gion which embraced a good part of his own household, his soul was so filled with joy, that he remarked to some of his brethren, that he was amply repaid, and could labor thirty years more if it should please the Master for another such revival." If there is joy over one sinner that repenteth in the presence of the angels, why should not the minister rejoice when he sees many converted under his labors? He may and does rejoice in the goodness of God which permits him to reap so glorious a harvest. His heart swells with holy joy and gratitude. There is no vanity or pride in his bosom, but humility. He thanks God that the weary and heavy laden, as they come to Christ, find rest. He is made humbler and better and more faithful, or should be, under such a blessing. His heart is full. He stands by the cross, and gets near to the throne. He weeps with them that weep, and rejoices with them that rejoice.

Lastly. Christians will be the hope and joy, and crown of rejoicing to the minister, when he shall stand with them in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming, to receive his welcome and reward. Whatever comfort and happiness a christian people can give a minister in this world, the cup of his joy will be full only when he stands with them on the shores of immortality, their trials and sorrows all over, and their redemption complete. To be able to say, "Here, Lord, I am, a sinner saved by grace myself, yet honored in saving others. Here are fathers and mothers, and sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters, and some whole families, saved under my ministry by the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Blessed Savior, thou didst lay down thy life for me, I have given all but life for these. These are the seals of my ministry which thou hast given; all praise to thee." This will be a happy day to the faithful servant of Christ. Shall it be to us? Shall we be there, as sinners saved by grace? Will you, then, be our glory and joy? You, for whom our years are passing away, our supplications continue to go up, our tears of affection or solicitude fall; you, for whom we study the sacred Word, and preach its tender or alarming truths; first in our waking thoughts and last; will you, then, be our crown of rejoicing? O, christian friends, think often of this approaching day, and live nearer the throne of grace;, be more entirely consecrated to God, that all of you may then stand accepted in the Beloved, and be the hope and joy, and crown of rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, of all these servants of his who have ministered to you in holy things.

But here are some unreconciled to God. What shall be our relations to them in that searching day! Will you be our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing, our glory? Can you be, if you resist the Gospel, instead of yielding to its power? O that you would give yourselves up to God as others have done, that in the morning of the resurrection you, too, and all of us might be found to the praise of his glorious grace.

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THE NATIONAL PREACHER.

ment inseparably and forever. One object of the Scriptures throughout in recovering a fallen race to goodness, is to make them happy. Accordingly, this sentiment is reiterated in every form, unceasingly reiterated in the Scriptures that the good are happy. Great peace have all they that love thy law; shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace; in the greatest of all extremities he is happy. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Happy is the man that feareth God alway. He that keepeth the law, happy is he. Blessed, happy is he, that doeth righteousness at all times. The Lord blesseth the habitation of the just. Blessed are the meek, said the Saviour, the merciful, the pure in heart, they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. The hope of the righteous shall be gladness. The fruit of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. God giveth a man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy! The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall enter into peace. Christ will say, Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord. righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father! Such every where is the representation of the Holy Scriptures. It is the universal and eternal law of the universe, that goodness shall be ever attended with happiness, as wickedness is with suffering. Neither can be separated. The whole spirit and conduct of the divine government depend on this union. Every thing is provided and arranged, both for time and eternity in reference to this fact. The divine purposes, the system of divine providence-all that has or will come to pass, all the law of God, all the promises of grace, the probation of time, the retribution of eternity, are dependent upon that great fact, that to be good is to be happy; to be wicked is to be miserable. It will never be otherwise unless God leaves his own universe, his government is extinguished, and his moral system rushes into confusion and universal ruin.

