pressing into our view; as if it were the very voice of our Lord, Can ye not discern the signs of the times? This leads me to consider.

III. THE DUTIES WHICH LIE UPON THE CHURCH. Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

The duty is, in dependence on the power of the Holy Ghost, to be witnesses for Christ.

Our Lord, after refusing to gratify the unprofitable curiosity of the apostles, proceeds according to his invariable custom to give a more profitable practical lesson, with fuller immediate instruction and consolation. As when he was asked, Are there few that be saved? he answered not the question directly, but bid them strive to enter in at the straight gate; so here he told them not the times, but called them to a high and holy duty, and furnished them with adequate strength for it.

Notice the power to be bestowed, and the duty to be fulfilled.

1. THE POWER TO BE BESTOWED.-The power over the times is with God. The power to work is imparted to us.

Nothing apparently could be more hopeless than the attempt of the apostles at this time to convert the world. Their Lord crucified: his cause despised; his few followers disheartened and scattered; the whole world serving Satan, and arrayed therefore against them.

But there was a divine power that out of weakness could and did make them strong. The Holy Ghost in all his varied gifts and miraculous powers soon changed the very character of the apostles; made those who were once timid, faint-hearted, and full of the fear of man, when he came, invincible to all the

power of Satan, bold and intrepid in danger, unwearied in labour, open and unreserved in confession of the truth, confident and joyful in sufferings, and ready cheerfully to go to prison and to death in its most horrible forms for their Master's sake.

O the mighty energy and power of the Holy Ghost! May we and our missionaries but be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and we are prepared for all the work of Christ!

But was not that power confined to the apostolic age? By no means. However the miraculous operations may have been limited, that power on which alone depends the conversion of the sinner, never has, never will, leave the church. Lo I am with you, says Christ, always to the end of the world. I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Most vain, then, while we have this promise, is it for the infidel world, or for the formal church in the spirit of the world, to say the Jews cannot be converted. There would be insuperable difficulties had we but the arm of flesh; our dependence is on the promised power of God. How accordant, then, is it with that festival of our church which we this day celebrate, to stir up your hearts to consider this blessed hope and look for this divine power. May it be largely granted to us!

There is farther,

THE DUTY TO BE FULFILLED.-Ye shall be witnesses to me. This is the main character of the people of Christ in this world. They are Christ's witnesses. And what is it they testify? We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world; testifying both to the Jews and to the Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus. The whole company of believers is the cloud of witnesses; the church in its time of darkness and humiliation bears the name of the witnesses prophesying in sackcloth. First we must know Christ for our

selves, and then spread the savour of this knowledge in every place.

Here, my brethren, is our duty, our present duty, boldly to confess Christ, plainly to avow our principles. Never was it more important for us to take heed to those solemn instructions. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father which

is in heaveu.

O my beloved brethren, how short is time, how near the all-changing, all-deciding, most tremendous, and most joyful scene! O how your present conduct infinitely affects your situation then, your state through everlasting ages! And what is there on which you can depend, to assure you that this scene may not in your own life burst upon you. Believe and act upon the solemn warning, Ye know not the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh. The grand directions are, Watch and pray always. Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.

Help, then, to the uttermost every good cause. Lay up treasure for yourselves in heaven. Give your money to the exchangers, that your Lord at his coming may receive his own with usury. Shew your faith by your works. Now is the day of grace for your own salvation. There is grace; there is free and full redemption, which you may now obtain by flying to Christ. Fly to him. Now is the day of labour for the salvation of others. And O how largely are you promoting this when you are seeking the conversion of those whose recovery shall be as life from the dead to the world! The kingdom will be restored to Israel; if faithful now to our Lord Christ, you may share its brightest glories. If we suffer

with him, we shall reign with him. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and

ever.

God help us, however we may be counted foolish by the vain world, to be thus wise for eternity.

And in now going to the table of the Lord, let us remember how his word joins his second coming with the memorial of his death, As oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord's death till he come.

DISCOURSE VIII.

THE LAST GREAT TRIBULATION OF THE JEWS, ON THEIR RESTORATION TO THEIR OWN LAND.

[PREACHED AT WATTON, HERTS, Nov. 8, 1840.]

ZECHARIAH XIII. 8, 9.

And it shall come to pass that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die, but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried, and they shall call on my name and I will hear them. I will say, it is my people, and they shall say, the Lord is my God.

THE peculiar situation of Syria and the Holy Land, and the circumstances of the Jewish nation are at the present moment remarkably attracting the attention of the chief kingdoms of Europe. Apart from the word of God, his providence is making their return so probable, even to the politicians of this world only, that I have thought it desirable to direct your attention to the scripture testimony, as to the nature and character and various events connected with their return.