over all things to his church. As he was arraigned at a human tribunal and unjustly condemned, it is suitable that his enemies should behold him on the throne of his glory. It is on many accounts suitable that they who pierced him should see him coming in the clouds of heaven; and that all those who conspired his death, and who with wicked hands crucified the Prince of life, should be brought to answer for their atrocious crimes at the tribunal of Him whom they maliciously accused, unjustly condemned, and cruelly put to death. Another reason why God manifest in the flesh should be constituted Judge of quick and dead, is, that he can appear visibly in his proper person, which the Father cannot. And as his disciples can only be pronounced acquitted on account of his perfect righteousness, it is altogether suitable that he should be on the judgment-seat to acknowledge them. Their conduct will, also, be exhibited, not as answering the demands of the law, but as evidence of their sincere faith in his name; and also, because the reward bestowed on them will be measured by their good works. Whether their secret sins will on that day be brought to light, has been disputed; but, as the glory of the Redeemer will be enhanced in proportion to the guilt and misery of the redeemed, there is no solid reason why the sins of believers should be kept secret, especially as many of their sins must be known even to the wicked. Those texts which speak of the sins of God's people as blotted out, as buried in the sea, as covered, &c., do all relate to the pardon of sin; but not to its concealment at the day of judgment.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

HEAVEN; OR, THE STATE OF GLORIFICATION.

SOME things are hard to be believed, they are so good and glorious. That such poor, ignorant, imperfect, and unworthy creatures, should ever arrive at a state, in which they shall "know as they are known," and shall be free from all imperfection in their moral exercises, and shall be continually as happy as they are capable of being, is hard for us in our present state distinctly to conceive of; and therefore the glorious realities of another world make, commonly, but a feeble impression on the minds of Christians. Perhaps a more deep and vivid impression of the nearness and glory of the heavenly state would so absorb their minds as to render them unfit to perform the common business of this life. It is, however, exceedingly desirable, that the children of God should think more of the heavenly state, and have a more habitual impression of the felicity and purity of the celestial world, than they commonly possess. In this brief summary, our object shall be, in the simplest manner, to exhibit, without exaggeration or amplification, what is revealed in the sacred Scriptures respecting the condition of the righteous after the judgment is brought to a close. And may the Spirit of God enlighten our blind minds to perceive the reality, felicity, and glory of the heavenly state!

The righteous, at the day of judgment, will be openly acknowledged and acquitted; and shall re

ceive from the Judge a gracious welcome into his kingdom and glory; for then shall the King say to those on his right hand, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Their minds will, no doubt, be wonderfully enlarged; and it is no extravagant idea, and is altogether consistent with analogy, to suppose, that we have now in our mental constitution, the germ of faculties which have never been developed in this world, because here their exercise was not needed; but which, upon our transition into the celestial world, will be brought into full activity, and will qualify us to participate in the social intercourse, and in the employments of the heavenly state. There, the glorious attributes of God will be clearly exhibited to the understanding. There, the whole current of the affections will be concentrated on Christ, through whom the Father manifests himself. There, every desire, every volition, every thought, will be in conformity with the divine will. Nothing will be wanting to that perfection of sublime and pure enjoyment, of which each individual is capable; for although the happiness of every one will be complete, yet there will be many degrees, as some will have larger capacities than others; as many vessels of different dimensions, cast into the sea, will all be full, yet their contents may be vastly different.

As all rational happiness is founded in knowledge of objects suited to satisfy and fill the rational mind, it is reasonable to think, that in heaven there will be a gradual progress in knowledge; and as the object, even the divine attributes, is infinite, this progress may, indeed must, go on progressively through eternity. And hence we can understand why it is that the joys of heaven admit of no alloy from their long

continuance, or constant repetition. New and interesting discoveries of celestial objects, will furnish continual novelty and variety to entertain the spiritual taste of the rational mind.

The exercise of the social affections will be a source of pure and unspeakable felicity. There, no envious, narrow, or selfish feelings will exist, to interrupt the sweet communion of kindred spirits. The unity and harmony of spirit in the continual praise of God, will be a source of the most pure and elevated enjoyment, far above what tongue can express or heart conceive. There, indeed, all believers will be melted down, as it were, into one, and will constitute one glorious body, Christ being the Head.

The bodies of the saints will be exactly suited to the celestial world, and its delights and employments. These bodies of flesh and blood, created from the dust, will, at the resurrection, be so changed, that they will be fashioned like unto Christ's body, which undoubtedly, is the most glorious visible object in the universe. It would be vain and presumptuous for us to imagine what will be the structure, the organs, and the habiliments of the glorified bodies. of the saints. The nearest approximation which we can make to a conception of this matter, will consist merely in removing from our minds all those weaknesses and imperfections which cleave to these earthly bodies. Paul has, with the pen of inspiration, written nothing more sublime, than in his discourse respecting the resurrection of the bodies of the saints: 1 Cor. xv. "It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body:" Further on, the Apostle adds, "So, when this corruptible shall have put on

incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory." In heaven there is no sickness, no tears, no death, no sin, no weariness, no alloy, no sleep, no fear; but everlasting joy and glory shall crown the heads of the redeemed. And this felicity will not only be uninterrupted, but eternal in its duration; for while the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment the righteous shall go into LIFE ETERNAL.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

HELL; OR, THE STATE OF FUTURE MISERY.

THE most incomprehensible of all mysteries is, that moral evil should have a place in the universe of an infinitely wise, holy, and powerful God. We could construct a very plausible argument, a priori, to prove from the above premises, that moral evil never could be permitted to exist in the world. But how futile are all reasonings against facts experienced every moment, and by every man. The philosopher who undertook to demonstrate that there could be no such thing as motion, received the right answer, when the person addressed, uttered not a word, but rose up and walked. So we may answer all arguments against the possibility of the existence of evil, by pointing to the prison, the hospital, and the grave. We need not go so far; we need only refer the sophist to his own experience. Now, if moral evil have an existence, it is evident that pain or natural evil must follow it.