Plainness and simplicity. It speaks not only | have refused, and the means of grace which they to the multitude promiscuously, but particularly have despised, and the opportunities of improveto individuals. All the knowledge of it which is ment which they have neglected, and the capacinecessary may easily be obtained even by the ties of usefulness which they have misapplied, most illiterate inquirer. Wisdom crieth not only will form so many bitter ingredients in their cup at the gates, at the entry of the city,' but also of misery. But now is the accepted time.' Let at the coming in at the doors.' Thus Christ the cry of wisdom, calling to repentance and taught both publicly, and from house to house. promising forgiveness, be responded to in the Not only has he placed the word of salvation prayer of the publican, who smiting on his breast, within our reach, he has brought it to our very and not daring so much as to lift up his eyes doors. He has made it not only accessible, but to heaven, cried, 'God be merciful to me a intelligible to all, so that every man may read sinner.' Such a cry will assuredly come up and can understand it for himself. And the with acceptance into the ears of the Lord God Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, of Sabaoth, who is not only compassionate and and make it plain upon tables, that he may run merciful, but faithful and just to forgive us that readeth it. The wayfaring men, though our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousfools, shall not err therein.' The gospel is ness.' characterised by

The urgency of its calls and invitations. Accordingly wisdom 'crieth' with an earnest and importunate voice. And she does not wait to be applied to, but goes forth to meet the people 'at the entry of the city,' and there solicits their attention. She perseveres in the attempt, and continues to press upon them with her importunities, following them from the gates' of the city even to the coming in at the doors' of their houses. Truly the Lord 'is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.' He not only waiteth to be gracious, but employs positive means in order to persuade sinners to turn and live. He addresses them by his word and ordinances, by his ministers and people, by the remonstrances of conscience and the dispensations of providence. He speaks to them in the language of kindness and terror, of promise and threatening, of expostulation and entreaty. Instead of leaving them to the consequences of their criminal resistance, he bears with their indifference and renews his solicitations; he raises another and a louder cry; has recourse to more urgent importunity and more powerful means to enforce their compliance. With some the means prove successful; and when sinners repent and turn to the Lord, he sees in them the travail of his soul, and is satisfied. Others continue impenitent; and over them he utters the lamentation of unavailing sympathy: If thou hadst known, even thou, at least, in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes!'

How fearful, yet how just, will be the condemnation of those who turn a deaf ear to the try of heavenly wisdom! They are without excase; and the invitations of mercy which they

NINETEENTH DAY.-EVENING.

'Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!' Deut. xxxii. 29.

THE Jews were proverbially inconsiderate. Isaiah complained of them saying, 'The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.' Moses had witnessed many sad proofs of their forgetfulness and folly: and at the close of a long and laborious life, spent in their service, his heart's desire and prayer for them was, 'that they would consider their latter end.' The subject was not more important to them than it is to all. It teaches us that to 'consider our latter end' constitutes true wisdom. By our latter end he means death. But it cannot be profitably considered unless it is properly understood. understand it to be—

We

The

The end of our present state of being, of its joys and sorrows, its duties and dangers, its possessions and pursuits, its comforts and cares. hand then forgets its cunning, the tongue is silent, the pulse ceases to beat, and the lungs to breathe; the whole frame becomes a lump of cold and senseless clay. The ties which bind us to our nearest and dearest friends, and to every thing earthly, are then broken asunder; for they that have wives shall be as though they had none; and they that weep as though they wept not, and they that buy as though they possessed not; for the fashion of this world passeth away.' And the change is final. There is hope of a tree if it be cut down, that it will sprout again. But man dieth and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the

ghost, and where is he? We understand our lat- | cern.

many

The sinner may

secure, a word of alarm; for the fearful, a word Conscience is a reprover. of encouragement. She speaks here to sinners, to shut his eyes to the light of scripture, and simple ones' who 'love simplicity,' to 'scorners' his ears to the voice of the preacher; but who 'delight in scorning,' to 'fools' who hate where can he find a retreat from the lash of an 'knowledge;' that is, to wilful, daring, and obsti- awakened conscience? By nature conscience is nate transgressors, and for them she has a word of defiled; and it may be blinded through ignorreproof. Her reproofs are conveyed through ance, or misled by error, or seared as with a different channels. One of these is- hot iron by sensual excess. But the force of naThe word of God. 'All scripture is given by tural conscience cannot be altogether subdued; inspiration of God, and is profitable for reproof. and when its testimony is heard condemning the It points out the evil nature and ruinous conse- sinner, and setting before him the terrors of a quences of sin, and declares the certainty of a coming retribution, as in the case of Belshazzar coming judgment, by which 'the wrath of God whose 'knees smote one against another' when he shall be revealed from heaven against all unright-beheld the hand-writing on the wall; or of Felix eousness and ungodliness of men.' At the same who 'trembled' when Paul 'reasoned of rightetime it deals with the peculiarities of individual ousness, temperance, and judgment to come;' character; it holds up to sinners of every descrip- what is this but a message of reproof from heation a mirror which reflects the image of their own ven? How precious are the reproofs adminisdepravity, and it comes home to the conscience tered by the counsels of— of each in language which reproves alike the indifference of the careless, the duplicity of the hypocritical, the pride of the self-righteous, the impiety of the profane, and the excesses of the Voluptuous. For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.' Ministers are reprovers. They are traitors to the cause of Christ who speak smooth things,' saying, 'Peace, peace, when there is no peace,' and seek to please rather than to profit and edify people. Their commission runs in these rs, Cry aloud, spare not; lift up thy voice Exe a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins.' John the Baptist did not flatter Herod the king, bat reproved him as he deserved without fear or vour. Of Jesus it is said, that he taught as one aving authority, and not as the scribes; and his Divine influence. This is graciously provants are commanded to 'preach the word, be mised; for wisdom has said, ‘I will pour out my stant in season and out of season, reprove, re- Spirit unto you.' Repentance is man's duty, but ike, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.' God's work. We may change the conduct, but he Popular errors must not be countenanced, but renews the heart; we may avoid the act of sin, but *rrected; prevailing sins must not be connived he destroys the love of it; we may go through *but condemned; unwelcome truths must not be the forms of duty, but he implants the principle ncealed, but declared; the vices both of indi- of obedience. To the commandment which says, viduals and communities must, without distinc-Turn ye at my reproof,' let us therefore reply, n of rank, or sex, or age, or circumstances, be 'Turn thou me and I shall be turned, for thou Farlessly exposed; the people must be addressed art the Lord my God.' in vague generalities, but in plain, pointed, el searching appeals to the conscience and the art. He is a bad preacher who makes the barers forget themselves in their admiration of Discourses which give greatest offence frequently do most good.

