melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up.

"That the heavens, and the earth, which are now, by the same word, are kept in store, reserved unto fire, against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men."

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be, in all holy conversation, and godliness? Seeing there can, as once was, and will be, and may be already, a place of outer darkness, into which those who love, and have loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil, will be without redeeming mercy deservedly thrust hereafter. How ought every living soul to take heed lest they fall, and come into this dread condemnation; for if they die in their sins, and come into it, what hope will there ever be of coming out of it? How ought every one to lay hold of the hope set before them, before it be too late, whilst life remains. And how ought all to rejoice, that there is a way mercifully opened for their escape from the murky horrors of this nether pit

this unseen place of outer darkness. Gifted as mankind were, both in mind and body, with especial reference to light, with organs of sight adapted to it, and with minds capable of divine illumination, to enable them to be, and to become truly children of lightof the glorious light of this world, and of the more transcendently glorious light of heaven, as children of God, and joint heirs with his Son Jesus Christ.

How ought all to rejoice, and thank God for the light, as one of the prime and leading gifts of his good providence, as exhibited to our view in the high heavens, and preparatory to many other good and perfect gifts, which were to follow in due order.

A gift the daily occurrence of which is so essential for all nations, whereby they may see to prosecute their labours, and works of industry. "The sun ariseth, man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour until the evening."

SECTION I.-SIGHT AND LIGHT.

Next to life and light, another of the most wondrous gifts of God, to his living creatures in general, and to man in particular, in connection with light, is the precious gift of sight. The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord made both of them. He that formed the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? God saw the light, that it was good. And that his rational creatures might see, he gave them organs to behold it also. "Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun."*

Only consider, and duly contemplate, the truly scientific display in the structure and composition of the organs of vision, as exhibited in the various departments of animated nature. For instance, upon the most minute scale the eyes of insects; some with prominent cornea, clear, and hard like crystal. Also the eyes of fishes, crustacea, and other

* Eccles. xi. 7.

inhabitants of the mighty waters. Nothing appears to hinder the accomplishment of the divine purposes. To some creatures he has given eyes adapted to a feeble light, as to bats and birds of night, to the nocturnal lepidoptera, and other insects that fly during the shades of evening, and to all wild animals that secrete themselves during the day, and roam abroad during the darkness of the night.

Give glory and thanks to God, not only for the light, but for those organs whereby he has enabled us to behold it, and at the same time to look upon the grand circumfulgent exhibition of his marvellous works, and under a sense of spiritual illumination, to exclain, in the language of the Psalmist, "Marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well."

An organ which, whilst it sees all other things, takes no notice of itself. Consider how precious a jewel is the sight of the eye to man, and that it was esteemed such by God who formed it, is evidenced by the great care taken to fortify and defend the same from

injury by means of the brow, the eye-lid, and eye-lashes, with its power of involuntary and instantaneous nictitation, so rapid that the expression, in the twinkling of an eye, came to be used to denote the utmost rapidity. Devoid of this organ, or of sight, the light would be of no avail: it would be turned into darkness. Shall thy wonders be known in the dark, and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? *

The gift of sight alone, precious though it be, without some other gift equally important, and more spiritually enlightening, would have proved of little further use to mankind than it has proved to the animal or irrational creation, which still remains, as at the first, in the darkness of gross ignorance, although the light hath shone around them, and they possess the organ of vision, equal to, if not superior in many respects to that of man.

Still (like too many calling themselves rational) they regard not the works of the Lord, nor consider the operation of his * Ps. lxxxviii. 12.