you,

in which no man can work. Think of in peace according to thy word, for mine it, and as you think of it, hear the very eyes have seen thy salvation." same voice that said to you in the morning of life, "Son, go work to-day in my vineyard," now saying to you, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?"

To those who are indeed the servants of God, this scripture is not useless. You are in the vineyard of Christ; you have been there perhaps for many years; but how What is your answer? Do you say, came you there? Whatever were the out"What answer can we make? Our sins ward means which led you thither, or whatare so many, our bad habits so confirmed, ever the time when they were made ef our minds so weak, our souls so completely fectual, it was "the grace of our Lord dead, there is no help, no hope, for us. Jesus Christ," which separated you from What grace can change an old man's an ungodly world, and made you laborers heart? What mercy can save an old for heaven. It is the same grace, that man's soul?" Brethren, are you really keeps you from forsaking the work which anxious to have your heart changed? Are you have begun. You are working out you heartily willing to have your immortal your salvation, solely because God in his spirit saved? Then turn once again to this mercy continues to "work in you both to parable. At the eleventh hour, these la- will and to do of his good pleasure." borers were admitted into the vineyard; at "Where is boasting then? It is exthe eleventh hour, they began their work; cluded." The pride of your hearts can and when the evening came, they had their find nothing to rest in. The simple quesreward. Here then is encouragement for tion, "Who made thee to differ?" lays it you. Here then is a warrant for assuring low. And what a crowd of feelings rise you that your day of salvation is not yet up one after another in its place! Wonended; that there is grace which can renew, der, joy, love, praise, and perhaps, stronger and mercy which can save, and goodness than all, self-abasement and shame! To which can bless you; that all the unsearch- be idle in the market-place is sad, but we able riches of Christ are yet within your have often stood idle in the vineyard. reach. But you must be in earnest. There Amidst the weighty cares, the awful must be no hesitation or delay. The work is too great, and the time too short, to admit of it. If you are ever saved, you must be saved promptly, quickly; just as a brand is saved from the flames which are already surrounding it; you must be "snatched from the burning."

realities, which occupy the church of Christ, we have been taken up with lying vanities, the trifles of an hour. We need pardon for the past, as much as the guiltiest of our brethren; and grace for the future, as much as the weakest. Let us seek them. And while seeking them, let us look There is in fact only one thing which forward to the time when our present lamen in your situation can do-cast your- bors will come to an everlasting end. selves on the Lord Jesus Christ, as those "The time is short." A few more toils and who feel that without him they can do no- conflicts will bring us to the evening of our thing. Make him at once your hope, and wearisome day. We shall rest then from its your only hope. "His blood cleanseth from "heat and burden." We shall stand in the all sin;" his grace is sufficient for every presence of the great Lord of the vineyard. sinner; his righteousness is "unto all and Before his Father and his holy angels, he upon all them that believe;" he is "able to will give us the reward which his own blood save them to the uttermost, that come unto has purchased, his own labors have preGod by him." Believe these gracious de-pared, and his own power secured. And clarations; and then instead of ending your who can estimate its worth? It is so great, days with the complaint of despairing Is rael, "Wo unto us, for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out!" every trembling sinner amongst you may take up the language of the happy Simeon, bless God and say, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart

that while it puts honor on the unworthy sinners who receive it, it brings glory to the exalted Being who bestows it. It is nothing less than "the joy of our Lord," a share in that blessedness which satisfies an infinite God.

and gold: but as for his heavenly house, he calls its walls "Salvation," and its gates "Praise."

And here, brethren, stands revealed that truth, which every view that we can take of heaven confirms, "Ye must be born again." You must be wrought on, changed, sanctified, by the Holy Spirit, or never see your God. And this work must be done ere you die. The stones were made ready, not in this house, but "before they were brought thither." No axes nor hammers were found there to prepare them. Nor are any means of grace to be found beyond the skies. There no preacher warns, no afflictions soften, no patient Saviour entreats, no Spirit strives. Thousands of sinners have been glorified in eternity, but not one converted, not one sanctified, not one pardoned. The ground you are standing on, is the only ground in the universe, on which the sinful can be made fit for heaven. Leave it in love with the world and sin, not separated, not made ready, and as surely as the only book which brings "immortality to light," is true, you will be cast aside by the great Lord of all as a mean, polluted thing, not meet for his use; unfit for that building where the glories of his grace are seen, and suited only for that dreadful place which is destined to show forth the terrors of his wrath. Marvel not then that He who spake as never man spake, has so often said to you, "Ye must be born again."

II. Let us look now at the foundation of this heavenly building. And how wonderfully adapted is this to the materials of which it is composed!

support, the security, the immovable restingplace of the whole fabric. The apostles and prophets are indeed spoken of as its foundation, but only because they bear testimony to Christ; because they all unite in this saying, "Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

He sustains this relation now to the church on earth, and he is as ready in his love, as able in "the greatness of his strength," to bear the weight of the far loftier and wider church above. He does bear it. There is not a happy spirit in his kingdom, who does not depend on him for every moment of blessedness he enjoys. It is he, who preserves him from the enemies that harassed him below. It is his grace, which keeps his robes so white, his palm so green, his crown so glorious. And it will always be thus. The redeemed will ever need a support, and they will ever find one in the Lord Jesus Christ. The convulsions that shake the worlds from their places, will not throw down a pillar, nor even loosen a stone, of this mighty structure; the events of eternity will not move it. There is underneath it a living, an everlasting Rock, on which it is not only built, but to which it is united. It is in it, become a part of it; so that it can no more be torn from it, than that Rock itself can be shivered and destroyed. "In Jesus Christ," says Saint Paul, "all the building groweth." him ye also are builded together." "Because I live," says the eternal Saviour himself, "ye shall live also." "The glory which thou gavest me," said he to his Father, "I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one."

"In

The sinners who are now rejoicing in glory, had another world once given them. It was a good, a fair and happy world: but they lost it; at least they lost its happiness, and covered it with misery and death. And does not this exercise of the ReThey have now another kingdom bestowed deemer's grace endear him, brethren, to upon them; but will they not lose this also? your hearts? It endears him to his Father. The fallen angels once possessed it; but, Saint Peter speaks of him, not only as though they "excel in strength," they kept" chosen of God," but "precious" to him; it not. How then shall worms of the dust and why? Because he is the "chief corbe safe in so high a station? The same ner-stone" of his spiritual house. There is omnipotent Being who redeemed their souls a suitableness in him for his office, a suffifrom destruction, and formed them for ciency, a display of care, and love, and heaven, has covenanted, has pledged him- strength, which delight even an infinite self, to keep them secure in it forever. God. O with what inconceivable comHence, if we speak of them as a building, placency will his Father say of him, when the Holy Spirit testifies of him as the foun- he looks on his finished work, "This dation on which it stands. He is its chief is my beloved Son, in whom I am well "corner-stone," its "sure foundation;" the pleased!"

III. We may go on to notice the manner | work, the masterpiece, of his infinite skill; and it contains "treasures of wisdom and

in which this temple is built. 1. Like almost every work of its great knowledge," which angels cannot explore Author, it is accomplished gradually. The nor eternity unfold. The directions given first stone of it was laid when righteous for the Jewish temple were minute; but in Abel found himself in glory; and since this more glorious edifice, nothing was overthat period, another and another has been looked. It was "ordered in all things.' added, according to the good pleasure" of In those eternal councils of which human him who worketh all things after the coun- folly may speak, but concerning which husel of his own will." man wisdom can form not one faint conception, all that respects the salvation of the church was forever established. The means of carrying it into execution; the time when its Great Author should be revealed; the sinners who should attain its blessedness; the station they should each occupy below, and the place they should fill above; the instruments by which they should be turned to God; the afflictions which should subdue, and the consolations which should refine them; "the work of faith and labor of love," which they should perform ;-all were fixed by "the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God," and never have they known alteration, or seen the shadow of a change.

Sometimes it has risen slowly; at other times, it has advanced with wonderful rapidity; but, at all times, "the God of all grace" has been employed on it, so that the building has increased in height and glory through all generations. In the present day, the Lord is hastening his work. He is adding to his church daily such as shall be saved;" and after he has made them ready, he takes them from this his earthly habitation, and fixes them, one after another, in their places, in his fairer temple above.

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Now he takes one from this congregation, and puts him in the place designed for him; then he goes to another people, and finds there the soul that is to shine in glory next. At one period, he prepared almost every stone from one pit; he took his redeemed chiefly from one nation, the seed of Abraham, his friend. Now he goes from country to country, from island to island, from clime to clime: one hour, calling to his kingdom a sinner of Christian England; the next, saying to one of heathen Africa, "Come thou also hither;" now bidding an aged pilgrim " depart in peace" to his long wished for rest, and now stooping down, and bearing some new-born babe to an unlooked for glory. He says to the north, "Give up; " and then he turns to the south, and says, Keep not back. Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth."

2. This temple is building also constantly, steadily, without interruption or hinderance. Earthly structures do not proceed thus. Unforeseen difficulties embarrass, and unavoidable delays retard. Sometimes the design of the builder is changed; at other times, he is baffled in carrying it into effect.

