mation of an angelic heaven from the human race. Would we investigate whether this end of the divine mind can be annulled, made void, or ever be absent therefrom; we shall find that the testimony of the divine Word upon this point is, "I am the Lord, I change not" (Mal. iii. 6): also we read in the book of Job (xxiii. 13), "The Lord is of one mind and none can turn him."

Moreover, the Lord our God and Saviour has assured us, not only that the event shall never take place, but that his divine human dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. In his New Church called the New Jerusalem, the Lord will evermore have an habitation for his glory; consequently the cause for the earth's dissolution no longer exists, nor is the occurrence any more to be dreaded. Before such a catastrophe can ensue, his church upon it must fall away so entirely as, in any form, to be incapable of a resuscitation. This we cannot conceive to be the case when we consider that the Lord became incarnate and lived hereupon for its prevention, as also when we look at the divine declarations made in the holy Word that speak so powerfully for its perpetual duration.

Still, beloved, it behoves you and me to have in continual remembrance, that with us, this natural world and state of exist ence will assuredly have an end. This period with some of us cannot but be near at hand; and we none of us know how soon the call may be made, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him." The most distant period will bear no comparison with the eternal condition of life that succeeds.

Let us, then, be careful so to improve the present day of life to the honour and glory of our divine human Lord, as to be habitually ready; when our last day on earth shall come, to meet our Lord by death, calmly to lay down our mortal tabernacles, willingly to resign ourselves to the charge of the blessed angels, the ministering spirits who may be sent by our heavenly father to waft us over from the natural world into the spiritual, from time into eternity; so that when our resurrection shall be accomplished, we may at once enter with our Lord into the marriage chamber of heaven, there to solace our happy spirits in human angelic delights and satisfactions, indefinite in number and perpetual in duration. Amen.

"Jesus wept."

WERE man convinced of the tenderness of the divine love, he could not fail becoming a subject of heavenly and devotional affections. Could he be persuaded that the property of the divine love is to bless others from its own inexhaustible store, he would necessarily be attracted and drawn into connexion with it. Too many, alas, although they acknowledge the being and goodness of an Almighty Creator, lose sight of the principal truth which concerns them, the divine solicitude of the Lord for their individual welfare: whereas it is as much moved and exercised in reference to him, as if there were not another being to whom the care of his divine parent could be extended. Such is the nature and extent of the divine compassion, that, although mau may run counter to the divine will, and treat with disdain and neglect the overtures of infinite mercy, yet the love of his God never fails-is never withdrawn ; for "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy;" and who himself saith," Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love." And how, my brethren, can it be otherwise? when, as to the inmost of his being, "God is love?" It would appear impossible for any one to contemplate, unmoved, this glorious truth; but rather feel his heart exult, and his mind expand, at the very thought of being under the immediate and perpetual care of his heavenly Father, and thus a constant subject of the divine providence. "God is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." Whatever darkening cloud, then, may veil for a time the cheering beams of the heavenly sun, we may be confident that this interception will not be of long duration; and that if, with patience and resignation, we trust to the Divine Providence, we shall witness the withdrawal of this temporary obscurity, and again behold, with an increased delight, the beatifying rays of the Sun of Righteousness; and this our sun shall no more go down, neither

shall our moon again withdraw itself, for the Lord God shall be our everlasting light, and the days of our mourning shall be ended. O, my brethren, were we as anxious for our individual, and as a church, our collective welfare, as the Lord is to promote it, prosperity would indeed attend us; we should soon behold those fields which are white already for harvest, waving with luxuriant fruit. But, blessed be God! our backslidings do but excite his pity and compassion: "he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust," therefore his pity is moved, and "his compassions fail not." The language of inspiration as dictated by infinite love, is, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered you, but ye would not." "Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil way, for why will ye die, O house of Israel."

Let us now direct our attention to the circumstance which occasioned the peculiarly affecting record of our text-"Jesus wept!" The chapter in which these words are recorded, gives an example of affection, sympathy, and friendship, of the most perfect character. The persons who were the subjects of them were eminently adapted for the manifestation and development of exalted virtue. Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus, were indeed patterns of the most tender and lovely affection. They had all enjoyed the happy association afforded them in the acquaintance with the Lord Jesus Christ. They had listened with devotion to his gracious instruction, and become so enamoured of the spirit which it breathed, that they were identified by him as his peculiar friends. This is evinced by their mode of communication with the Lord.

