our own. This certainly is a sign peculiar to the present century. I do not defend all that has been done by Missionary and Bible Societies; nor do I express entire approbation of the principles on which they may have acted, as if they were to convert the world; but still I would point to the fact of hundreds of missionaries going forth to every region of our globe, millions of Bibles circulated-almost every nation having the Scriptures in their own language -and pointing to these simple but magnificent facts, I ask, is there not in these a most palpable fulfilment of the words of the Lord, "This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all nations for a witness, and then shall the end come.' In our day we have the preaching of the Gospel, and its witness-bearing most manifest. The result is not the conversion of the world, but the gathering out of the election. And then the end comes! It is not said, and then the Millennium comes. But the end -the end of the age, the coming of the Son of Man. This sign seems also that referred to in Revelation (xiv. 6.), 'I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel, to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come.' How palpable the sign! It will, I doubt not, become more and more visible-but still there it is already before us a sign which foretells a coming Lord, and most distinctly intimates the impossibility of a Millennium before his Advent.

"11. Israel. This long-forgotten nation is now coming into remembrance. The nations of the earth are beginning to observe this strange people, terrible from the beginning hitherto.' The eyes both of the world and of the Church, are far more intently directed towards them, than they have been since the day that their city perished, and they were led captive into the land of the stranger. It is curious to observe how both travellers and missionaries are

continualiy making new discoveries with regard to Israel, stumbling upon some new fragment of their lost tribes. God seems to be breaking up inaccessible territories in order to bring to view the hiding-places of his ancient people, and to open their prison doors. A goodly number are now also turning their eyes to the cross. The remnant according to the election of grace' is visibly coming in. The interest taken in the Jews everywhere is very striking. God is once more placing them before the eyes of the world, as those through whom he has blessed the world in times past, and through whom he means to bless it again. But when is this? Not till the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob.' Not till they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn.' The full salvation of Israel is reserved for the coming of their Messiah. Then, but not till then, shall'Israel blossom and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit.'

"12. Disbelief of the approaching Advent even in the Church. It is no marvel that the world should either deride or deny that event. And it is of the world's mocking that Peter speaks when he says, 'There shall come in the last day scoffers, saying, Where is the promise of his coming?' But the Church also loses sight of that day; nay, refuses to credit the news of its approach. She says, 'My Lord delayeth his coming.' She slumbers and sleeps. And it is just when she is speaking thus, and thus slumbering; it is in an hour when she thinks not, that he arrives. It is often said, Surely, if the time were just at hand, more of God's people would believe it. But it is when many of them are not believing it, and counting on delay, that the Bridegroom comes. Now how can

this be the case if the Millennium precede the Advent? Will the Church not know when the thousand years are done? Will it be possible for her to say, 'My Lord delayeth his coming?' While then we mourn that so many of the saints should disbelieve the nearness of that day,

let us also lift up our heads, for by this sign we know that our redemption draweth nigh.

"13. Efforts at self-regeneration. I do not say this of the Church, though there are some tokens of it even in her. But I speak of the world. Man seems now to be putting forth every effort to regenerate himself without God. Amid the achievements of science and of art, he has lost sight of his own helplessness and dependance on him who created him. He thinks to be a God to himself. It is as if before God's glorious purpose of restitution is brought to pass, man is to be allowed to do his utmost for the renewal of himself and of the world. He is to be put to the proof. He is to be permitted to boast himself for a little, and congratulate himself upon the triumph before him. Hence the vain-glorious speeches we so often hear, of man's powers, and man's prospects. Political reforms are spoken of as the regeneration of the world. One party most loudly maintains that the separation of Church and State is to usher in the Millennium; another as boldly affirms that it is the union of these that is to accomplish this. Education, science, literature, philosophy, are called the world's regenerators, and no limits are assigned to the blessings which these are to confer upon the world. It is curious, also, to observe, within these ten years past, how eagerly science has been putting forth all its energies in pursuit of discoveries that shall restore fruitfulness to the soil. Agricultural chemistry has shot up into a separate study. As if unconsciously prescient of the earth's deliverance from the curse of barrenness, men are labouring to do all that science can, to hasten on that day of restitution. These efforts at self-regeneration must prove abortive; for man annot undo either his sin or its consequences. They may succeed to a certain extent, but only to prove how little they can effect. They are, however, sure signs of a coming deliverance. For when man's endeavours have proved fruitless, both in reference to himself and the soil which he tills, God shall

at length interpose and accomplish the work of renovation by the word of his power.

