convoy to the abodes of bliss! And may my joyful spirit, though bereft of the sweet converse of those it held most dear below, yet find, that it shall for ever hold much sweeter converse with angelic friends. Then may

"an abundant entrance be administered unto me, into the everlasting kingdom of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Then may he introduce me into thy presence; there, with ail thy saints of ancient days, in glorious happiness, to wait the still fuller accomplishment of thy promises, when time itself shall finish. There, O my God, may I exult in thy presence, even while those I left behind attend this feeble body to its last long home. While they, with affectionate tears, commit "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust," O, may I be rejoicing in having reached that land, where a sigh was never uttered, nor a tear ever shed. And, merciful Father, if friends or relatives should survive me, that know thee not, O may my death be their life and may they go from my grave, to prepare for their own

And when the period for that state of intermediate glory which thy word reveals shall have past, then may my sleeping dust arise to the resurrection of life; then, enraptured, may I view the Judge eternal, on his great white throne; with gladness may I hear the

last trumpet sound, and the last thunders roll; with pleasure see the last lightnings play, and the stormy scenes of time conclude. And O, from the kind hand of Jesus, may even I receive that "crown of life, which fadeth not away; the crown, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give, at that day, to all that love his appearing."

Then, O my most gracious God, then, fixed in eternal rest, then, blessed with all the bliss of heaven, may I, with all thy ransomed family, unite in rendering thee praises, for those infinite wonders of redeeming love, for which eternity itself will never praise thee enough. Then may I and millions more unite in that sweet song, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be to him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Amen.

CHAPTER XII.

No real good possessed by those who are des titute of religion; their ingratitude to God, and cruelty to themselves.

THOSE Considerations, from which I have hitherto endeavoured to show the infinite importance of early piety, have been mostly of a pleasing kind; but if you be one on whom all these have been urged in vain, permit me to display the value of religion, by presenting to your view some of the dreadful evils, to which the want of it will expose you.

Religion is so truly the one important blessing, that it would in the end make up for the want of every thing, while all earthly blessings united can never supply its want. Were the whole world your own, it could not give you real peace in life; nor support you on the bed of death; nor obtain for you a place in heaven. If you possess friends, the most faithful, endeared, and affectionate, yet they cannot supply the want of his friendship, whose favour is better than life. They cannot drive sickness, pain, or death away;

nor cheer your trembling soul, when going to meet an offended God; or when standing at his awful bar. Nor could their prayers, or tears, or agonies, arrest the dreadful sentence, "Depart from me, ye cursed." You must be born again, or never enter heaven. Without that divine change in your nature, God will still look upon you as an object of abhorrence; and all that is most pleasing in human esteem, will do no more to recommend you to him, than dressing a putrid co.pse in fine apparel would do to recommend it in the sight of man. While destitute of religion, you, in the divine sight, are only a disgusting mass of corruption and iniquity; nor can the bloom of health and youth, or the charms of beauty, hide from the eye of God the loathsomeness of ruling sin. He is declared to "hate all workers of iniquity." Even to be satisfied with being almost a christian, is still to continue destitute of all real good. In this way you would go to hell, as it were, by the gate of heaven.

The want of religion is a want which deprives you of a thousand benefits and comforts. While in this state, you live without true wisdom; for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding." You want the forgiveness of sins; all your crimes are

upon you; and the least of them is heavy enough to sink you to hell.-You want composure of mind and inward peace. You may be asleep in sin, or may be indulging dreams of future happiness; but the true peace of a humble and pious mind cannot be yours till you are Christ's. You want peace with God. "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." Till reconciled to him, God must be to you an awful Judge; and you a rebel, deserving his severe_displeasure ;-you want his fatherly care. In the hour of distress you have no God to go to, that you can justly call your friend and Father.-You want an interest in the love of Christ; it is a treasure in which you have no share; unhappy youth! to be without a Saviour's love. Wretched creature! to have no part in that treasure, compared with which the treasures of a thousand worlds would be as dross and dust. While you slight religion, you live without a part in any of the blessings he bestows. He is no Saviour of yours, though you may insult him with the title of Saviour. He is no shepherd of yours, for you refuse to hear his voice and follow him, and are not one of his flock. If you call the blessings of his gospel, grace, and glory, yours, you are deluding your own soul, for they will never belong to you, till you belong to him. It is