made in the Gospels signs and tokens of Christ's judgment; in order that whenever we see, or hear, or read of them, we may be again and again reminded, that there is a greater and more fearful event coming, from which none of us can escape.

But, further, the illustration of the fig-tree, which our Lord here uses, shows us that these signs were meant to warn us that that day is close at hand: for the buds and shoots do not appear in the fig-tree till late in the year, when the cold weather has passed away, and summer is very near. And it was, I conceive, for this purpose also, that the signs were made continuous; for following thus one after another, there is nothing to tell us in what part of the series we are now standing, but, at any time, their final violence may come upon us the next moment; and therefore they forcibly remind us that that day "is nigh, even at the doors". Thus, while they tell us nothing about the exact time, (for "of that day and hour knoweth no man ',") they are to us a continual warning of its nearness, as well as of the certainty of its approach. Eighteen centuries have, indeed, passed by, and we have not yet seen Christ come to judgment. Scoffers have asked, "where is the promise of His coming??" Still that day has ever been, and is, even close at hand. It is near, because there is no great event in the scheme of man's redemption that stands between it and us. It is near to our view, because it is always hanging over us, and we know not how soon it shall appear. In God's sight,

9 St. Matt. xxiv. 33.

1 St. Matt. xxiv. 36.

22 St. Pet. iii. 4.

also, it is near, because "with the Lord . . . a thousand years" are but "as one day ;" and to Him who liveth for ever and ever, even the whole of time is not so much as one drop in the boundless ocean of eternity.

Thus, in the wisdom as well as in the mercy of God, have some things of nature been (as it were) consecrated to be a series of signs to warn us that

the coming of the Lord draweth nigh," and "the Judge standeth before the door." Perhaps we might have thought that such a great event ought rather to have been ushered in by miraculous signs and tokens from the other world. But, besides the consideration that they must be natural, in order to be continuous, I think we may see, in many ways, how very fit and proper these ordinary things are to be the signs of it. When we regard them as the signs of the coming of the Son of man; what can be more fitting, than that heaven and earth should be made openly to acknowledge Him, coming in His human body, to whom, as man, "all power is given in heaven and in earth 5?" What can be (even in our eyes) more appropriate, than that this material world should bow before Him, and be moved at His presence, who is its Creator and its God?

Then, again, as signs of the judgment day, we see like fitness in them. Consider the signs in inanimate nature-commotions in the sky, earthquakes, tempests; are not all these things signs of change, and so of the decay of the world? And whence came this corruption into it? for "God

32 Pet. iii. 8. See Ecclus. xviii. 10.

4 St. James v. 8, 9.

5 St. Matt. xxviii. 18.

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made not death nor destruction. Is it not the result of man's sin, when the ground was cursed for his sake? What, then, can we conceive, more proper to remind men constantly of the dreadful judgment, than this actual result of their sins which have made the judgment needful? Again, look at the signs which are among men,-" distress of nations with perplexity," "wars and commotions"." Were not distress and suffering first brought in by sin? And "from whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts 8?" Here, then, we must again ask, what can be more fit to be signs and tokens of that day, than the visible fruits of those very sins, for which we must then be judged of the Lord?

You see, then, brethren, that our merciful and gracious Saviour has appointed things in the course of this world to be signs of His second personal coming to be our Judge. He has thus taught you to see in these things a deeper meaning than is visible to the worldly man. Mere force of intellect may enable men to observe, in the very course of nature, signs of nature's end; but Christ here teaches you to behold in it the signs of His own approach. He would thus have you see in earthly things the shadows of the unseen world; that so you may never forget, in the midst of all these objects of sight and sense, to watch for your Lord's return. Let nothing hinder you, then, from making ready for it. Even inanimate nature calls you to the work, by all the wondrous signs which it continually displays.

6 Wisd. i. 13. 7 St. Luke xxi. 9, 10. St. Matt. xxiv. 6-8. St. James iv. 1.

10.

"The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now "," in expectation of the end. At the approach of that day, all the material world —the heavens and the earth-is moved, and shows signs of terror and dismay. But how, brethren, does the thought of it affect you? Can you still go on thinking of earth and this present life, unconcerned about what shall be hereafter? Can you read how God once drowned all the world, except eight persons, for their sins; how Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire, and made "an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly ";" how great nations have been afflicted and overthrown in the fierce anger of the Lord; how whole cities have been cast down by earthquakes, or buried beneath a volcano's fiery flood: and remembering that all these things are but faint outlines of "the terrors of the Lord," when He shall come to take vengeance on His enemies at the last day; can you still be unmoved? Can you keep an unchanged countenance, when the face of nature grows pale at it, and all things in heaven and earth tremble? Are you, then, "better than they1?"

My brethren, the thought of that awful day ought to affect you in some manner: it ought to stir up some emotions in your hearts. If there be any one known sin, in which you indulge yourself, tremble! for "know that for" that "God will bring you unto judgment "." Yes, tremble! but resolve also to cast it away from you at once. Begin by

Rom. viii. 22.
1 St. Matt. vi. 26.

10

2 St. Pet. ii. 6.

2 Eccles. xi. 9.

watching against your sin, that so, at length, you may be able to watch for Christ's coming.

If you know no more of yourself than that you are careless about the judgment day, you have great cause to fear. Pray God to touch your heart, to break off the hard crust of worldliness that has spread over it, and to enable you to feel the terrors of the Lord. Remember that all that our Saviour alleges against the men "in the days of Noe," was indifference and carelessness about spiritual things; and yet they all perished. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man 3.".

3

Or, if you are really struggling against sin and carelessness, and are fighting constantly, though with much weakness and many wounds, against the enemies of your soul; persevere, be "patient, stablish your heart, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh*." Keep that day before you, as the time for which you are preparing; and watch for it always, lest it come upon you unawares. And that you may be able to look forward to Christ's glorious appearing then, seek Him now in all those channels of grace, in which He cometh secretly to your soul. Seek Him in prayer, in His holy word, in the ordinances of His Church, especially in the Holy Sacrament, where He is really present, though unseen, to all His faithful people. Seek Him thus, earnestly and diligently; and you shall find Him, and He shall give you grace to "love His appearing"" the

3 St. Luke xvii. 26, 27.

4 St. James v. 8.

52 St. Tim. iv. 8.