if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him." Oh, brethren! ye are men-ye have reason

will ye not flee from the wrath to come? Will these wasting sicknesses not convince you that God is stronger than you-that you will be nothing in the hands of an angry God? Even to you, then, Christ, the door of salvation, is still open -wide open. Come, poor sinners, enter into this chamber, and shut thy doors about thee. "Hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.”

There are just two remarks I would make in conclusion:1. That this passage bids us hide in Christ, not singly, but in families. In that deliverance which God wrought for Israel in Egypt he taught this very remarkably; for he did not gather Israel into some great tower where they might be safe, but bid each family remain within their own house, only sprinkling the doors with blood; and so, in saving Noah God saved not single souls, but a whole family; and so in saving Lot-God saved Lot, and all that were his; and so, in saving Rahab-she and all her household were gathered in and saved. My friends, God is still the God of families, and still does he wish whole families of you to be saved; and he says as much in the words before me: "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers." Alas! my friends, we live in days when family religion is fallen to the ground. Men are too proud now to be like Abraham, and to command their children and their servants after them. Men now-a-days take up the words of Cain, and say: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Ah! where are our Andrews now? "Andrew first findeth his own brother, Peter, and saith unto him, We have found the Christ; and he brought him to Jesus."

What! is there one of you who thinks himself a child of God, who is yet ashamed to kneel down in the midst of his family, and pray? Alas! my friend, you may dream that you are a child of Abraham, but remember you do not the works of Abraham. Ah! brethren, whole families must be saved; for whole families are in danger of hell.

Oh! then, you that know the Lord, do not your bowels yearn over your perishing kindred? Can you not fall on some contrivance, think you, to win them to Christ? Will you not strengthen our hands, at least, by your words and prayers, and by opening the way for the minister of Christ into the bosom of your unconverted families? Ah! in this

time of trouble, will you not lay hands on them, as the angels did on Lot? Hark! the Lord invites you: “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast."

2. I observe that the dangers to which the believer is exposed are but for a time.

God says: "Hide thyself

as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast." It was so in that night when God smote the first-born in Egypt. It was but a night that they were to hide in their houses: "None of you shall go out of his house until the morning." It was so in the destruction of Jericho-Rahab and her kindred hid themselves seven days, till the danger was overpast. And just so the troubles of believers now are for a very short time: "These light afflictions are but for a moment." And also the indignation which is coming on the world will be but for a little moment-it will soon be overpast.

(1.) Temporal troubles are but for a moment; these sad sicknesses and wasting calamities will not last for ever -a short while, and this body will be past the power of pain to grieve it. I know that if any of you have tasted the sweetness of being in Christ, you could be content to hide in him for an eternity. Welcome an eternity of outward troubles, if I have such a hiding-place. But you are not asked to do this: "Hide thyself as it were for a little moment." Live but a few years more in faith, and thou shalt live the rest in glory: "If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.”

(2.) The indignation of the latter day will be but for a moment. Days of wrath are coming, my friends; it is vain to conceal it-such as the world has never known before. And if these days were not shortened, no flesh could be saved; but for the elect's sake they shall be shortenedthey shall be made as a little moment. Whether these days of trouble shall be in our day, I do not know; for we know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh. But this I do know, that there is no safety, no, not for another night, for any soul that is not hiding in the Saviour. I repeat it, my friends, if you lie down in your bed this night out of Christ, the Son of Man may be come before the morning, and you be cut in sunder, and have your portion with the hypocrites, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

bounded ocean of glory.

Little children, abide in him, that when he sh ye may have confidence, and not be ashamed b at his coming: "Come my people, enter tho chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide t were for a little moment, until the indignation be Dundee, Jan. 15, 1837.

SERMON XLI.

WILL YE ALSO GO AWAY?

"From that time many of his disciples went back, and wa with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye a Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall hast the words of eternal life."-JOHN vi. 66-68.

