Everlasting shame, sorrow, and torment. For such as during life labour for the wages of sin, there will be no rest, day nor night. As in this world you have no rest under the galling yoke of sin, so in that future world to which you must one day go, you will have no rest from suffering.

Lay this truth to heart before it be too late, that "there is no peace, saith the "Lord, unto the wicked!" Break off your sins by repentance, while the Spirit of God is still striving with you,—while his word is yet felt in some degree, and the Lord is waiting to be gracious. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure, that, when death comes, an abundant entrance into the rest of the people of God may be ministered unto you. Do not, through sloth, or negli gence, or unwillingness, to bear the cross of Christ, come short of so great salvation. As good soldiers of Jesus, fight manfully the good fight of faith under his banner. Be firm :-be resolute: be decisive. Set your face steadily toward Zion. Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of your faith, run with B b

386 ON THE REST OF THE PEOPLE Of god.

patience the race set before you. Looking unto Him who overcame the world, be ye, amidst your tribulations, of good cheer. He now calls on you to virtue, happiness, and glory. Obey his call. What though you may have much to endure in your religious course,-what though the passage over the sea of life be dark and stormy,-after a few more struggles you will be landed safe on Emanuel's happy shore, where no tempests assail,-where all is peaceful and serene, -and where felicity, pure and unalloyed, for ever dwells. Amen.

SERMON XV.

ON THE PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE.

I JOHN ii. 25.

This is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life,

THE word of God abounds with many

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exceeding great and precious promi

Of

ses," which are admirably calculated to comfort and strengthen the hearts of the faithful in every part of their warfare,― in every step of their pilgrimage through this changeable and weary land. these promises, the chief and most important, to which all the others tend, and in which they terminate, is the one contained in my text;-to the consideration of which, I propose to call your attention in the following discourse. "This

"is the promise that he hath promised

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us, even eternal life." May God be with us by his Spirit, while I endeavour to explain the nature of the eternal life which is here promised,

In general language, the promise here given comprehends the whole of that salvation and happiness which Christ hath purchased by his blood, and shall bestow upon all who believe in his name, and obey his word. And this happiness is called life, in opposition to that death to which all the posterity of Adam became liable by the breach of the first covenant. By the fall we became subject to death, spiritual, temporal, and eternal ; but Jesus Christ has purchased for his people a deliverance from death in all its stages: he hath procured for them a spiritual life of greater happiness and glory than that which they had forfeited. So that justly might the Apostle say, " As in Adam all "die, even so in Christ shall all be made "alive." And this happiness is called "eternal life," in opposition to temporal deliverances; or rather to distinguish it from that short and precarious life of which we are presently possessed. It is

indeed begun here; but instead of being destroyed, or even interrupted by the dissolution of the body, it acquires new vigour at death, will be perfected at the resurrection, and last throughout eternal

ages.

More particularly, this eternal life includes in it, in the first place, pardon of sin and peace with God.

Like all the other works of God, man was originally good, created in the divine image, holy and happy,-and found his chief delight in doing the will of his Creator. Forgetful, however, of the many obligations he was under to love and fear the Lord his God, he fell into the snares of the devil, and disobeyed the express command that was given him as a trial of his submission to the divine will. The act of disobedience of which our first parents were guilty, has extended its baneful effects to all their posterity, and involved them in guilt and condemnation. By nature we are all guilty creatures, obnoxious to divine wrath, and stand continually exposed to the just and everlasting displeasure of him who made us. But