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cend to God, and stream out in benevolent affections, to his family? Is virtue the element in which they delight to dwell? Placed in the midst of light, what adequate advance have we made, in the knowledge of what is useful; and the practice of what is laudable and lovely? What account should we be able to give, if our trial were now to end?' Were our souls, this night, to be required of us, could we appear before God, and say, "O Lord, thou knowest, we have been endeavouring, with our whole heart, to fulfil thy commandments-to work together with thy Providence -to serve and benefit our fellow-creatures— and become fit to be partakers of Eternal life" -if not, what avails the smile of the flattering world-while our souls are already lostthough, blessed be God, not yet lost, beyond recovery. A brief interval-we know not how brief-may yet remain-O, let it not be added to the number of our wasted and perverted hours. Let us "watch and pray" that we may escape the snares of sin; embrace the

happy occasions of well-doing; and improve, with pious care, the rapid changes of time; to advance our preparation for the approach of Eternity.

SERMON II.

THE REASONABLENESS OF BELIEVING IN A

FUTURE STATE.

ACTS xxvi. 8. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

THESE words are part of St. Paul's defence, before Festus the Roman Governor, and the Jewish King, Herod Agrippa; who being, from his birth and education, acquainted with the sects and customs of the Jews,-the apostle begins with avowing himself a zealous adherent of the Sect of Pharisees-that strenuously maintained, as their distinguishing tenet,

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the resurrection of the dead: "for which

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hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews." Why," continues he, "should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" Why should not he who created, and intimately comprehends, all the springs of life-reanimate them, at his sovereign pleasure?

What boon could be so welcome to the rational world? What prayer would the kneeling universe present with so much fervour? By what manifestation of love Divine, could the Almighty diffuse such transcendent joy and thankfulness, as by opening, to his mortal creatures, the gates of immortality? On the other hand, what can be conceived to spread over all nature such deadly dejection and dismay, as the prospect of interminable darkness -a deep black night, on which no morning shall ever dawn?-And is it utterly incredible, that he, whom we call our Father in heaven,— inasmuch as from him, we all derive our being, with every comfort that attends it-should not

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