judged in righteousness by the man Christ Jesus," when the wicked" shall go away into everlasting punishment, and the good into life eternal." Thus will the ways of God be vindicated, thus will his loving-kindness be shewed in the grave, and his faithfulness in destruction. He will be faithful in both instances: faithful, dreadfully faithful, in his performance of those threats against the impenitent and disobedient, who have rejected his covenanted mercy, cast his law behind them, and despised his admonitions; and faithful, eternally faithful, to those beloved children of his grace, who know that their Redeemer liveth, and now in their flesh shall see the God that saved them.

My Brethren, the day that we speak of may be far distant, or it may open upon this gene ration. The certainty that it shall come, is all that we gather from the Scripture. The hour in which it cometh knoweth no man; "no not the angels but the Father only." But what that scene will be to the myriad myriads of the collected world, the day of death will virtually be to each individual. How suddenly it may come you know not; its violence may prevent repentance, its rapidity may preclude monition. Nature is not always permitted to run her accustomed course, and death will often unexpectedly strike down the victim who in worldly estimation was most remote from his attack.

"Watch then, for at such an hour as you know not, the Son of Man cometh." Live in such a manner as to be always prepared for its approach, and then, come when he may, he shall find you watching. I will not say that by continuing in an impenitent and sinful state you are putting it in the power of your enemies to kill both body and soul, but that you empower the most trifling accident to do so; the oversetting of a boat, the stumbling of your foot, the wildness of a horse, and ten thousand nameless casualties, to which you are liable, may, in one single instant, precipitate you to a grave, where the undying worm, the quenchless fire, the unut. terable horrors of endless misery shall attest the justice of your God, and his faithfulness in destruction. I will not adopt to you, My Brethren, the stern language of the apostle, "hear this ye despisers, and tremble, and perish," I will rather hope that none of my present hearers have gone those lengths of blasphemy and wick edness, which provoked that indignant declaration. I will rather hope that some merciful dispensation of Providence, whether it occur by prosperity or adversity, may soften your hearts to" receive with patience the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. With all the earnestness and affection of my nature, I pray, that there may be those around me this day, whom this scene of death, and these words of

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exhortation upon it, may be the means of checking in their wild and ungoverned progress, and bringing unto God. May they learn in this, their day, the things that belong unto their peace." May they learn that a real and saving faith is not the product of an hour, but that often a long life is insufficient for its perfect growth. May they, therefore, not delay another instant the period of their conversion, but learn that "law of the Lord which is an undefiled law, converting the soul;" may they look upon that coffin which incloses their friend and perhaps their relative, and read upon its lid this monitory inscription, but "dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return." May they look up to heaven, and know that there dwelleth One, who shall resuscitate that dust, and, re-uniting it to spirit, summon it to judgment; and finally, seeing these things are so, may they learn from them," what manner of men they ought to be," who look for the manifestation of such wonders how just, how pure, how honourable, how adorned by every virtue is the Christian character; and how fruitless will be the appeal of the mere nominal professor to him who shall declare to such hypocrites, "I never knew you, depart from me, ye workers of iniquity!"

SERMON XXV.

ON THE CONSOLATIONS OF RELIGION.

PSALM XCIV. 19.

In the multitude of sorrows that I had in my heart, thy comforts have refreshed my soul.

THIS was the declaration of the Prophet in the name of captive and oppressed Israel, when they had suffered every indignity, insult, and outrage, that their conquerors could devise to bow their spirits, and subdue their independence. And this, My Brethren, was the declaration of the poor sister whose remains we are following to the grave, during many long and painful years of sickness and affliction. It is certain, that the religion of the Jews, though it has been erroneously asserted to contain none but temporal promises, did in fact inspire its followers with the blessed hope of immortality. Every principal doctrine, which has been subsequently more copiously taught and explained by the promulgation of the Gospel, is directly or indirectly pointed at

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in the Old Testament; and it would be in the face of all probability to suppose that this, the most animating and influential of the whole, should be concealed. This point, however, is not so closely and indissolubly connected with the discussion I have in view, as to oblige me to spend many words upon it; for whatever was the belief of the afflicted Israelite concerning his future and eternal state, or whatever was the nature of that hope which supported him through his adversities, and made the pious Job. to cling to his Creator, with the persevering tenacity of the sentiment, "though he slay me, yet will I trust in him ;" the firm, the faithful, and enduring Christian, in unshaken confidence on the Rock of ages, may gladly adopt the language of the Psalmist, and with sincerity affirm, "in the multitude of sorrows that I had in my heart, thy comforts have refreshed my soul."

That the Gospel dispensation is a dispensation of blessings, no one, that has ever received it faithfully, can possibly doubt. Many gloomy and distracting views have indubitably been taken of Christianity by men of weak and hypochondriac spirits, and many persecuting and malignant principles have been deduced from it by men of avaricious and cruel dispositions; but these, so far from being chargeable on Christianity itself, arise from tempers diametrically repugnant to its tenets. "Comfort ye, comfort