and kinsfolk, teachers and parents, will only lead to our greater downfall, if we take no care, or but a little, of the salvation of our own souls.

In the next place, our blessed Saviour would have us perceive how necessary it is that we should set about this greatest of works immediately. To this purpose, He sets before us the disappointment of the foolish virgins, in finding themselves too late after all. While they went to buy, the Bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage; and the door was shut. Afterwards came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. And He answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. What if it should be so with some of us, and we should find, with all our crying and tears, our good resolutions and penitential words stand us in no stead, as having been taken up too late, on our death-bed, or in extreme old age, when we could no longer make them good in our lives, or improve them, by God's grace, into the true practical love of Him? For we must not flatter ourselves that mere sincerity in wishing and desiring to be saved, and real alarm at the thought of being lost, will be accepted in default of these things. How stands the case with those virgins? After the door is shut, they come knocking, and saying, Lord, &c. You see they are quite in earnest, now; they make no question either of the power or authority of the Bridegroom, or of the blessedness of being admitted into His presence. They long exceedingly to have the door opened.

But His answer is as positive as it is solemn; backed by an oath, which the Son of God was accustomed to use when His word could not be altered, and was particularly meant to be noticed by us all:

Verily I say unto you, I know you not. This is telling us, as plainly as words can speak, that a time is coming in which the most earnest desire to be admitted into heaven will not help a man to be so; because it will come too late to amend our lives. We shall all be quite Christians then, as far as believing Christ and wishing for salvation can make us such. But if we have not the love of Christ in our hearts, we shall knock at the gate of heaven in vain.

It is the warning of the Church to us all, particularly commanded to be repeated at this solemn time of Lent, as being particularly apt to make us uneasy in our sins: Then shall it be too late to knock when the door shall be shut, and too late to cry for mercy when it shall be the time of justice. O terrible voice of most just judgment, which shall be pronounced upon them, when it shall be said unto them, Go, ye cursed, into the fire everlasting, which is prepared for the devil and his angels.

Let us observe, especially, that this will be the sad case of all who are found at the last day not having the love of Christ in their hearts. For so our blessed Saviour Himself tells us, where He declares His reason for rejecting them to be His not knowing them. Now we know that He will not, cannot, say this to any one who truly loves Him; He having taught us by His Apostle, that if any man love God, the same is known of Him.

If, therefore, we are such as, with little or no regard to Jesus Christ, are content to abstain from gross sins, and keep up a fair outward appearance for decency's sake, we must not be surprised if we find our part at last where we little expected. As we are good with an eye to men and not to please God, from men, and not from God, we must expect our reward.

The sum of all is, Watch, for ye know not the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. As we love either our own souls or Him who bought them so dear, let not this gracious counsel be thrown away upon us. Let us watch against sin with care and patience, considering that it is in order to eternal life; with fear and trembling, considering that we watch for our God and King; with hope and cheerfulness, and ever-growing love and charity, considering that we watch for our best friend, and only Saviour.

God give us all grace to do so, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

a These initials indicate that one for whom Mr. Keble had a very especial respect and affection, had come down from Oxford to visit him at that time. This was Noel Thomas Ellison, elected Scholar of Corpus Christi College April 21, 1809, afterwards Fellow and Tutor of Balliol, and subsequently for many years Rector of Huntspill, in the diocese of Bath and Wells.

"And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son."

THERE is something in the story from which these

words are taken which must needs sound very strange and unaccountable to those who read or hear it with as little consideration as people usually employ on such things. The people of Israel having greatly provoked the Lord by their idolatry and wickedness, the prophet Elijah, who is called in the New Testament Elias, prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not upon the earth by the space of three years and six months. It is to be well observed that this prayer was made, not out of spite or anger against his brethren, but out of real tender concern for their good, and in the hope of God's judgments bringing them to repentance, pardon, and peace: and therefore it can furnish no shelter or excuse to those (if any such there are among Christians) who so far deceive themselves as to pray to God against their enemies, because they are their enemies, and to expect their prayers to find favour in His sight. Elijah's prayer being heard, there was of course, before long, a severe famine in the land, during the first part of which, God com