...

orphans, too many widowed hearts in the world, -if the worthlessness of a Parent were to be the signal for his being made a castaway. . . . And this is why Sin is tolerated by GoD. He wills that there shall be no mistake made. "By their fruits ye shall know them."

(3.) We may take the last two heads at once: "Let both grow together until the Harvest. Such is the decree of the LORD of the Harvest, -the LORD of the whole Earth!... "Let both grow together:" that is the charter of our lives, yours and mine! "Until the Harvest :" -that prescribes the limit of God's endurance; defines the moment at which the awful severance will take place! Some important considerations follow, with which I shall conclude.

First of all, you are to notice that this Parable cuts away all pretence for complaint or wonder at the state of things in the Church or in the World. The Parable is a prophecy,-a prophecy of what the World was to be, and how the Church was to look; namely, like a field in which Tares and Wheat are growing together: in some cases, scarcely distinguishable; but, whether distinguishable or not, not to be disturbed or separated the one from the other.

The chief lesson of all is one of self-distrust,

and most unbounded Charity: anxiety for self,--cheerful generous hope for all beside.... And then, when we look on others, O to remember always that however backward, however frail,-however broken, however stunted, however unpromising, the plant which we look upon,it may prove to be Wheat after all! And shall we, who may prove (God forbid !) the Tares of the parable; shall we ask leave that we may, -or even wish that we might,-" go and gather them up ?”. . . Nay,—for every reason, nay!

And if any there be who sigh for the society of Saints, and Saints only; who deem nothing worthy of the name of Church, which is not such a Church as that:-let them know that such bliss is not for Earth, but is reserved in Heaven for the Saints of GOD hereafter that it is the Church of the Redeemed in Heaven for which they sigh; the society of just men made perfect, for which they thirst. Till then,-O thou, whoever thou art,-have patience! GOD grant thee, at the latter day, all that thy soul now pineth after; even a place in the Heavenly Jerusalem; which hath "no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it; for the Glory of GOD doth lighten it, and the LAMB is the Light thereof."

The Sirth Sunday after the Epiphany.

THE GOSPEL FOR THE DAY.

S. MATTHEW xxiv. 29.

Immediately after the Tribulation of those days.

WHENEVER there are twenty-six Sundays after Trinity, we are directed to supply the deficient Collect, Epistle, and Gospel by adopting the service of one of those Sundays that were omitted after the Epiphany. It is obvious on such occasions to avail ourselves of the Service for the sixth Sunday, which, it is plain, has been constructed with express reference to the Advent Season. I may remark in passing that this Collect which was composed, and this Epistle and Gospel which were appointed, at the last revision of the Prayer-Book in 1661, are inferior to none in the tokens of skill which they exhibit. You will be sure to note the exquisite taste with which the Collect, (addressed to GOD the FATHER and GOD the HOLY GHOST,) has been fashioned out of Divine materials supplied by the Epistle

chiefly. The suitableness of the Gospel (obvious enough at first sight) will perhaps become even more apparent by the few remarks which I propose now to offer concerning it.

It forms part (as every one remembers) of that memorable prophecy which our LORD pronounced on the Mount of Olives shortly before He suffered; and which was delivered in reply to the double question of the four Apostles,"Tell us, when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass ?" Next,-" And what shall be the sign of Thy Coming, and of the End of the World?"

I shall not be misleading you, I believe, if I assert that a clue to the method of the Prophecy which follows is obtained by noting carefully where the terms in which the inquiry is expressed re-appear in our LORD's reply. The phrase "these things," denotes the Fall of Jerusalem, both in the question and in the reply.

The Disciples did not indeed know how to ask such a question properly, for they conceived that the two events, the Destruction of the Temple and the End of the World,—were to take place at one and the same time. And yet, their question was Divinely asked as well as Divinely answered: for so it is, that the two

events, though sundered from one another by a vast interval of years, yet stand one behind the other, (so to speak,) in the Divine regard, and clearly have a mysterious relation, correspondence, and connexion: insomuch that our SAVIOUR can pass from one to the other with a scarcely perceptible note of transition; and almost speak of both at once; as if, (which of course is the fact,) He was contemplating both of them at one and the same instant.

And yet, the language of our SAVIOUR's prophecy is singularly exact and methodical. One half of it is directed to the Fall of Jerusalem: the other half to the End of the World. And you will find, on examination, that He gives certain notes whereby the approach of either event might be known. He seems with reference to both to describe first the more remote, and then the more near signs of its coming; and, (what is very singular,) the signs which He specifies do to a great extent correspond in either case. I mean, that if you will read with care the account of this prophecy as it is given by S. Luke as well as that given in this chapter by S. Matthew, you will find that the same remoter signs are specified both of the Destruction of Jerusalem and of the End of the World: