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blessed. Whom was St. Paul to know? even those whom he was to present perfect in Christ Jesus. Concerning the reprobate and rejected, whether they will not be banished from the presence of God, and from all their former relations; whether they will not be lost, as to all happiness of their own, so to the knowledge of those who knew them in this mortal state, we have, from Scripture, no assurance or intimation whatever. One thing seems to follow with probability from the nature of the thing, namely, that if the wicked be known to one another in a state of perdition, their knowledge will only serve to aggravate their misery.

the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.—John v. 28, 29.

or execute, whatever we think about, or whatever we set about; remember, that "they that have done good, shall come unto the resurrection of life; they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

THESE Words are so important, that if Jesus Christ had never delivered any other, if he had come into the world and pronounced only this simple declaration, and proved the truth and certainty of it by the miracles which he wrought, he would have left enough to have guided his followers to everlasting happiness: he would have done more towards making mankind virtuous and What then is the inference from all this? Do happy, than all the teachers and all the wisdom, we seek, do we covet earnestly to be restored to that ever appeared upon earth, had done before the society of those who were once near and dear him. We should each and every one of us have to us, and who are gone before?-It is only by owed more to him for this single piece of intellileading godly lives that we can hope to have this gence, than we owe to our parents, our dearest wish accomplished. Should we prefer, to all de- friend, or the best benefactor we have. This text lights, to all pleasures in the world, the satisfac-is the poor man's creed. It is his religion: it is tion of meeting again in happiness and peace, to be imprinted upon his memory, and upon his those whose presence, whilst they were among us, heart: it is what the most simple can understand: made up the comfort and enjoyment of our lives? it is what, when understood and believed, excels -It must be, by giving up our sins, by parting all the knowledge and learning in the universe: with our criminal delights and guilty pursuits, it is what we are to carry about with us in our that we can ever expect to attain this satisfaction. thoughts; daily remember and daily reflect upon; Is there a great difference between the thought of remember not only at church, not only in our delosing those we love for ever; of taking at their votions, or in our set meditations, but in our budeaths or our own an eternal farewell, never tosiness, our pleasures, in whatever we intend, plan, see them more-and the reflection that we are about to be separated, for a few years at the longest, to be united with them in a new and better state of mutual existence? Is there, I say, a difference to the heart of man between these two things? and does it not call upon us to strive with redoubled endeavours, that the case truly may turn out so? The more and more we reflect upon the difference between the consequences of a lewd, unthinking, careless, profane, dishonest life, and a life of religion, sobriety, seriousness, good actions and good principles, the more we shall see the madness and stupidity of the one, and the true solid wisdom of the other. This is one of the distinctions. If we go on in our sins, we are not to expect to awaken to a joyful meeting with our friends, and relatives, and dear connexions. If we turn away from our sins, and take up religion in earnest, we may. My brethren, religion disarms even death. It disarms it of that which is its bitterness and its sting, the power of dividing those who are dear to one another. But this blessing, like every blessing which it promises, is only to the just and good, to the penitent and reformed, to those who are touched at the heart with a sense of its importance; who know thoroughly and experimentally, who feel in their inward mind and consciences, that religion is the only course that can end well; that can bring either them or theirs to the presence of God, blessed for evermore; that can cause them, after the toils of life and struggles of death are over, to meet again in a joyful deliverance from the grave; in a new and never ceasing happiness, in the presence and society of one another.

SERMON XXXV.

THE GENERAL RESURRECTION,

Reflect what great things this short sentence contains. It teaches us, beyond contradiction, that all does not end here: that our happiness or misery is not over at our death; that a new state of things will begin with every one of us, and that in a short time. This point, I say, our Saviour proves beyond contradiction; and how does he prove it? By healing the sick, by restoring sight to the blind, by raising the dead, by various astonishing and incontestible miracles; and above all, by coming himself to life again, after being three days dead and buried, he proved that God Almighty was with him; that he came from God; that he knew what passed in the other world that he had God's own authority to say and promise this to mankind. Upon the faith and trust of this promise, we know that we shall rise again; all are equally assured of it, from the highest to the lowest. Wise and learned men thought indeed the same thing before; they concluded it to be so from probable argument and reasonings; but this was not like having it, as we have it, from God himself; or, what is just the same thing, from the mouth of a person, to whom God gave witness by signs and wonders, and mighty deeds. They were far short of our certainty, who did study it the deepest. There were but few who could study or comprehend it at all. Blessed be God, we are all informed, we are all, from the most learned to the most ignorant, made sure and certain of it.

Having then this great doctrine secured, that we shall all come again into a new world and a new life, the next great point which every serious mind will turn to, the second grand question to be asked is, who are to be happy, and who will

The hour is coming, in the which all that are in be miserable in that other state? The text satis

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