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Lea diagrammea aulvants illustrent le mAthode. 12 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 / s i THE MINISTRY OF SUDDEN DEATH BY THE REV. WM. ROBERTSON, A.M., i\ ^ CHESTERFIELD, ONT. \ / RRINTED BY REG^UEST. WOODSTOCK: G. R. PATTULLO, SENTINEL PRINTING HOUSE. 1873. "Though God deliver not out of trouble, yet He delivers from the ill in trouble, from despair in trouble, by supporting the Spirit Nay, He delivers by trouble, for He sanctifies the trouble to eure the soul, and by less troubles He delivers from greater."— 5/^M. :om kit mre The mournful event, referred to in the following pages, occurred on the Caledonian Railway at Kirtlebridge, in the south of Scotland, on the morning of the second day of October, 1872. At the time of his death, Dr. Corson was in tlie thirty-fifth year of his age He was a graduate of McGiU College, Montreal, and for eight years had been engaged in the practice of his profession in the village of Washington, where he resided, and over a wide section of the surrounding country. The special religious service, in connection with which this dis- course was delivered, was attended by one of the largest cqngrega. tions ever assembled in the neighborhood. After the discourse, the hearts of the people were lifted in prayer by the Rev. Mr. Shepherd, mmister of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Chesterfieid^ November 26^ 1S72, W.R. 119716 1 THE MINISTRY OF SUDDEN DEATH. " / was dumbf I opened not my mouthy because Thou didst it.^*— Psalm xxxix. 9. 'E are plainly taught in Scripture that the move- ments of the natural world, by which human life is affected, are, under the superintendence of God, ren- dered subservient to the maintenance of His moral government over men, and in an especial manner fraught with love to His children. This doctrine, which has been light and strength and comfort to the people of God in all ages, involves most of those speculative difficulties with which human reason has been baffled, and at which it is most prone to stumble. Nevertheless, it so commends itself to every heart, by the manner in which it meets some of the deepest requirements of our being, that even the most sceptical of men are constrained at times to acknowledge its truth. They " cry to God in their distresses." It is true that, in the ordinary course of the Divine proce- dure, there are no breaks in the current of natural events to meet the sorrows and aspirations, the suppli- cations and wrestlings of human souls. A little reflec- tion, however, will show that there is nothing in this objection really fitted to shake our confidence or diminish our comfort in the grand old Scriptural doc- trine. For surely it is quite conceivable that He, who is " wonderful in counsel and excellent in working, '' 6 has adjusted all the moyements of the natural world from the beginning, or without in the least degree dis- turbing their apparent order, is ever subordinating them to the case of every moral being. Apart, indeed, from the light shed by this faith, life becomes very dark to us. We can now discover no satisfactory reason for its miseries, as experiencer' under the ad- ministration of a God of love. The calamities that befall men Are truly an important and salutary dis- cipline, in so far as they stimulate enquiry and promote efforts conducive to the security of life and the ad- vancement of its material interests. But, on the other hand, with our limited faculties, we find ourselves placed in a sphere, where the conditions of life and happiness are multiplied to such an extent that they stretch out into infinity. They are linked in social life, and interwoven with all the movements of the natural world. It is only a few of the grosser and more palpable of them that our minds can reach or wills control. Besides, it is to be noted that the dis- cipline referred to is not the only issue, in human ex- perience, of the miseries of life. Is it possible, in the estimate, to overlook or disregard the many and won- derful reactions of sorrow in the soul ? How satisfying, accordingly, the faith of the Christian ! To feel assured that, through these manifold connections of our being, He who formed them is compassing our path always ! And oh! what meaning and purpose appear in the successive changes of our lot, when, on the tides of emotion they stir within our hearts, we perceive that solemn messages are borne to us from God t The morsd Drld dis- ting ieed, very jtory 3 ad- that dis- »mote e ad- other jelves e afid t they social of the jr and ich or e dis- .n influences, to which wc are thus subjected, as we all know by experience, are in every conceivable form and possible combinatiou. Happily, for the most part, they are movements of loving-kindness ; or, if visita- tions of sorrow, they fall gently on our hearts. It is evident, however, that under a system of discipline uniformly so mild, men's hearts would soon become gross, and that in a world where sin so greatly abounds, it is necessary that, at times, they should be stirred from their lowest depths. Here and there, accordingly, there are terrible strokes, crushing blows, desolating bereavements. The brightness of some lives is suddenly eclipsed. Many hearts are made to tremble. We come here to-night, awed under such a visita- tion. We have come, as with one accord, with sorrow in our hearts, because of the calamity through which we have been so suddenly bereaved of one whom we not only greatly esteemed for his skill as a physician and faithful attention to the duties of his profession, but had learned to love, as we became familiar with the generosity and candor, the sweetness and manliness of his character ; especially if we had witnessed his ten- derness, or experienced his sympathy in chambers of sorrow, when he was dealing with suffering or in the presence of death. It deepens our sorrow, in this loss, that God has denied, even to the mourning relatives, the sad though sweet privilege of looking on the face of the dead. His remains lie buried in the south of Scotland, side by side with those of his father, in the beautiful churchyard of Durisdeer — a place hallowed 8 with precious memories of the covenanting period, and lying amidst bold and rugged scenery. Its sacred stillness is sweetly broken by a murmuring stream ever singing, as it were, a plaintive and solemn requiem for those who are sleeping there. Strangely enough, our departed friend has fiequently said that he could wish THAT spot to be his final resting-place. I was the last of his friends, as you are aware, to see him in life. We were both visiting our relatives in Scotland ; and it was my privilege to meet him several times in Glasgow. On the last of these occasions he promised to meet me in Liverpool, on his return from London, which he had resolved to visit, and at the time when my departure for this country had been arranged. I can now never forget that day spent in pleasant companionship with him, our conversation about home, and when the tine for parting came, ihose loving messages to his wife and children, and that kind farewell. Ho was then in vigorous health, and cheerful in the prospect of his own speedy return. A. few hours later, in his journey to Scotland, when lying asleep or courting sleep in the railway carriage, there was a collision of trains. His injuries apparently were such as to deprive him imme- diately of consciousness, and shortly afterwards his spirit passe '' into eternity. In even alluding to the circumstances of this sore bereavement, I feel that the duty assigned to me is o^e peculiarly difficult. There are situations where an angel's word would bruise the heart. I may hurt when I wish to heal. Our prayer is, that He, who alone knows the sorrows of His people, would pour balm into 9 the hearts of the bereaved, overshadow them with a profound sense of His own loving presr. )ce, and so direct our meditation that we may all gather truly what God the Lord is saying to our souls. This dispensation evidently carries, in its bosom, special lessons for the bereaved. It conveys at the same time solemn lessons to us all. It is with these general lessons that we are now mainly concerned. I cannot, however, pass on to their consideration, without indicating what light is to be found in the religion of Jesus, even amidst the desolation of such bereavement as this, while I address a few words to the mourners. I.- LIGHT FOR THE MOURNERS. It is hard at all times to part with those we love — to sit within the shadow of the dread pavilion of death, ere the curtain is drawn, and gather the fal- tering words, and watch the changing countenance — the mortal agony. But oh ! there is satisfaction in this watching to the heart that loves. During the long anxious hours there are rich compensations. After the change there are precious memories. But when death comes suddenly, the pain of bereavement is greatly intensified. The heart-strings are not gtjntly unloosed ; they are torn asunder. There are no op- portunities for mutual confessions. It we?ghs heavily on the hearts of the bereaved that no time was allowed to the one who is gone for special prepara- tion through solemn prayer and wrestling faith, for appearing in the presence of God. One parting .i-i»-^.' 10 lii word, to reassure them of his souFs confidence in the hour of death, would have been precious. As it is, their hearts are chilled, as if from some bright festive chamber they had passed out into cold, dark, shud- dering night. In the presence of a great grief like this, human sympathy is powerless. Words of con- solation die away upon the lips of those that would comfort. There is but one resource to which the desolate can turn. They are gazing out into the infi- nite, and God is there. He is waiting to be gracious. Through prayer their hearts must seek the light To this relief, God Himself, from the first moment of their agony, has been lifting up their spirits All the faculties of the soul, when it has been smitten with sudden grief, ai*e roused to a kind of preternatural activity. The most minute incidents are noted. Words that have been heard and faces seen are en- graven, as if with a pen of iron, upon the mind. Memory sheds a flood of light upon the past in relation to the deceased. In like manner, the higher faculties of the soul are quickened as with new life. Con- science is aroused ; and so, when the straining spirit follows in thought into the presence of God the spirit that has gone, the realities of the invisible world, that have gathered around it, deepen in solemnity. Surely, in that solemn hour, God is not only leading the souls He has stricken to feel that they dare not challenge His judgments, nor seek to. disannul them ; but teaching them, through their utter destitution and helplessness, that to Him only they can turn for relief. Even then, " under the shadow of the Almighty," a measure of strength is infused into these souls — the