We are informed that when Lazarus was taken ill, that his sisters sent to their heavenly friend to apprize him of it. "Behold, (say they,) he whom thou lovest is sick." Here we find that they did not definitely speak of their brother by name, but "he whom thou lovest." Mark, then, the interior friendship that must have previously subsisted between this holy family and Jesus; for the Lord, likewise, did not inquire of whom they spake: he knew, indeed, who it was that he loved: and not only so, his love for Lazarus had been so manifested, that the afflicted sisters were perfectly aware of it; they knew, therefore, that their message would be sufficiently explicit by a reference to the object of the Lord's tender regard. Accordingly, when he informed his disciples of the message from the two affectionate sisters, he said unto them, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." The disciples here misapprehended their divine master; for they supposed that his friend was doing well by taking rest.

Upon which the Lord declared plainly,-" Lazarus is dead." Do we inquire the reason why the Lord delayed his coming till the disease of his beloved friend had terminated in death? Doubtless his design was, by increasing or greatening the miracle, to establish his followers in the belief of his omnipotence. The Lord said, therefore, to his disciples, "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there," that is, present when Lazarus died, "to the intent that ye may believe; nevertheless, let us go unto him." In their journey they were met by Martha, who accosted the Lord in this tender, yet confident manner,-"Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died:" Upon which Jesus uttered the consoling declaration "Thy brother shall rise again." This was not understood by her as an immediate resuscitation, but as referring to some distant period. Here the Lord took occasion to afford this devoted female some spiritual instruction. "I am," saith he, "the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord." She then went and called her sister, who came and fell down at his feet, and addressed him in the same words as Martha "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." And, it is recorded, that when Jesus, therefore, saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, "Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see." Here we find that the Lord's bosom heaved in unison with those about him. His love for the deceased excited feelings which vented themselves in tears-" Jesus wept!" By the bystanders this was regarded as a testification of his love. Behold, say they, how he loved him! Probably those who thus remarked were not aware of the existence of any other cause for the sorrow which the Lord discovered, than that originating either in the loss of his friend or in sympathy for those who mourned his departure. That the latter did enter into the composition of his grief, is undoubtedly true, but the former could not have any part in its production: and for this reason, he knew that he was about to resuscitate the deceased, and, therefore, he was not really lost to him. The truth is, my friends, the ardent affection which the Lord manifested on the present occasion was, like all his words and works, founded in divine and unerring principle. It was not, then, really the persons of Lazarus and his sisters that the Lord had so much regard, but the principles of which they were the representatives and types. We are well aware that there was

nothing in and of Lazarus and his sisters themselves, that could entitle them to such marked attention. All that they had, and could manifest, was from the source of all perfection; and in truth, nothing is to be admired but what has its origin there. Man of himself is nothing but evil; and while in this state, may indeed be an object of pity, but can never be that of admiration. When, then, the Lord selects any as his peculiar servants and friends, it is not for their own deservings independent of him, but because they have become subjects of divine influences, and thereby capable of sustaining his divine presence. Now this is particularly the case with persons who are mentioned in the Word, as having been chosen, appointed, and favoured by the Lord. Among the twelve apostles of the Lord, there were three who were particularly signalized. These were privileged to behold the glory of the Lord, when he was transfigured. Not, certainly, because of any personal holiness, but because of their representative characters. John was the type of the exalted principle of love to the Lord above all things, and, in consequence, is styled the beloved disciple; James was the representative of genuine charity, or the love of the neighbour; and Peter was the living representative of that faith which acknowledged the divinity of the Saviour, and on which he declared he would build his church. Thus the Lord's love to them did not arise from any holiness inherent in themselves, but, as observed, in consideration of the principles of which they were the types.

As in this case, and many others which might be referred to by way of illustration, so in the one immediately before us in the character of Lazarus.

By Lazarus, when raised from the tomb, was represented the church among the Gentiles; those who had been previously ignorant of divine truth, but were now in a disposition to receive it. The Gentiles, as being spiritually poor, were also represented by Lazarus as mentioned in the parable recorded in Luke xvi., who is, likewise, there called a beggar; and who lay at the rich man's gate full of sores. Now the establishment of a church necessarily implies the communication of spiritual life from the Lord, by the removal of evils and errors; thus it signifies a spiritual resurrection from the dead; for where evil and error prevail, there is spiritual death. This, then, was represented by the resurrection of Lazarus. But what I wish now to impress our minds with most particularly, is, the state of the mind, and, consequently, of the church, represented by Lazarus prior to his resurrection. He, then, in the first place, was regarded by the Lord as his friend; by