fifteen years to live, on an average. Death, to the individual, is just as solemn as the close of this economy to the whole world: but there is nothing shocking in it. Our Savior does not so construe it; for what does he say ? "When ye see these things begin to come to pass," What! be terrified-be alarmed-resign your duties? No, no, no. The Bible is too rich in common-sense: "Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." And who can possibly regret the probable nearness of such a consummation? What will it be? The end of sin-the emancipation of the oppressed the extinction of war-the return of earth's ancient glory-the restoration of all the blessedness we have lost-a peace that passeth understanding-no more quarrels, no more misapprehensions, no more sins, no more sorrows. Instead of dreading the advent of so glorious an epoch, with all our hearts we should pray, as from the hea: I do, "Come, Lord Jesus; yea, come quickly."

LECTURE XXII.

THE HARVEST OF THE EARTH.

The Germans call a burial-ground "God's Acre." The prophet describes its harvest in these words

"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.-DANIEL xii. 2.

THIS is one of the things coming on the earth. The resurrection of the dead is the corollary of the resurrection of Christ; the first fruits of them that sleep. I need scarcely add, the resurrection of the dead was never dreamed of the heathen. Even those who believed in the immortality of the soul never ventured to anticipate the restoration of the body. When Paul preached at Athens to the most enlightened and cultivated audience that ever listened to a sermon, the idea of the resurrection of the dead seemed so utterly untenable, that they, like philosophers, laughed to scorn the eloquent but fearless preacher of it. This being so, it is evident that the doctrine is not the discovery of man, nor the guess of transcendent genius; but simply and wholly the revelation of God. We are indebted to the disclosures of the New Testament and the prophecies of the Old for this great truth, that the body is immortal just as truly as the soul.

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We are very prone to lose sight of this doctrine; and justly impressed with the importance and magnificence of the soul's safety, we give up the body as if Satan had justly earned it, and had an indefeasible right to its possession. But that is not so. If it be true that the dead in Christ shall rise, then we may look forward to that blessed hope just as truly, and with as rich consolation, as that with which we look upward to the assurance that "absent from the body we shall be present with the Lord.” And certainly there is a feeling in human nature that makes one wonder the heathen never guessed it. The thought is most withering, if it be true, that the face that gladdened our home with its sunshine has gone into the shadow of the grave for ever; that the accents that were music to our ear are hushed for ever; that the dear friend that we took counsel and walked to the house of God together with we shall never see again; or if we come into contact with him, it will be in a spiritual, disembodied state, of which we have now no just or real conception. But when we read in the Bible that the body is merely resting like raiment folded up in the great wardrobe of humanity, the grave; that it is there superintended by Him that made it, just as the soul is superintended in heaven, and that there is not an atom of its dust that shall not again rise; new light is cast upon the grave, new splendors upon the hopes of the Christian; and he feels that those snatched from him on this side the grave he shall meet again, and know even as he is known.

Now in trying to illustrate a subject by some few remarks on which I have often spoken and written, let me

show first of all that the resurrection of the body is possible; secondly, that the resurrection of the body is probable; and thirdly, that the resurrection of the body, as the last step, is absolutely certain; and then I will turn your attention to the time of it, the nature of it, and the results of it.

The resurrection of the body is possible. It seems at first altogether absurd to expect that the dust that is deposited in the depths of the silent sea; or that has been scattered by the winds, and incorporated into the grass that grows in the field, and the heath that blossoms in the desert; or that has gone into other organisms, and going into them has constituted part and parcel of a wholly different and almost antagonistic nature; can really be re-collected, re-organised, re-constituted in beauty, in glory, and perfection. This demands, the sceptic would say, very great credulity; the scientific man would add the abjuration of the first principles of science; but the Christian says, I can see the shadow of its possibility; and if I see that, I may be able to take a step farther, and admit its probability; and if I ascertain that, I may take a step farther, and say it is absolutely certain. What is the evidence of this possibility? God is omnipotent; I do not dwell upon that fact now a fact, admitting which, we must admit all that is pledged and promised to follow. But is there now greater impossibility, if you will allow such a strange expression, in calling those shining orbs in the sky out of nothing into brightness, beauty, harmony, and order; or in lighting up the sun with his inexhaustible splendor, or in giving the laws that regulate all his depend

ent satellites and servants, while the capital to draw on is nothing; and yet the result is magnificent and gorgeous beyond all power of description and language to express. It does seem not at least more difficult to collect atoms that are only disintegrated, than it is to make orbs where there are none; it is surely not more difficult to gather the scattered fragments of humanity each out of its hiding-place than it is to create worlds, and angels, and souls, and bodies out of nothing. I cannot see that there is required a greater amount of power to collect the broken fragments on the battle-field, and rebuild them into beauty and perfection, than to create these bodies of ours, so exquisitely and artistically made, out of nothing at all. So far then it does seem at least possible. It is possible on this ground; that we see individual instances by way of facts, precedents, and prefigurations. Lazarus was dead three days, and buried; the fingers of decay were beginning to draw their outlines upon every part of his dead and cold organization. Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth." Instantly the warm tide of life circulated through every vein and artery, and he came forth and mingled with the ranks of living men. So with the son of the widow of Nain. So at the Redeemer's own death, we read as a fact, that the buried dead of a thousand years burst from the grave that imprisoned them, and arose and ascended into heaven. And, therefore, if we have one instance of a resurrection, I do not see why we may not have ten thousand; and the possibility is established by one instance just as much as by the countless harvest of the resurrection morn itself. But grant that the capital we draw on to accomplish the