beyond the grave, they might be deemed of all men the most miferable*. But they were supported under these exercises, brought fafely through them, and now their forrows are swallowed up in victory. Now, the days of their mourning are ended †. They now confefs, that their longest afflictions were momentary, and their heaviest burdens were light, in comparison of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ‡, which they have entered upon. Sorrow and fighing have taken their everlasting flight, and joy and gladness have come forth to meet them, and to dwell with them for ever.

V. In their collective capacity, the feeds of fin often produced bitter fruits. Through remaining ignorance and prejudice, they often mistook and misunderstood one another. They loft much good, which they might otherwise have enjoyed, and brought upon themselves many evils, through their intemperate heats, and unfanctified zeal, which divided them into little parties, and separate interefts. The children of the fame family, the members of the fame body, were too + Ifa. Ix. 17. 1 2 Cor. iv. 17.

* Cor. XV. 19. Ifa. li. II.

often at variance, or at least cold and diftant in their regards to each other. Yea, Satan 'could foment difcord and jealoufies among thofe, who lived in the fame house, or met at the fame table of the Lord. But now grace has triumphed over every evil; fin and death are swallowed up in victory. Now all is harmony, love and joy. They have one heart and one fong, which will never more be blemished by the harshness of a fingle difcordant note.

May this profpect animate our hopes, and awaken, in those who have hitherto been afar off, a defire of fharing in the happiness of the redeemed! Awful will be the contrast, to those who have had their portion in this world! Is it needful to address any in this auditory, in the language which our Lord. used to his impenitent hearers? Wo unto you that are rich; for you have received your confolation. Wo unto you that are full ; for ye shall hunger. Wo unto you that laugh now; for ye shall mourn and weep*! When the rich man who had lived in honour and affluence here, was torn from all that he loved, and lifted up his eyes in torment;

*Luke vi. 24, 25.

the

the rememberance of his former ftate, that he once had his good things *, but that they were gone, for ever gone, could only be a keen aggravation of his mifery. Dreadful will be the condition of all who die in their fins; but the cafe of thofe, who are now frequently envied by the ignorant, in the view of a mind enlightened by the truth, must appear doubly and peculiarly pitiable. They have the most to lofe, they have the moft to account for. Alas, how terrible, how fudden the change! From a state of honour and influence amongst men, to fall, in a moment, under the contempt and difpleasure of the holy God-to pafs, from a crowd of dependants and flatterers, to the company of Satan and his angels; from gradeur and opulence, to a ftate of utter darknefs and horror, where the worm dieth not, and the fire cannot be quenched +. These are fenfible images, it is true; the things of the unfeen world cannot be defcribed to us, as they are in themselves; but we may be certain that the description, falls unfpeakably short, of the reality. The malicious infults of the powers of darkness, the mutual recrimina↑ Mark ix. 44, 46, 48. tions

Luke xvi. 25.

tions of those who having been connected in fin here, will be fome way connected in mifery hereafter *-remorfe, rage, despair, a total and final exclufion from God the fountain of happiness, with an abiding sense of his indignation-this complicated mifery cannot be expreffed in the language of mortals-like the joy of the bleffed, it is more than eye hath feen, or ear hath heard, or can poffibly enter into the heart of man to conceive †. Add the ideas of unchangeable, and eternal, to the reft, that it will be a mifery admitting of no intermiffion, abatement or end; and then feriously consider, what can it profit a man fhould he gain the whole world, if at last he should thus lose his foul? No longer make a mock at fin. It is not a finall evil. It is a great evil in itself, and, unless pardoned and forfaken, will be productive of tremendous confequences. No longer make light of the gospel. It points out to you the only poffible method of ef caping the damnation of hell. To refuse it, is to rush upon remedilefs deftruction. No longer truft in uncertain riches. If you poffefs them, I need not tell you they do not * Matt. xiii. 30. + 1 Cor. ii. 9.

Matt. xvi. 26.

make

make you happy at present, much less will they comfort you in the hour of death, or profit you in the day of wrath *. Waste not your time and talents (which must be accounted for) in the perfuit of fenfual pleafure. In the end it will bite like a serpent. For all these things God will affuredly bring you into judgment, unless, in this day of grace, you humble yourselves to implore that mercy which is ftill proposed to you, if you will feek it fincerely and with your whole heart; and which I once more entreat, charge and adjure you to feek, by the great name of MESSIAH, the Saviour, by his agonies and bloody fweat, by his crofs and paffion; by his precious death, and by the confideration of his future glorious appearance, to fubdue all things to himself.

* Prov. xi. 4.

SER