There was that night in Eden when sin blinded the eyes
of Adam and Eve and a great darkness fell round about them. There was
the night of the flood, all because the people had neglected God; and
there was the night of the destroying angel passing over the cities of
Egypt, all because of the indifference of those who knew not God. But
even in these nights God does not leave his people without help, for in
Eden we read, "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head";
while in the flood behold the Ark; and in the Passover night we see the
blood of the Paschal lamb sprinkled upon the lintels of the door.

There are different mornings mentioned in the Scriptures, and as a rule
we find them in the New Testament.

The morning of his birth.

The morning of his resurrection.

The morning of his miracle when the empty nets are filled and the
discouraged fishermen are made to rejoice.

The morning of his return, when, after the rising of the morning star,
an endless day of blessing shall be ushered in.

It used to be the custom in Scotland, especially in Aberdeen, for the
night watchman of the city guard as he paced the streets to cry aloud,
"Twelve o'clock and the night is dark; one o'clock and the storm is
heavy," and the restless sleeper would toss upon his pillow and listen
for the tidings of the morning hour, "Two o'clock and the morning is
starry." It is in this spirit that we listen to-day to the cry of the
watchman when he declares, "The morning cometh and also the night."

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We are in a sense in the night in these days, even though we are
Christians.

First: Because of the existence of sin. It is everywhere, in the heart
as a mighty principle of evil pulling us down as the law of gravitation
pulls material substances toward the earth's center. In the life as
shown by our habits and practices, for these are the fruits of sin. In
the very air we breathe sin is manifest, and sin has brought the night.

Second: I sometimes think that the darkness is increasing because as
ministers we fail to preach concerning sin. We speak of it as an error
or a mistake; we talk about the devil and call him his Satanic majesty;
we preach about hell and call it the lost world, while it is true that
in the olden days when men trembled under the word of the preacher the
man of God spoke of the devil and hell and sin in all their awfulness.
But the morning cometh, for while it is true that sin is in the world
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