The next great effect, which the confideration. of a future state of happiness ought to have upon us, is to make us as folicitous as we can in preparing ourselves for it. Let us remember, that whether we deliberately attend to it or not, we are hastening apace to another world. Our thoughtleffness does not stop the progress of our lives. Time haftens on. What our span is, we know not: but this we know, that our everlasting happiness now lies at ftake. Whether we will or not, our fouls must be immortal: they must live for ever, either in a state of happiness, or of mifery. We may chufe which we will; but in one, the fcriptures affure us, we must live. And is this, think you, one of those nice questions, about which we should deliberate? Are we to weigh and confider it, as a matter of doubt, whether we fhould wish to be happy or miferable to all eternity? Can we confider what eternity is, and make no preparation for it? Can we toil for the fake of a trifling fubfiftence in this life, and yet think no provision neceffary for a life which is to laft for ever? What do we toil for? A life, which is a mere flower, cut down as foon as it fprings. What do we admire? A fpark, which is extinguished as soon as struck. ་ He who gathers ftraws, when he should be intent on a journey of the greatest concern, is even wife in comparison of him, who plays and trifles through this world in his road to eternity. - Let us then rouse ourselves with thoughts fo affecting. Let us merely confider, with attention, what eternity is; and then fee the force of our Saviour's question—What is a man profited, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own foul? Again; the confideration of a future life ought to leffen the evils of this. Thefe evils will affect us more or lefs, as our minds are strengthened with confiderations proper to fupport us under them. If our minds are seriously impressed with the thoughts of religion, they will be lefs funk with fickness, or poverty, or whatever affliction God may be pleafed to lay upon us. The idea that God lays this burden upon us that, if we bear it with pious refignation, it is religion, and that it is ftill procuring us more the favour of our Almighty Father- cannot but make us more refigned to the difficulties we meet with. We know we are only strangers and pilgrims on eath, travelling to our great home; and must take things as we find them, and not expect to have every thing here as we could wifh. The trouble we we have gone through, will make us ftill happier when we arrive at our Father's houfe. On that let us fix our eyes with pious hope! and enjoy, as it were, that happiness beforehand, which, we may affure ourselves, will be as real, as our mifery was on earth. With holy Stephen, let us fee heaven open, and Jefus fitting at the right hand of God. The laft effect I fhall mention, which the thoughts of heaven may have upon us, is, to confider them as an antidote to the fears of death. To a good man, death and heaven are clofely united. From the former you step into the latter and he who thus looks upon death as a door to a happy eternity, may welcome it as a meffenger of the best news he ever heard; and no one can stay behind in this world, with half the comfort that fuch a man leaves it.This indeed is a great height of christian fortitude. But we all have it in our power thus to mèet death, and difarm it of all its terrors: and numbers, we know, have actually done so. THUS I have confidered the feveral points I propofed. Let us all, my brethren, confider them frequently; for nothing is more true, than that where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also. He who never thinks of heaven, can certainly have no treasure there. But that trea fure, you fay, is at a distance. It may be fo; but is it therefore lefs real? We put our money out to use, and think it as much our own as if we had it in our pockets: and furely the word of God is as good fecurity as any earthly bond. Perhaps, indeed, you are carelefs about a treafure in heaven, and do not wish to be at the pains of laying it up. To this, indeed, we have nothing farther to fay: you must hoard up what you think a better treafure. But if the distance of the recompence be the only thing which moves you, go to your neighbour, ask him why he buries his feed in the ground? He will tell you, he expects a joyful harvest. If your faith be as ftrong, you may be as fecure in the thought of being yourself buried in the ground, as you are of burying your feed. God promifes to raise you; and he has given you a proof of his power by raifing your feed. -Search your hearts, then cleanse them from fin-truft in the mercies of God through the merits of Christ; and be |