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parated from the body, juft arrived on the confines of the invifible world. Suppofe yourself addreffed by one of its glorified inhabitants. "Behold thefe abodes of blifs: "these ineffable manifeftations of divine "power and wifdom and love: thefe worlds beyond worlds diversified with countlefs "modes of existence, filling infinity and eter"nity. Behold these innumerable holts of "angels. Behold thefes thy brethrenu aç"cording to the flesh, the juftified children "of thy father Adam, patriarchs, v prophets, "and apostles, faints of every tongue and "people, and nation! Lot There is Chrift, "the Redeemer of all, King in thy nature of "the universe! Lo! There is the throne of "God! Thefe, hadst thou accepted the offer"ed mercy, thefe had been thy glories To "fearch out thefe wonders, to fhare this bleff"edness, that had been the employment, "that thy blifs, for ever! This is the Re* furrection of life which thou haft óft. “Thou standest”—for let pénal torture be for a moment fuppofed not to impend Thou "ftandeft on the brink of annihilation. Shatch "thy laft glance. The blackness of eternal

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night is about to close thee in everlasting "oblivion." What would be thy fenfations? How truly wouldst thou eftimate life and all

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its events! With what longing regret wouldst thou look back upon the very miseries of mankind! With what fervency wouldst thou implore for a renewal, were it poffible, of probation! "Return me," thou wouldst exclaim, "to earth! Weigh me down with "ficknefs! Fetter me in dungeons! Encom"pafs me with forrow from the cradle to the 66 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 tc my Redeemer; of contemplating from the "farthest corner and verge of the universe "the prefence 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 beholdeft the throne of judgement, the book of condemnation, the minifters of vengeance, the gulf of everlasting perdition, the prison of unregenerate men and apoftate fpirits, the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth of the affembled enemies of Jehovah!

But

But fear not thou who art ftedfaft and immoveable, abounding in the work of thy Lord. Chrift is rifen from the dead, and become the firft 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!

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SERMON XX.

On the Happiness attendant on the Paths of

Religion.

PROV. iii. 17.

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

AMONG the internal demonftrations 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 the presumptuous, humility; to the feebleminded, support; to the wavering, perfeverance; to the difpirited, encouragement; to the afflicted, confolation. Who but that Power, who difcerns every variety of the human difpofition, 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 shall be faithfully made known, can perish for want of knowledge; nor can fail of discovering as the reward of humble and diligent and devout 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 moft

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