inward tumult is in some measure assuaged. But oh ! blessed assurance, that as they look to God through the mediation of His Son, He will open His heart to them i Yea, through His word and by His Spirit quickening their minds for the reception of its precious truths. His love toward them will assume new ten- derness and more glorious forms of manifestation, as they wait upon Him Be assured, my friends, that even for a sorrow like yours His grace is sufficient. You are tempted to repine. Rebellious feelings crowd in upon your soul. But consider who He is that has laid His hand upon you ; and will you not be disposed, in the spirit of filial submission, to say with the Psalmist : " I am dumb, I will not open my mouth, because Thou hast done the very thing at which I was tempted to repine 1" Sitting in the shadow of your great sorrow, and comparing your case witn that of others, you are dis- posed, it may be, to draw dark conclusions around you — to imagine that, incensed by your waywardness, God has risen up against you and smitten the joy of your heart. It is true that, but for sin, these sor- rows would not have been experienced, and it is evi- dent that they would fail in their purpose, unless they prompted you to deep heart-searchings and issued in penitential grief But oh ! beware of construing to your hurt God's dealings with you. The Saviour Himself emphatically rebukes the thought that was !]l I 12 casting its shadow on your heart. As God has afflicted you, He has* afflicted many of His dearest children. Consider also that, though He sits upon the throne of the Universe, He is " slow to anger and of great kindness." He does not deal with men ac- cording to their sins. He chastens for their profit. Should not this then rather be the reasoning of your hearts — If our calamity is great, our chastisement peculiarly severe, this discipline must carry in its( bosom the elements of rich and special profiting for us ? It lies heavy on your hearts that, without a moment for reflection, and no opportunity for special prepara- tion, your dearest friend on earth was summoned into the presence of God. It must be admitted that, in such bereavement as this, there are depths of mystery such as no human plummet can fathom. It may be that we are accustomed to attach unwarrantable im- portance to the advantages of death-bed discipline, an4 that special preparations, in view of death, are really of small account in the reckonings of Eternity. There is certainly nothing, in such providences, irrecon- cilable with the merciful character of the dispensation under which we are placed. For we have reason to believe that the wonderful movements of Providence are finely adjusted by God, with reference to the highest well-being of each, as well as of all. We are certain that no soul shall ever have reason to miumur at want of forbearance. It is evident, however, that such con- ceptions as these, beyond which reason is baffled, reach only difficulties l3dng on the surface; and that for light adequate to meet the perplexities and deep questionings toa has sarest 18 of troubled hearts, we must await the* disclosures of Eternity. But though, meanwhile, for the troubled soul, light is unattainable, rest is not impossible. You can go, ye sorrowing ones, with your perplexities to God, and as you draw close to His heart, and feel the power of His love, you will reach the conviction that the deepest mysteries of His Providence are pervaded by its throb- bings, and so you will feel that calmly and confidently you can wait the lifting of the veil. But "oh !" you say, " henceforth life must be very dark to us ; the future can have no brightness for hearts that have undergone so terrible a shock and are desolate as ours." It is true that the joys of the past are gone, never to return. Consider, however, that there is a path of blessed experience through all the sorrows of life. If you walk with God, believing in His word. He will make the desert blossom around you, and " give you vineyards from thence." His peace will descend into your hearts, . and, as with gladdening sunshine, make your lives beautiful. Be assured, also, that God will suit these manifestations of His love to all the peculiarities of your case. Your peculiar sorrow will render your hearts capable of blissful experiences, specially yours. In fellowship with the Holy One, you shall find a new happiness, in which memories of your former pain shall strangely but sweetly commingle with apprehensions of Heavenly love. It shall seem to you as if those gleams of the glory of God, with which you were so deeply awed in the first moments of your grief, had left the sky of your lives sufiiised with their radiance, and so warmer and brighter, than could otherwise have been, with un- f 14 foldings of love and sweetly constraining motives to obedience. But oh 1 how desolate your hearts would be without the friendship of God. In fine, you have no just reason for despondency under that biirto of care and responsibiUty, so uneiy pectedly devolved upon you, and under which you are now ready to sink. The Master whom you serve never overburdens His servants. In serving Him, you gather the precious fruits of your discipline. And in the faith- ful discharge of the duties to which you are called, you shall find that whatever regrets you may have in review of the past, shall disappear ; expending their force, no longer in vexing your souls, but in quickening you to greater diligence and guarding you against future error. In concluding our remarks on this branch of the subject, we would observe that in view of the manifold and ever-varying forms of human sorrow, it is not to be wondered at that the enquirer should often be perplexed at h?.