VIII. haviour ought to fhew the elevation of his SERM. men. At the fame time, this rational contempt of death must carefully be diftinguished from that inconfiderate and thoughtless indifference, with which fome have affected to treat it. This is what cannot be justified on any principle of reafon. Human life is no trifle, which men may play away at their pleasure. Death, in every view, is an important event. It is the moft folemn crifis of the human exiftence. A good man has reafon to meet it with a calm and firm mind. But no man is entitled to treat it with oftentatious levity. It calls for manly ferioufnefs of thought. It requires all the recollection of which we are capable; that with the proper difpofition of dependent beings, when the duft is about to return to its duft, we may deliver up the Spirit to Him who gave it. SERMON SERMON IX. On the HAPPINESS of a FUTURE STATE. Preached at the Celebration of the Sacrament of the SERM. REVELAT. vii. 9. After this I beheld, and lo! a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, ftood before the throne, and before the Lamb, cloathed with white robes, and palms in their hands. IN this mysterious book of Scripture many revolutions are foretold which were to take place in the church of God. They are not indeed fo foretold as to afford clear and precife information concerning the 1 On the Happiness of a Future State. 247 IX. time of their coming to pafs. It would have SERM. been on many accounts, improper to have lifted up too far that awful veil which covers futurity. The intention of the Spirit of God was not to gratify the curiofity of the learned, by difclofing to them the fate of monarchies and nations, but to fatisfy the ferious concerning the general plan, and final iffue, of the divine government. Amidft thofe diftreffes which befel Chriftians during the firft ages, the discoveries. made in this book were peculiarly seasonable; as they fhewed that there was an Almighty Guardian, who watched with particular attention over the interests of the church, which he had formed; who forefaw all the commotions which were to happen among the kingdoms of the earth, and would fo over-rule them as to promote in theend the cause of truth. This is the chief scope of those myftic vifions with which the Apostle John was favoured; of feals opened in Heaven; of trumpets founding; and vials poured forth. The kingdom of darknefs was to maintain for a while a violent ftruggle IX. SERM. ftruggle against the kingdom of light. But at the conclufion, a voice was to be heard, as the voice of many waters and of mighty thunderings, faying, Allelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift, and be fhall reign for ever*. Such is the profpect with which the divine Spirit at intervals enlightens, and with which he finally terminates, the many dark and direful scenes that are exhibited in this book. In closing the canon of Scripture, he, with great propriety, leaves upon our mind deep impreffions of the triumphs of righteousness, and of the bleffedness of the redeemed. After this I beheld, and lo! a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds, and people, and tongues, flood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. These words prefent a beautiful defcription of the happiness of faints in heaven; a fubject on which it is, at all times, both * Revel. xix. 6.—xi. 15. comfortable IX. comfortable and improving to meditate. SERM. On this day, in particular, when we are to commemorate the dying love of our Saviour, we cannot be better employed than in contemplating what his love hath purchas ed; in order both to awaken our gratitude, and to confirm our attachment to him. The facrament of the supper is the oath of our fidelity. Let us difpofe ourfelves for celebrating it, by taking a view of the rewards which await the faithful. Ifhall, for this end, in feveral obfervations from the words of the text, taken in connection with the context, endeavour to illuftrate, in fome imperfect degree, the profpect which is here afforded us of a state of future felicity; and then shall make practical improvement of the subject. I. WHAT the words of the text moft obviously fuggeft is, that heaven is to be confidered as a ftate of bleffed fociety. A multitude, a numerous affembly, are here reprefented as sharing together the fame felicity and honour. Without fociety, it is impoffible |