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they only became day by day more and more hardened. If they had some fear in the beginning, on hearing the first warning that came from Noah's lips, they had none whatever in the end, but were bold, reckless, and openly defiant. Doubtless, many a time they said to Noah, "Are you still at your old folly, putting fancy for fact, and preparing for dangers that can never come?"

Such mockery was hard to bear; yet never for one moment did it shake his faith in the truth of God's warning word, or stay his preparation. He still gathered his materials, studied his plans, put beam to beam, and plank to plank, and never let the sound of hammer cease till the last needed nail had been driven in. Then when at length the fated hour had come, and Noah had entered, the Lord shut him in.

Come what may, he at least was now safe. There might be waters from above, and waters from below, and wild rolling waters on every side; but this mattered not to him, for he was within the ark,. and its door was securely shut by God's own hand. There was, however, judgment as well as mercy in the shutting of that door; for while it was salvation to all within, it was utter destruction to all without.

"What a sound was that," said Mr. Stewart of Cromarty, "when in the listening ominous hush of Earth's last evening God shut the door. There have been sounds as well as sights to make the boldest hearts quail and the flintiest hearts melt,-the cry has gone up from cities given over to fire and sword, or the shuddering throe of earthquakes which hurries myriads to death; but except the cry on Calvary which corresponded to it, no more solemn or melancholy sound has been heard by

human ears than that which passed into the evening stillness when the broad green earth was left to be the grave of mankind, and God shut the door of the ark."

Once again God will shut the door. Man will not do it, angels will not do it. But oh, what a sigh and shudder will pass through the listening universe when God will shut the door of the heavenly ark upon the lost! This last-named event is still in the future: nevertheless, the shutting of the first door is not more certain than the final shutting of the second; and the fact that it is to be sudden and unexpected should powerfully urge every unsaved soul to an immediate repentance and closing with offered mercy in Christ.

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able, when once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door.-LUKE xiii. 24, 25.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.-MATT. XXV. 11, 12.

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.-Ps. i. 6.

December 24

THE DAY THAT FOLLOWS THE night.

FREQUENT reference is made in Scripture to a coming

day. All are familiar with expressions like these: "The day is at hand "-"The day shall declare it "—“ May he find mercy of the Lord in that day"-" Sealed unto the day of redemption "-" Hasting unto the coming of the day of God." Very plainly, a day so spoken of can be

no ordinary one. To those who reject the Son of God it can only be a day of terror and dismay, while to his believing people it will be the completion of all they have ever hoped or longed for.

There are many darkening mists meanwhile, through latent worldliness and lingering unbelief; but as soon as that promised day breaks every cloud and shadow shall vanish away. There will be no more dark mysteries in God's providence, or sore hidings of his face, or seeing through a glass, darkly. Such things shall all have

passed away for ever.

Besides being a day of brightness, it will also be one of unbroken peace. Whatever the wars, tumults, and commotions beforehand, there will be none after. Instead of tempest there will be calm, and instead of discord, harmony. "Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim." "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

Moreover, it will in every sense be a day of gladness and joy, for it will be the harvest-day, when those who have sown in tears shall reap in joy; and the resting-day, when work is done and home is reached; and the marriageday, with all its joyous feasting and gladsome song. And it will be a rewarding day-the day when the cross shall be exchanged for the crown; for if we suffer with our Lord, we shall also reign with him.

Best of all, it will be a day followed by no night. Here the brightest and longest day has always its ending; it closes in night. But this day of days is not merely a bright day and a happy day; it is an eternal day. When

the weeping of the night is over, a joy cometh in the morning; and that morning never has an evening again. With all its blessedness and glory, it abideth ever. It is written, "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

Now, to all appearance, this is a day not far off. Even were long ages to elapse before it came, it would be well worth waiting for, just because it brings such blessings in its train. But it is not thus distant; for the apostle, in speaking of it, does not say, “The night is just beginning, and the day is far off," but, on the contrary, “The night is far spent, and the day is at hand." "It is certain," said Samuel Rutherford, "that there is not much sand to run now in our Lord's sand-glass. The fair morning is at hand; the day-star is near its rising; and we are not many miles from home. What matters, then, the ill entertainment in the smoky inns of this miserable earth? We are not to stay here, and we shall be dearly welcome to Him to whom we go."-Meanwhile, till that glad day come, let us be daily found praying with more faith, and loving with more ardour, and working with more energy, than ever we have done before.

Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.-SONG OF SOL. ii. 17.

Of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.-1 THESS. v. 1, 2, 4-6.

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December 25.

THE MARRIAGE FEAST, AND JESUS THERE.

T is sweet to think that not in our sorrows only can

IT

we count on the sympathy of Jesus, deep and tender, but also in all our joys. While he ever readily enters the house of mourning to impart peace and comfort to troubled hearts, he enters just as willingly the house of gladness to bless it with his smile. This was touchingly exemplifiea at the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee. There was no declinature on his part of the invitation sent; no staying away because the gathering was to be a festive one, and still less because it was to be a marriage feast. On the contrary, he gave not his presence only, but his blessing also-yea, and a bounteous supply besides.

This is a fact of peculiar interest; for in these days of growing lawlessness there are many who not merely ignore marriage as a divine institution, but resist and resent it as an undue interference with human freedom. With Socialistic license, they would have all men free to form unions, and as absolutely free to dissolve them at pleasure. There are others who, while in words admitting marriage to be a divine institution, yet in reality degrade it by representing it as not pure enough for the saintly, and altogether incompatible with a sacred calling and a consecrated life.

In opposition to all this our blessed Lord, by his presence at the feast, not only gave his solemn sanction to the ordinance of marriage, but imparted to it an honour and dignity even higher far than it before possessed; so that now, more than ever, it stands out as a choice gift of Heaven to men, "a safeguard of society, a nurse of charities,

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