be revealed, and the as yet undetected hypocrisy of formalism will be exposed. And if it is possible to conceive of the state of Egypt, when it was enveloped in a darkness which might be felt, while the land of Goshen was full of light, we may form some idea, and but a faint one, of that awful moment when all the particles of light, scattered as they now are throughout the world, reflecting their influence according to their size and power on surrounding objects, shall be gathered up into one centre and when all beyond the limits of that orb or circle of glorious light, will be emphatically "outer darkness," the darkness of disappointment and despair. Oh! how great the blessedness of that Millennial Church, for "the Lord God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." This is the brightness of his coming, who will consume the wicked one. And what must be the blackness of darkness in that confederacy, from which every remnant of piety, truth, and holiness, is for ever removed. And here I might go on to speak of Jewish hopes and Jewish interests, as they will be developed when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled; but as this does not properly form a part of the interpretation of the parable, I proceed to make some application of the principles which I have gathered from the history.

And, first, it is plain that there is an intentional

contrast drawn between the Jewish and the Gentile dispensation. The one directing our attention to God's method of dealing with a nation, and the other to his way of dealing with individuals.

And if many useful lessons are given to the visible Church of the Gentiles from Jewish history, many also may be learned by nations, which having been evangelized, have as nations set up the profession of Christianity within their pale. Few, if any will be found, to argue, that the rejection of the covenant, and the murder of the prophets and apostles was the act of individuals, and that the nation was not responsible for the sins of a few. If one interpretation of the parable be correct, if the judgment of the evangelists and inspired writers of the New Testament be correct, if the fulfilment of the prophecy itself be correct, then was the whole nation punished for its great national act of refusing and murdering the messengers. was a national act or rather a series and succession of national acts, and the result was a national punishment. And is it not vain and worse than vain, to attempt an evasion of this great moral warning to nations ? "Be not highminded but fear. For if God spared not the natural branches take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell severity, but toward thee goodness

It

if thou continue in his goodness, otherwise thou also shall be cut off." The sin of individuals if unrestrained and stopped by all scriptural means, becomes the sin of the nation. The sin of the higher class sooner or later becomes the sin of the lower class; and the converse is true; the sin of the lower, if unchecked, becomes the sin of the higher as is the people so is the priest-as is the subject so the ruler. This was precisely the state of Israel when the cup of her iniquity was full; and it is in this way that we should receive the the warning. It was not one act of disobedience, for God was very patient. He bore long with their rebellion, and it was not until his repeated invitations and mercies had been utterly rejected, that his wrath arose to the uttermost. And is not this the habitual method of the Divine government of nations? It was not one act of unbelief, which led to the overthrow of Pharaoh and his kingdom, it was not one act of cruelty and blasphemy which consummated the destruction of Babylon. It was a succession of acts of wilful disobedience. What began in persecution ended in sacrilege. It was not while the three children were in the furnace and the people were worshipping a golden image, but while the proud monarch was drinking himself drunk in the holy vessels of the temple, that the invading army entered the city and took it. Let

the nations of Europe be warned. Let England be warned. If we by social compact, by political leagues, or by public opinion, set aside the supremacy of God's voice-if, by sanctioning Sunday labour and Sunday amusement, we annihilate the integrity of the Lord's day-if by a compulsory law we give license to Popish teaching, either in our pulpits or our seminaries of public educationif a power is given by the state to an ecclesiastical superior to exclude those from ordination and ministerial functions who do not hold the opus operatum in the Sacraments, or who do not assert that any other regeneration exists besides that which is conveyed by Baptism-if, finally, the test by which members are admitted to the legislature of a Christian nation be so altered, as that a Jew a Mahommedan, or a heathen may, without any compromise of his opinions or any recognition of ours, take part in the administration and counsels of the country. If, lastly, the ordinary pursuits and professions of life are given up for the one single object of seeking gold and getting rich, and the worship of mammon take the place of the service of God, we may indeed fear lest the Lord send forth his armies to destroy our place and nation. National sins bring down national judgments. And the same Almighty arm which sends the famine or the pestilence directs also the armies of destruc

tion. Oh! that the judges of the earth would be instructed and serve the Lord with fear.

And if this be the lesson for nations, there is another for individuals in the fact,

II. That the universal principle of the religion of the Gospel, is, that it is personal; a matter between each individual and the king of kings. Election is individual-calling is individual-admission is individual-discrimination at the last is individual. This makes both history and prophecy practical. It concerns each, as it concerns all. The distinctions by which so many seek to escape from the great truth so forcibly illustrated by the parable, must therefore sink into everlasting insignificance. What will it avail us to say, we belong to this Church or that, to this sect or that, if we have not on the wedding garment? Will our sect save us? our Church save us? The faith which saves is the act of the individual who believes, and this faith is exercised, not upon intermediate agencies, but, upon the gift itself. Faith takes the wedding garment and puts it on.

Hence it is that faith

justifies, and without this imputed righteousness all the mercy in heaven could not save us. Take good heed, my beloved friends, to this fundamental truth. You must have on the wedding garment yourself. It must be your own act and deed to accept the gracious gift. In hearing the