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habitants. "Behold thefe abodes of bliss: "these ineffable manifeftations of divine 66 power and wisdom and love: thefe worlds beyond worlds diverfified with countless "modes of existence, filling infinity and eternity. Behold these innumerable hofts of "angels. Behold these thy brethren ac"cording to the flesh, the juftified children "of thy father Adam, patriarchs, prophets, "and apoftles, faints of every tongue and "c people, and nation! Lo! There is Chrift, "the Redeemer of all, King in thy nature of "the univerfe! Lo! There is the throne of "God! Thefe, hadft thou accepted the offer"ed mercy, these had been thy glories! To "search out thefe wonders, to share this bleff

edness, thofe had been thy employment, "that thy blifs, for ever! This is the Re"furrection of life which thou haft loft. "Thou ftandeft"-for let penal torture be for a moment fuppofed not to impend-" Thou "ftandeft on the brink of annihilation. Snatch

thy laft glance. The blackness of eternal. night is about to clofe thee in everlasting "oblivion." What would be thy fenfations? How truly wouldst thou eftimate life and all its events! With what longing regret wouldst thou look back upon the very miseries of mankind! With what fervency wouldst thou implore

implore for a renewal, were it poffible, of probation!" Return me," thou wouldst exclaim, "to earth! Weigh me down with "fickness! Fetter me in dungeons! Encompass me with forrow from the cradle to the grave! I fhrink from no evil! I decline no fuffering! Return me to earth, whatever anguish may await me there: that through the riches of grace I may poffefs even "but a poffibility of attaining to the humbleft "of these glories; of beholding though from "the remoteft diftance the countenance of

my Redeemer; of contemplating from the "fartheft corner and verge of the universe "the presence and majefty of my God!" The dream of annihilation is diffipated. Thy existence is irrevocably prolonged to eternity. What then are thy groanings, what thine agonies, when thou beholdest the throne of judgement, the book of condemnation, the minifters of vengeance, the gulf of everlafting perdition, the prison of unregenerate men and apoftate fpirits, the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth of the affembled enemies of God! But fear not thou who art ftedfast and immovable, abounding in the work of thy Lord. Chrift is rifen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that flept. In thine appointed hour thou shalt

rife alfo. He died to atone for thee: He arose to justify thee: He afcended into Heaven to prepare a place for thee: He fat down on the throne of majesty on high to be Head over all things for thy falvation. Look up to Him and persevere. Thy labour shall not be in vain. Well done, good and faithful fervant! Thou shalt enter into the joy of thy Lord!

SERMON XX.

On the Happiness attendant on the Paths of Religion.

PROV. iii. 17.

Her Ways are Ways of Pleasantnefs; and all her Paths are Peace.

AMONG the internal demonstrations of

the truth of Christianity, the excellence of the appropriate leffons refpectively addreffed in the facred writings to different descriptions of men holds a distinguished place. To the wicked the Scripture fpeaks the language of indignation, tempered with offers of mercy. To the penitent it promises forgiveness. The righteous it animates with triumphant hope. To the ignorant, it holds forth inftruction; to the unwary, caution;

to

to the prefumptuous, humility; to the feebleminded, fupport; to the wavering, perfeverance; to the difpirited, encouragement; to the afflicted, confolation. Who but that Power, who difcerns every variety of the human disposition, every winding of the human heart; could have been the author of a religion thus provided with a remedy for every corruption, a defence under every weakness? Who but that Power, whofe love to fallen man was fo immeafurably great, that He gave His own Son to die for all mankind upon the cross; to die that all who believe on Him might be redeemed from the penalty of guilt, and might attain everlasting life: who but that Father of mercies and God of all comfort would have fo graciously directed by the fuperintendence of His Spirit the facred writers of the Bible, that no individual of the human race, to whom His revealed word fhall be faithfully made known, can perish for want of knowledge; nor can fail of discovering as the reward of humble and diligent enquiry the doctrine, the admonition, the reproof, the exhortation, the promise, or the counsel, precisely adapted to the fituation in which he ftands?

The paffage of Scripture, which we now have before us, breathes the voice of the most