(Wisd. iv. 13). 2. The Lo1·d is long-suffering. The delay does not mean indif- ference; it does not mean that the Lord heedeth not the conduct of men. 'l'ho ungodly my, "Tush, God bath forgotten : be bideth away bis face; he will never see it." But )t is not_ ~o. The delay of the judgment comes from a far different reason. God 1s not willing that any should perish. Alas! men do perish in their sins; the day of judgment is .the day of perdition of ungodly men. But it is not of God; it is of their own wilfulness and obstinacy; they bring upon themselves swift perdition. God has bestowed on man the awful gift of power to choose good or evil• without that power there could be no moral action, no responsibility, no obedience n~ holiness, no love; life without that power would be the working of a machine not'the energy of a creature made after the likeness of God. Man, alas I has too ofte~ abused that great and perilous gift, and has turned that which should have led to holiness into ~n occasion of sin; and "the wages of sin is death." But God hath "no pleasure in the death of the wicked;" his desire is that" all should come to repentance." Therefore he gives them time. "The goodness of God lendeth them to repentance" (Rom. ii. 4). \Ve cannot enter into life without repentance, without a deep and real change of heart. "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," was the first sermon of John the Baptist, the first sermon of our Lord. "Repent, and be baptized every one of you ... for the remission of sins," was the exhortation of St. Peter in bis first great sermon. And God willeth that all should come to repentance; for "the Lord is loving unto every man; " and Jesus Christ our Lord " tasted death for every man." And "there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repcnteth." 'l'bcrefore he gives us time. The delay comes from the long-suffering love of God. How sad that men should scoff at that which should be the ground of adoring gratitude I 3. But the day of the Lord will come. It must be so, for so it is decreed in the counsels of God. The mockers may mock in their mockery; they may ask in bitter sarcasm, "Where is the promise of his coming?" The Christian knows the answer; it is hidden in the secret purpose of God, in the mystic book sealed with seven seals, which none can open save tbe Lion of the tribe of Judah. But the day of the Lord will come-that wekoow, though we know not the time. (I) Its coming is certain, sure as the Word of God; the Bible tells us it will come; our consciences bear witness also; the warning voice of conscience point.a forward to the coming of the awful day. And it will come suddenly, as the thief cometh-when men are not looking for it. Men will be living, as, alas I so many men are living now, heedlessly; eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, without a thought of God and the solemn future. Then, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, shall the sign of the Son of man be seen in heaven, and the archangel's trump shall sound. "Therefore take ye heed," saith the Lord, "lest that day come upon you unawares." (2) And its coming is terrible. St. Peter's words bring vividly before our thoughts the awful scene-the crash of falling worlds, the roar of the destroying flames, the dis&olution of the elements into chaos, the conflagration which shall burn up the earth and all that is therein. All the works that are therein, tho .palaces of kings, the fortifications of cities, the cathedrals and churches built for the worship of God,-all shall be involved in that one tremendous ruin. 'l'his is the apostle's answer to the scoffers. LESSONS. 1. Scoffers will scoff; men of science will point to the unchanging laws of nature. Neither sarcasms nor the hypotheses of scientific men can shake the Chris- tian from his faith. 2. Therefore we must stir up one another and ourselves; we must keep the solemn words of Holy Scripture in our memories, 3, God bas intervened in his judgments; he will intervene again. 4. God is long-suffering; but there must be a limit even to that long-suffering patience. The day of judgment must come; therefore repent while there is time.
Vers. 11-18.-&liortations. I. 'l'BE DUTY OF PREPARATION. 1. Ohristiwns should look for the city that hathfoundations. 'l'he cities of this world have no sure foundn- tioo, for the earth on which they are built must pass away; it has within itself the element which is to cause its dissolution; the germs of that dissolution are worldng e"en now. Then wise men must not lay up for themselves treasures upon earth; they must not live as if this changeful, dying world was to be their home for ever; they must set their affections on things above; they must remember that Christian mc•n an. m.1--18.J 'l'HE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 75