lost of obtaining salvation to your own souls — But,
blessed be God ! the word of the Gospel yet sounds in your ears, and God is at this moment waiting to confer on you all the blessings both of grace and glory. But how long the advantages you now enjoy may be continued to you, or you be continued to possess them, God alone knows. Methinks what our Lord said to his hearers may now be addressed to you ; " A little while is the light with you : walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light'^." And who can tell what benefits may accrue to distant ages, if you yourselves obtain these blessings to your
souls ? • — -
To those, especially, who are now before me, I would say, Cry mightily to God that the cruse of salt may be cast into this fountain, from whence so many streams are issuing ^ ; that being rendered salubrious, they may fertilize this whole land, and be the means of diffusing life and salvation to the remotest corners of the globe.]
1^ John xii. 35, 36. ' The University.
2 Kings ii. 23, 24. And he weiit tip from thence unto Beth-el : and as he was going up hy the loay, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, tliou hald head. And he turned hack, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she-hears out of the ivood, and tare forty and two children of them.
THOUGH the ministry of the word in its original purpose was intended only for the happiness of man, it but too frequently proves an occasion of his more aggravated misery. That great Prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to enlighten and save the world, was " set no less for the fall, than for the rising, of many in Israel." In like manner St. Paul was to some " a savour of life unto life ; but to others, a savour of death unto death." Thus the Prophet Elisha, who, in healing the waters of Jericho, not only conferred vipon Israel a great temporal benefit, but shewed what benefit he was sent to