the case of Lazarus, is not mentioned, yet he was buried, no doubt-necessity required this; but he had the burial of a pauper ;—while the pomp and pride of the other followed him to the tomb."

The passage certainly warrants no such conclusions; they are altogether imaginary. But we come now to the most important statement concerning the rich man. He died, and was buried ;-and what more? Alas, for him, "in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments."

You well know, my hearers, what has been the generally inculcated, and generally received opinion, as to the meaning of this clause, in the account under consideration. It is, that the soul, or spirit, of this man, at his death, went immediately to a place of torment in another world. Yet this is not stated; and the circumstances of the description are unfavorable to such an idea: they rather intimate that the entire man, body and soul, went into hades, or hell, as it is called. A spirit hath not flesh and bones, and bodily organs. But this man is represented as still having eyes, and a tongue also, which being parched with heat and drought, he desired that Lazarus,-who is also represented as still possessing his bodily parts, might be sent to him, to "dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool his tongue."

These circumstances stated in the passage, certainly do not well comport with the opinion, that it is to be understood as describing the real and individual condition of these two persons, or rather, of the disembodied spirits of these two persons in the invisible world.

But what goes to render such an opinion of the meaning and design of the passage still more doubtful,

and its correctness much more improbable, is the circumstance to which I am now about to direct your attention, and upon which I beg your deliberate and candid reflection. It is that there is no other description of the kind, or similar to it in the whole bible. We read both of good and bad men dying, and as it is sometimes expressed-giving up the ghostfalling asleep-being gathered to their fathers, &c. But in no other account except this, are we told of any one that died, and who then went, or was conveyed, to Abraham's bosom. And likewise, on the other hand,— and on which I wish particularly to remark in this place,- -we have no other account in all the bible of any one's dying, and then lifting up his eyes in hell. Nor is it declared or intimated of any one, however wicked in this world, that at his death, or after his death, he went, or his immortal soul or spirit went, to a place or state of suffering in another world, or that he awoke up—or lifted up his eyes in torments. Nothing of the kind is mentioned in a single instance, either in the old or new testament. And yet we have a minute and circumstantial description of the death of some of the vilest characters, the most cruel and ungodly wretches that ever lived. In noticing a few cases only, where shall we begin?

In the days of Moses, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, were chief men in the congregation of Israel. But they presumptuously and wickedly rebelled against the Lord; and they, and the company who adhered to them, were suddenly cut off from the land of the living, by a fearful judgment; as recorded in the 16th chapter of Numbers. But what is said of them? Their tremendous fate is described as follows. Moses had

publicly declared that if those men should die the cominon death of all men, or if they should be visited after the visitation of all men, then the Lord had not sent him. "But, (said he) if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, &c. then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord: And it came to pass, (says the history) as he had made an end of speaking-that the ground clave asunder that was under them: and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation." Here is the extent of their fate, according to the description. Nothing is said of any wrath or punishment that awaited them in another world. It is only said that the earth swallowed them up alive, and they perished from among the congrega

tion.

An orthodox divine treating upon the subject might, indeed, and probably would, add a great flourish to the account, and tell, not only how these wicked men went down into the pit, and were swallowed up in the earth, but also, how their immortal souls sank down into the unfathomable depths of a fiery lake of vengeance and unceasing torture, among fallen angels and horrid ghosts who inhabit there. With such an exhibition he might amuse or terrify his audience, by his powers of description, and his astonishing eloquence. But it would be without any authority or support derived from the record which furnished his subject. Moses knew nothing and believed nothing of such terrors and

torments awaiting the rebellious Korah and his company, in another state of existence, or he would doubtless have declared them, as an additional warning to the congregation of Israel.

We have dwelt at some length upon this case, because it is a notable one, and very particularly stated. We will now refer to a few additional cases, as applicable to that point in our subject which we are now considering.

Ahab, was one of the wickedest, and most abominable of the Kings of Israel. The historian says of him, that he "did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord." Of the like character also was King Omri, his father, and Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, and, indeed, nearly all the Kings of Israel. But what does the sacred historian say of these wicked men, when he records their death? does he intimate that future scenes of woe and misery awaited them, as the just punishment of their crimes in this world? Nothing of the kind is intimated. But it is simply said of them, in common with others of a very different character, that they "slept with their fathers."

You doubtless remember the story of the ungrateful Absalom, who treacherously sought to supplant his father in the government of Israel,-and the sudden and singular manner of his death; and you have read the account of David's sore lamentation on the occasion. We have it in the 18th chapter of the 2d book of Samuel. The base ingratitude of this untoward son could not eradicate, or even abate the ardent affection of the generous father. O God of mercies! Art thou less compassionate than earthly fathers! The circum

stances of this case are too remarkable to be passed over without more particular notice.

When the army that was with David were going forth to battle against the collected forces of Absalom, David charged the principal officers-Joab and others, saying, "Deal gently, for my sake, with the young man, even with Absalom." And when the battle was terminated in favor of David, and a messenger was sent to inform him, his first and most anxious inquiry was,-not what was the grand result of the sanguinary contest: no; but the King said "Is the young man, Absalom, safe?" Not receiving a definite answer, he bade him stand aside; and immediately another messenger came, and said "Tidings, my Lord the King for the Lord hath avenged thee this day, of all them that rose up against thee. And the King said unto Cushi, (the messenger) Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered-The enemies of my Lord the King, and all that rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is." The meaning was well understood by David. It was, that the young man was no more; that he had fallen a sacrifice to his own treachery and vile ambition. The shout of victory gave him no joy; a defeat-could the life of that rebellious son have been preserved-would have been greatly preferred. "And the King was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! would to God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

I have cited this portion of sacred history, because, in itself it is exceedingly interesting; and because it suggests a remark which goes directly to the point