we should know it; and, if such occasions there are, how important that we should be able to discern and appreciate them! Let us then,

I. Show the fact that there are days, or occasions, in every man's life, on which his eternal interests are mainly suspended. And,

II. Point out what those seasons are, and how they are to be most surely known and distinguished.

Our proof of the first shall be drawn simply from the Scriptures. They tell us of such a day occurring in every man's history, just as plainly as they tell of a coming judgment. How, otherwise, are we to interpret the text? It speaks of a day, as Jerusalem's day: and why her day, if not because on her improvement of it depended, as the Saviour adds, whatever belonged to her peace? That day is called, "the time of her visitation," because of the special nearness and favor with which God then manifested himself, for the last time. Such special seasons of divine visitation are indicated in the following passages:-" I said, I will confess my transgression unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin for this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found." "Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found; call upon him, while he is near." "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." In every year that passes, there is a season of harvest; and if the work of harvest is not done, before the season is gone, the labor of the year is lost. So is it in the life of man. There is a harvest season in his days, as they move on; and if it is not improved, he and all that is valuable to him, is lost.

"Yet a little while is the light with you; walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you:-while ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of the light. These things spake Jesus; and departed, and did hide himself from them." And he hid himself from them as a comment on his words; in which he had taught them that the period in every man's days, while he may be said to have the light, is comparatively "a little while;" and that if it passes unimproved, thenceforward, Christ, as it were, hides himself from the man, though still living among those to whom the Saviour is revealed.

"Behold, these three years, I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none; cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground? And the dresser of the vineyard answered-Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it and dung it and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down :"-showing us that when men have long resisted the Spirit, and remained unfruitful, "he limits a certain time," during which he will deal with them still farther; and if, beyond that limited time, they continue unfruitful and impenitent, "then, after that," he abandons them to destruction. As he says in another place," Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, to-day, after so long a time, as it is said, to-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts."

Such are some of the proofs which the Scriptures afford that there are periods, occasions in the lives of all, on which the interests of eternity are suspended, and hang, as it were, poised and vibrating; when the choice then

made, and the step then taken, be it for good or evil, sends its spreading and controlling influence over the man through time and into eternity; when all of weal or of wo that awaits him, seems summed up in what he does, and decides on, at that one hour or one moment of his being; and when, though all his future life may contribute to the same result, yet then and there was the turning point of his everlasting destiny.

And now, my beloved hearers, who would not desire to be taught, how he can know and discern, in time, these periods of his moral history, which are so pregnant with good or evil to all his subsequent existence here and hereafter? There is no secrecy about them; no difficulty in knowing and ascertaining them. God desires to make them plain; so that he who runs may read, and reading may understand. Let us consider then, as we proposed,

II. How those seasons may be known; how we can discern their occurrence. They occur,

1. In times of affliction; especially if it be affliction immediately from the hand of God. There is something in the rod, especially if held in God's hand, that has a melting tendency on the heart. Whether it be disease inflicted on ourselves, or death bereaving us of those we love; it is designed by Him, who afflicts, as a "time of visitation," as a day" on which much depends, as to the future condition of the heart. There may be those who harden themselves under the chastisement; and who, like Pharaoh, or like Israel of old, if smitten more, will but harden themselves, and will but sin more and more. And when this is the case with any man, we have reason to fear, his day of visitation is gone by; and that he is now given up, as one "past feeling." Alas for the man, who can feel himself carried near his own grave, or can look into the fresh grave of one dear to him, and yet not melt-and yet not feel that God is speaking to him loudly and earnestly. He may call it firmness; God and his angels call it "hardness and blindness." He may felicitate himself on what he can bear, while all this cherished insensibility is only ripening him for a heavier doom, when his heart will break beneath the curse of Him to whose rod he refused to yield.

But it was not always so with any man; I hope it is not yet so with any one before me. I would hope that if the rod of Heaven fall on any of you, the day of its coming may be the day of your peace with God. To secure this result, watch your own hearts, when suffering under sorrows; and watch them also when the sorrow is gone, lest like a deceitful bow they turn aside, and leave your last state worse than the first. Many, many thousands among the redeemed, are now looking back on days of grief, and saying, "It is good that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word." It was in this way God reclaimed them from their wanderings. And in this way has he brought many to a stand, who, until the hour of their sorrow, were hasting in the downward path to perdition.

And here I would mention one class of transgressors, who are generally reached in this way, if ever the day of saving power overtakes them at all. I mean those sons and daughters of pious parents, who, though instructed in the

way of truth and duty, have yet despised it, and are living in prolonged impenitence and unbelief. Aggravated guilt rests on all such. In infancy, they were commended to God in faith and prayer. In childhood, they were trained for God by parental precept and example. And if, in mature years, they turn aside and walk in the ways of sin, he has but two ways of treating them. He either pronounces the sentence on them, "Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone;" and then perhaps pours his abundance around them-their hearts growing hard, as their prosperity is full; or in mercy, refusing to give them up, he sends his rod, his scourge, that by its strokes he may chastise their wanderings, and save them from utter ruin. Thus he reached Manasseh, the son of good Hezekiah; and reclaimed him from his idolatries; though to save his soul he lost his crown, and was sent in chains a prisoner to Babylon. (2 Chron. xxxiii. 11-13.) If any should then tremble to let the day of their affliction pass by unsanctified, it is such as I have now described. Their last hope is gone, if severe chastisement comes, and leaves them still unreclaimed to God.

2. I have time to allude only to one other critical period in the life of the sinner. It is, when God's word is accompanied with unusual power, either upon those around him, or on his own heart. God's calls in his gospel are always earnest, and always loud. But there are times when his voice waxes louder and louder, and when the power which accompanies it, rends the rocks asunder, and makes the mountains to tremble and quake. (Exodus xix. 18, 19.) Such a day did the Israelites see when they stood at the foot of Sinai, and listened to the voice of God, as he pronounced to them the words of his law. Such a day did Jerusalem see, when the Son of God was in the midst of her. He then "spake as never man spake." "The people were astonished at his doctrine," and "wondered at the words of truth and grace which proceeded from his lips." A day, too, of still greater power accompanying his word, was seen, when, "Pentecost having come, the apostles were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave utterance;" -"to speak the wonderful works of God," and to speak with such power, that " on the same day, thousands were added to the church of such as should be saved."

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Nor are days of special power, accompanying God's word, unknown in later times. Who has not heard of those "" seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord," which have been granted of late years, and are granted still, to revive his heritage, when languishing? Yes, and in his infinite and sovereign mercy, we have seen them and felt them; seen and felt them in this sanctuary. We have seen the day when the very same truth, which now falls on the ear of many like water on the rock, melted those who heard it into contrition in a moment, and raised the anxious inquiry from old and young, "What must I do to be saved?" And all this was so, because God was then in a special manner here, and accompanied his word with special manifestations of his presence and power.

Whenever and wherever such seasons come, they constitute "the day" of those who see them; they are a "time of visitation" from God, when he comes in great mercy; when he calls loudly and powerfully upon all to return

to him; and when all that will come are welcomed and saved. And what we admonish all to remember, is, that if their unbelief outlives such seasons of mercy, there is reason to fear it will destroy them for ever. There is most solemn meaning on this point, in the words of the prophet, where he calls "the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of vengeance of our God." For, strange as it may seem, the time of one, is always a time of the other—a day marked as a day of acceptance wITH God, by the freedom and power with which he makes his salvation known, is always marked as a day of vengeance FROM God, by the righteous indignation, wherewith he casts off and leaves to their own hardened unbelief those who still persist in rebellion, in defiance of the loud calls they then hear. How was it in the cases already recited? There were many in the congregation of Israel, who heard the voice of the Lord when he spake from Sinai, and who stood out against it all, and did not believe in him; and the consequence then was, that, because they believed not, God sware that they should not enter into his rest; and they went on grieving his Spirit, till "their carcasses fell in the wilderness." And, as we are taught by our Lord in the text to expect that it should be, equally marked and fatal was the issue to the great mass of those who heard his warning and powerful voice in the days of his flesh, and yet did not believe on him. There were some in the nation, whose eyes were opened, and who embraced him as the Saviour, even after they had aided to crucify him. But from the multitude, from Jerusalem as a city, "the day" was passed, "the time of visitation" was gone. They had refused to hear him, while "dwelling among them full of grace and truth," and "teaching the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." And now, when others saw and believed, "the things which belonged to their peace were hidden from their eyes."

Let us then, my hearers," beware lest a promise being left us of entering into rest, we should fail, and come short of it, after the same example of unbelief." We have heard the terrors of the law and the grace of the gospel. We have seen, perhaps felt, the trembling and anxiety produced by the one, when revealed in its power; and we have seen, if we have not felt, the grace and sweetness of the other, when those around us have bowed beneath its influence, and believed to life everlasting. And if we have seen others thus taken, while we are still left, then how earnestly and instantly should we be up and doing! Up, up, and do; as if you felt the alternative of heaven or hell to depend on the decision of this hour. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him that heareth, say, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Perhaps, long as you have delayed, the call may still be for you. "We, then, as workers together with God, beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. For he saith, I have heard thee, in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee. Behold, Now is the accepted time; behold, Now is the day of salvation.” Amen.

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