everlasting contempt." Their bodies will correspond with their character and condition.

Now the souls of the righteous-the spirits of just men made perfect, will return each to his former habitation. And what will be the reflection of a glorified spirit, about to take possession of its glorified body. "This is the body which I once inhabited, and from which I have long been separated. This is the body in which I sinned, and in which I enjoyed a day of salvation. This is that body in which I once heard the sound of the gospel, and felt such a weight of guilt as made me cry out, "what must I do to be saved?" This is that body in which I repented of my sins, and cried, "God be merciful to me a sinner." This is that body in which I first became acquainted with the Saviour, when old things passed away, and all things become new. 'This is that body which I presented to God, a living sacrifice, to be his forever. This is that body in which I endured such temptations, and felt such struggles in my Christian warfare-in which I so often knelt in prayer, and found sweet communion with Christ. This is that body in which I suffered shame and reproach for the sake of Christ;-and now it is raised in his image to go and dwell in his presence forever." Happy union!

Now the spirits in prison will come forth and take possession of their bodies; and with what bitter reflections, may we suppose each will take possession of his former habitation. "This is the body in which I sînned, and in which I heard the sound of the gospelthe body which I fed and clothed with so much care, to the neglect of my soul-the body in which I was ashamed of Christ-the body which would not bend

the knee in prayer to God. O that I had never seen it, or could never see it again. Must I again enter a dwelling so loathsome, fitted only to be tormented forever." Miserable union!

And now the dead being raised, the living will be changed. This will be necessary to prepare them to endure the trial of the judgment. The sight of the judge, and the scenes of the last day, would be more than our present nature could endure. Sinners now under conviction of sin, sometimes lose all their strength, and their rational faculties. And this too, while they see but a part of their guilt and danger; and while they hear the sound of pardon, and the offers of salvation. How, then, could they endure the sight of all their sins, in the presence of their judge? Sometimes the criminal before an earthly judge, faints and falls on hearing sentence pronounced upon him. How then, could human nature sustain the scenes of the judgment? If sinners are overcome with the fear of those who have power only to kill the body, how could they endure the fear of him who has power to cast into hell? The living, therefore, must be changed to prepare them for the trial.

This change of the living will not be gradual. They will not die, and their souls depart for a season, and then return. The bodies of the Christians then living will become like the bodies of those who are raised from the dead. This mortal will put on immortality. It will be a mysterious-a wonderful change. It will take place suddenly, at the sound of the last trumpet, when the dead shall be raised. "Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at

the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised, and we shall be changed."

The bodies of sinners too will now be changed and fitted for their destiny.

The dead being raised, and the living changed, the whole multitude will be assembled before Christ. "Before him shall be gathered all nations."

And now also the fallen angels shall be assembled. The prince, and the ruler of the darkness of this world, who has headed the grand rebellion, shall now be present with all his followers. These, though they now suffer in hell as do others, have yet had no public, formal trial. They are criminals in chains, reserved to the day of final account. "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day."

Unfinished.

SERMON XVI.

The Rich Man and Lazarus.

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham a far off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they that would pass from hence to you, cannot ; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee, therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house; for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. And he said, nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, if they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.-LUKE xvi: 19-31.

OUR Saviour had been discoursing to his disciples on the right use of property. He illustrated his subject by the parable of the unjust steward, which teaches us that we must all soon give an account of our stewardship.

We are informed that the "pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things and they derided him." The language in the original is striking. It expresses

the greatest contempt. At length, our Saviour turned and addressed them in the language of the text.

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of sores."

This is sometimes denominated a parable. But though the language is in a measure figurative, it cannot be shown that our Saviour was not describing matters of fact, which had fallen under his own observation.

At all events, the passage was intended to give us a correct view of the invisible world. It was spoken by him of whom it is said, "hell is naked and open before him, and destruction hath no covering."

Here is one who is rolling in splendor-faring sumptuously every day. Here is another, not only poor, but sick-covered with sores-laid at the rich man's gate, that he might excite his compassion-desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. He was satisfied and thankful even for the crumbs. Whether he obtained his desire, we are not informed. He was not only poor and sick, but friendless. He had no one to dress his ulcers, and administer to his necessities. "Moreover the dogs," as being more compassionate than the human beings with whom he was surrounded, 66 came and licked his sores."

And it came to pass in process of time, that the beggar died. Doubtless death was welcome to him. He had long looked forward to it with joyful anticipation, as the end of sin and sorrow, and the introduction to that glorious rest which remaineth for the people of God.