and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Here we perceive, that not the least allusion is made to a judgment at the end of time; because there would be no propriety in warning his disciples not to be drunk or overcharged with the cares of life at a judgment day thousands of years after their death. The day when the Christians were "to stand before the Son of man was at the destruction of the Jewish polity, and it was to take place in the lifetime of some of the disciples. Christ says, "There be some standing here, that shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." The day of Christ was therefore at hand, and the apostles were warned to keep it in view, and watch the signs that were to precede it. Peter was faithful to these warnings, and when he saw the signs, presaging its near approach, he exclaimed, "the time is come, "&c. This was

the day of tribulation, when the Christians were scarcely saved from the dreadful fate that overtook their own countrymen, who remained blind till the things that made for their peace, as a nation, were hidden from their

eyes.

SERMON XVIII.

WHERE SHALL THE UNGODLY AND THE SINNER APPEAR ?

[Concluded.]

In our last, we have attended to the first two divisions of our subject, namely, what we were to understand by judgment beginning at the house of God, and who were the righteous, and in what sense they were scarcely saved. We now invite the attention of the reader to the remaining division of the subject. THIRD, who were the ungodly, and where they appeared. By the ungodly and the sinner, we are to understand the unbelieving Jews, the murderers of Christ, and the persecutors of his followers. It has exclusive reference to them and not to the ungodly, who lived subsequent to the destruction of Jerusalem, much less does it refer to all the wicked that have ever existed, or shall hereafter exist, as common opinion asserts. This needs no further explanation.

Under this head we were also to show where the ungodly and the sinner appeared. We have already had occasion to state, that Peter, in our text, refers to the destruction coming upon the Jews. The time was come when that judgment

of persecution, which began at the Christians, was to be returned upon the heads of their persecutors, in sevenfold vengeance and suffering. Their city and nation were to be destroyed, and their magnificent temple, where their devotions were offered, was to be laid even with the ground. Not one stone was to be left upon another, but the whole was to become one general heap of ruins. Then, according to the prediction of Jesus, was there to "be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Then was 66 wrath to come upon them to the uttermost." Then was he to "take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Then

"the children of the kingdom to be cast out into outer darkness, where there was wailing and gnashing of teeth." Then, as a nation, were "they to go away into everlasting punishment;" for "these were the days of vengeance, when all things that were written might be fulfilled," and "all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, should come upon that generation."

Titus led the Roman army against them, surrounded the walls of the city on the day of the Passover, where a great part of the Jewish nation were then assembled, and to which others had fled for refuge, being driven by the terror

of his arms like chaff before the whirlwind. Here they appeared! Husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, (one promiscuous throng,) were gazing in breathless solicitude, while consternation and dismay were depicted in every countenance, and fearful expectation pervaded every bosom! Death, a long lingering death, was gathering around them in all its horrors! Old men and young, maidens, matrons, and little children poured forth their lamentations to heaven, invoking the protection of the God of Israel. But, alas!"the things that made for their peace (as Jesus forewarned them) were hidden from their eyes!" Their hour was come, and the triumphant shouts of the enemy were heard around their stubborn walls, which (massy as they were) dropped to the ground under the subduing power of the battering-rams of war. With these massive engines of destruction, they laid the first two walls in ruin! But the third and last wall it was not in the power of the enemy to gain. The Jews fought with desperation, and by valiant exertions kept the enemy at bay, and for a while seemed to triumph in the fond hope of victory over the foe. The Roman army was driven to great extremity, and even to hesitation, while many of their most valiant men fell in action, and impending victory seemed to hang doubtful. In this moment of

suspense, they came to a determination to make no further attack upon the city, but guard it and reduce its inhabitants to submission by famine. All supplies were accordingly cut off, and every avenue blocked up by the vigilant Romans. In addition to this, intestine divisions, civil wars, and pestilence raged within the walls of the city. Having no employment in fighting the enemy, they fell to butchering each other. These things proved their ruin, and their national sun went down in blood. Every day thousands closed their eyes in death through famine and pestilence; and thousands, by endeavouring to escape to the enemy and surrender themselves up as prisoners for safety and protection, were either cut down by the Roman sword, or met the same fate from their own countrymen. Here they appeared! All hopes of life cut off, nothing presented itself to their view, to end their woes, but the certain prospect of an untimely tomb! Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, gazing upon each other in silent expectation, saw death gradually advancing in all its horrors. They were driven to the most dreadful extremities, until (as Josephus informs us) "they devoured whatever came in their way;" mice, rats, serpents, lizards, even to the spider,"

and lastly, mothers were driven to eat the flesh of their own children! Here were lamentation and woe indeed!-such tribulation as our Saviour