lieving parents are professionally holy. The promise is to them and their children. They have every security they can have, until they are able to take hold of the covenant themselves. Brought up in this manner, naturally sweet and agreeable in their tempers, must they not have been lovely and pleasant in their lives? Shewing no frowardness of disposition, no waywardness of temper, no inclination,-we mean, no extraordinary propensity for evil,-docile, obedient, and willing to be instructed; shewing even an inclination to join in offering the sacrifice of prayer at family worship, (for their mother informed me.) They so specially marked the domestic altar, that it seemed as if God had ordained praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings. We are certain, that the words of David are no panegyric. The Holy Ghost spake by him, and His words were upon his tongue. It is perfectly true, that Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided. But if the former were lovely and pleasant, so were the latter, though we do not claim the spirit of inspiration. We cannot say, like Paul, in the most qualified sense, that we think we have the Spirit of God; but we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen and heard. Without any preternatural assistance, we form internal apprehensions from external appearances. We can then affirm, that as they were lovely and pleasant in their lives, so in their death they were not divided. Saul and Jonathan were both cut off in one day. But Jonathan and his brothers fell sometime before their father. Saul may have been about 60, and Jonathan may have been about 30. They were, nevertheless, lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided. So were those whose deaths we deplore. They both died in childhood; but their deaths were, perhaps, not much more divided. Mary, aged about six, and Margaret, about four, departed within two-and-a-half hours of each other, according to our computation. We cannot tell what is the distance between time and eternity, or what duration is requisite to travel from earth to heaven. The one, however, could not linger for the other. They had each to pass through the dark valley of the shadow of death alone. The angels who con. ducted the one through the swellings of Jordan, might be merely ready to carry the other safely over. A very short period separated their departure from this world from their reception into the bosom of their Father and their God. The one would be newly installed into the heavenly mansions, when the other was entering the portals of Paradise. The joyful sentence would yet be sounding in the ears of the eldest, Come, thou blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for thee from the foundation of the world, when it would again be repeated in the ears of the younger. The one would be arrayed in fine linen, white and clean, and would be tuning her golden harp, and beginning the new and never-ceasing song, Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, when the other would be ushered into the joyful throng, as one of the first fruits unto God, taken away from the evil to come. With what joy and transport would they survey the city which hath twelve foundations, and which is garnished with all manner of precious stones, and the very streets of which are pure gold. How would they gaze upon the Divine Redeemer, who sitteth in the midst of the throne, and upon the celestial company ranged around Him. And if departed friends recognize each other, how would they embrace each other, and tell the tale of mercy and love by which they had met, never more to part. What wonderful and astonishing expansion of faculties and powers would they display, when they were all at once prepared to sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb. Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou only art holy? All would be new and enrapturing to their astonished sight; and how fondly would they wish that father and mother, and brother and sister, were congregated among them! Leave them we must, to enjoy all the blessed fruits of the Redeemer's purchase, and the triumphs of His power. They were not divided in their deaths, and now they shall never be divided in those blissful mansions into which, by sovereign mercy and everlasting love, they are received. Their sun shall never go down, neither shall the moon withdraw herself; for the Lord shall be their everlasting light, and the days of their mourning shall be ended. And they shall see His face, and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither the light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever; therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Believing those sacred truths, and realizing these glorious pros pects, who would not wish to be with them? All that we can do while here, is to think of the regions of eternal day, unto which they are now entered, and to be laying up a treasure there, and praying and watching that we may be ready when the message comes to us,-Prepare to meet thy God. Short was their continuance in this land of storms, of tempests, of sin, of wretchedness, and of death. They came forth as beautiful flowers, and were cut down; they did flee like the quickest passing shadow. Their life was, indeed, like a vapour. It was quicker than the weaver's shuttle. They were like the flower that groweth and flourisheth. In the morning it flourisheth and groweth up, in the evening it is cut down and withereth. Yet they had a longer continuance in this valley of tears than many who are carried from the womb to the grave. They tasted a little of the cup of human life; and to them the bitterness of death is now past. Long will their image rise to their parents' view, when the family groupe are assembled, and their seats are empty. Their place may be filled up by others; but the fond mother will long say, Mary is not, and Margaret is not; all these things are against me. Often will the tears of memory