ful an uncertainty. God may suspend his power; may withdraw his help; may swear in his wrath that such abusers of his long-suffering shall "never enter into his rest.”

Ye therefore, that are vigorous in health, and blooming in years, improve the precious opportunity. Improve your golden hours to the noblest of all purposes; such as may render you meet for the inheritance of the saints in light, and ascertain your title to a state of immortal youth, to a crown of eternal glory. Stand not all the prime of your day idle; trifle no longer with the offers of this immense felicity; but make haste, and delay not the time to keep God's commandments.* While you are loitering in a gay insensibility, Death may be bending his bow, and marking you out for speedy victims.Not long ago, I happened to spy a thoughtless jay. The poor bird was idly busied in dressing his pretty plumes, or hopping carelessly from spray to spray. A sportsman coming by observes the feathered rover. Immediately he lifts the tube and levels his blow. Swifter than whirlwind flies the leaden death; and in a moment lays the silly creature breathless on the ground.-Such, such may be the fate of the man who has a fair occasion of obtaining grace to-day and wantonly postpones the improvement of it till to-morrow. He may be cut off in the midst of his folly, and ruined for ever while he is dreaming of being wise hereafter.

Some, no doubt, came to this their last retreat full of piety and full of days; 66 as a shook of corn, ripe with age and la

May I be permitted to recommend, as a treasure of fine sentiments, Dr LUCAS' Inquiry after Happiness; and, as a treatise particularly apposite to my subject, that part of his Inquiry which displays the method, and enumerates the advantage, of improving life, or giving much in a little time. Chap. iii. p. 158. -An author, in whom the gentleman, the scholar, and the Christian are remarkably united.-A performance, which, in point of solid argument, unaffected piety, and a vein of thought amazingly fertile, has few superiors.-Insomuch that I know not how to wish my reader a more refined pleasure, or a more substantial blessing, than to know the maxims of this entertaining and pathetic writer's little piece, wove into the very texture of his heart; unless I might be allowed to wish that the writer himself had interspersed the glorious peculiarities of the gospel on which our happiness so much depends) a little more liberally, through all his works.

den with plenty, cometh in, in his season."* These were children of light and wise in their generation; wise with that exalted wisdom which cometh from above; and with that enduring wisdom which lasts to eternity. Rich also they were, more honorably and permanently rich than all the votaries of mammon. The wealth of the one has made itself wings, and is irrecoverably gone; while the wretched acquirers are transmitted to that place of penury and pain, where not so much as one drop of water is allowed to cool their scorching tongues, the stores of the other still abide with them; will never depart from them, but make them glad for ever and ever in the city of their God. Their treasures were such as no created power could take away, such as none but infinite beneficence can bestow, and (comfortable to consider!) such as I, and every indigent longing sinner may obtain, treasures of heavenly knowledge, and saving faith; treasures of atoning blood and imputed righteousness.

Heret lie their bodies in "peaceable habitations, and quiet resting-places." Here they have thrown off every burden,

* Job v. 26.

Some, I know, are offended at our burying corpses within the church, and exclaim against it as a very great impropriety and indecency. But this, I imagine, proceeds from an excessive and mistaken delicacy. Let proper care be taken to secure from injury the foundations of the building, and to prevent the exhalation of any noxious effluvia from the putrifying flesh; and I: connot discover any inconveniencies attending this practice.

The notion, that noisome carcases (as they are called) are very unbecoming a place consecrated to religious purposes, seems to be derived from the antiquated Jewish canon; whereby it was declared, that a dead body imparted defilement to the person who touched it, and polluted the spot where it was lodged. On which account the Jews were scrupulously careful to have their sepulchres built at a distance from their houses, and made it a point of conscience, not to suffer burial places to subsist in the city. But as this was a rite purely ceremonial, it seems to be entirely superceded by the gospel-dispensation.

I cannot forbear thinking, that, under the Christian economy, there is a propriety and usefulness in the custom -Usefulness, because it must render our solemn assemblies more venerable and awful. For, when we walk over the dust of our friends, or kneel: upon the ashes of our relations; this awakening circumstance must strike a lively impression of our own mortality. And what

and are escaped from every snare. The head aches no more; the eye forgets to weep; the flesh is no longer racked with acute, nor wasted with lingering distempers. Here they receive a final release from pain, and an everlasting discharge from sorrows. Here danger never threatens them with her terrifying alarms; but tranquility softens their couch and

consideration can be more effectual to make us serious and attentive in hearing, earnest and important in praying.

As for the fitness of the usage, it seems perfectly suitable to the design of those sacred edifices. They are set apart for God: not only to receive his worshippers, but to preserve the furniture for holy ministrations, and what is in a peculiar manner appropriated to the divine majesty. Are not the bodies of the saints the Almighty's property? Were they not once the objects of his tender love? Are they not still the objects of his special care? Has he not given commandment concerning the bones of his elect and charged the ocean, and injoined the grave, to keep them till that day. When rocks bright with gems, or mountains rich with mines, are abandoned to the devouring flames, will not these be rescued from the fiery ruin? will not these be translated into JEHOVAH's kingdom, and, conjointly with the soul, made "his jewels," made his peculiar treasure;" made to shine as the brightness of the firmament and the stars for ever and ever?