The

If thus the spiritual being within us possesses capacity for goodness, as has been represented, if it may run an immortal course, ever and endlessly opening and enriching itself with moral excellence; so may, so must it run a corresponding career of happiness. If the soul's virtue increases constantly and for ever, so must its fruit, true enjoyment. If the soul have no other qualities but goodness, so will it possess no other emotions but those of happiness. Is there no limit to the progress of its moral excellence, so is there no boundary to the happiness it will attain. Happiness, immeasurable, perfect, infinite, is laid out before the spirit; an entire eternity allotted to it to drink in constantly larger, richer, fuller measures. As its holiness, so its happiness, is progressive, measureless, illimitable, eternal. Gabriel, fast by the eternal throne, tell us, if thou hast no eye to penetrate the future, no heart to conceive and appreciate the blessedness of the long, eternal course yet before thee; tell, if thou canst, what thou hast been, delineate thy course of intelligence, purity, enjoyment. Let us know what is before us; we do follow thee; thy high, glorious course is ours also. We shall attain thy knowledge, we

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glory, and honor, and immortality. This is the career, then, we all may run. Leave, then, these meaner things. I must earnestly reprove your worldliness-your untiring, overweening care of your outward self-your pursuit of earthly riches and pleasures. Such objects all shrink into utter insignificance. before these grand interests of the soul.

IV. A fourth fact, which gives interest

importance

and to our spiritual being, and should waken our care for its welfare, is its capacity for happiness.

We learn by our experience and by observation of others, that human happiness is dependent upon virtue. Animals without reason and conscience may have negative enjoyment without any moral character. But

man, formed to discern between right and wrong, to approve virtue and condemn vice, and to feel himself accountable at the bar of his own judgment at the higher bar of God, cannot be happy without being good, and he cannot be good without being happy. Every person has learned by looking within upon himself, and observed in the case of others, that, though adverse and untoward events make deductions from our enjoyments, yet so far as there is integrity of principle, purity of intention, excellence of conduct, and consciousness that this is so, so far there is happiness always, sweet peace, a delicious enjoyment absorbing the soul, so that it feels the refreshing of the internal waters of life, of which if a man drink he shall never thirst again. The soul is full; for the time asks no better joys; overflows with bliss. Such seasons all good men know, when, their sins and imperfections out of view, they feel the consciousness of moral goodness, and there comes over the spirit the assurance that God looks upon them with approbation, and they approve and respect themselves.

Observation of others has often furnished us with similar examples. You have often seen happiness in circumstances so unpropitious as to leave you in no doubt that it must have been fed from an inward fountain of moral goodness, affording a consciousness of integrity. Have you never entered an abode of poverty and seclusion from the world, and marked the simple, calm pleasure, which was there, habitually there, though there was nothing in the outward world to afford it. It was good feeling toward God and man, and so far as opportunity and power was given, good doing. It was moral goodness, and the testimony of a good conscience.

Persons are often seen with afflictions beating terribly upon them, their property scattered, their friends dead, their expectations cut off, their earthly prospects perfectly dark-seen still calm and happy. They have the best of all their possessions still left to them, a treasure beyond the reach of vicissitude and trouble, I mean their virtue-a love of truth and righteousness is their own, which no power can take from them. This made Paul and Silas happy in their prison, John in his banishment, the Martyrs in their sufferings, Christians generally in their reverses and disappointments, and in their death. All the blessed anticipations of hope in the two worlds have their foundation in moral worth.

The whole current of Scripture corresponds with this representation. No one truth probably is so often in the Bible, as that the good are happy; that virtue and happiness are united under the Divine Govern

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ure

and virtuous being he is; but not one attribute, I allege, not one net have I ascribed to him that might not belong to every individual of this audience. Thus we are all capable of virtue, moral goodness, goodness of soul prompting to outward excellence of conduct. I do not touch the question of moral inability. I know that man is depraved wholly, that every heart is corrupt to the core. But under the power of education and the grace of God we are thus capable of godlike virtue. Such are our susceptibilities here. But the soul, if it enter upon a course of virtue, only enters upon it in the present world-only just wakes, and starts forth on its career of goodness here-only just begins to throb with holy exercises and to put forth outward labors of love. Death, more important to our progress in virtue than to our growth in knowledge, removes the spirit from all the instruments and allurements of sin.

How may a saint grow in holiness when received into heaven, when released from temptation, and when surrounded by every possible motive to moral goodness! God, high on his eternal throne, will unfold to the spirit his glory, and the fullest, loftiest, richest emotions of that spirit gather and fix upon him ; its highest, best service will be rendered to him. Fellow spirits are around it to be loved and blessed. Its efforts, so interrupted on earth, are now unceasing; so imperfect then, are perfect now; its love, so often chilled and misdirected then, is pure and undiverted now. What it ought to feel, it does feel; what it ought to do, it performs. How long is this to remain? Pure spirits, will they always be pure? entirely as they should be, rich in goodness, untouched by any impurity or imperfection, never, never, never wearied, never interrupted, never unfaithful? Will they always be holy? Yes, always holy, and more and more enriched

with holiness as the ages of eternity roll away. Yes, more and more pure, more and more holy; rather more and more enriched with moral goodThey never can be more than perfectly holy, such as they are when they enter heaven.

ness.

But as the intellect learns more and more of the Divine Being, spreads itself more extensively over his infinite affairs, and comprehends them more, the emotions towards God will rise to corresponding ardor, will swell to corresponding elevation. The interests of fellow souls in their large capacities, in the long eternal course of intelligence and purity and happiness before them, will be constantly, as ages roll away, better understood and appreciated, and each spirit will feel intenser passion for all the rest, and put forth more exertions to enrich them with goodness and glory. Holy world! Pure spirits! God in the centre of them! Immortality their own! a long, eternal course of increasing holiness to run! Who can measure your virtue, your moral goodness, when some millions of ages shall have passed away-when you shall have stretched on your course into eternity, farther than the intellectual powers can reach ! You are lost in the attempted conception. O that we had words to tell you the glory there is to be revealed! Crowns, thrones, and worlds, what are ye all when compared with it! May I stand up at last a pure spirit like my Maker ; his virtue my virtue; my close resemblance to the holy God a closer one constantly-forever! What else, my soul, is worth thy care, all else tread beneath thee! Be an angel! Enter upon an eternal course of holiness !

And every hearer here has a soul capable of such a high course of

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acquainted sufficiently to obtain his special friendship, you will find it true-a friendship for you as a fellow-being, a man-not for you as an honored or prospered individual simply, cold and strange to you the moment your distinction and wealth being gone you become as weak as any other man. He seems warmer and more active when you most need and are most unable to make him any return.

You may never distrust him,

he will not forsake you at all, so long as you are worthy. O are there, indeed, in the great mass of human depravity, such specimens of frank, fast, honest friendship! Who is he? Pray point us to such virtue in this fallen world! You will discover this individual, on observing him closely, to be directing his efforts, though he engage in the ordinary cares and business of life, fixing his interests and affections upon two special objects-the rendering all men, whom he can influence, better and happier.

weeps

mind, remove the

pressure

from

He would dissipate gloom from every every heart. He would be a guide to every orphan that wanders and without a helper. He would avert the calamities that he sees gathering upon the unsheltered heads of the poor. He would encourage the idle to industry-he would allure the ignorant to knowledge. He would introduce harmony between alienated families, friendship and peace between all that have fallen out by the way. Many are the hearts which beat quicker with joy for his ministrations of kindness. Many are the persons who are led to competence, knowledge, usefulness, self-respect, and peace, by his efforts and example.

He does not forget that there is a better world to be sought, a worse one to be escaped. You may see him kindly reminding a neighbor of the guilt and danger that wait upon transgression; referring him to the invitations of the gospel; endeavoring to induce him to accept them by a development before him of all the dreadful infinity of eternal woe as the doom of incorrigible sinners, and by pointing him to the heaven of hea vens as the everlasting inheritance of the penitent and believing. You may hear him referring an alarmed and anxious one, who is crying, "What shall I do to be saved?" to the Saviour's words, "Come unto me, and I will give you rest." In his efforts for others he does not forget himself. He fears God and keeps his commandments; he "allures to brighter

worlds, and leads the way.'

But who is this amiable being, of such inward heavenly temper and such purity of life, that loves and obeys his Maker; that makes it the effort and aim of life to reform and improve the character and the conduct of all his fellow-men; to make all hearts purer, all hearts happierto gather as many as he may under God into heaven from this fallen world? Who is this minister of mercy? Has any such man lived and breathed among us? We have not seen such men in this selfish, avaricious, wicked world. But is not man capable of this? Have I described any thing unattainable? May not education and grace make every man such in a larger or smaller sphere? Have I come up in this moral portrait to what you have conceived of Paul, or even of Howard and many others? If I have, is not this character of loveliness and kindness possible to all, and these paths of usefulness open to all, this walk with God free to all?

I have not ascribed perfection to this amiable friend of God. A very