"14. The spread of knowledge. Many are running to and fro, and knowledge is increasing. Nor is it knowledge of one kind, but of every kind, secular and sacred. It is, however, for the former that this age is specially distinguished. And Satan is putting forth his utmost resources of power and craft thus to lead men captive at his will. The prince of all knowledge (as one wrote twenty years ago,) where God is not known; of all power where God is not acknow ledged; the bright archangel of the natural man, revealing himself in his angelic glories of natural knowledge, natural beauty, natural wisdom, and natural humanity.' Thus does he play his part in this last age! Under these radiant disguises, he is bewildering the eyes of men, and persuading them that this diffusion of knowledge is the breaking of the millennial dawn. So specious are his counterfeits that it is hard to separate the real from the false, the precious from the vile; for when he thus comes forth as an angel of light, clothed in every perfection that the natural heart loves and the carnal eye admires, who shall penetrate the deception and escape the snare, save those who know all things,' by reason of the unction from the Holy One?' Most truly, (as one has remarked) has the present state of the world been described by one of the world's own poets, when picturing the gay glitter of an evening essembly, over which was thrown

A dazzling mass of artificial light, Which showed all things, but nothing as they were.

So it is now upon the earth, among the heedless multitudes of the children of men. It is the world's midnight. They are eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. Literature, science, art, philosophy, are all their own! Yet there is an artificial colouring, an unreal brightness, over all. There is music; but it is of the Syren kind; not the deep melody of old ancestral song. There is eloquence, too, but it is

the

words of man's wisdom,' not that which speaks for God and 'winneth souls. There is fervour, too, but it is the warmth of wild excitement, born in novelty and nursed by perpetual change. There is high thought, too, but it is often of the unhealthful cast, wrought off at the midnight lamp; not the deep musings begot in fellowship with God, and ceaseless converse with that Word which maketh wise the simple:

"In connexion with all this, there is a proud air of independence, like that which said, 'Our lips are our own; who is Lord over us?? There is a reckless determination to hold what opinions men please, unchecked and unreproved. And then, in connexion with this, many are loud in maintaining, on the one hand, the harmlessness of error, and on the other, the omnipotence of truth. No doubt, upon unfallen beings, error must fall innocuous, and truth prove itself resistless. But in this fallen world, error cannot be so innocent, nor truth so omnipotent, as some suppose. Were this the native country of truth; were the atmosphere of this world its native air, we might hope to see it spring up in rich and spontaneous luxuriance. But so long as Satan is the god of this world'the prince of the power of the air,' truth must ever be an alien to the soil. It bears a bright golden flower, but not in this clime.' The sentiment I allude to is one of Satan's most subtle sophistries, by means of which he hopes to succeed in confounding truth and error. 'Magna est veritas et prævalebit,' is the adage of antiquity. I believe it. I know that there is in reserve for truth a glorious triumph in the ages to come, even upon this dark earth; but this shall not be by its own might, but by the Spirit of the Lord. It is not science and philosophy that are to regenerate the world. They are evidences that the predicted time is come when 'many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.' But the 'march of intellect' is not the triumph of truth. They are signs of promised day-last in the train of night, if better they belong not to the dawn ;'

but they are neither the star of morning nor the sun of righteousness. They shall grace the triumph of truth, but not as confederate allies, to whom in part belongs the glory of the victory, but only as captives bound to its chariot-wheels. Truth shall prevail! But not till He who is TRUTH shall come to lead it on to victory. Then its present obscurity will only enhance its future exaltation. The darkness which now wraps it conceals, but cannot mar it; and, like the face of heaven when the clouds pass off, which hide, but soil not its spotless azure, it shall emerge unstained!

