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But, my brethren, the most striking circumstance in the system of Christianity is its condescension to all the fears and all the frailties of our nature; and here it comes with a force and energy which every heart must feel, and which no understanding, that is not blinded, can overlook. To the pious and sincere, whose humility may yet be overpowered with the prospects of future glory, and who fear to lift their mortal vision to the blazing throne of eternity, the Saviour of mankind speaks with the voice of the kindest encouragement, and assures them, that in his "Father's house there are many mansions; and that he has gone to prepare a place for them."-To the sinner, whose conscience is heavy laden, the same blessed person addresses himself in accents of the tenderest compassion, and bids him come to him, and he will give him rest. Are these assurances not sufficient? Does the sinner, still doubt of forgiveness, and tremble in the presence of his God? Then let him look to "the Lamb which was slain;" to the of fering which God has provided for himself; to him who promises forgiveness, bleeding to assure him that he is forgiven!

Must something more yet be done? Does the chamber of death still look sad, and do our hearts fail us for fear, when we see all men entering in, and none coming out? Does he who came to lift our eyes above mortality sleep, too, in the grave; and did we trust in vain, "that it was he who was to redeem Israel?" No, Christian, thy hope has not been vain! The grave could not detain the Captain of thy salvation. "Death has had no dominion over him."-" He has ascended up on high, leading captivity captive;" and now, in the fulness of

faith, thou mayst say, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory ?"

Such, my brethren, are the stupendous truths which ye have now been contemplating! Such is "the life and immortality which to you have been brought to light through the gospel!" Meditate upon these things, in the full assurance of faith; glory in your Christián profession; and, when you call to mind the multitudes of your fellow-creatures who still " sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death," acknowledge, with gratitude, how greatly you have been blessed," whom the Day-spring from on high hath visited;" who have been brought into "the fold,” and “who have heard the voice of the shepherd," and " seeing that all these present thing's shall be dissolved, consider what manner of persons ye ought to be in all holy conversation and godliness;" who have received the promise of "new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."" Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye be found of God in peace, without spot, and blameless."

SERMON XII.

ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

EZEKIEL, xxxvii. 3.

"And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.”

I KNOW not, my brethren, whether, in the whole volume of scripture, there is a passage of more astonishing sublimity, than that of which these words form a part.

"The hand of the Lord (says the prophet) was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about; and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones, Behold, I will cause breath to enter into ye shall live; and I will lay sinews upon you, you, and and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live, and ye shall

know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army."

It is no long time, my brethren, since we were called upon to contemplate that life and immortality which our Lord brought to light through the gospel, when he rose in triumph from the grave, and became "the first fruits of them who sleep." We shall soon be called upon to contemplate his ascension into heaven, where he now sits at the right hand of his Father, and makes intercession for his faithful people. These are lofty truths, with which, from our earliest years, we have been familiar; but, perhaps, from that very circumstance, they frequently fail to impress our minds with the deep feeling which naturally belongs to them. We "have heard of them by the hearing of the ear;" we believe them to be true; but while our understandings may be convinced of their truth, our hearts may often be unaffected by them. The world, with its scenes of magnificence, activity, and enjoyment, occupies our eyes, and intrudes into most of our meditations; and we can scarcely be prevailed upon to imagine that there is any thing substantial in those stupendous scenes which

lie beyond it. With a view to correct these prejudices, it will not, I believe, be a useless employment to follow the prophet into the dark scene of his meditations; to contemplate with him the cheerless termination of a temporary being; and when all mortal hope is at an end, and when the world is shut out from our thoughts, with him to fix our eye on those prophetic rays which brighten the gloom, and which visit with "the Dayspring from on high," even high," even " the valley of the shadow of death."

"The hand of the Lord (says he) was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about; and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo! they were very dry." The opening of the description, my brethren, presents a picture which we are naturally averse to contemplate; we fly from it into the scenes of dissipation; "the harp and the viol are in our feasts;" and we seek to banish, in the transitory enjoyments of our being, the forebodings of its final close. There are times, however, when "the hand of the Lord is upon us,” and when the most thoughtless of us are "carried out in the Spirit of the Lord, and are set down in the midst of the valley which is full of bones." We are called, perhaps, to follow to the grave the parents whom we venerated and loved; the companions of our youth, or the partners of our affections, drop down in the dust before us; even the buds of infancy are nipped, and those new affections, which seemed to carry us forward into a long futurity, are suddenly crushed in the moment of their formation. We then willingly sit down with the

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