the same lustre. They made the same profession and appearance at first. Themselves were awake, and their lamps were burning. But they had no supply for the future. Their goodness was like the morning cloud, and soon vanished away. They had no real religion in the heart. They wanted that inward principle of grace, which can alone enable us to stand fast in the Lord.They were not rooted and grounded in the faith. They had no steady principles of conduct, nor settled habits of action. Like the seed which was sown in the stony ground they forthwith sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth, and when the sun arose, they withered

away.

"But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." They sought and obtained the influences of the Divine Spirit to abide with them through life. They made a serious business of religion. They laid up a store of useful knowledge. They acted upon fixed and steady principles, and acquired habits of religion and virtue. They kept the heart well, knowing that out of it are the issues of life. They looked forwards to the time to come: they provided against the evil day, and extended their view to take in all the temptations and afflictions of human life.

Verse 5. "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." Whether we interpret this coming of the bridegroom, to be the second coming of our Lord to judge the world, or whether we apply it to our appearance before his tribunal at death, is a subject of no corsequence; the material point to be considered is, that, while the bridegroom tarried, all of them, the wise as well as the foolish virgins, slumbered and slept. The wise grew remiss and careless, and the spiritual life declined within them. The foolish virgins returned again to foolishness, and because the Lord delayed, because sentence against an evil work was not speedily exccuted, were fully bent to do evil. Seeing, then, that the wise virgins slumbered as well as the foolish; seeing that good men, as well as bad men, may fall into sin; a question, a very serious one, naturally arises: How shall we distinguish between those temporary relaxations in the Christian race, into which a good man may fall, from the final apostacy of the wicked; how shall we distinguish between the sins of infirmity, into which the best men may fall, from those

sins which are unto death? And to this I beg your attention, as one of the most important subjects which can ever occupy your thoughts. In order to decide this question, Let me ask you, in the first place, What was the nature of your relapse into sin? There are times in which all men feel religious impressions and devout dispositions of mind. The seed is sown in stony places, as well as on the good ground. The influences of heaven descend on the barren desert, as well as on the field which is to be fruitful. On such occasions, the seed which was sown on the stony places will spring up for a time, and the barren desert will seem to bloom. To speak without a figure, the Spirit of God in one manner cr another, in his common or in his special influences, descends upon all men. After such times of refreshing, the saint of a day, as well as the persevering Christian, will receive the word with gladness, and set about a thorough reformation. And as both of them receive the word with gladness, so both of them are subject to sin. Yet they are not alike in their errors. The sinner, having no real principle at bottom, having no fixed plan of life, and but doing every thing by fits and starts, may, at the first approach of temptation, advance with swift steps to ruin. But the true Christian laying his account to nieet with hardships and temptations, prepares against them, and will not wholly fall off. The coward may at once desert his post, and fly from the banners of the Captain of salvation, to the standard of the prince of darkness: but the good soldier of Jesus will make head against the enemy; he will encounter his spiritual foe; he may be foiled for a moment, but he will never be subdued.

In the second place, Let me ask you, what is the state of your mind during these relapses? Are you in total subjection to the sins which have dominion over you? Is your conscience lulled in a profound sleep? Do you roll iniquity like a sweet morsel under your tongue? Do you find the ways of sin to be ways of pleasantness, and all her paths to be peace? Is your bondage sweet, and are the chains of your captivity become pleasant to you? Then I pronounce that there are no symptoms of spiritual life within you; then your sleep is unto death. But, on the other hand, is the dominion which sin has over you, against the bent of your soul? Whilst you sleep does your heart wake? During your captivity, is your face towards Je

rusalem? Do you lament the deceitfulness of your heart, the feebleness of your resolutions, and your own impotence to save yourself? Do you strive to burst asunder the bands which detain you? Then there is hope in Israel concerning you.

