ere God called them to give account of their actions. We hardly know what would follow upon informing every man when he should die, if not that the great body of those who, because secure of many years, would give themselves up to unbridled indulgence, so that evil would have a vastly accelerated sway, and society would become divided into the thousands who felt that they might go on a while longer as slaves to their passions, and the tens who were conscious that they had such a short time left that they must set themselves to resist. And, although the statement of our text obliges us to acknowledge that these tens would prepare themselves for the coming catastrophe, and that the thousands when brought into the circumstances of the tens, would alter their deportment, and attend to the securing of their houses; yet though there was this greater preparedness for death, the arrangement would be one which would produce greater licentiousness through life. The arrangement which best consists with the Divine attributes must be that which most tends to the repressing sin; to the keeping down amongst men those corrupt lusts which have only to be unrestrained, and the earth becomes turned into one vast pandemonium. It is not the saving of the greatest number of men which can be taken as deciding whether or not a dispensation is likely to be beneficial. That dispensation is to be expected which consists most with the attributes of God, and which, while it affords all such spiritual assistances as interfere not with human accountableness, deals with men as with beings who are free to choose, and who must be brought to a trial for their actions. The dispensation which answers best to such conditions as these is, that which at every moment supplies a sufficient, but not irresistible motive, to the living righteously in the world, which allows us at no time to think that we may sin without danger; and that is not, therefore, a dispensation by which the future is revealed. Such dispensation might, indeed, as we have said, effect that a greater number would be finally ready for death; but it would effect also that there would be more of practical atheism in the world, more of dissoluteness, more of unbridled licentiousness; and even the increased attentiveness to religion would have only the forced character of resulting altogether from a species of presumption, and would be in no sense worthy of rational and accountable creatures. You may think it strange that the householder is not told at what time the robber would come, seeing, that telling him, might prevent the breaking up of his house. If the future were laid open, so that every man might be informed of the exact hour when he should die, I can see the most disastrous results—increased misery, and increased wickedness; thousands unnerved for duty by the prospect of disaster, thousands more by the prospect of success; multitudes, by the certainty of life, determined to give the rein to every passion, if afterwards determined with the certainty of death to apply themselves to religion-determined only where there is not room for choice, and therefore, none for accountable creatures. This is a state of things, which, forasmuch as it would manifestly be worse than the present, was just as manifestly not to have been expected from a Being so wise and so benevolent as God. Admit then, that more would be saved were the day of death known; and, nevertheless, it does not follow that there is anything to surprise us in the day being concealed. It may still be shown that the dispensation of ignorance is far better adapted than would be a dispensation of knowledge, to the furthering all those ends which a righteous and moral governor would propose in his dealings with free and responsible beings. And, though it may surprise me to be told, that if God would tell men of the time of dissolution, there would be more likelihood of their being ready; and, yet that, notwithstanding he does not tell them; still when I think on what the world must be, were the future laid open, can exclaim with Solomon, that "it is the glory of God to conceal a thing." I can be thankful that it does not please the Almighty to draw back the veil, and I can be sure that his hiding to-morrow is worthy of himself, and more profitable to me; though, all the while, I admit on the authority of Christ, that if "the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up." 595

Now, we have to say, that though we have engaged in this argument, it is practically of very little importance whether we can give satisfactory reasons why the future should be hidden, and for the declaration that the unveiling it would produce far greater preparedness for the termination of life. It might, on the whole, be advantageous, or, it might, on the whole, be disastrous, that the day of death should be known; but the arrangement to which we are to conform is one in which the day is absolutely unknown; and it must be our business rather to labour at acting agreeably to the circumstances in which we are placed, than to determine what effect would be wrought were those circumstances changed. The "goodman of the house" is not informed in what watch the thief will approach. No matter, then, whether or not the being informed would make him more vigilant in the securing a successful resistance. He cannot gain the information; and the only question, therefore, is, what can be done, now that, search how we will to-morrow eludes our inquiry? The answer to this is contained in the last verse of our text, in the exhortation which Christ founds on the statement in regard to the dispensation—“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

