venly temper. Above all, he has a well-grounded hope in his Redeemer's death, that his fins fhall be forgiven: and that a bleffed immortality awaits him.

This blessed immortality he hath always before his eye-the joyous end of all his la bours. To this he hath recourse in all his dif treffes. It lightens the difficulties of the world; and adds a chearfulness even to poverty, and affliction.

And is there more in this, than we often fee in the world? Suppose a perfon left heir to a great estate, with a noble houfe upon it, and all things fit for the full enjoyment of life. He has nothing to do, but to take poffeffion. A few stages will carry him to it.During his journey, how may we suppose his thoughts are employed? On his accomodations? No: he cares little about them.-His inn is bad-the weather is bad-the roads are bad. It is of little confequence. He hardly thinks of such trifles. His mind is fully occupied with the grandeur he is going to poffefs; and leaves every thing else unnoticed.

It is furely no high compliment to the king dom of heaven to fuppofe it may imprefs a man as much as a fine houfe. If his faith be as ar

dent

dent in one case, as in the other, it will imprefs him infinitely more.

From these impreffions he feels that inward joy, which makes him confider the difficulties he meets with on his journey as trifling. It was this inward joy, that made those worthies, of whom St. Paul speaks, take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing that in heaven they had a greater and more enduring fubftance. It was this inward joy, that inspired the heart of Stephen under the pains of martyrdom, when he looked up stedfaftly into heaven, and saw in ecstatic vision the glory of God, and Jefus fitting at the right hand of God.

Bur, now, my brethren, though it is evident from these instances, that the christian religion is able to throw this fweet composure on the mind in all circumftances of life; yet experience shews us that it is a height of religion, which few only can attain. Some may have closer ties to the world than others, in beloved relations, whom they may fear to leave unprovided; or children, whom they may leave uneducated. These things will naturally occupy the breasts of the best chriftians.-Others may be conftitutionally more dull hearted, and cannot raise

their thoughts in fo elevated a degree: and yet may still be pious chriftians. While again there may be weakneffes, and fears in the conftitution of the best chriftians, which may in fome measure abate happiness, though not interfere with hope.

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Let us not however be difcouraged. Let us endeavour to make ourselves as good christians as we can; and we shall furely feel in proportion the bleffed effects of religion on our minds. The more religious we are, the nearer we shall approach that happy ftate, which is capable of making us rejoice evermore. The fcripture is full of holy examples, and holy precepts to in cite us. To these let us have conftant refource: above all, looking unto Jefus, the author, and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was fet before him endured the cross, defpifing the fhame, and is fet down at the right hand of the throne of God

SERMON XXIV.

LUKE XVI. 19.

THERE WAS A CERTAIN RICH MAN, WHO WAS CLOTHED IN PURPLE AND FINE LINEN, AND FARED SUMPTUOUSLY EVERY DAY: AND THERE WAS A CERTAIN BEGNAMED LARARUS LAID AT HIS GATE, FULL OF SORES.

GAR,

IT happened, as our bleffed Saviour was dif courfing to the people on the use of riches, and the dangerous effects of covetoufness, that fome of the Pharifees were his hearers. Thefe blind guides, attending merely to the temporal promifes of their law; and neither obferving, nor wishing to observe, any relation it had to fpiritual matters, maintained as one of their opinions -that

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-that riches were a fign of God's favour; and poverty of his displeasure. Hearing the bleffed Jefus, therefore, talk of wealth, as of no value in itself, but taking all its value from the use it was put to, they were offended, interrupting his discourse, and treating it with ridicule.

Jefus knowing their wicked hearts, rebuked them as they deserved; and returning to his former argument on the right use of riches; added a parable, which though of general instruction, had a particular tendency to the cafe of his malicious hearers.

This was the parable of the rich man and Lazarus; in which our bleffed Saviour gives us a fhort hiftory of the life, and death of two perfons in very different fituations. One was furnished with all the good things, which riches could be. ftow. He was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared fumptuously every day. But, alas! his death was very different from his life. His riches could then do nothing for him. They procured him indeed a splendid funeral-that they could do for him-but while his body was conveying to the grave in all its funeral pomp; his foul, we read, was thruft into a place of torment.

Very different was the cafe of the other perfon, reprefented in the parable. He had as little of

the