February 25

“The wrath to come.” — Matthew iii. 7.

‘X^T is pleasant to pass over a country after a siarm has spent itself; to smell the freshness of the herbs after the rain has passed away, and to note the drcps while they glisten like purest diamonds in the sunlight. That :s Ihe position of a Christian. He is going through a land v.here the storm has spent itself upon his Saviour’s head, vd if there be a few drops of sorrow falling, they distil fro’.. clouds of mercy, and Jesus cheers him by the assurance thai ihey are not for his destruction. But how terrible is it to wicnes? the approach of a tempest; to note the forewarnings of the storii; to mark the birds of heaven as they droop their wings; to see the cattle as they lay their heads low in terror; to t iscern the face of the sky as it groweth black, and look to the sun which shineth not, and the heavens which are angry and frowning! How terrible to await the dread advance of a hurries ne — such as occurs, sometimes, in the tropics — to wait in terrible ap prehension till the wind shall rush forth in fury, tearing up trees from their roots, forcing rocks from their pedestals, and hurling down all the dwelling-places of man! And yet, sinner, this is your present position. No hot drops have as yet fallen, but a shower of fire is coming. No terrible winds howl around you, but God’s tempest is gathering its dread artillery. As yet the water-floocfe are dammed up by mercy, but the flood-gates shall soon be opened; the thunderbolts of God are yet in His storehouse, but lo! the tempest hastens, and how awful shall that moment be when God, robed in vengeance, shall march forth in fury! Where, where, where, 0 sinner, wilt thou hide thy head, or whither wilt thou flee? 0 that the hand of mercy may now lead you to Christ! He is freely sot before you in the gospel: His riven side is the rock of shelter. Thou knowest thy need of Him; believe in Him, east thyself upon Him, and then the fury shall be over* past forever.