the sufferings upon them. To this period our attention is directed in the very commencement of this prophecy; that persecutors may know what tribulation awaits them, and the persecuted may be comforted in the prospect of their eternal rest. Let us then contemplate,

I. The future judgment of our Lord

Behold, he is surely coming to judge the world—

[Our blessed Lord is "ordained of the Father to be the Judge both of quick and dead"— — The time for his future advent, though not known either to men or angels, is fixed in the counsels of the Father: and at the appointed instant it shall arrive. The world will be sleeping in security and carelessness, as much as ever they were in the days of Noah: but it will not on that account be delayed: "it will come as a thief in the night, and as travail upon a woman with child”. With inconceivable glory will the Lord Jesus then appear, surrounded with myriads of the heavenly host, and "coming in the clouds of heaven' -- His judgment-seat will be erected, the books wherein all the actions, words, and thoughts of men are recorded, will be opened, and all the universe be summoned to give an account of themselves to him- --] Then "shall every eye see him”—

[All who have ever lived, from the very commencement to the end of time, shall be raised from the dead, each in his own proper body. The sea as well as the land will give up the dead that are in it, and not an individual, however great or however obscure, be wanting — All will surround his throne, and behold him in full view: not as unconcerned spectators, but as criminals, whose cause he is about to try, and whose state he will fix in happiness or misery for ever and

Thus certain, and thus awful, will be "our gathering unto Jesus at the last day." But let us more distinctly consider,

II. Its aspect on the different classes of mankind—

The text more especially refers to the ungodly: but, as all will be equally interested in that event, we shall extend our views to the world at large; and consider the aspect of our Lord's advent,

1. On the ungodly

["Those who pierced our Lord" in the days of his flesh, thought not that they should ever behold his face again: but every one of them shall be summoned to his presence in that day. Pilate with the chief priests, and Herod with his men of war, and all the populace who demanded his crucifixion, and the soldiers who mocked him in gorgeous apparel, and drove the crown of thorns into his temples, and those who ploughed long furrows on his back by scourging, and those who nailed him to the cross, and the soldier that pierced his sacred body after he was dead, and all who approved of those proceedings, shall in that day see him yet once more, with all the marks of their cruelty yet upon him: yes, they shall all recognize in his glorious person the Man whom once they treated with such indignity. But how widely changed the condition both of themselves and him! Themselves, no longer in a capacity to oppress; and him, no longer capable of suffering from oppression : themselves, as malefactors and murderers; and him, as the Judge about to take cognizance of their offences: themselves, as children of the devil; and him, as "the Lord of glory!" O, with what horror will they be struck! with what dread will they be overwhelmed!

But are there not many who " pierce the Lord" at this time also, and "crucify him afresh," by continuing in their sins? Yes verily, there are many amongst us not a whit less criminal than his very murderers; I should rather say, far more criminal; inasmuch as they who reject him now, sin against incomparably greater light than was enjoyed by any previous to his crucifixion. It is this that makes the sin against the Holy Ghost so heinous, in comparison of the sins committed against the Son of man. The Holy Ghost has borne such testimony to the truth, as nothing but wilful infidelity can resist. And they who at this day hear the Gospel preached to them, and make no account of all the wonders of love and mercy that are set before them, have a measure of guilt which will make their last state worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrha. Think then, ye, who, having heard the truth, reject it, and, more especially, ye, who, having embraced the truth, dishonour it, or depart from it, think, I say, what will be your views and feelings, when you shall behold that Saviour face to face! Will ye not be ready to call upon the rocks and mountains to fall upon you, and to cover you from his wrath? Yes, indeed will ye; and if even the whole earth will wail because of him, much more will ye, who have received all his grace in vain.

The Apostle adds, "Even so; Amen:" by which I understand him, not merely as confirming the truths which he has before asserted, but as acquiescing in them as every way worthy of their Divine Author. It is right that those who once

pierced him when on earth should wail because of him; and it is right that they also who reject him now should feel the full weight of his displeasure. St. Paul himself puts that matter beyond all doubt, when he says, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha."]

2. On the godly

[Blessed be God, though all the unregenerate shall wail, there are some to whom the Saviour's advent will be a ground of joy! We are told, that the saints "wait for his appearing," and "love it," and "look forward and haste unto it," and in the spirit of their minds are saying, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly." However terrible his advent will be to others, it will not be so to them; for the prospect of being called to "meet the Lord in the air," is that which St. Paul teaches us to regard as a source of the richest consolation, under whatever trials or losses we may be called to sustain. Comfort ye one another," says he, "with these words."