be shed over their narrow bed; but they are not there. Exactly a year more finished the mother' course, and another year the father's; but this could not be anticipated when the discourse was composed, and the sequel is not altered. (Campbell's Pleasures of Hope, part I., line 225 to 248.) Returning homeward from the place where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest, they will cast many a longing, lingering look behind. When spring and summer deck their lowly lasting couch with flowers, they will fondly think of the fair forms beneath. By night, upon their bed, when deep sleep falleth upon them, the mother will think she has them in her arms; but she will awake in the morning, and, lo! they are not. When the tear is rolling silently over the cheeks of the bereaved parents, were they permitted to be present, they would say, Father and mother, weep not for us; but weep for yourselves, and for your children. It is perfectly true, would they say, that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. It is your privilege and your duty to repose your trust upon the true sayings of God. You can pour all your cares, all your griefs, and all your sorrows, into His gracious ear. You have everything in Him, until we meet never to part. Believe it, that Christ is, indeed, the chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely. He is the brightest, sweetest, fairest one that eyes have seen, or angels known. Be not ashamed of Christ, or of His cause, His people, or His words. Shew your affection unto Him by keeping His commandments. Remember His words,-He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, befriend the stranger, visit the afflicted, plead the cause of the widow, the fatherless, and motherless, and orphan, and break the arm of the oppressor. Much could we say to you, were we permitted. But you have Moses and the prophets, Jesus, the Author and Finisher of faith, and His apostles; hear them. Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 1. This subject should cause the young to remember their Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer, in the days of their youth. 2. Parents, from this solemn occurrence, should double their diligence, making their children acquainted with Christ and His salvation, and leading them daily to Him. 3. The death of the young should make the aged consider what they have been doing, and how they have improved their time, talents, and opportunities. 4. How awful the condition of the ungodly, if they are taken away suddenly and unexpectedly, whether they be young or old. Lastly, Happy are they who are living the lives of the righteous. They shall die their death, and their last end shall be like theirs. We cannot let this go to the press, without mentioning the maternal kindness received from her sister, Mary Gray, wife to Mr. William Gray, Wester Muckcroft. She was kind to all; but I experienced it in the utmost extent. Mr. Gray, Muckcroft, and Mr. Gray, Auchengeich, proposed me to be a candidate at Cadder ere I came to Chryston; and Mrs. Gray's affection for me, was like that to her own children. What a pity it was that Craigenbay was not secured to her and her family in all generations! The whole should have been hers and her families, which could easily and justly have been secured. What a pity that Muckcroft went from the Grays, and Croftfoot from the Tennents, and Auchenloch from the Drews,-all old families,—and Gartferry from the Dobies, and Slakiewood from the Kennedys; and many other properties bave changed proprietors since we knew the parish of Cadder. 240 ILLUSTRATIONS AND ELUCIDATIONS. IN correcting these Sermons, I find none of them bring out fully my peculiar views and sentiments; therefore I shortly subjoin some of them that are not so prominent in the Sermons. They shall also be corroborated by the sentiments of others. This is due to myself, as well as my readers. I could never have depended upon Christ, or loved Him, unless I had believed He had loved me with an everlasting love, and given Himself for me, (Jer. xxxi. 3; Gal. ii. 20.) This is strong language, and it will require much wrestling with the angel of the covenant to be able to utter it, (Gen. xxxii. 24-29.) I must remind my readers, that, like Mr. Martyn the Missionary, who sleeps at Tocat, they may be willing to go round the globe to have such a communication even twice repeated. I say, as I said about geology, I speak advisedly; and those whom it has cost as much to obtain it, would say, Perish everything that would shake their faith in the Divine Word, from the beginning to the conclusion,-from the first verse of Genesis to the last of Revelation. Before any can be a Christian, an indissoluble union must be formed be tween Christ and them. Christ first apprehends the sinner by His Spirit, (1 Cor. xii. 13;) and the sinner, thus apprehended, apprehends Christ by faith, (Phil. iii. 12.) It is an union of persons; but not a personal union. Believers make not one person with Christ, but one body mystical, whereof He is the Head, (1 Cor. xii. 12, 27.) It is not a mere legal union; yet it is an union sustained in law, in so far as that upon the union taking place, what Christ did and suffered for them is reckoned, in law, as if they had done and suffered it themselves, (Gal. ii. 20; Col. ii. 12; Ephes. ii. 6.) It is a real union, (Ephes. v. 30.) It is so intimate, that believers are said to be one in the Father and the Son, as the Father is in Christ, and Christ in the Father, (John xvii. 21.) It is full of mysteries, (John xvii. 23; Gal. ii. 20; 2 Cor. vi. 16; 1 John iv. 16; Col. i. 27; Gal. iii. 27; John vi. 58.) It is indissoluble, (Rom. viii. 38, 39.) The bonds of this union,-the Spirit on Christ's part, (1 John iii. 24,) and faith on ours, (Ephes. iii. 17,) are inviolable, (John x. 28) In the very moment of this union, sinners are made saints, (1 Cor. vi. 11.) None are possessed of religion till this union is formed. By religion, is meant a real, in |