words: Jesus Christ is "* the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life." All that is not in him—all that is in the world or in ourselves is darkness and sin. Alas!

what would have become of us, "if the day had not dawned and the day-star had not arisen in our hearts." Shall we be at all the happier because our generation is called the age of light? No, all that philosophy can offer us (be it even the most spiritual) would be to our souls without the brilliant light of the Gospel, like those false lights of the sandy desert which allure travellers to their destruction. All human systems are silent, when I ask what must I do to be saved? When I turn to the most enlightened of my fellow travellers and ask them where are we? Where are we going to? Which road should we take? They look at each other amazed, but no hand can point the way that we should go; their lamps cannot throw light upon the grave, and beyond it all is utter darkness. I was still wandering in the wilderness when a voice was heard, it was heard in Judea, it has out-lived centuries—it has come to me-"I am the way, the truth and the life, no one cometh unto the father but by me." Happy the man who has walked in this way! happy the man who has walked by this light! In vain may dark clouds obscure the rays of the sun of righteousness, they will soon disperse, the heavens will again become serene, and this child of light "stumbleth not because he seeth the light of the world.”

* St. John viii. 12. † 2 Peter i. 19.

St John xiv.. 6.

Any one who has experience of a christian's life knows the intense anxiety he feels when he is doubtful of the path which God desires he should take; several may be open to him, and his mind distracted by doubts, anxious to fulfil his task he throws himself on his knees before him who is the light itself. "Lord what dost thou require of me? What must I do? And ifa ray of divine light should teach him the way he ought to choose, what courage and energy will he not draw from the assurance that he is doing the will of God? He then will follow in the steps of his master and who can arrest his progress or abate his courage? Could any one restrain Jesus from going into Judea? It is the assurance of doing the will of God which sends Martyrs to the stake or to the scaffold, and while that dwells within us, it will teach us to overcome all difficulties.

But if you persist in walking in darkness and trusting to your own wisdom, what will all your courage or your efforts avail? Why do so many prefer darkness to light? Why do men in their madness plunge deeper and deeper into darkness, notwithstanding that succeeding rays of light might beam upon their consciences? However deplorable their folly may be, we must not be surprised at it, the Lord himself explained to us, the mystery of perdition“their deeds were evil"—they fly from truth as their greatest enemy, but can they always fly from it? No, when the twelve hours of the day have been passed

unprofitably when the light of the world has sunk beneath the horizon, and the dark valley of the shadow of death appears in sight, what can guide the wavering steps of the wretched man who has fled from the light? When he feels his last hour approaching, and that he is undeceived (though too late) what voice will speak to him of pardon and peace? This is the darkness which the Bible calls "* outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Unfortunate man! if there should be still one breath of life in you-if you can send one sigh to the bosom of your God, be quick, raise your dying voice to Jesus, like the thief on the 66 cross, + Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." A helping hand may be held out to you at the last moment, and a ray of heavenly light may kindle a spark of hope in your troubled spirit. We, who are immortal and responsible creatures, for whom the twelfth hour has not struck, let us go forward, strong in the strength of the Lord; our eye steadily fixed on "‡ the author and finisher of our faith," "§ laying aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race which is set before us." Besides the benefit of our Lord's example, let us cherish in our hearts the two great lessons in our text, given to the Disciples and to us. The importance of life, which he calls the twelve hours of the day, and the necessity that we should accomplish our task by the light of God's will. We shall see the strength of

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* St. Matt. vi.i. 12. ↑ St. Luke xxiii. 42. Hebrews xii. 2. Hebrews xii. 1.

God perfected in our weakness-we shall determine "to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth❞—a love quite new to us will awaken a powerful stimulus in our minds, and we shall at last see that gracious promise of God fulfiled in us-"I will make him ride on the high places of the earth."—" And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away"

LECTURE V.

OUR FRIEND LAZARUS SLEEPETH.

These things said he: And after that he saith unto them, our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go that I may awake him out of sleep.-St. John xi. 11.

Jesus did not come down from Heaven to teach the world a system of morality or philosophy. Man needed a far more different lesson. As a transgressor of Gods holy laws, he is not only the object of his indignation and wrath, but he is become the wretched slave of sin and corruption; and sin produces bitter fruits, both in this life as well as in eternity. As eternal misery is to be the last state of his soul so his body is assigned as its last home to the sad and desolate mansion of death. Yes, of death, that bottomles pit, that vexation to all philosophy, called by an inspired

Rev. xiv. 4.

+ Deut. xxxii. 13.

Isaiah xxxv. 10.

author the king of terrors" which seizes on the mortal part of a sinful being, and tells him that his immortal part must appear before the tribunal of an upright judge.

Now the Doctrine of Jesus which he has named "glad tidings" is sent not only to pronounce absolution. to those whom it addresses-not only to annul the sentence of punishment due to a violated law, but to soften and disarm of their terrors the most terrible and bitter consequences of sin.

The Gospel by proclaiming pardon to the guilty, breaks, by its power, the chains of their slavery, and deprives death of its sting, the tomb of its darkness, the grave of its victory. Thus the deliverer guides those whom he has liberated to the sublime regions of liberty, from whence he governs victoriously that scene of desolation and ruin, which sin hath laid waste with its frightful ravages, and where even one of the redeemed said not long since "+O! wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" From those sublime heights the redeemed of Christ are chaunting with triumph as also with humility this song of victory, "we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." It is thus Jesus desires that we should look upon life and death; in acquainting his Disciples that he whom he calls his friend has ceased to exist, he does not speak to them of dissolution or terrors, though his friend had actually descended

Job xviii. 14. † Rom. vii. 24. Rom. viii. 37.