^ inability to find in God's Word any promise or other consolatory, passage precisely suited to his particular need. In the bitterness of his anguish, the child may fail to hear the voice of love ; or, as we have illustrated in one instance, love may be silent, not deeming it meet meanwhile to answer many of the questionings of human hearts. ^But though the child of God may fail to hear his Father s voice, he can always be sure that the " ever- lasting arms" are around and underneath him. He may not find the satisfaction for which his heart is craving ; but in the broad and general promises of God's Word, and in the glorious gospel testimonies to the love of God with which that Word is enriched, he can always find 15 what is fitted to reassure his heart, and enable him ta posseos bis soul in patience. " To God," therefore, " and to the word of His grace," we commend yo\i : pleading,> that He would inspire your hearts with full confidence in Himself ; and so einable you to go down amid the dark olive shadows, in the Spirit of the Master, with unmur- muring acquiescence, saying, as you drink the bitter cup : " Not as I will, but as Thou wilt ;" yea, to come forth from your Gethsemane, strengthened for whatever service God may require at your hands. II. — LESSONS FOR ALL. In illustrating the Scriptural doctrine of Providence, we saw that through the calamities w.hich befall men they are subjected to a two-fold discipline. They are not merely guarded against reckles^or wilful violation of the laws of 'the natural world, and stimulated to scientific research, but messages of solemn import are conveyed to their souls; It does not lie within our province, on tho present occasion, to consider the secular lessons connected with such mournful dispensations as that with which we have been visited. But before entering on the con- sideration of their spiritual significance, it may be well further to observe, that though involving human agency, and traceable to culpable neglect, sometimes to malicious intention, there is nothing incompatible in these facts with the views we have submitted on the subject of Providence. We cannot indeed explain how in the one event it is possible for human freedom and Divine purpose to coalesce, or without conflict to traverse each other's path. In this difficulty we are brought face to face with 16 the ^eat problem which through all ages has vexed and baffled human reason. But for the confirmation of our faith in the views we have expressed, it is enough for us to perceive that the issues of human weakness and wickedness are really among the " all things that work together for good to them that love God," while in the wonderful movements of Providence it is evident that there is no prevention of these issues. " the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God I How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out !" Visitations of sudden deaths, whatever may be their immediate cause, belong to that class of providences in which there is an apparent stepping aside, on the part of God, from the ordinary course of His forbearancq. They are eminently fitted, by their severity as well as singularity, to arrest the attention and impress the hearts of men. " Much injury has been done to the cause of' truth by misinterpretations, . on the part of individuals, of these providential dealings. There are still some who are accustomed to draw dark conclusions from them, as to the moral character or conduct of those on whom they fall. Happily, the superstition is now so rare, that there is very seldom need for an exposure of its folly and wickedness. We often meet with pious men, however, who firmly believe that in this manner God frequently vindicates the Sabbath and other positive ordinances of religion. In maintaining this tiew, for which they have really no warrant, these men sincerely imagine that they are honoring God and doing His cause service. In reality. 17 \ theix ices in e part iranc^. veW. as hearts ith by these they are only furnishing specious grounds, of which scoffers have not been slow to take advantage, for assaults on the Scriptural doctrine. It is true that, through the exhaustion of unremitting toil, fatal disasters are gre&tly multiplied on our lines of travel and in centres of business. But this is one of the secular lessons of God's providence. If it be said that the Sabbath is especially distinguished by its catalogue of mournful calamities, the obvious conclu- sion is that Sabbath-breakers, as a class, are more reckless than their neighbors. It is their recklessness, and not their Sabbath profanation, on which God is stamping His displeasure ; and this is another of the secular lessons of His providence. The only spiritual lessons we feel justified in drawing from visitations of this character, are such as may be gathered from the testimony of co.