2 Pet. iii. 10 — 14. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night ; in the which the heavens shall pass aivay with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ? Nevertheless tve, according to his promise, look for neiv heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless*.
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BUT have we never contemplated our own situa- tion ? Have we never considered that the solemnities of the judgment day are now in actual preparation ; and that, not our own individual dwelling, or friends only, will be affected by them, but the whole uni- verse ? Our minds are at this time justly, and almost exclusively, engrossed with the consideration of this tremendous plot, which God, in mercy to this whole nation, has defeated. And I hope rather to strengthen, than efface, those impressions, by leading you to contemplate, I. The events predicted in our text —
These are widely different indeed from each other; but they are inseparably connected, and infallibly simultaneous. Let us consider,
1. The dissolution of this present world —
[Once the world and every thing in it, with the exception of that small portion contained in the ark, was destroyed by water : and there is a time coming when the whole of it with- out exception will be destroyed by fire. Of the latter there
a This was preached on occasion of the horrible conspiracy (called "The Cato- Street Conspiracy" in February, 1820,) against his Majesty's Ministers; the meditated destruction of whom, by the explosion of a grenade of 14lbs. weight, afforded very abundant and appropriate matter as introductory to this Discourse.