neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Yet God hath, in part, revealed them unto us by his Spirit.

The word of God is our pole-star, our unerring guide in matters of faith and practice, and we do well if we take heed thereunto. Now the Scriptures speak in a very pointed and clear manner, of two states, or places, in the future world, where men are to reside for ever, answering to the two grand characters or descriptions of persons existing on the earth. For however we may divide and subdivide the inhabitants of the world, into nations, kingdoms, or provinces; or however diversified in sentiment, or in exterior appearances men may be; the whole, in the judgment of Him with whom we have to do, consists of only two descriptions of persons. He only sees, the good and the bad, the righteous and the wicked, him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not. For "no man can serve two masters; ye cannot serve God and Mammon." As there is this essential difference between man and man here, there will be a difference in their end. "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness; but the righteous hath hope in his death." There will be a dif ference at the day of judgment, "He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on the right hand, and the goats on the left." And there will be a difference in their eternal state. "These," the wicked, "shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."

"Some rais'd on high, and others doom'd to hell.
These praise the Lamb, and sing redeeming love,
Lodg'd in his bosom, all his goodness prove.
While those who trampled under foot his grace,

Shall be for ever banished from his face!"

It has been a prevailing opinion in all ages of the world, even among the heathen themselves, that some punishment would be inflicted upon guilty and unholy souls: hence PYTHAGORAS, who believed in the immortality of the soul, yet having no proper idea of a future state of rewards and punishments, asserted the doctrine of transmigration; that is to say, "That after death, men's souls pass into other bodies, of this or that kind, according as they have lived on earth. If they have been vicious, they would be imprisoned in the bodies of miserable beasts, there to be punished for their sins for ages of ages!" But the Gospel shows a more excellent way to obtain freedom from guilt and condemnation before death, and a preparation for the heavenly state. It sets forth Jesus Christ as the propitiation for sin through faith in his blood, and exhibits him in all the fulness of his grace, as made to the believer, "wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption !"

By the word of God, the veil, which for ages had been drawn over the future world, is rent in twain; and the eternal torments of the damned, and the everlasting happiness of the just are, in part, exposed to view. There we are told, "Tophet is ordained of old, he hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it." There we discover the horrible tempest of “snares, fire, and brimstone," which shall come down upon the finally impenitent! There we are assured "the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched!" There the wicked are represented as "drinking of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured without mixture into the cup of his indignation: and they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their

torment ascendeth up for ever and ever!" What horrible representations are these? Enough to make the stoutest heart to tremble! And is this "the wages of sin ?" Will this be the end of the workers of iniquity? แ My soul come not thou into their secret, unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united." But we, my brethren, need not to go into that place of torment; we may escape the damnation of hell." Let us flee from sin, and flee to Jesus, and He will save us from the wrath to come.

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And by the same word, are set before us the glories of the heavenly state; though the exceeding greatness of them cannot be ascertained by reason of the darkness. There, however, we know will be a total exemption from all sorrow and pain, God shall there "wipe away all tears from" our 66 eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither the light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever. These sayings are faithful and true." Here shall all the redeemed of the Lord be found, out of every nation and kindred, and people and tongue. Here shall be found all the faithful servants of Jesus; "for where he is, there shall they be also." And here shall every one of them be rewarded according to his works.

1. Here the holy prophets and faithful ministers of Christ shall rest from all their toils and labours; and here their works shall follow them. Let us, my brethren, dwell for a few moments on this soul-transporting theme; especially as we shall be led thereby, faintly to discover at

part of the glory into which our dear departed friend has lately entered.

2. Here the ministers of Christ rest from their grievous sufferings, their painful conflicts with Satan, their persecutions from wicked and unreasonable men, and their perils from false brethren.

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3. From that solicitude, which sometimes almost overwhelmed them; and which came upon them daily, even the care of the churches. The people little think of the painful hours, and sometimes sleepless nights, their ministers spend on their account. Their hours of hard study, their fervent prayers, their groans and tears; and especially when they discover no visible fruit of their labours. When the seed they sow either falls by the way-side," or upon "stony ground,' or among thorns." When they stretch out their hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people; yea, to a people who reward their toil with the basest ingratitude. And this has been the just complaint of some of the greatest and best of men. Witness Noah, who was a preacher of righteousness for one hundred and twenty years to the old world; and yet only eight souls were saved from the general overthrow. Moses, who often wept before the Lord, for the stubbornness and rebellion of the people. Isaiah, who complains "I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, who walketh in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts." So also Jeremiah, "Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people. Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people and go from them; for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men." Yea

while this man of God was seeking the good of this people, so base was their ingratitude, that he "heard the defaming of many. Report say they, and we will report it, yea all my familiars watched for my halting." But in heaven God will hide these men in the secret of his presence "from the pride of man; and will keep" them there," as in a pavillion, from the strife of tongues."

"The pain of life shall there be o'er,

The anguish and distracting care.

There sighing grief shall weep no more,

And sin shall never enter there!"

4. They shall then appear in their true character, and shall stand forth as the acknowledged servants of Jehovah. Here they were little known, and often contemned, and treated as the off-scouring of all things. But there they shall appear as the ambassadors of God, and shall "shine forth in the kingdom of their Father, as the stars for ever and ever." And every one shall then receive his own reward according to his own labour: mark, not according to his success, but according to "his own labour." "He who labours much," says the venerable Founder of Methodism, "though with small success, shall have a great reward." Jesus Christ himself had but little success in his own personal ministry upon earth, and yet no one, without blasphemy, can suppose that the fault was in the Preacher. Suffer God to assign the true reason: "He could not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief."

5. But if every man in heaven is to receive a just reward; if he who have fed the hungry and covered the naked with a garment, he who has visited the sick and the prisoner; he who has received a prophet in the name of a prophet, and a righteous man in the name of a righteous man; yea, if he who have given a cup of cold