^ouBne«3. and are warranted in Scripture. They are presentations of eternal truths, most distinct and significant in the ex- perience of those who are familiar with the clear revela- tions of Scripture, but deriving their special form and weight from the peculiar character of the visitation, and of the circumstances with which its influence is con-- f nected. Let us hear, therefore, what God is sayiiig to our souls : — (1.) Through the peculiar character of these visitations; In proportion to our sympathy with the soirow of th^i, BBRBAVED, it is Cedent that their lessons will be ours. As we share in their solicitude, we shall be drawn witb/^ them to the one source of consolation and strength, sAd; be disposed to linger there, not merely ipr q^ personal, relief, but to reassure oi^r jieartsi^ise^ecti to tqem. W^ 18 K* ill shall be led also to euquire why God has thus been dealing with us. But even beyond the immediate circle of sorrow, there is much in these providences fitted to rouse men from their indifference and to quicken the pulse of spiritual life. In an especial manner, God is thus reminding men of the necessity for immediate and constant preparation for the life to come. Before such a spectacle of human weakness, even the most thoughtless and sceptical have been awed, 'for a moment at least, with the thought — " This is the finger of God." It is the finite bowing in conscious helplessness before the Infinite — the creature trembling at the felt nearness of the Eternal Majesty. Again, in the presence of sudden death, the conviction is only crushed into the mind that life is over. But in proportion to the heart's unwillingness to receive the truth is the rebounding con- viction that death cannot be the end of being ; that we are treading upon the borders of another worid — ^the world of spirits ; and that it is a narrow boundary-line — easy of transition ; a thin veil which separates that world from this. Almost, it seems to us, as if we heard the echoes of footfalls there, while with eager spirit we endeavor, though in vain, to trace the path of the spirit that has gone. And is not the unrelenting precision with which the laws of nature are executed, evidence to the awakened conscience that the Judge of all the earth will require satisfaction for violations of His moral law 1 Who has not felt, also, in witnessing tfce desolation thus wrought, that under the administration of a God. of love, the issues 6f tnoral transgression must be terrible indebd 1 Thei^ impressibns, it is true, are evanescent in 19 their character. When the tide of emotion has swept over the heart, it is easy, for instance, for the worldly spirit to reason itself into the belief that its fears and anxieties were superstitious in their character, or to drown them in the tumult of the world. Yet the memory of those impressions will always linger in the soul. And who will say, that through such vivid pre- sentations of the truth, at times flashed in with over- powering influence, there has not been increased a deeper responsibility 1 We me.y have no special interest in the calamity. We have simply heard of its occurrence, and the matter has passed from our minds. Nevertheless, it is one among the many, which by their multiplicity and com- bined influence in the grand and wonderful system of discipline under which we are placed, are designed to render men's hearts sensitive to the uncertainties of life, and so susceptible of solemn feeling. The reason, indeed, why so many are living as if there was no God, no eternity, no judgment, and as if they had not souls to be saved or lost, is not so much their conviction that these realities are not of supreme moment, as the delusion that they are not matters of immediate concern. In like manner, much of the lukewarmness and inactivity over which we have to mourn in the Christian life, is to be accounted for. The grandeur of the Cross can be seen only in the light of eternity, and its power is felt just in proportion as the heart is weaned from the things of time. Hence the importance, in the system of discipline to which we are subjected, of those solemn visitations by which the hearts of individuals are so terribly desolated. !1 it ik not enough that life is short. It is long to the soul that does not look beyond the world. It is true that life is uncertain. But the heart alienated from God antici- pates time enough to make reparation when in the shadow of death. It is not enough to warn men, that by con- tinued delay their hearts are becoming hardened in de- pravity. They flatter themselves with the prospect of some heroic hour in their life, when they will rise to a just sense of the grandeur of their being, shake themselves free of those lusts and passic^ns with which they are now so heavily trammeled, and enter on new relationship with God. But in order that men may have no plea for un- belief, God has warned them in His Word, and is ever and anon solemnly warning them in His providence, that they may die suddenly. Without a moment's warning they may be summoned to the judgment bar. Every day somewhere God's bolts are striking the earth ; and surely these judgments have a voice for men. Is not this the message they convey, or rather do they not em- phasize these words of the Master 1 — " Watch ye, there- fore, for ye know not when the Master of the house Cometh, at even or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning, lest coming suddenly He finds you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all — Watch." \ (2.) Through the circumstances in connection with which these visitations are experienced. There is no path in life exempt from the danger of sudden death. How often are parents solemnly warned, by visitations of this kind in the neighborhood, against infidelity to their immortal trust t It is always true of every man, that there is ** but a 21 