Jesus ever kept up a view of the joy set before him. Paul walked in the same path; he counted not his "life dear unto himself, that he might finish his course with joy." And shall the same argument be lost upon us? Shall we walk and act as if only inhabitants of time? The thought is awful that there is no action of our lives which shall terminate in its consequences with this scene; that every action of man has a reference to eternity! and, as such, will be weighed by God. If I could drop the dimming veil tonight, and let you into the vision of eternity, I would ask the glorified throng in what light they considered the value of the things of time compared with the glories of eternity. And what would be the reply? With one heart and one voice they would exclaim, they are not to be compared! If I should then bring you down from this mount of transfiguration, would you be found delighting in the wedge of gold or preferring the diadem of a Cæsar to that which fadeth not away? No! you would lightly esteem all the treasures of Egypt; you had seen in the light of God, and it good, truly good to be there, and there only!

you found

But though I have not such a power, yet I can direct you how to anticipate such an enjoyment. The telescope of faith is given to man, and by it he can pierce into the invisible world! it is evidence of things unseen; you can only see this through this glass darkly, I admit it, but you could not endure a stronger glare. Faith softens the refulgence and makes it discoverable by man; it enables him to see the glory at such a distance that we can look with eagle eye at this dim vision of eternal day! Oh! that we were wise!

Then, before the day of life closes, do the work of God— now, to-day; the night of death is coming; the curtain shall soon drop and be gently closed around the last sleep of your human existence, and "there is no device in the grave whither we are hastening; the night cometh, when no man can work." It is all our lot; we cannot hide the mortifying truth; the landscape which now delights us shall soon delight us no more! I have beautified my house, but I know not for whom. I have amassed treasure, but I know not who shall enjoy it;

the bed in which I shall soon repose my wearied body, and enjoy the sleep of nature, shall ere long be chilled with the damps of death. May I therefore ever intwine the motto to Timothy round my heart: "I must do the work of an evangelist;" and may you grave beneath your escutcheons this night the motto of my text: "I must do the work of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work."

But, besides this consideration, let me add another. There is not only an hereafter state generally, but that state is a state of retribution, of reward, and the man who has his eye on this recompense despises all the treasures of Egypt. It is said of Christ, that for the joy set before him he endured the cross: Paul saw the glory which should be revealed in him in such a point of view that he says, "Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God." And do not all who tread in their steps have the same feeling? Ask the modern apostle of the Indies what induced him to quit his native shores the nineteenth time, never more to return? What induced him to brave the boisterous ocean and ride o'er the caverns of the deep? The breeze itself will answer; listen to the murmurs of the gentle gale: "I must do the work of him that sent me, while it is day."

I shall only add another consideration, and with it I will close. Look beyond the grave! How shall the saint made ripe here for eternity be attended through the portals of Paradise? Hear what the Spirit saith: "His works do follow him." It is a glorious thought! I use it not to excite your charity; God himself uses it, and he would not offer us any consideration which is not founded on Eternal Truth! "His works do follow him!" and by his works, as the evidence of his faith, he shall be justified or condemned. Will you, then, be satisfied to enter the royal palace of the King of Glory-now your own possession as sons of God-with so meager a train as that which I fear will deck too many who expect to be welcomed there? Or, rather, will you not enter it in such a manner as will not cause you to be

ashamed when presenting the account of your stewardship? "Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents."-" Lord, I have had five committed to my care, and behold I have gained other five." Oh! then, scatter your seed with a bountiful hand this evening! You may not here see the full extent of the crop, but hereafter, when all shall be separated, the full extent of the fruits of your individual offering will then appear. Scatter the seed abroad; leave the gathering of the fruit to God: if you expect a plentiful harvest, sow plentifully; and you shall not only say, "Lord, here am I and the children thou hast given me," but you will be constrained to inquire, "Who are these others following hard after? and this third band likewise?" "The children which God has graciously given to his servant," is the answer from winged seraphs. "Thou hast been faithful over a few things, and God has made thee ruler over many things; thy one talent has produced ten: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Then will you shine as stars, nay, as suns, in the firmament of your Father, forever and ever! Amen!

SERMON XXII.

THE TRIUMPH OF THE GOSPEL.

A MISSIONARY SERMON.

Habakkuk, ii., 14.-For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory o the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

If we seek at all times to trace the Providences of God, we shall often find that he makes his throne darkness to us; and from the thick darkness we hear a voice saying, "What I do, thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." But in tracing the operations of the word of his grace and the state of his church we find this clearly made known. *** The eternal fiat has gone forth: "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

I. Consider the subject matter of this prophecy.

II. What is said concerning it.

III. Offer a few remarks to confirm the declaration.

I. Consider the subject matter of this prophecy.

The "glory of the Lord" has various meanings. A grand display of this was made when Moses and Aaron and the seventy elders were called up into the mount. There they beheld his glory! It was as a pavement of fire of the colour of a sapphire, and as the heavens for brightness !—

Any particular visible display of his presence was his glory! for God can display himself in no other way than a glorious one. Hence, when in the wilderness he fed them with manna, and appeared in a cloud, this was his glory! Again, when he led them on in their journeyings by the pillar of fire and cloud, he was in the pillar, and it was "the glory of the Lord!" In aftertimes it was applied to the display made of his glory between the wings of the cherubim, and even to the ark of the covenant afterward deposited in the holy place. When this was taken by the Philistines it was a disastrous day; old Eli died; his daughter was brought to a premature birth; and when in the agonies of dissolution, having heard that he was a son, "call his name Ichabod," the glory of the Lord is departed.

But the term has also reference to the Gospel, and St. Paul proves that this was eminently the glory of the Lord! There was a glory attending the law, but this was much more glorious.* The law was the ministration of death, the Gospel of life. The law denounces the requirements of God without any hope to the sinner, the Gospel proclaims pardon. The law leaves us in our lost estate, but the Gospel is the word of salvation! It is more glorious than the law in its author, his person, and his work.

1. His person was glorious; a better tabernacle than Moses's made by God himself-human in materials, but Divine in workmanship: even the humanity was built by God! A better glory rested on this tabernacle than Moses's; sometimes this glory darted through the veil of his

* See Benson.

lesh, and made his appearance white and glistering. And then they "beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father;" yea, in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

2. In his work. He comes not to condemn, but to save; and herein is God glorified in the salvation of men. *

But the Gospel is peculiarly glorious above the law, 1. In its extent. If we look at former times, we might perhaps think that God had selected a few-originally one family of man-as his peculiar treasure; but now we find this was only that the coming of the Messiah might be more clearly marked. When that purpose was accomplished, and everything predicted concerning him by the prophets fulfilled, then the mystery which had been hidden from ages was made manifest, even that the Gentiles should be partakers of the same riches in glory by Christ Jesus. The veil of the Temple was rent from top to bottom, the holiest was laid open, and the cry went forth, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." He broke down the middle wall of partition between us, even to the foundation; he razed it up as Jerusalem was razed, and left not one stone upon another; he made a highway for all the kindreds of the earth: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."

2. It represents the Divine attributes more gloriously than the law. There was indeed a great glory on the mountain when God made known his law. The mountain shook! the people trembled! God was terrible in his majesty! The glory of his justice was great when the earth swallowed up Korah and his rebellious company. His hatred to sin was conspicuous in many such instances. But neither in the casting down of angels nor destruction of the world would his glory have been so marked as in the death of his own Son! In that there is the richest display both of grace and justice!

"Here the whole Deity is known,

Nor dares a creature guess

Which of the glories brightest shone,

The justice or the grace."