Paul's dangers. The advice which the soldiers gave the centurion was, that he should put to death all his prisoners, lest in the confusion of the shipwreck any of them should escape. Here was one great danger. Then again the ship which carried him, after beating about in the sea for a fortnight, was driven on the rocks; and the wind was highthe waves were mighty-and there was no boatand perhaps he could not swim-and how was he to get to shore? Here was another danger.

But however many and great Paul's dangers were, he was safe, because God was his refuge and strength. The Lord God Almighty, who ruleth and overruleth all things, and who was his reconciled Father and Friend in Jesus Christ, delivered him out of all. No harm happened to him, either from the cruel and unjust advice of the soldiers, or the terrible violence of the waves. He got safe to land.

So will it be with every one, who, like the Apostle, is the follower of God and the servant of Jesus Christ. The enemies of his soul, and the hindrances to his salvation, are many and great. The temptations of the world and the corruptions of his own heart, may be very strong and powerful. He may have perhaps many infirmities—many evil lusts-many bad passions and unholy tempers to contend with. He may have to fight his way into the kingdom of heaven through a host of armed enemies. Yet is he sure to prevail and have the victory, if he pray and labour for it. The most clever, active, and industrious sailors may all perish in a shipwreck: but of the prayerful and striving servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, not one will be lost. They will all get safe to land.

And to what sort of land will they get? The Apostle got upon a rugged rocky island, the inhabitants of which were ignorant barbarians; where there were few comforts; and where he stayed but three short months, and then was obliged to put to sea again. Not so with the land, whither the man who loves God and eschews evil, is bound. It is the better country, even the heavenly. It is the land of promise, the habitation of God Himself, the dwelling-place of angels, and of just men made perfect. It is the land of which the garden of Eden, the earthly paradise, or the land of Canaan, with its corn fields and olive gardens, its castles and cottages, the land that flowed with milk and honey, was but a faint and poor image. It is to this bright and blessed land, that the Christian is going; and when he is once safely landed there, he will never have to leave it more. For it is a city which hath foundations-it is everlasting life -it is pleasure for evermore, which God hath prepared for them that love Him.

Is it not our interest then, as well as our duty, to gain a saving knowledge of that gracious God, who was Paul's succour and support in his time of need, and whose rod and staff we shall assuredly want too, and that perhaps very soon?

We read of some sailors in the history of Jonah, that when they were overtaken by a terrible storm in the midst of the sea, and their ship was in danger of sinking, then they cried unto the Lord; then, and not before. It pleased God indeed to hear them and save them even then, late as it was before they sought His aid. But it was a dangerous experiment; it was hazardous work.

Paul was wiser. He had made God his friend,

before the storm. He had sought and found the knowledge of Him, whom to know is life eternal, years before. He did not put this necessary work off to the last. He had anticipated the storm; and when it came, it found him not as it found the others, unprepared for its approach and horrorstruck at its arrival, but calmly and confidently depending upon God's promise, and His power to make the promise good.

And if this, as I cannot help supposing, be the way in which we should choose to meet the storm of death and judgment, we must do as he did, and be beforehand with it. We must seek the Lord, who invites us to come to Him, and fly into the arms of the Saviour who opens them to receive us: and then, come death whenever and however it will, come it suddenly or slowly, by sea or land, it will be no unwelcome visitor nor unlooked-for guest. God, whose mercy and grace in Christ Jesus we have sought and found, will carry us over the dark waters, and we shall all get safe to land.

SERMON XIV.

JEREMIAH vi. 4.

"Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out."

THERE are many miserable and deplorable objects to be seen every where; but the most deplorable objects of all, and which are to be seen in every parish, are men or women, sixty or seventy years old, who have lived so long in the world, without learning how to go out of it, and who are dying with hearts as bad and ungodly, as those with which they were born. What says Elihu in the book of Job? "1 said, days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom;" but he adds, "Great men are not always wise, neither do the aged understand judgment." It were reasonable indeed to suppose, that however people chose to think and to act at the beginning of their course, they would be serious when they were drawing near its end; and that though they might fancy there was no great danger in trifling with their souls and neglecting the great salvation, while they were young and strong, the devil, cunning and powerful as he is, would never be able to persuade them, that they could do so safely on the borders of eternity. Yet it is very certain, that many people whom God hath spared to see even

three-score years and ten, are no more fit to die, than they were fifty years since, that is, are not fit at all. They have indeed had a very long day in which to do their spiritual work; but the evening is come, and the work is so far from being finished, that it is not even begun.

Have not such persons reason to apply the words of the Text to themselves, and to say, "Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out." They are indeed very applicable to all who are old or growing old, or getting near the grave from any cause, without a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and without an interest in the promises of God which are in Him. Indeed the solemn lessons which the subject teaches, are very important to all, whether old or young, near the grave or apparently far from it; and all therefore, if wise, will give their best attention to it, and desire of God to make it profiable to their souls.

We shall consider,

I. TWO IMPORTANT TRUTHS, and

II. Two INFERENCES WHICH THE TEXT SUGGESTS.

I. THE TWO IMPORTANT TRUTHS suggested by the Text are, That we have every one of us a great work to do, and That we have very little time to do it in.

We have every one of us a great work to do. The work which I mean, is the work of preparation for the hour of death and the day of judgment. By nature we are not prepared to die and to be judged; and most people are perfectly sensible of this, and few are to be found, who will not promise some time or another to give heed and attention to