Christian friendship! "Faithful are the wounds of a friend.' David held them in high estimation, 'Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head.' Such reproofs ought to be received as tokens of affection, and listened to as the dictates of wisdom.

the

The afflictive dispensations of providence speak the language of reproof. Manasseh had been one of the chief of sinners, but solitude and suffering brought him to repentance, and he found mercy. We are prone to complain of our trials, but if we viewed them in the proper light we should see cause to be thankful for them. We ought always to bear in mind that to improve them aright is to be reproved by them. The reproofs of wisdom all aim at one practical object, it is to awaken repentance.' But reproofs cannot produce this effect without the operation of—

Reproofs must be understood in order to be effectual. Wisdom has provided and promised all needful instruction. She therefore adds, 'I will make known my words unto you.' The Spirit has given the word, but he must also give the capacity to discern its meaning. In his light

ghost, and where is he? We understand our lat- | cern. ter end to be

The commencement of a future and eternal state of being. The 'dust shall return to the earth as it was; but the spirit shall return to God who gave it. After death cometh the judgment, which shall try every man's work; and the sentence of the Judge shall admit of no appeal, nor can the consequences which follow, whether happy or miserable, be ever altered, or reversed. They that are Christ's, made perfect in holiness, shall immediately enter on the full and everlasting enjoyment of God; whilst the enemies of his cross and his cause shall be cast into outer darkness, 'where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.' We understand death to be

The universal destiny of man. The stroke of death cannot be resisted by force, nor evaded by artifice, nor set aside by the influence of rank or wealth. One event happeneth to the righteous and the wicked, to the king and his subjects, to the philosopher and the fool, to the man of wealth and the child of poverty, to the sinner of fourscore and the infant of yesterday. I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living. We understand that

the event of death may comeSoon and suddenly upon us.

It cannot be far off, and it may be very near at hand. This night thy soul may be required of thee. How often are children carried off before their parents, the scholars before their teacher, the physician before his patients. Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.'

We understand death to be

The penalty of guilt. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death

All who are truly wise will consider their latter end. Wisdom requires them to consider it with

Serious attention, as a subject in which they are deeply interested, and with which they must very shortly be brought into personal connection. Fools may altogether exclude the thought of death; but instead of being resisted as a presumptuous intruder, it ought to be welcomed as a friendly monitor, and permitted habitually to influence our feelings and conduct. It is not more calculated to alarm the sinner and bring him to Christ, than it is necessary to humble the believer, and excite him to duty. They who are wise will consider their latter end

Practically, and in the way of diligent preparation, by cultivating a state of mind and character suitable for meeting death. This includes the exercise of a simple and steady reliance on the work of Christ; connected with the cultivation of exalted spirituality, unfeigned and universal repentance, enlarged and active benevolence. Our lamps must not merely have oil in them, they must be filled with it, and exhibit a bright and vigorous flame. Nothing but the privilege of union to Christ realized by faith, evinced in the purification of the heart, and in the victory which overcometh the world, can prepare us to meet death with safety, or warrant us to meet it with confidence and comfort. brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They who are wise will consider their latter end

"Wherefore the rather,

Without delay. The Bridegroom may tarry, hath passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' but the delay cannot be long; and the suddenness In Adam all die, even those who never sinned of his coming may be such as to take even those after the similitude of Adam's transgression. But who love and long for his appearance by surprise as death is the wages of sin, so 'the gift of God Then whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ.' with thy might; for there is no work, nor device To understand death aright we must view it in nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.' 'Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel

connection with

The remedy which has been provided for it in the sacrifice of Christ, who by dying took away sin, which is the sting of death, and destroyed him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage, and who are enabled to say, 'Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.' How awfully momentous is W the event of death, when thus understood! How ev unaccountable, how fatal the infatuation which th treats it as a matter of trifling or of distant con