they who would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence."

By this portion of the parable, we are taught, I think, that the souls of the good, will in their state of existence after death, be sensible of the justice of the final doom of the wicked; and of that state of despair, of misery and of torment, into which the constant and certain anticipation of it must necessarily drive them: and that in this state, however desirous the good may be to afford comfort and consolation, or in any way to alleviate the torments of the wicked, yet that they will have no power to do so; between the two there is a great gulph fixed. The good cannot impart of their spiritual riches, to supply the poverty of the bad; they cannot give of their spiritual comfort; neither can the bad receive it: "neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence,"

Conceive, my brethren, the blessed state of a being, waiting with holy joy and heavenly love, to be admitted to an'inheritance of endless happiness. "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Conceive the feeling of awful horror and of burning torments, with which (having nothing to divert it from constant and unceasing meditation on its doom) the soul of the sinner must anticipate the execution of that dreadful sentence of everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord: depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels."

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But, there is another point of profitable instruction, with which we are furnished by this parable. When Abraham had declared to Dives the impossibility of

affording to him any comfort or alleviation of his torment, he said, “I pray thee, therefore, father Abraham, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house, for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment." We may learn from hence, that a part of the torment of the wicked soul, before it meets its final doom; before it is given over to everlasting destruction; will arise from its knowledge of the state of those whom it has left behind on earth; knowing, perhaps, that they-the beings most beloved, most fondly cherished, the treasures of the heart while yet existing-that they too will be brought to this state of torment; and probably through the very means of his own pernicious, his own destructive example.-Oh! can the mind conceive more dreadful anguish, than such a knowledge, unaccompanied with any power to warn or to preserve them!

When Dives requests Abraham to send Lazarus to his brethren, Abraham saith unto him, "they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them: and he said nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." The conclusion of this interesting parable, gives to us the most important instruction, and the most valuable consolation. How apt are many to imagine, that if some more forcible impression was made upon their hearts ; if some stronger evidence of the divine truth of Christianity, were given to them, than that which has been already vouchsafed, they would repent, and believe, and amend their lives. "Nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent."

My brethren, weak indeed would be the evidence of all the dead, could they arise from their graves, to testify unto us, compared with that which we already have. Does not the Spirit of eternal truth, bear witness with our spirit? Does not the almighty power of God himself, speak to the heart of man? Have we not the blessed precepts of his holy Word; his sacred will revealed direct from heaven? Will you believe the creature, and reject the word of the Creator? Oh no, my brethren! If we hear not Moses and the prophets; if we will not receive the blessed words of everlasting life, from God himself imparted; neither should we be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. The precious gem of truth, is to be found but on one holy shrine; there, where no mists of earth can veil its splendor, it beams unchanged forever. "Oh, heavenly Father, thy word is truth." If we are numbered with those wretched souls, who wait in dark despair and burning torments, their everlasting doom, it will not be because we have not light, the utmost light which heavenly love can give; but that we "choose the darkness, because our deeds are evil."

"Nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent." Oh, what a source of heavenly consolation, do these words open to us. They will repent: and that alone will save them from this place of agony. And shall we, too, repent, or shall we come into this place of torment? Will not the warning voice of God, which tells of never changing justice, turn us from sin, and lead us to repentance? Will that unbounded mercy which is accorded to the vilest sinner, make no impression on the heart of stone? Can we

behold, unmoved, the fondest yearnings, of parental love? Can we hear with calm indifference, the ardent pleadings of a heavenly Father: "I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner:" "Come then, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins were as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they were red like crimson, they shall be as wool:" Why will ye die, O house of Israel:" "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.”

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If the awful warnings of God's unchanging justice, cannot deter us; if the contemplation of his unbounded mercy fails to impress the heart; if the warm pleadings, the fond entreaties of his anxious love, turn not our feet from the dread path of death; know then my brethren, that his almighty power cannot save us. We cannot live, unless we live in God: for what is life, but God? What is happiness, but the enjoyment of the love of God?

Too late shall those, who will not listen to the voice of love; who will not suffer God's almighty power to save them from destruction: too late, when death has closed the gates of hope; too late shall they, in bitterness of soul; in all the burning torment of despair, behold the peace, and love and heavenly joy of those blest beings, who are awaiting but for a transient moment, their happy entrance on eternal bliss; whilst the lost soul, cut off from every hope; self-ruined, selfdestroyed; knowing that it has banished heavenly mercy; knowing that it has spurned unbounded love; waits

but for one brief, dreadful interval of awful horror! its everlasting doom!

SERMON IX.

MATTHEW XXV. 46.-" And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."

SEVERAL weeks have now elapsed, since I concluded, as I then supposed, a series of discourses delivered to you on the doctrine of everlasting punishment. Various reasons have induced me to print and publish them; the principal of which, was, that by those who had not heard them, both here and elsewhere, the doctrines delivered, and the sentiments conveyed in them, had been much misunderstood and misrepresented.

I would not that it should be supposed, my brethren, by any liberal and unprejudiced mind, that I would deliver to you doctrines which were adverse to the truth of the Gospel; or, if I did so, that you would listen to, and receive them: neither will I be deterred by any human influence or authority, whatsoever, from pointing out to you, the fallacy and evil tendency of those doctrines and opinions of men, which are opposed to the truth and consistency of the Holy Scriptures. "Let God be true, and every man a liar.”

To suppose that the book of Divine Revelation con