deavoured to work upon your imagination by any fanciful description. Every thing of that kind would lower the subject. The plainest comment is the best. If there were any reason to surmise, these awful words were dictated by enthusiasm-invented by fraud-or, were the language of superstition-a life of pleasure might have some apology. But when we are assured they are revealed from Heaven-when we can prove by the strongest evidence (if wicked men would attend to it) that the scriptures, in which they are found, were written by those holy men, whose names they bear-the disciples of the blessed Jesus-one should imagine they would strike terror into the hardest heart. Why they do not, let those explain, who prefer supposition to truth, and a jest to an argument. In the mean time, till it be explained, let us not cease to wonder how it comes to pass, that any one can calmly enjoy the pleasures of sin, when he may have the force even of demonstration to assure him

that he who hath done evil shall rise to the re

surrection of damnation.

Let us rather cry out with the apostle, what manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy conversation and godliness? In a few years at longest, we shall all be what we have made ourselves here, sealed up, as it were, for eternity: when the righteous shall join the spirits of just men made perfect-when all the vanities of lifeits follies and its crimes shall be removed-when we need no longer be cautious, and reserved in our words and actions-when truth and sincerity shall universally prevail-and when love, and innocence, and purity of manners, shall make all the inhabitants of the regions of the blessed, happy in themselves, and in each other.

For that joyful time let us devoutly waitpraising God's holy name for all his servants departed this life in his faith, and fear; and beseeching him to give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may be partakers of his heavenly Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord, and only mediator and advocate.

SERMON XXIII.

I THESSALONIANS, v. 16.

REJOICE EVERMORE.

THIS is a singular piece of instruction, says the objector, as it is contrary to various precepts of the gospel, and particularly to one of Christ's direct instructions, which pronounces a blessing on those that mourn. Whereas the apostle enjoins us not only to rejoice; but to make this joy continual.

In the following discourse I shall endeavour to rid the apostle's precept of this difficulty; and then shew you that a christian may rejoice

evermore.

Now,

1

Now, in order to reconcile our Saviour's precept, Blessed are they who mourn, with the text, which orders us to rejoice evermore, we have only to inquire what our Saviour means by mourning, and what St. Paul means by rẻjoicing. By By rejoicing, the apostle certainly means something very different from what the world calls rejoicing. None of the things of this world, it is evident, can, in any sense, be I said to make a man rejoice evermore. The things of this world, while we continue in it, must be sought after in a certain degree; and the innocent amusements of it are kindly al lowed us to sweeten our toil. But the apostle certainly never meant to recommend any of these things, as the means of rejoicing evermore. Merely in themselves, and independent of all religious connection, the things of this world can furnish only that kind of rejoicing, of which the apostle elsewhere speaks, when he tells us, that our laughter shall be turned into heaviness, and our joy into mourning.

What then does the apostle mean? What kind of rejoicing is this, which a man may be enabled to enjoy as long as he lives? which nothing can take from him-which he carries with him into the next world which lasts for evermore.

Let us call on the apostle to explain himself. In other parts of his writings he does it fully: and plainly shews us, that the rejoicing he speaks of, must arise from our connection with the next world, not with this. Our rejoicing, says he, in one place, is this, the testimony of a good conscience; and in another he bids us when we rejoice, to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. So that the apostle's rule, you see, has no relation to any external rejoicing, which arises from worldly things. His rejoicing is internal, founded entirely on the hopes of that happiness, which we are to receive hereafter; from a good life, and the testimony of a good conscience; these, through Christ, are the means of our obtaining this happiness.

As to worldly rejoicing, no one knew so little of it as the apostle himself. His life seems to have been a life of mourning, from one end of his ministry to the other. Nay, in one place he tells us plainly, he had continual sorrow, in his heart. And yet at the same time he could fol low his own rule, and rejoice evermore.

Let us now see what our Saviour means when he bids us mourn. He certainly does not speak of such mourning as arises from the afflictions of the world. This sort of mourning is natural; and