Some intervening links are necessary to connect present age with the happy times now distant.  Who shall fill them, the divine sovereign will determine.  An hour of temptation must try all who dwell upon the earth.  These are the times in which we are tried.

Do we envy those who may live during the Peaceful reign of the Redeemer?  Let us not forget that we are favored above many who have gone before us—­above some of our contemporaries and probably above those who will succeed us, before the commencement of that happy era.  Nothing necessary to salvation is denied us.  If straitened it is in our own bowels.  If faithful to improve the talents put into our hands, “our labor will not be in vain in the Lord”—­God will keep us to his kingdom.  There we shall see Christ’s glory, though we may never see it here as some others who come after us.

Be it also remembered, that the rewards of the coming world, will be proportioned to the difficulties we may have to encounter here in this.  Those who make their way to heaven through darkness and temptations, and force their way through hostile bands, will rise to greater honors there, than though they had ascended by an easier and a smoother road.  Nothing done or suffered in the way of duty will loose its reward.  God hath not said “seek ye my face in vain.”

“Wherefore, brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall; for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be glory, both now and forever.  Amen.”

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SERMON V.

Abram’s Horror of great Darkness.

Genesis xv. 12.

“And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.”

If we consider the sketch, given us in scripture, of the life of this patriarch, we shall find that few have had equal manifestations of the divine favor.  But the light did not at all times shine on him.  He had his dark hours while dwelling in this strange land.  Here we find an horror of great darkness to have fallen upon him.  The language used to describe his state, on this occasion, is strong.  It expresses more than the want of God’s sensible presence.  It describes a state similar to that of the psalmist, “While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.”  His sufferings probably bore an affinity to those of the Savior when the father hid his face from him; at which period there was more than the withdrawing of his sensible presence, the powers of darkness were suffered to terrify and afflict him—­“It was their hour”—­God had left him in their hands.  So Abram on this occasion.