Is not CHRIST the LORD of our bodies? Are they not bought with a price? bought not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with his divinely precious blood. And if the blessed JESUS purchased the redemption of our bodies at so infinitely dear a rate, can it enter into our hearts to conceive that he should dislike to have them reposed under his own habitation? -Once more: Are not the bodies of the faithful temples of the Holy Ghost; and is there not, upon this supposition, an apparent propriety, rather than the least inde corum, in remitting those temples of flesh, to the temples made with hands? They are vessels of honor; instruments of righteousness; and, even when broken by death, like the fragments of a golden bowl, are valuable, are worthy to be laid up in the safest, most honorable repositories.

Upon the whole, since the LORD JESUS has purchased them ate expense of his blood; and the blessed Spirit has honored them with his indwelling presence; since they are right dear in the sight of the adorable Trinity, and undoubted heirs of a glorious immortality; why should it be thought a thing improper to admit them to a transient rest in their heavenly Father's house? Why may they not lie down and sleep in the outer courts, since they are soon to be introduced into the inmost mansions of ever 'lasting honor and joy?

safety guards their repose. Rest then, ye precious relics, within this hospitable gloom; rest in gentle slumbers, till the last trumpet shall give the welcome signal, and sound aloud through all your silent mansions, "Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you."

To those, how calm was the evening of life! In what a smiling serenity did their sun go down! When their flesh and their heart failed, how reviving was the remembrance of an all-sufficient Redeemer; once dying for their sins, now risen again for their justification: How cheering the wellgrounded hope of pardon for their transgressions, and peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord! How did this assuage the agonies, and sweeten the bitterness of death? Where now is wealth, with all her golden mountains? Where is honor with her proud trophies of renown? Where are all the vain pomps of a deluded world? Can they inspire such comfort, can they administer any support in this last extremity? Can they compose the affrighted thoughts, or buoy up the departing soul, amidst all the pangs of dissolution? The followers of the Lamb seemed pleased and triumphant even at their last gasp. "God's everlasting arms are underneath"+ their fainting heads. His spirit whispers peace and consolation to their consciences. In the strength of these heavenly succours, they quit the field, not captives but conquerors; with " hopes full of immortality."

And now they are gone. The struggles of reluctant nature are over. The body sleeps in death, the soul launches into the invisible state. But who can imagine the delightful surprise, when they find themselves surrounded by guardian angels, instead of weeping friends? How securely do they wing their way, and pass through unknown worlds under the conduct of those celestial guides. The vale of tears is quite lost. Farewel, for ever, the realms of woe, and range of malignant beings! They arrive on the frontiers of inexpressible felicity. They are come to the city of the living God:" while a voice, sweeter than music in her softest strains, sweet as the harmony of hymning seraphim, congratulates their arrival, and bespeaks their admission: Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, that the heirs of glory may enter in.

* Isa. lx, 1.

66

t Deut. xxxiii. 27.

Here then let us leave the spirits and souls of the righteous, escaped from an intangling wilderness, and received into a paradise of delights! escaped from the territories of disquietude, and settled in regions of unmolested security! Here they sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of their Father. Here they mingle with an innumerable company of angels, and rejoice around the throne of the Lamb; rejoice in the fruition of present felicity, and in the assured expectation of an inconceivable addition to their bliss; when GOD shall call the heavens from above, and the earth, that he may judge his people.*

Fools account their life madness, and their end to be without honor; but they are numbered among the children of GOD, and their lot, their distinguished and eternal lot, is among the saints !+ However, therefore, an undiscerning world may despise, and a profane world villify, the truly religious; be this the supreme, the invariable desire of my heart! "Let me live the life, and die the death of the " righteous. Oh! let my latter end, and future state, be "like theirs."

What figure is that which strikes my eye from an eminent part of the wall? It is not only placed in a more elevated situation than the rest, but carries a more splendid and sumptuous air than ordinary. Swords and spears, murdering engines, and instruments of slaughter, adorn the stone with a formidable magnificence.— -It proves to be the monument

of a noble warrior.

Is such respect, thought I, paid to the memory of this brave soldier for sacrificing his life to the public good?Then what honors, what immortal honors, are due to the

Seneca's reflections upon the state of holy souls, delivered from the burden of the flesh, are sparkling and fine; yet very indistinct and empty, compared with the particulars mentioned above, and with many others that might be collected from scripture. In hoc tam procelloso, et in omnes tempestates exposito navigantibus mari nullus portus, nisi mortus est. Ne itaque invideris fratri tuo; quiescit. Tandem liber, tandem tutus, tandem eternus est, Fruitor, nunc aperto et libero colo; ex humili et depresso in eum emicuit locum qui solutas vinculas animus beato recipit sinu; et nunc omnia, rerum natura bona cum summa voluptate percipit. Sen. ad Polyb.

Wisdom v. 4, 5.