ity and existence of the soul. Accordingly many of them have either doubted or denied the immortality of the soul beyond the grave. Even Cicero and some of their most learned moralists, doubted whether the soul survived the body. Cicero said he hoped the soul would exist after death, and that good men would be happy in a future state, though he had his doubts upon the subject. But the unlearned heathens have generally entertained a stronger belief and hope of a future place of happiness and misery than the learned, who have formed their opinion by the exercise of their reasoning powers; for they found their belief and hope upon long and immemorial tradition. Accordingly our missionaries among the pagans tell us that their rites on funeral occasions plainly indicate that they feel concerned about the happiness or misery of their departed friends. Bishop Warburton, in his book concerning the divine legation of Moses, exerts all his ingenuity and learning to prove that the immortality of the soul and a future state was not revealed under the Old Testament. Later still, Dr. Priestly has labored to prove that the soul dies with the body. Though it may be readily allowed that the Mosaic dispensation is darker than the christian, and that the former contains less information about a future state than the present, yet it cannot be justly denied that a future state was revealed in the Old Testament. Moses said before his death, in the hearing of all the congregation of Israel, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." The life and death here mentioned are not temporal, but eternal life and death beyond the grave. But still it is true, that Christ revealed a future state of happiness and misery much more clearly than Moses did. Christ often and plainly spoke about the place of future happiness and misery, and about the final separation of the righteous and the wicked in another world. He expressly said that Moses and Elias, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were alive, though their bodies had long crumbled to dust. He represented Lazarus as happy, and Dives as miserable, after death. He represented the process of the day of judgment in a plain, striking, solemn light, and the everlasting joys and sorrows which will flow from it. Though his descriptions of heaven and hell are somewhat figurative, yet they are very intelligible. He has given us as clear an idea of heaven, where he is, and where he desires the heirs of salvation should be, as we have of any very distant place in this world. Those who have been in London have described it as a large, grand, and beautiful city, full of people, enjoying every source of temporal happi

Christ, who came down from heaven, has described it as a large, glorious, and beautiful city, surrounded by gates and barriers, filled with rational, holy, immortal creatures, who enjoy every source of holy happiness. This description of heaven is perfectly plain and intelligible to all under the gospel. And he has given as plain and intelligible descriptions of the abodes of the miserable. Those under the full blaze of gospel light must be inexcusable, if they think or say that they do not know that there is such a place as heaven, or such a place as hell; or whether the soul shall exist after death; or whether the righteous shall be for ever happy, and the unrighteous for ever miserable in another world. We must believe what the inspired apostle asserts to be true, that our Saviour Jesus Christ "hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

2. Since Christ is now in heaven, and desires that the heirs of salvation should be with him there, we have good ground to believe that heaven will always be the place of the blessed. There has been much said and written by learned divines and others concerning the final abode of saints. Some have supposed that this world in the time of the millennium will be renovated, and become a new heaven and new earth, and fitted up for the everlasting residence of the blessed. Some have supposed, that what the apostle John calls the kingdom of heaven will descend to earth, and become the eternal abode of Christ and his people. But these appear to be altogether unreasonable and unscriptural opinions. It is repeatedly declared in scripture, that this world shall be burned up at the day of judgment, and never afterwards become an habitation for any rational or irrational creatures. Some, however, have supposed that this world will become the place of the future and everlasting misery of the wicked. But this opinion is repugnant to what Christ has said respecting the decisions of the last day. After he shall have divided the sheep from the goats, or the righteous from the wicked, "Then shall he say unto them on his right hand: come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." But to those on his left hand, shall he say, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." It appears from this representation, that both the place of the blessed and place of the miserable were prepared for them, from the foundation of the world. And it appears from the parable of Dives and Lazarus, that not only Abraham was then in heaven, but Dives was then in hell, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Ever since the fall of angels and the fall of man, it was necessary that a place should be prepared for the happiness of holy, and a place for the misery of unholy creatures;

and the gospel has brought both these places to light. Though a late writer has attempted to prove, by his profound criticisms upon the Hebrew words which our learned translators have rendered heaven and hell, that there is no such place as hell, he has proved nothing but his ignorance of and opposition to the gospel. Christ, who knew more about the invisible and eternal world than any mere man on earth ever did, has given us full assurance that heaven is the everlasting residence of the righteous, and hell the everlasting abode of the wicked.