You observe, what an inference he draws from the fact, that the "goodman" being forewarned would certainly be upon his guard. If the man who knew the hour would make preparation, what, says our Lord, ought we to do, from whom the hour is hidden? In place of diminished watchfulness because the hour may be distant, there ought to be increased watchfulness, because the hour may be near. And observe, I beseech you, the emphatic "therefore" of our Lord. He goes from one case to another-from that of the householder to that of men generally, though the cases have nothing in common-the one being the case in which the hour is told; the other, the case in which the hour is concealed. And what power is there in the argument when there is this dissimilarity between the cases, except that in place of the concealment at all extenuating a want of readiness, it will make it the more inexcusable; forasmuch as that which a man ought to do when apprised of the time, he ought yet more to do when apprised only of the fact. This must be the import or force of the "therefore" of our text. The man who is warned should be in readiness; ought not then the man who is unwarned to be yet more earnest in fencing off the attack. Whatever motives there may be to vigilance in the knowledge of the hour, they must be, at least, as strong in ignorance of the hour. The man who knows that he shall be attacked knows when to put on his armour; but the man who knows not the hour when he shall be attacked knows only that he must never put off the armour. Suppose the householder quite certain that his house would be attacked, but quite ignorant when, is he excusable in not taking precautionary measures! Would it be held as any apology for being found unprepared that he knew nothing but the fact that he will be attacked? Would it not rather be said that he was all the more bound to have his defence in order, seeing that at no moment could he count himself secure? Men and brethren, this lesson is to you. The inference which Christ draws from the case of the householder is an inference as to the preparation which you ought to make for death; an inference which should have all the greater force on a day such as this, when the graves of another year give up their tenants to warn and admonish. It is admitted that in all likelihood if you were but apprised of the time at which you must die you would be found ready to

depart out of life when that time arrived; but you are not, therefore, to imagine that it will be any excuse for you, if not found ready, that you were not informed of the hour of dissolution. Our Lord draws precisely the opposite inference. He makes the fact, that you would be prepared if you knew the day of death, a sort of argument against you if you neglect preparation now that the day is concealed. Is it not so? Since you would be prepared if you were but forewarned, it is evident that the being unprepared must be altogether your own fault; and that it must result from presumptuous confidence of your yet having a long time to live; and a fixed determination to adhere to the world and its pursuits, whilst there remains any likelihood of there being yet time for repentance. Why is it,Oh! man, that thou art not yet labouring to fortify thine house except that thou dost not know the hour when that house will be assailed Suppose I come to thee as a prophet of death; and I come to thee with the message-Thou hast but three months to live! Ah, what terror, what anxiety, what solicitude, what inquiry, what preparation! But know that if found unprepared it will suffice to condemn thee that the prophecy has been thus energetic. He who would have been all activity knowing that he must die in three months, is his own wilful destroyer if he be all indolence, knowing that he may die in three weeks. Oh, why is it, young man, that the claims of religion can gain no audience with thee, unless because there is in thee an unacknowledged persuasion that the pleasures of sense may be enjoyed without danger, and that it were absurd while the strength is unbroken and the eye undimned to give heed to things suited to the old and decrepid. But I come to thee, as a prophet, with a message from death; and I say to thee-In a few more weeks, and thou shalt be as one of us. Oh! where is now the midnight revel, the public show, the careless laugh, and the round of dissipation? All forsaken! all renounced! and thou art assiduous in studying the Scriptures, and frequent in prayer; inquiring after God, and sparing no pains that you may be ready for the assailant who is almost at the door. What then, if just because there be no such definite warning from the grave; but only the emphatic warning of thousands who have perished in their prime, that "the Son of man cometh in an hour that ye know not"-if on this account thou dost continue engrossed with the world, and art found at last with no defence against death; will it not suffice for your being inexcusable, that hadst thou but known the hour of assault, thou wouldst not have suffered thine house to be broken up? Ay, indeed, what men would do because of a cer tainty will be a swift witness against them, if they do less while exposed to an uncertainty. Our text, on first reading, may excite a feeling of regret, but not of discontent. One man might say—Oh, what a pity that the householder is not told in what watch the thief will come, seeing that out of a feeling of safety to himself, there would be little likelihood of his being found unprepared. But the householder cannot complain of not being told; he might have ground of complaint if he were told nothing; if he received no information as to the fact of the assault. But, assured that the thief will come; assured that nothing can prevent the thief coming, he has motive enough to the being on the watch, and the confessed fact that he would be found ready were he apprised of the time, will be evidence enough to justify vengeance if he be not found ready, though the time may be always at hand.