It is not so however when God builds. His purposes never change; they can never be frustrated. "Before the mountains were brought forth," he formed the stupendous plan of his heavenly house. It was the

We know but little of the magnificence of this plan, but were it possible that it could be yet more vast, we know that there is ability in Christ to perform it all. His people, though more numerous than the stars of heaven, shall all "be willing in the day of his power ;" and as for his enemies, they can no more impede his designs, than a host of worms could delay the rolling of the glorious sun. "I will work," he says, and who shall let it? My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." And what is this pleasure and this counsel ? He himself informs us; "I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off: and my salvation shall not tarry; and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel, my glory."

3. Thus goes the building on, gradually, constantly; but yet, all this time, silently.

Turn again to the Jewish temple. "There was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron, heard in the house while it was in building." This silence has something in it deeply mysterious. It could not have happened from mere chance. It was undoubtedly enjoined by God, and intended to convey some important truth. The question is, What is that truth? and this is not easily answered.

We shall not, however, materially err, if

we say that the stillness with which the building of the temple proceeded, intimates, first, the unnoticed and secret manner in which God carries on his purposes of grace

in a tumultuous world.

What is the history of the world? A history of commotions. Its great men have seldom moved, but "confused noise and garments rolled in blood" have marked their footsteps. Strifes and contentions have been necessary for the accomplishment of their designs, and they have freely raised them. They have struggled till whole kingdoms have resounded with their deeds, and this poor, distracted earth has resembled "the troubled sea, when it cannot rest.' But God, in the midst of them, unperceived and almost unthought of, is bringing his own purposes to pass; is making "the wrath of man to praise him," and the wickedness of man to do his will. He presides in the storm. The waves thereof toss themselves, but he turns every billow that swells to the furtherance of his own glory. "The Lord sitteth above the waterfloods; yea, the Lord remaineth King forever."

The silence in this temple may remind us also of the secret operations of God in the souls of men. Sometimes he turns their thoughts to himself by the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, by means which are visible and striking; but it is generally in "the still small voice," that he manifests himself as the God of their salvation. The seed is sown in their hearts they know not when ; "it groweth up they know not how;" it brings forth fruit, of which they themselves are often unconscious. They are ripened for heaven in a way which they understand not; and then they die, and go there by a road which none can discover. They lie down in the grave, and all is silence. And what a peaceful world do they enter!

Now what may we learn from this part of our subject? We are taught not to despair of the cause of God even in the darkest scenes.

Look where we will, the state of the world is indeed deplorable. It ought to cause "rivers of waters to run down our eyes.' But then, brethren, let us not forget that amid all its clamor and strifes, the work of God is going gradually, surely, silently on. Let us remember that one proud, contentious man will make more noise in his way to a world of discord, than many holy men will make in their way to heaven. We hear the voice that is lifted up in the streets, the conqueror's shout, the wrangler's curse, and the worldling's song; but we hear not the prayer of the broken heart, we see not the bended knee, we mark not the spirit that in this cottager's hut, or in that poor man's dwelling, bursts joyfully from its prison of clay, and is carried home by the angels to its God. "I am left alone," was once the natural language of a despairing prophet; but what saith the answer of God unto him? "I have reserved to myself seven thousand." "Who hath believed our report ?" asks the Christian minister in sorrow and perhaps in tears;--at the very moment, the man who from sabbath to sabbath has listened unheeded to his voice, may be in tears also, and this secret cry may be going up like incense to the skies, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

We may learn here too the character of true religion.

Nothing is more common in some parts of our own land, than an ostentatious, noisy display of affected piety. Many have learned to dispute and decide, who have never yet learned to cast down one proud imagination, or even tried to humble themselves and mourn.

The stillness among the Jewish builders The young especially are in danger of might be designed to remind us of its quiet- falling into this evil. They have vain ness, of the peace of heaven. All there is hearts, and whatever offers to make them unbroken calmness. Changes and afflic-great, will often lead them captive. Let tions have ceased; for the souls they so the young then remember that "there was often assailed and wrought on, need them no noise heard in the house while it was in no more. No longer earthly, they are now building." Beware of a love of display. heavenly and faultless. All is purity, and perfection, and brightness. The work is done; the instruments therefore are cast aside; and not a sound is heard, but the voice of overflowing blessedness, the songs of adoration and the shout of praise.

Beware of a bold, forward, unmeaning tongue. It will please, it will deceive none but the simple; it will disgust all the wise. Let your tempers and your lives speak with a louder voice than your words. True religion is a silent, lowly, retiring