fluences and circumstances by which they are surrounded. Grave and formal instruction has little influence with them, but a word dropped in season from the lips of loving friends and teachers—if the example and life accord with its spirit- often fixes itself in the very depths of the memory and the heart; and the impressions thus given grow with the growth and strengthen with the strength of advancing years. The effect of these constant and gentle influences may not be immediate and marked. It will not be indicated by sudden and great changes of character. But it will be perceptible in its gradual results, as the blessing of God is seen in the natural world. Religious principles will be instilled into the mind and heart of childhood, through the Divine blessing upon faithful instruction and consistent example, will exert a perpetual restraint upon the heart and life, and may lead, in mature years, to an intelligent and unreserved consecration of the soul to God in His church. Such is the kind of influence which we all, both young and old, feel most deeply, though we may not always recognize the impression, while it is insensibly convincing us of "the beauty of holiness," and winning us by the sweet attraction of an humble and consistent life to "go and do likewise."

By all these different voices does God speak to our hearts. He may pass by as a mighty wind, the earthquake, and the fire, proclaiming His almighty power. His law addresses us with the

voice of offended justice and majesty; heavy calamities may startle us in our course; but all these are but to prepare us for the mild and gracious tones of mercy, for the softening influences of the Spirit, for the wonderful love of God in the gospel of our Saviour. If we bow in submission before the former, God will speak peace to us by the latter. Light will spring out of darkness; the afflicted will be able to rest calmly upon the Divine compassion and the precious promises of heavenly peace; and those filled with alarm through sin and guilt, will at last find hope in their Saviour.

But if nothing in Providence, nothing in the law, nothing in the conscience or the heart convincing of sin, will make you bow before God, with reverence strive to know and do His will, and with penitence seek His pardon, to you infinite mercy will have been vouchsafed in vain. In vain are the Saviour's death and the hopes of heaven set before you in His gospel. God grant that the solemn warnings of Providence, our nearness to death and eternity, the awful judgment of the great day, and the retribution of sin in the world of woe, may bring us all to the cross of Jesus for pardon and hope, that we may listen now to His invitation of love, and yield to the blessed influences of His Spirit; and may we all hereafter hear with joy those thrilling words, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

XXVI.

ON PREPARATION FOR DEATH.

"Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.". MATT. XXV. 13.

THE design of the parable of the ten virgins, from which these words are taken, is to teach the necessity of constant preparation for the advent of the Son of man. Whether its warning be received as referring to that great day of the Saviour's coming in glory to judge the world, when all mankind shall be gathered to meet Him, or to that hour when He cometh to every mortal man, and the soul is called to separate from its earthly tenement, the great practical truth conveyed by it is the same,—a truth enforced as well by the course of Divine Providence, as by the uniform teaching of the Word of God. The parable represents, under the characters of the wise and the foolish virgins, the condition of men in view of their preparation for death, or the final coming of the Saviour in His kingdom. Some were always ready, with their lamps trimmed and burning, waiting for the cry which might be heard at any hour, — "Behold, the bridegroom cometh." Others, while they expected to go in with him unto the mar

riage, neglected the work of preparation till the moment should come, suffered the oil in their lamps to fail, and when the midnight cry was heard, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet him," were found unprepared, and were shut out from the marriage. The Son of man is said to come to every man, when the hour of his death has arrived; and the suddenness with which this hour frequently comes, is like the summons at midnight by which the virgins were aroused from their sleep. And from this instructive and impressive parable I wish to draw the lessons it was designed to teach.

I. The difficulty of preparing for death, when it is near at hand.

II. The blessedness of living in a state of preparation for it.

III. How man may be prepared for the last sum

mons.

I. It is one of the most decisive marks of the natural deadness and inaptitude of the human heart to spiritual impressions, that the awful event which all men instinctively dread, the coming of which no man can foresee, and whose power is daily witnessed wherever we move among the families of men, has so little practical influence upon the character and plans of mankind. Though death often comes with such startling suddenness both to old and young, though the circumstances which attend its approach usually preclude the possibility of preparation, except of the most general kind,

yet the reverse of all this would be inferred from observation in daily life. We might imagine that men either expected to live here always, or that they would have a distinct warning at such a time before their last hour as would allow them to make entire preparation. But how different is the reality! To how many does death come in the most unexpected manner, and at seasons which seem to the short-sighted view of man most unseasonable! Thus, young and old, strongand weak are stricken down, with hardly a moment left, which they can calmly devote to the great work of preparing for eternity. It would seem as if such monitions of the suddenness with which death comes had been so frequent and so peculiar, especially in this community within a brief period, that no one could fail to be impressed with the truth of the extreme uncertainty whether we shall receive any warning of the near approach of the end of life. Even if death be not sudden, seldom is an opportunity afforded for any direct preparation, unless there has been a previous habitual preparation by those who are taken. It is easy for those whose minds have been always directed to the great subjects connected with death and eternity, to fix them entirely upon eternal things when they are called to leave this world. But it is very different with those who have neglected all preparation until such an hour. The power of fixed habits cannot be broken with such suddenness. And if it were possible to give