an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." What man was ever exposed to greater mockery than Noah? what man more regarded as an enthusiast? The world around him ate and drank as usual, planned their schemes of future prosperity, talked of floods, and earthquakes, and judgments, as matters of mere threatening, old wives' fables. And as for Enoch's prophecy, and his son Methuselah, and the direct revelation to Noah, what was this but a traditionary dream-a vain babbling? And when the years were accomplished, and the ark was completed, and the animals from all quarters were assembled, wild and tame, savage and domesticated, and were all housed in the ark, and Noah and his family were entered into the ark, and God had shut them in,-I say, then, for one entire week, did an ungodly world reject the word of prophecy? (Gen. vii. 10.) Yes. They saw the gathering storm in the heavens, and they disbelieved the word; they saw the lightning, and they repented not; they heard the pealing thunder and the down-pour of the deluge, and they were hardened in sin; and so the world that then was perished. Oh! my brethren, this is no highly-coloured portrait, but just a plain outline of what you may see with your eyes and hear with your ears on every side. For one that lives in the habitual expectation of

Christ's coming, how many millions put off to an indefinite period the evil day? And this leads me, further, to observe, that this warning is especially directed to professing Christianspersons living in Christendom-persons baptized formally into the visible Church. I care not so much to inquire what their local habitation, as their connexion with the limits of the empire of the fourth beast. I care not so much to ascertain who is the individual Antichrist, and the man of sin, as to identify the many Antichrists who, in their individual and corporate capacity, will be summoned shortly to the valley of decision. Now, I look not for them among the Heathen, among infant Churches and congregations where the first love of religion is kindling its precious flame; but I look for them among civilized and intellectual communities which adopt the name but deny the power of godliness. I look for them among apostates, and hypocrites, and lukewarm professors who have once worn the badge and joined the ranks of the Church of Christ. "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would, no doubt, have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John ii. 19.) Backsliders and deceivers such as these form the congregation of

Antichrist; men who received not the love of the truth, and who obeyed not the Gospel: Judas, and Demas, and Diotrephes, and Simon Magus, and Jannes, and Jambres, fit disciples of corrupt principles and a corrupt system. Yes, for such as these is the warning appropriate in days of declension and delusion. Well may they tremble who live in the midst of privilege, and who partake not of the sanctifying liberty of truth. Well may they fear who have no refuge in the day of trial but a graven image, or an idolatrous priest: "Confounded be all they that worship graven images:" and confounded they will be when "the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." (1 Cor. iii. 13.) "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city; for without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." (Rev. xxii. 14, 15.)

Let Papists and Semi-papists be warned lest they be destroyed in the plagues of apostate Babylon.

Finally, beloved brethren, amid the strange convulsion which is turning the world upsidedown, on the edge of that volcano which will shortly burst forth its torrent and engulf millions

in ruin, let us learn in our patience to possess our souls. The Lord reigneth, although we see Him not as yet; but we shall soon-eye to eye-face to face; we have to do with a real, living, triumphant, and glorious King. He is seen of angels, and will be seen of all the world. And in that day we shall be able to join with one who was admitted before the time to catch a glimpse of what He will be, and say, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but are eye-witnesses of His Majesty."

LECTURE VII.

THE SIGNS OF ISRAEL'S DELIVERANCE, AND OF MESSIAH'S ADVENT.

BY THE REV. W. W. PYM, M.A.,

RECTOR OF WILLIAN, HERTS.

PSALM CII. 13-18.

"Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come; and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord."