66

with a holy transport on those delightful moments of fellowship and communion he has enjoyed" with the Father, and with his son Jesus Christ," in prayer, in meditation, in communicating, upon the gracious returns of prayer which he has from time to time received, upon the gracious manifestations of the light of God's countenance, which have revived his soul in the midst of troubles and difficulties. He looks back likewise upon his failings and imperfections, his sins and his short-comings; but, blessed be his exalted Redeemer, he can look back upon these without terror, for he is washed, and purified, and sanctified in the blood of atonement-and seeing much is forgiven him, he loves the more, he adores and admires the riches of free grace the more he looks back upon sin as a vanquished slain foe, and consequently unable to do him any farther harm; and beholds death, the enemy he is about to encounter, deprived of the power of doing him harm, and divested of all his boasted terrors, by having his sting plucked out; and if such is the christian's present happy situation, if such is the joy which results from a retrospect of his past life, how infinitely more exalted the joy and happiness of looking forward; this presents to his view a bright, an eternal day without a clond-the full

and complete enjoyment of every wish, and every desire the uninterrupted possession of an "in"heritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that "fadeth not away." The final end of all sorrow, and pain, and disappointment--the final end of all darkness and doubt-the final destruction of sin, and death, and hell-the commencement of never-fading bliss, an immortal "crown of glo

ry, which God the righteous judge shall give "him in that day." The perfect felicity of this state, eternity alone can disclose," for eye "hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it "entered into the heart of man the things which "God hath prepared for them that love him." Thus, my dear friends, "the righteous hath hope "in his death," all is calm and serene, all is peace and joy, and in this happy tranquillity he expects the glad summons, which is to usher him into the glorious presence of his heavenly Father, where the blessed sentence of approbation waits him: "Well done, thou good and "faithful servant, come, inherit the kingdom "prepared for thee from the foundation of the "world."

But let us, on the other hand, view the dismal situation of the guilty man in the day when God

requireth his life at his hand-when he looks back on his past life, all is horror and despair, without a single ray of hope to lessen the tremendous gloom-how does the remembrance of his open, presumptuous impieties, and of his se cret guilt, distract the soul, and make it a terror to itself-with what anguish does he recal to mind his passed impious joys, and finds that they are gone for ever, and when he feels the deep and deadly sting they have left behind-when, like departed ghosts, they arise up in all their hideous forms, and spread terror around on every side, how deep the misery of recollecting precious moments neglected and now for ever lost; golden opportunities squandered away, and never more to return, mercy abused, and to be offered now no more; the motions of the Spirit quenched, never to be revived again; convictions smothered and stifled, never to be renewed; time come to an end; insatiate death pursuing his prey," like a staunch murderer, steady to his purpose," armed with a mortal sting to kill both soul and body at one dreadful blow, and all this but "the beginning of sorrow"it is not the separation betwixt the corporeal and immortal parts, it is not the resigning of life, it is not the being torn from this world and its enjoyments, it is

none of these which denominates death the king of terrors; no, it is on account of the awful hereafter, the important consequences with which it is attended, and only on account of these that it is to be dreaded-it is impossible to conceive any thing more awful, than the instantaneous transition of the soul from this world to a world of spirits-how dreadful the leap out of time into eternity-a world of vanities and uncertainties for ever passed away, a world of unknown and unseen realities opened; a state of probation at an end, a state of eternal recompense come-a despised and offended God, now become an awful and a just judge, seated upon the tribunal of eternal justice, and about to pronounce an' irreversible doom, which is to adjudge to endless punishment, while the sinful wretch has nothing to plead but guilty, guilty—and all beyond is the blackness of darkness for ever-this is misery inexpressible, inconceiveable—is misery such as enraged Omnipotence must be supposed to inflict on impious, obstinate presumption;~ and now from the comparison, how great the happiness at a dying hour of "having a con"science void of offence;" how exquisite the misery of being haunted with a guilty one, how vast the difference between the situation of the

real christian and the profane despiser of religion at that trying period.

And now let me conclude this subject with a very short improvement. We have seen that to maintain" a conscience void of offence," is to live in the habitual exercise of all the duties which we owe to God as our creator, preserver, and redeemer, and which we owe to our brethren of mankind, according to the different stations and relations in which we are placed one toward another,—in a word, to live under the vital power of religion-we have seen the happiness of being possessed of a good conscience, and the misery of a contrary state. As we would wish, therefore, to live in peace with ourselves, and with all men, and die in peace with our God, with the wellgrounded hope of future glory and happiness, let it be our chief and only study to secure an interest in his favour and love, by approving of our consciences to him in well doing; " and seeing "we have such a great high priest over the "houshold of God," let us have" our consciences "purged from dead works," from the lifeless, ineffectual fruits of our own righteousness, which is but as filthy rags," and let us be clothed