. This account we shall give to Christ himself; and shall then be declared by him to have done well, or ill. The sentence, which he will here pronounce, will be irreversible; and the trial admit of no appeal. Our souls will be suspended on its issue and whatever good or evil may be in store for us during the progress of our future being; whatever may be hoped, and whatever may be dreaded, by us; it will all follow this decision. For an event of this magnitude it is immensely important, that we should be ready.

We are, also, to be ready for Eternity. In this immense duration the final sentence will be carried into complete, and endless, execution. Every work, which we have done in this life, will then find its reward: and the sum of happiness, or the mass of misery, allotted to us, will be immeasurably great. Who ought not to be ready for such a state of being, as this? What measures ought to be grudged? What pains ought to be spared? What self-denial ought not cheerfully to be undergone?

2dly. I will now proceed to enquire what is included in being Ready.

This subject, for reasons which satisfy myself, I shall canvass in the negative form. From the characteristics of those, who are not ready, my audience may, if they are willing, learn with some advantages, which are peculiar to this mode of discussion, the true nature of that preparation for the coming of Christ, which he has enjoined in the text.

In the first place, No person is ready for the coming of Christ, who does not keep the Sabbath holy.

We are required in the Scriptures to "turn away our foot from the Sabbath, from doing our pleasure on this holy day; to call the Sabbath a delight, and the Holy of the Lord honourable ; and to honour him: not doing our own ways, nor finding our own pleasure, nor speaking our own words." If we do this; we are furnished with a series of most gracious promises, conveying to us the richest of all blessings. We shall be accepted in all our solemn services; shall be enabled to "delight" ourselves "in JEHOVAH;" shall be made "joyful in his house of prayer ;" and shall have given to us "an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off." At the same time, we are required not to "forsake the assembling of ourselves together; to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;" and are taught, that all the good, esteem the "tabernacles of JEHOVAH amiable ;" that their "heart," and their . "flesh, cry out for the living God" that his house is to them, as a nest to the sparrow; and that "every one of them in Zion appeareth before him." Here, we are taught, "he is their Sun, and. their Shield:" here he "gives grace, and glory;" and here "he

withholds from them no good thing." On the other hand, the anger of GoD against the pollution of the Sabbath is awfully shown in the law, which required, that "the Sabbath breaker should be stoned;" in the declaration, that the land should lie desolate during the Babylonish captivity, because it did not rest in their Sabbaths, while the Israelites dwelt upon it; and in the prediction of GOD, recorded by Ezekiel, that he "would pour out his fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them, because they greatly polluted his Sabbaths."

It will not be denied, that in this audience the number of persons, who do not perform these duties, and are guilty of these sins, is not small. The listless, sleeping, stupid attitude, so often seen in this house; and the trifling, light-minded, irreverent character, perhaps on no Sabbath unseen; prove beyond a hope, as well as beyond a doubt, that this holy day is by the same persons profaned, and polluted, elsewhere. To every one of these persons I say without hesitation, You are not ready for the coming of Christ. You live in a regular, gross, daring disobedience to the commands of GOD; commands, too, delivered to mankind in a manner, awful and solemn beyond expression. At the same time you have not attempted, you are not now attempting, to prepare yourselves either for death, judgment, or eternity. This is evident beyond all controversy, because the Sabbath is the very day, and the Sanctuary the very place, in which, more than in all others, this preparation is to be made. This is the time, in which God especially requires you to "hear his voice, and not harden your hearts." This is the day, on which, if ever, your burnt offerings and sacrifices are to be accepted on his altar. This is the day, on which "the Lord hath chosen Zion, and desired it for his habitation." On this day he says, "This is my rest forever here will I dwell. I will abundantly bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with bread:" the bread of life. "I will clothe her priests with salvation; and the saints shall shout aloud for joy," To these commands you refuse obedience; these blessings you cast away.