step " between him and death. In times of peace as well as amidst the horrors of war ; on the open plain as well as where forest trees are falling ; when the evening lamp is being lighted in some quiet, sequestered home, as well as in the busy haunts of men where some are set to dan- gerous toil ; by the village stream as well as on the stormy ocean ; not only in the midst of mirth but during solemn service ; death may suddenly come. It Is to be noted, however, that there are certain circumstances out of which these mournful calamities arise with special frequency. In these circumstances, there may be nothing to condemn. The pursuits engaged in may not only be blameless, but worthy of commendation. The pleasures enjoyed may be perfectly innocent. But in an especial manner they involve not only danger to life, but the more terrible danger of distracting the soul from attention to its highest interests, and of seducing it into forgetfulness of God. They may therefore be regarded as special warnings against this peril, and so as monitory beacons, set up at those points in the path of life where in reality they are most needed. In illustration of this view of the subject we might adduce many examples. We wish especially to draw your attention to what seems to us confirmatory evidence of the most striking character in the progress of modem society. It is plain, that with the increase of material prosperity in any community, the conditions of life being multiplied, the securities of life -rare propor- tionally endangered. Sometimes through the incom- ipetency of those to whom the lives of their fellows are [intrusted, at other times through recklessness or tiiought- ssness, it may be on tiie part of one individual many 22 \H suddenly perish. It is not to be wondered at that in the great commercial world, with its mechanism — endless com- plications of business and fierce strifes — there should be a constant succession of "mournful accidents" and sad catastrophes. Surely, however, it is no accidental thing, but rather wise ordering, that the insecurity of life should increase with men's progress in material prosperity. Doubtless those awful providences, whose influences are felt through sympathy in many different directions in the heart of a community, are important elements in -the system of discipline to which men are subjected, designed not to restrain activity but to promote prayer, to check not real enjoyment but the gratification of ino 'ilinate desires. They are needed in order to teach men, that in the midst of prosperity their hearts should not be absorbed by it, anu that whilst they live in the world it should be with Eternity in view. Surely it becomes the people, in this neighborhood, to regard the mournful calamity with which they have been visited, as an occasion of deep heart-searching and solemn enquiry. Has the world, with its cares and anxieties, so absorbed your heart that you have no leisure to think of the soul ? Had it been you, worldly man ! what would have been the issue? Would the gain of the whole world compensate you for the loss of your soul 1 Had it been you, Christian 1 could you have appeared without shame in the presence of your Lord with that worldly garb upon your spirit 1 Is there not need for continued watchfulness in this dark world 1 and can we afford to slacken our diligence, when time is so precious, yet so m 28 b in the )88 com- Duld be md sad 1 thing, 3 should asperity, ices are 18 in the \ in the iesigned ;o check ordinate that in absorbed bould be ,#i ■ borhood, ley have ing and ires and 10 leisure iild have le world i it been without worldly ontinued afford to s, yet so short and uncertain ? Had it been you, man ! what would have been the issue 1 Do you think that death would have been to you only a swift transition from earth to neaven? Yes; you have reason to believe that it would have been to you, not so much death as translation to Paradise, if in truth you have accepted Jesus as your Saviour and Lord, trusting in His righteousness and loving His service. Is there any one before me who has long been hesitating upon the boundary-line between the world and God, but has not yet come to the great deci- sion 1 It is a solemn moment for such a soul, when it is awed with a profound sense of the majesty of God, and made to tremble with the thought of the "wrath to come." Happy will it be for that spirit if at this stage it turn not back to the world. It is brought anew to the grand turning point between unbelief and the state of grace. The memories of the vivic" impressions made by this solemn visitation may ever linger in the soul. Their only effect will be to harden that soul, unless under their : influence it has been drawn to abide in His presence, who i by His Spirit will transform these memories in to quicken- i ing power. In conclusion : Parents, teachers, pastors, are solemnly ;; reminded, by visitations of this kind, that they must gnever sleep at their post, never slacken their diligence, jand neglect no needful precautions. What terrible disasters, in a temporal point of view, are the result |simply of neglect of duty — sometimes apparently of the [merest oversight!. Oh ! what diligence and scrupulous care should charac- iterize their conduct, to whom interests, so sacred and m ■•\ 2i predous as those of immortal souls^ have been in trusted! ,, ^ May God by His Spirit, 4irect, quicken and raise tc Himself the outgoings of every heart in this assemblyl Amen^ •i.j 4) !