yond all possibility of declining from it. For the Vision of thy glorious Essence has the the influence of the most efficacious grace, both to determine them to good, and also to confirm them in it. For thy Essence is the very Essence of goodness; and those that clearly see it, will be as much influenced by it, as those that do not see it, are by the general appearance of good. And as there will be then no possibility of a. version from good, in common, so there will be no declining from thee. Blessed Light! that dispels all darkness, when wilt thou arise upon us? Thou shalt shalt shew us thy glory, O Lord, and then shall we ever adhere to thee. In the mean time give us thy grace so to use our liberty, that we may have the reward to lose it in this happy necessity.

3. To make us happy.

For how can we be other

wise, when we have a clear and intimate vision of thee ond the highest operation of our nature is employed

Thou, O Lord,

upon the most perfect object of it? art the best and greatest intelligible Good, and we are intellectual beings, whose noblest faculty is cur understanding, and therefore the sight of thee must needs be truly beatific; and to know thee, can be no less than eternal life. Thou art all good, and therefore they that enjoy thee, must needs acquiesce in thee. The most covetous cannot but here be satisfied;

for

thy

thy perfection is an immense sea, and in thee every faculty will find its proper object, and every desire its full contentment. We shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, and thou shalt make us drink of the river of thy pleasures; a river which can never be drawn dry, because it is fed by the everlasting springs of thy infinite sufficiency. We shall then love and delight in what we see, and have what we love, and shall be ever ravished with the contemplation of thy beauty, and dwell in the communion of thy ineffa. ble joys, and in the embraces of thy love, and shall eternally praise and adore thy goodness. Amen. HalJelujah.

But, O my God, there is a beatific temper, as well as a beatific vision, and heaven imports, not only an outward profession, but an inward state and disposition of mind. Thy kingdom must be within us; and, as great a good as thou art, every soul however disposed is not qualified to enjoy thee. There must be a wedding garment provided for the Marriage Feast. sanctify us, therefore, and purify our souls by thy blood, that we may be meet partakers of the inheritance of the saints in fight, and help us to behold thy face now in righteousness, that when we awake up after thy likeness, we may be abundantly and eternally satisfied with it!

The Libertine admonished.

Two gentlemen, great libertines and ridiculere of

all true religion, and truths of the gospel, in one of their gay humours, made an agreement, that which ever of them should die first, should come and acquaint the other what state he was in. Accordingly one of died soon, and a few nights after he appeared to his friend, and in much horror said, "I am come to let you know there is a hell, and I experience it." and vanished away. This story was related by the Rev. Mr. Mn, in a sermon preached at Blackfriars church, and was brought in as a confirmation of the doctrine in the discourse he was upon; namely, on the rich man and Lazarus, Luke xvi. 50, 31. And he, (the rich man) said, Nay, Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they would repent. And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets (i e. neither the threats of God's law, nor the promises of the gospel for their repentance) neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the

dead

dead. This was verified in the surviving gentleman above mentioned: Although he was at first a little shocked at the words of his friend, yet it made no alteration or amendment in his life, for he had lived a libertine, and a despiser of all true religion, and of those who profest it, so he died; and Mr. M -n said, that he knew them both well;

neighbour to him at the time.

one of them was a near

O how dreadful the reflection! that man a rational creature, endued with clear understanding, and assisted with the light of the gospel, should so give himself up to wickedness and a reprobate mind, denying the truths of God word, as to plunge his poor soul into everlasting ruin with the devil and his angels!

An anecdote of Robert Leister of Epworth, delivered

by himself.

I

HAVE known the goodness of God for near thirty years but in spite of all my advice, my five sons, and two daughters, all grown up, ran on in the broad way

to

to destruction.

This cost me many a prayer and tear

yet I saw no fruit of all my labour. In January last I dreamed the day of judgment was come. I saw the Judge on his great white throne. The holy angels sat round him in form of a half moon, and all nations were gathered before him. I and my wife were on the right hand; but I could not see any of my children. I said, I cannot bear this, I must go and seek them: so I went to the left hand, and found them all seven standing together, tearing their hair, beating their breasts, and cursing the day that ever they were born. As soon as they saw me. they all catched hold of me, and said, "O Father we will never part no more. I said, "My dear children I am come to see, if I can get you our of this dismal situation," So I took them all with me. But when we were come within a bow shot of the judge, I thought he cast an angry look, aud said, "What do thy children with thee now? They would not take thy warning when upon earth. They shall not share the crown with thee. Depart ye cursed!" At these words I awoke bathed in sweat

and tears.

Awhile after, as we were all together on a Sunday night, I related my dream to them. No sooner did I begin, but first one, then another, yea all of them burst into tears. And God fastened conviction on

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