In the third place, Let me ask you, what is the nature of the sins into which you fall? Are they contrived be forehand, deliberate? Do you commit them with coolness and with consideration? Or are you led astray on a sudden by the strength of temptation, and the power of prevailing passion? The best of men are subject to the impulse of passion; may yield to the strength of temptation, and be overtaken in a fault. But he is a wicked man who sins upon a plan; who makes a system of iniquity; who contrives scenes of mischief upon his bed, and who rises to execute with ardour what he has contrived with coolness. If the sun goes down upon thy wrath, or on any other bad passion; if day unto day uttereth speech of your evil deeds; if night after night findeth you in the service of sin, then you are a sinner indeed, then you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.

Let me ask again, what are the sins that most easily beset you? The sins of men may be divided into two classes. The one kind flows from a good principle wrong directed, from the perversion and abuse of laudable inclinations; the other kind flows from evil principles and a bad heart, Of the latter kind, are malice, envy, treachery, cruelty, malignity, deceit, and hypocrisy. These indicates a mind which neither fears God nor regards man. The best Christians will at times fall into sins; but they will never harbour in their heart the dark offspring of hell. They may have the failings and the faults of men; but they will never have the crimes of devils, nor the spirit of the damned.

Verse 6, "At midnight there was a cry heard." At midnight, the hour of silence and repose, when the operations of nature seemed to stand still, and all things were at rest, when there was no expectation of any event, then was the cry heard, then was the alarm given-"Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him!" And, indeed, my brethren, it often happens, that our last hour comes unexpected. When we are busied in some favourite scheme, when we are laying a scene of happiness which we expect will last for years, the awful voice comes,

This night thy soul shall be required of thee." I mention not this as if I thought it one of the evils of life. If we are prepared to die, a sudden death must be the most agreeable of all. The servant, who is doing his duty, will be agreeably surprised at an unexpected visit from his master. The soldier, whose arms are crowned with conquest, would be happy if his prince should suddenly come to be the witness of his victory.

Verse 7. "Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps." Their lamps were not gone out, though they were not burning bright. They soon arose and trimmed them, to meet the bridegroom. A good man is always habitually prepared for death. He has an interest in the righteousness of his Redeemer, which purchased life and immortality to men; and he is possessed of those good and holy dispositions which fit us for the inheritance of the saints in light. Such a person is ever in a state of preparation to meet with his Lord.

Verse 8. "And the foolish virgins said unto the wise, Give us of your oil." Mark here, my brethren, the triumph of religion. Wicked men at the last envy the state and the happiness of the good, and desire to partake in it. There is a time coming when those who scoff at religion, and laugh at every thing that is serious, will gladly say to those humble and contrite ones whom they now despise, "Give us of your oil."-" Let us die the death of the righteous; let our last end be like his."-" Would to God our souls were in your souls place." Feeble and ineffectual wishes! which discover their misery, but which cannot save them from it.

Verse 9. "Lest there be not enough for us and you." There are no works of supererogation. After we have done all, we are unprofitable servants; and, though we were perfect, we can assign no part of our righteousness to you: "Go to those that sell." Go to the ordinances of Divine appointment; improve those means of grace which you formerly despised; break off your sins by repentance'; who knows if it be yet too late?-Cætera desunt.

LECTURE V.

LUKE ix. Ver. 28-36.

And it came to pass, about an eight days after these say ings, he took Peter, and James, and John, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And behold there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter, and they that were with him, were heavy with sleep: and when they were awoke they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.While he thus spake, there came a cloud and overshadowed them; and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, hear him. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone: and they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

IN these verses, we have an account of a very remarkable event. Our Saviour having foretold his sufferings and death, in order to keep alive the faith and hopes of his disciples, who would be apt to despair under that mournful event, also foretold them, that some of their own number, before their departure, should behold him coming in his kingdom. "But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God."

As an accomplishment of this prediction, he takes his three favourite disciples, Peter, James, and John, and having carried them to an high mountain, was transfigur