Thus, you see, I argue your inexcusableness from the uncertainty of life;

and I argue it all the more pointedly from arguing it on New Year's Day. I dare say there is not one of you who cannot call to mind some relation, some friend, some acquaintance who died in the year 1855; and I hope there is not one of you who can venture to think it-I would not say possible, but in the remotest degree probable-that all who have seen the dawn of 1856 will live to see its close. Some of us will be gone; some of us will be laid in the grave in the course of the year 1856. I argue then with you all from the uncertainty of life; and certainly, the argument ought to be all the more impressive, for it leaves you less excuse, than if I could argue with the certainty of death-a certainty, I mean, as to the time of death, as well as of the fact of death. I cannot tell you when you shall die; but on that very account does it behove you to give instant heed to the admonition-" Be ye also ready." If I could tell numbers who now know that they may die soon, that they would not die soon, no present argument could have a hold on all men ; but forasmuch as I can gather all under one uncertainty, and represent the possibility of every individual with the dawn of to-morrow-yes, with the dawn of to-morrow-who will answer for a day? who will answer for an hourI can represent the possibility of every individual amongst you; the oldest amongst you, and the youngest amongst you, that with the dawn of tomorrow may the death knell announce that the spirit has passed away from the body. And on the supposition which, perhaps, many of you are wishing for; which, perhaps, all of you, on hearing the text, think you are justified in wishing for, the supposition that the householder should be distinctly informed as to the day and hour when the thief will come; that every man should be distinctly informed as to the day and hour when he must die-ou such a supposition I say as this, I should have no hold whatever on the tens, and the hundreds, and the thousands. They would be sure of living for some time to come, and therefore they would give no heed to anything I could say. I might toll the knell; I might darken the scene with frequent funerals; but the multitude would tell me of a certainty that the solemn knell was not for them, that the gloomy procession was not moving towards their sepulchre; and, therefore, I thank God as a minister, that the householder does not know in what watch the thief will come. I stand amongst you as amongst those who are all sealed for death; and I bear on my own forehead the same imprinted sentence. I may cry with the church-He comes! He comes! Great God! is the day of probation at an end? Is all over? Is there no more time for repentance? Oh, stay yet awhile the dread solemnities of trial!-another month-another week-another day, that we may not go hence with all our sins upon our head, and therefore be consigned to everlasting torment! Ah, careless ones! such must be your burning thoughts; your passionate cries, if that day overtake you as a thief in the night! And we have no security against his thus coming; but one; the one security which is open to us all,-that of setting ourselves instantly to the seeking Christ, and crying for the pardon of sin through his most precious blood. This is the only course. "Be ye ready, for ye know not the day nor the hour when the Son of man cometh."

598

THE DUTY OF REJOICING.

Notes of a Sermon

DELIVERED ON TUESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 8, 1856,
BY THE REV. HENRY MELVILL, B.D.

(Chaplain in Ordinary to Her Majesty,)

AT ST. MARGARET'S CHURCH, LOTHBURY.

68 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."-Philippians iv. 4. THERE are some precepts of Holy Writ which require things which we may, indeed, have difficulty in performing, but which, it is evident, we have, at least, the power of attempting. Of such are precepts which enjoin the forsaking of a bad habit, or the undertaking of a certain course of action. It may be very difficult to break away from what we know to be wrong, and to enter upon an opposite course, but no one will dispute that we may, if we will, make the endeavour, however hard we may find it, to make any progress; but there are other precepts which seem to enjoin what we have little if any power of attempting; of such are precepts which demand from us a particular power or aspect of mind, whatever may be our feelings. Take, for instance, the precept in our text; we are there enjoined with strong reiteration to rejoice and be glad-"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." You are all aware that we are frequently called upon in Scripture for sentiments and evidence of joyfulness; but it almost seems strange to some that it should be made a duty to be joyful and glad. Unless there be the cause of joy, it does not seem that we have the power of being glad ; and, unless these joy-producing powers exist, we are unable to evince a joyfulness. At least we may reckon up, or keep in mind, our causes or occasions of sorrow or joy; and we may not allow ourselves to give way to either emotion without inquiring whether it be justified by our position; and if we should find our cause for sorrow to be less than our cause to be joyful, we might, at least, be ashamed of being unhappy, and this is a great preparation for a thankful state of mind. You know, that when a man is downcast in spirits, he is often raised by the conversation of a friend, who simply shows him that things are not so bad as he thinks, and that he is wrong in giving way when he might see much cause for gratitude, and much evidently for hope; and the same might always be done by a Christian if he would reckon up his reasons for sorrow and his reasons for joy, he might always prove that his reasons for joy far outweigh his reasons for sorrow. It can never be, that, possessing the prospects of religion, that the gloomy outdoes the bright. Then let us assume the temper and attitude of a man, who, by counting up his mercies, is seeking, as it were, to temper himself to thankfulness; and let us not be told of the strangeness of commanding you to be joyful, that