ing hope of it may well fill them with songs in the house of their pilgrimage. To what a company and scene are they not hastening? Those gone before them, are singing the new song before the throne, are enjoying a state of sublime happiness in the presence of their God and Redeemer, and in the performance of the most exalted acts of worship. And through faith and patience they will soon enter upon the same promises. Look up then, ye true followers of the Lamb, look up to the seats of unmingled joy. By a lively faith, hear ye not the songs of the sanctified? And are you not in the way to join the blessed company? If this be your hope and consolation, think nothing of the difficulties which obstruct your way, except how you shall overcome them. Practice self-denial with cheerfulness in whatever form it may be presented. Keep yourselves unspotted from the world, that you may be welcome companions of your spot

less leader.

God grant us grace to believe the authority, and in all instances, even to the highest self-denial, to obey the will of our heavenly Leader and Redeemer. Then may we be assured that we shall mingle at last in that great company which no man can number, and sing the new song of Moses and the Lamb.

SERMON VII.

THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS TO COMFORT AND EDIFY ONE ANOTHER.

PART. I.

I. THESSALONIANS V, 11.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together; and edify one another, even as also ye do.

In the close of the chapter preceding the text, the apostle had given a most animating description of Christ's coming at the last day to raise the dead, and, first and chiefly, those that sleep in Jesus. And this he suggested as matter of the highest comfort to those who had committed christian friends to the dust. He proceeds in the context to speak of the suddenness, with which that day should come; and as they were ap‐ prized of the fact,—that they should be vigilant and prepared for it, "being sober, and putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of

salvation." Then in the verses preceding the text, he speaks of the gracious disposition of God towards us, in these affecting terms-"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." That is, the design of God in sending his son into the world, was not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He did not reveal the gospel unto mankind, that they might sin with the greater aggravation, and so be the more severely punished. But the motive was love, and the design was mercy. And he hath appointed none to wrath, but such as wilfully and obstinately refuse his gracious offers, and persist in vice and wickedness. For it is his pleasure that all, if they will, should obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, "who died for us; that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." Then follows the exhortation of our text, evidently founded on these momentous facts and expectations, the death of Christ to secure our salvation, and his coming to raise his disciples from the dead, that they might live together with him in perfect glory and happiness "Wherefore, comfort yourselves together, and edify one another; even as also ye do."

The doctrine of the text, then, in connexion with the context, is-That it is the duty of Christians to comfort one another in view of the death of Christ, to promote their salvation, and of his coming at the last day to raise his sincere disciples from the dead, and to receive them to dwell with him in eternal glory.

I shall observe the natural division of the text, and show that it is the duty of Christians,

I. To comfort one another.

II. To edify one another.

It is their duty

I. To comfort one another. This is a duty to be performed, I acknowledge, with discretion, and some caution. The consolations of the gospel belong not to all, with whom we meet and converse; nor even to all who bear the christian name. In a wide and lax sense, all who are born in a christian land, and have reccived a christian education, and acknowledge the christian scriptures as a divine revelation, are denominated christians. It is language sufficiently exact to distinguish Christians from Mahometans and Pagans. "But they are not all Israel, who are of Israel-neither is he a Jew, who is one outwardly, nor is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh." Nor is he a Christian who was born in a christian land, and acknowledges the truth of divine revelation, and attends on visible ordinances, if this be all, especially, if there be, habitually, circumstances of contradiction in the life and conduct. When we impart the consolations of the gospel, we must remember that he to whom they belong is a christian in a stricter sense-that there is no such person, strictly speaking, as an unsanctified Christian; a profane, an intemperate, an impure Christian; nor a malicious, slanderous, revengeful Christian; nor one who lives in wilful sin of any kind, or wilful neglect of 'duty. We should be very improperly engaged in ten

dering the consolations of the gospel to any such persons. To flatter them as religious, while they live irreligiously, would be crying peace to those, for whom there is no peace, and blessing them whom God hath not blessed.

With this caution, I proceed to say, It is an important duty for Christians to comfort one another. There are many dull and gloomy Christians. They are in the habit of looking always on the 'dark side of things. If they look abroad, they can discern little or no religion around them; and if they look into their own hearts they find little to encourage them. They seem always to dwell in the valley of the shadow of death; and to have no comfort but the melancholy one of continual complaining of others and bemoaning themselves. But this is a diseased state of mind, from which various evils are apt to result. It gives occasion of reproach upon religion, as a gloomy thing, and as tending to involve, and as having involved persons in delirious melancholy. Its personal influence is bad; it chills the affections, and stupifies the energies of the soul; so that it attempts less and less in the spiritual life; till discouragement grows into deadness. Many such have I seen and lamented to see. In some cases, I apprehend, there may be a degree of hypocrisy in these mourners and complainers, wishing to pass themselves as having a deeper sense of sin than others have. But many are in real spiritual affliction, while yet they have the scriptural grounds of hope. This affliction often arises from bodily indisposition; from distempered nerves; from wrong views of religion; from dwelling