with the general distress of those who were near him, he yielded, for a moment, to the emotions of grief that were struggling in his bosom. The exercise of every native passion of the human heart, when not indulged to excess, is right. Jesus himself, the great pattern of all perfection, was affected by anger and love, by joy and sorrow. He wept; perhaps, not only for the more immediate affliction of his friends; but for the calamities, which, in consequence of sin, had overwhelmed the whole human race-for the body, designed for perpetual youth and immortality, now subject to disease and death, and to dissolution in the grave-for the soul, created after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness, now debased and polluted by sin; and, of course, in too many instances, condemned to misery. Jesus wept-but, as the Jews observed, it was only an indication of his love-it did not, as is often the case with weak mortals, disqualify him for action; or cause him to turn away from a scene of distress, which, by staying, he might remove: he spoke the commanding word, and the dead obeyed his voice, and came forth. And here, imagination might indulge itself, for a moment, in describing the various emotions that disclosed themselves in the spectators of this wonderful transaction. With what a mixture of amazement and reverence did Lazarus throw himself at the feet of his Almighty Lord! With what transports of gratitude and joy did the weeping sisters view their reviving brother! With what gloomy discontent did the obstinate turn away from the astonishing spectacle! With what exultation did the meek and docile triumph in the fulness of their faith!

From what has been said, I shall conclude with exhorting you to endeavour to deserve the love of your Saviour, by every method which is prescribed in the Holy Scriptures. It is a love that is neither weak nor wavering-in the valley of the shadow of death it will shield you from danger-it will follow you into an eternal state; and continue to bless you, as long as he exists, with whom there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

Learn to tremble at the power of him in whose hands are the issues of life and death. Who can reanimate the sleeping dust-who has power to kill the body; and not only so, but to destroy both body and soul in hell.

Frequently meditate on that great article of the Christian faith, a future resurrection either to happiness or misery. Cast your view forwards to that tremendous scene, when the graves shall be opened, and the sea give up her dead-when the father and the son, the sister and the brother, shall stand together before the awful tribunal of God. Let these reflections sink deep into your hearts, so as to induce you to live together now, in the true spirit of the Gospel of love and peace; and then, in the great day of decision, you will not be separated-the harmonious company of just men made perfect, will join with angels and archangels, and all the host of heaven, to praise God, and promote the happiness of each other for ever.

Let religion be the faithful guide of your conduct, in the various duties of human life, and she will be your comfort and support under the pressure of unavoidable calamity. If men were wise; if they knew

ין

the things which belong to their peace, surely they would embrace and ever hold fast the blessed Gospel of Christ, which affords a rod and a staff to sustain us in the valley of the shadow of death; which enables us even to triumph over death and hell; and crowns us with glory and immortality.

In the hour of temporal calamity, let us never abandon ourselves to despondency, as if God had forgotten to be gracious, and had cast us off in his displeasure for ever. The deceased Lazarus may rise from the bed of death: our withered comforts may revive the gloomy night of affliction will be succeeded by the morning of the resurrection, and the glorious day of immortal bliss.

What though the affectionate sisters of Lazarus may be exposed to acute distress on account of their dying brother: what though the sensible heart may experience many a pungent sorrow, of which the stupid and obdurate are utterly ignorant: let us bear the shock of misery for a little while; and then carry these dispositions along with us into the regions of immortality. There will be objects worthy of the most enlarged, and the most ardent affections of our souls: there chagrin and disappointment will cease to blast the promised joy: there sorrow and sighing will be done away for

ever.

Let us make

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. him our friend, and we may bid defiance to the virulence of all our spiritual adversaries. In life, he will be our shield and buckler; in death, our comfort and security; and, through the boundless periods of eternity, the dispenser of our exceeding great reward. Whither he

is gone, we know; the way which leads to his glorious mansion we know, for it is clearly pointed out in his own Gospel. Let us follow his footsteps; and, in due season, we shall partake of his glory.

I

SERMON XIV.

On the Temper necessary for the Reception of the Gospel.

JOHN vii. 47, 48, 49.

Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers, or of the Pharisees, believed on him? But this people, who knoweth not the law, are cursed.

WHEN the Author of our holy religion came and dwelt among men, to accomplish the great work of redemption, he gave abundant evidence of his divine mission; he demonstrated himself to be the Son of God with power. The stupendous miracles which he wrought, produced conviction in the minds of many of the unprejudiced common people, and they received him as the Messiah, so frequently foretold by the prophets; for, the Evangelist informs us, "That many "of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ "cometh, will he do more miracles than these which "this man hath done?" But, the arguments which were sufficient to convince the humble and dispassionate mind, only served to confirm the prejudice, and exasperate the resentment of the proud and self-interested Pharisees. Instead of candidly examining his preten.