These are a few of the many signs of the times.' Of some of these it may be affirmed that they belong specially to our own day, not having been witnessed by any former age. Of others, we may say, that though seen in other ages, they have shone out far more fully and decidedly in our own. No previous age could point to signs so many and so vivid as we can do; and it is this that renders our position so very solemn and responsible. No thoughtful mind will hastily reject them, even though not wholly satisfied; for even though they may appear defective, yet there is much about them that is not improbable; and what, if after all, they should be true? The facts to which I have been adverting, exist. It becomes us in good earnest to inquire, What do they mean, what do they indicate?

"It was the aberrations of one of our exterior planets that gave the first notice to astronomers of the presence of another orb, outside our present planetary region; so it is the strange aberrations- the irregular movements of things around us, that reveal to the well-taught eye of the Church the near approach of that Star which has been so long absent from our system. And as, when the suggestion was given forth to the students of science, many a telescope was forthwith pointed to the quarter where the predicted stranger was expected to present itself; so when the signs of the times proclaim so audibly The Lord is at hand,' should not every eye be turning upwards to the heavens

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THERE is no estimate more difficult than that of the moral and religious aspect of the present time. There

is a disturbing medium oscillating violently between passion and prejudice, through which we view present events, that prevents us from judging truthfully of their relative position. The dim haze of a century or two must soften down their irregularities before we can measure them in their true proportions.

We are in danger, so intense is the light which present excitement throws on the occurrences of the day, of attaching an undue importance to some circumstances, and of passing by others which, in the development of the future, may become the centre points for good or evil, on which the genius of the age revolves. But every thinking man is called upon to contemplate the prominent characteristics which mark men and things around him. As a Christian, he is bound to note down "the signs of the times," that he may gather from them principles in confirmation of the truths which he holds most dear to him; and in evidence of prophetic history, as personal safeguards against the errors of the day, and as personal consolations in contemplation of its favourable features.

And yet these signs are significant as much of the future as the present. Occurrences of prospective importance are only just struggling into being, telling us what they are likely to effect, as well as exhibiting a marked influence on the minds of men at present.

But it is in the slow progression of such events that we see the germ of momentous principles. We may not trace them in their full and just proportions, but, like the meteoric scintillation, which just flashes on the eye and then on a sudden withdraws itself within the blue curtain of the sky, we can mark with a certain precision their form, and colour, and consistence.

We look abroad, and see the social disorders which are breaking up the MAY-1848.

framework of communities in almost every country in Europe; in Italy, Switzerland, France, Austria, Belgium, Germany; and we see that we can detect a principle lurking in them, which is gradually indurating itself in the popular mind. It is the supremacy of the people and democratic superiority. These facts are distinct and individual. They appear modified in different countries, and are moulded according to the diverse characters of the people; but, combined together, they are all significant of this principle.

The tendency of the age is at present towards democracy. The remnants of Feudalism are rapidly disappearing-and so far it is well; but a power as dangerous and subversive of goodness and order is usurping its place-the power of the people.

We do not say that this spirit is predominant in England, but within the last century it has been certainly progressive. And it strikes us, whether this may not be one step towards the fulfilment of the prophecy in the Apocalypse, in connection with the Papal power: "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore; and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." This may be the simultaneous movement of the democratic force in Europeto which Popery, in its spirit, is essentially opposed-before their ultimate combination to uproot the papacy.

There is another remarkable characteristic indicative of the peculiar spirit of the age, visible in the midst of these convulsions the almost universal yearning after peace.

There is an upheaving and disturbance of the constituted order of things; and yet the breasts of men are longing for peace and tranquillity. The apple of discord is tossed by

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