holy city, Jerusalem, was destroyed. Their temple was burned. They themselves were scattered over the face of the earth. ^' The kingdom of God w^as taken from them, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.''
And will the same thing ever happen to us ? Will the judgments of God ever come down on this nation of England, because of her unfruitfulness under so many mercies ? Who can tell ? We may well cry with the prophet, " Lord God, thou knowest." We only know that judgments have come on many a church and nation in the last 1800 years. The kingdom of God has been take-n from the African churches. The Mahometan jjower has overwhelmed most of the churches of the East. At all events it becomes all believers to intercede much on behalf of our country. Nothing offends God so much as neglect of j)nvileges. Much has been given to us, and much will be required.
We see, in the last place, the poive?' of conscience even in loiched men.
The chief priests and elders at last discovered that our Lord's parable was specialty meant for themselves. The point of its closing words was too sharp to be escaped. " They perceived that he spake of them."
There are many hearers of the Gospel -in every con- gregation, who are exactly in the condition of these unhappy men. They know that what they hear Sunday after Sunday is all true. They know that they are wrong themselves, and that every sermon condemns them. But they have neither will nor courage to ac- knowledge this. They are too proud and too fond of the world to confess their past mistakes, and to take up the