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But here you will naturally ask, Whence arises this difference between the two? Why do the one behold him with such anguish of heart, and the others with such unutterable joy? I answer, The godly have beheld him here, and "mourned before him as for an only Son"." They have seen how grievously they have themselves pierced him by their iniquities; and they have bewailed their guilt and folly with the deepest contrition. They have even looked to his wounds as endured for their transgressions; and have sought for "healing to their souls by the stripes inflicted on him:" and having done this by faith, they are accepted before God, and shall "be presented before him faultless with exceeding joy."

Seek ye then, beloved, "the Spirit of grace and of supplications," whom God has promised to pour out upon you. Then shall you have such views of the Saviour as shall bring peace to your souls, and such views as will give you confidence before him at his future coming.]

a Zech. xii. 10.

MMCCCCLXXVIII.

BEING IN THE SPIRIT.

Rev. i. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day.

WE are told by our blessed Lord, "Not to fear those who can only kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do." The truth is, that whilst men are wreaking their vengeance upon the body,

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they cannot obstruct God's communications to the soul, or destroy the happiness of those whom they desire to torment. Paul and Silas have borne testimony to this: for, with their feet fastened in the stocks, and their backs torn with scourges, they sang praises to God aloud at midnight." St. John, too, when he was "banished to the Isle of Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ:" and was there "a companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ," participating, in his advanced age, the afflictions with which all the seven Churches of Asia had been visited; he, I say, received more abundant manifestations of God's love to his soul, and was honoured there with revelations more full and complete, than were ever vouchsafed to any other child of man. And we also, if suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ, may expect that, " as our afflictions abound, so also shall our consolations abound by Christ"."

In confirmation of this, I will shew,

I. How far this experience of St. John may be realized in us

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When it is said, that "He was in the Spirit" on the Lord's day, I conceive that we are to understand, he was in a trance or ecstacy, somewhat similar to that of the Apostle Paul, who was caught up into the third heavens, and knew not whether he was in the body, or out of the body"." Yet, as it was the Lord's day, a day kept sacred by the Christian Church, in commemoration of the resurrection of our blessed Lord, we may be sure that he was in a frame of mind becoming the Sabbath of the Lord. Now, I readily acknowledge, that, as far as relates to any thing miraculous, Christians of the present day

a 2 Cor. i. 5.

b 2 Cor. xii. 2-4. with Rev. iv. 2.

On the first day of the week our Lord appeared to his Disciples: on that day, in the following week, he appeared to them again, John xx. 19, 26. From that time the Church assembled on that day for holy exercises, Acts xx. 7; and it was ever afterwards kept holy, 1 Cor. xvi. 2.

have no warrant to expect any communications similar to those which were vouchsafed to John: but of spiritual blessings it is the privilege of every Christian to participate; and on the Sabbath-day he ought to experience a more abundant effusion of them on his soul.

1. The Lord's day is set apart for that end—

[It is a day on which all worldly business should be suspended, and the soul be wholly given up to divine and spiritual employments. The ceremonial part of the Sabbath may be considered as abrogated, together with the rest of the Mosaic ritual but the moral observance of it is as much in force as ever. Even in Paradise that was enjoined, and therefore we are assured it is of perpetual obligation: and the kind of observance which it demands, is well described by the prophet: "Thou shalt turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and shalt call the Sabbath a delight; the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words"." Here we see how the Sabbath should be sanctified: every thing that is earthly and carnal should be banished from our minds; and our whole conversation and employment should have a direct reference to God, and to the concerns either of our own souls, or of the Redeemer's kingdom in the world.]

2. Our frame of mind should be suited to it

[If we regard the Lord's day as we ought, "then," as the prophet says, "shall we delight ourselves in the Lord; and he will cause us to ride upon the high places of the earth, and will feed us with the heritage of Jacob our father." Six days God has given us for earthly labour: the seventh should be wholly his; our thoughts and desires going out after him; our souls rising to him in sweet meditation, and in holy intercourse; our praises ascending from the altar of our hearts, and all our sacrifices doubled. In a word, we should then "dwell in God, and have God dwelling in us;" so near should be our access to him, so intimate our communion with him, so entirely our souls surrendered up to him. On every day we should be " a people. near unto God;" but on the Sabbath more especially we should be able to say, "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." In this sense we should "be in the Spirit on the Lord's day." To "be filled with the Spirit," is as much our privilege, as it was of the Apostles.