I. Lesson. Many who seem to be disciples of back, and walk no more with Jesus.

This is a very solemn truth, and may proba the case of some who are this day hearing me. is said twice over that there were many who If there were many then, it is likely there wi

now.

1. Many follow Christ for a time, but are stur they hear they must come to personal union with

(1.) So it was here. A great many were now Christ in addition to the twelve apostles. They dently much taken with Christ; they called him they wanted to make him a king; they followed the sea; and yet, when he told them that he was t heaven, they murmured-when he told them that eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eterna said: "This is an hard saying;" and it was for they turned back, and walked no more with Jes

(2.) So it is now. A great many persons are much taken with Christ; they have some anxiety about their souls; they follow anxiously after the preaching of the Word; but when we show them that Christ is the bread of heaven -that they must have a personal closing with Christ, as much as if they were to eat his flesh and drink his bloodthese souls say: "It is a hard saying, who can bear it?" Byand-by, they are offended-they believe not-they go back, and walk no more with Jesus. Is any hearing me in this condition? Oh! think again, I beseech you, before you go back. Oh! seek the teaching of God, and he will show you that none of Christ's sayings are hard sayings, but that they are all sweet and easy. When the heart of a poor Indian was brought under the teaching of God, he said: "Some people complain that the Bible is a hard book; but I have not read so far as to find it a hard book. To me it is all sweet and easy."

2. Many follow Christ for a time, but when they are told that Christ must dwell in them, they go back, and walk no more with Jesus.

(1.) So here the multitude that followed Christ were pleased with a great many things in him. When he fed them with the five barley loaves and the two fishes, they said: "Lord, it is good for us to be here' "This is in truth that prophet that should come into the world." And again, when Jesus told them of bread from heaven that would give life, they said most devoutly: "Lord, evermore give us this bread." But when Christ said: "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him," by-and-by they were offended. When he told them that he would be their life, and would dwell in them, they said: "It is a hard saying, who can bear it?" They believed not -they went back, and walked no more with Jesus.

(2.) So in some measure with Nicodemus. When he regarded Christ as a worker of miracles, this drew the heart of the Jewish ruler, and he said to him: "Rabbi, we know thou art a teacher come from God." But when Jesus told him that he must be born again-must be dwelt in by the unseen Spirit of God-Nicodemus found it a hard saying: "How can a man be born when he is old?" And again: "How can these things be?"

(3.) So now, many persons are much taken with Christ. They are anxious about their souls for a time; and they see some glimpses of Christ as a Saviour. They love to hear

hard saying, who can bear it?" 1st, They neve Spirit, and they say: "How can these things be is one of your mysteries. Therefore, they go walk no more with Jesus. Is any hearing me in dition? Oh think a moment before you go bac fools, and slow of heart to believe all that is writte ing Jesus." Why should ye stumble at the bles "He that eateth me shall live by me?" True, saw the Spirit; yet trust the word of Him th lie. You never saw the wind, and yet you sail; so trust to that Spirit, though you neve 2d, Some of you may fear that if it be true, would be deprived of some of your darling pleas heart would be changed, and you would no m relish for your present enjoyments; therefore yo and walk no more with Jesus. Oh! how the your understanding. Do you not see, that i your relish for your present joys, it will be b have got a taste for higher and sweeter? wisely refuse to drink better wine, because thereby lose your relish for the worse. Oh ! the Holy Ghost are sweeter than all the pleas It is wine on the lees, well refined. "Woe un Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? Wh once be?

Yo

3. Many are awakened to follow Christ, but find that they must be drawn to Christ—that a grace-by-and-by they are offended.

(1.) So here, the persons that had followed been laborious and painstaking in following him crossed the sea, and listened to his words for together; and doubtless they began to think done well, and that they were worthy to be sav pains they had taken. But when Jesus told salvation was of mere grace-that they were he ners, and needed still to be drawn to Christ b good pleasure of the Father-this offended th quick they turned back, and walked no Jesus.

(2.) So now, many persons set out in religion