3. Since Christ desires that all whom his Father has given him should be with him, we may confidently believe, that all real christians shall finally persevere in holiness and reach the kingdom of heaven. All Methodists of the Wesleyan school, and all Arminians, and some who call themselves Calvinists, deny the doctrine of the certain perseverance of saints, and maintain that they may finally fall away and be lost. Even Mr. Baxter had his doubts upon this subject. But if what has been said in this discourse be true, there is sufficient evidence that all true believers will certainly persevere, and obtain the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls. Since Christ desires that all true believers should be with him where he is, he will undoubtedly bring them home to his Father's house, where he has provided many mansions for them. Christ said, that all whom his Father had given him should come to him, and that whosoever came to him, he would in no wise cast out. He farthermore said, " My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me, is greater than all : and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." There is the same certainty that saints shall finally persevere, as there is, that God will carry on the good work which he has begun in their hearts, until the day of Jesus Christ. And there is the same certainty that they shall persevere, as there is, that God will reward Christ for his sufferings and death on the cross; for believers are the very reward which he has promised him. The doctrine of saints' perseverance stands upon the same immutable ground as the doctrine of personal election to eternal life.

There is but one plausible objection against this doctrine, and that is drawn from the warnings and cautions given to christians against falling away. But there is no weight in this objection, because such warnings and cautions are proper and necessary means to prevent their falling away. After Paul had positively declared by divine authority to those with him in a shipwreck, that they should certainly be saved, he at the same

time told them by the same authority, that except the sailors should abide in the ship, they would not be saved. And it appears by the event, that it was by means of the sailors all were preserved, and brought safe to land. "We know," saith the apostle, " that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." There is as plain and infallible evidence of the doctrine of the final perseverance of saints, as of any one doctrine of the gospel.

4. Since Christ desires that all the heirs of salvation should be with him where he is, we may be assured that, as soon as they die, he will receive them to himself, and put them into the mansions which he has prepared for them. We have no reason to think, that he will suffer their souls to be annihilated, or to lie in a state of total insensibility from death till the resurrection of the body. This would be a great loss to Christ as well as to them. It would deprive Christ of all their love and service while they lay in their graves, and deprive them of the holiness and happiness of heaven, while they remain in a state of insensibility. The doctrine of the soul's sleeping after death is a very unscriptural and uncomfortable doctrine. And it is strange that such a man as Bishop Law, and others, should labor to prove that the soul sleeps from death to the resurrection, contrary to plain scripture evidence. Stephen desired and expected that Christ would receive his spirit, as soon as it left the body. Paul desired and expected, that as soon as he was absent from the body, he should be present with the Lord. Peter suggests to christians for their consolation, that they might expect to be admitted to heaven as soon as they had finished their religious course. "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for ye do these things, ye shall never fall; for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." We read of those "who [now] inherit the promises." And we likewise read of "the general assembly and church of the first-born," and of "the spirits of just men made perfect" in heaven. It is a consoling doctrine to christians, that Christ desires that they should be with him in heaven, and will certainly receive them into his blissful presence as soon as they die and leave this dark and evil world.

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ones together to be with him where he is, we may justly conclude that they will be the happiest creatures in heaven. He will be more nearly connected with them and they with him, than any other of the heavenly hosts. He will be their head, and they his members. He will be the vine, and they the branches. He will have a peculiar affection for them which he cannot have for the angels, and they will have a peculiar affection for him, which the angels cannot have for him. He has redeemed them, but he has not redeemed angels. He has forgiven them their sins and saved them from everlasting punishment, but he has not forgiven angels who had no sins to be forgiven, nor saved them from everlasting punishment which they never deserved, and to which they were never exposed. What he has done for his chosen ones, and what they have received from him, has created a stronger mutual affection between them, than can exist between him and the angels. This Christ beautifully illustrated in what he said to Simon Peter, when Mary washed his feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head. "Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he said, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. Wherefore, I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little." All the heirs of salvation are forgiven much, and that through the sufferings and death of their divine Redeemer. They will feel that gratitude to Christ which angels cannot feel, and sing that song of praise which angels can never learn, and which will give Christ a pleasure which angels cannot give him. Their peculiar love to Christ will excite his peculiar love to them, and move him to put them into the best mansions in his Father's house, where they must be the happiest of created beings.

6. Since Christ desires and intends to gather together all his chosen ones into his kingdom, to be with him where he is, we have good ground to believe that those who were the most intimately acquainted and connected here on earth, will be the most intimately acquainted and connected in heaven. The brotherly love of christians forms a band of union, which is permanent and immutable. Many waters cannot quench it, nor the floods drown it; it is stronger than death. This band of union exists among all christians, but is stronger among those who are intimately acquainted and connected, than among