Thould glow on the bofom of the beholder, and kindle there all the paffions of admiration, delight, and rap ture. The family we have in our eye, (and I flatter myfelf more than one fuch family has exifted in our world) were in affluent circumstances. Their habitation was neat, convenient, and elegant; it did honour to the skill of the architect, without offending the fimplicity of nature. The father was a wife, affectionate, good man; a fincere difciple of the meek and lowly Jefus, whofe doctrine he profeffed, and whose example he followed. A rich treasure of knowledge he had acquired, and with it the happy art of communicating that knowledge to others, in a plain, easy, and pleasant manner. The welfare of those entrusted to his care, lay near his heart, and the fchemes he daily planned for promoting it, which originated in prudence and benevolence, fucceeded to his with. His fervent piety, like the precious ointment that ran down from the head of Aaron, to the fkirts of his garment, diffufed its facred fragrance through all the houfe. The counfels of divine wifdom, which flowed like a filver ftream from his lips, were fweetly mingled with the most pleasing expreffions of paternal tenderness and love; and his was the felicity to perfuade with greater energy by his example than his words. The partner of his life, inexpreffibly dear to him, had all the charms which virtue and religion could add to a form that commanded admiration and love. She was modefl, prudent, and kind. Her happiness confifted in attaching the affections of her family to herfelf, and fo difpofing the affairs of it, as that harmony mony and cheerfulness fhould prevail through the houfe; and the measures fhe took to this end were followed with the fame fuccefs that crowned the generous offices of her husband. Nor was the lefs attentive than he to the duties the owed to God: her devotion was as fincere, though perhaps more rapturous than his. Such being the character of thefe amiable people, it is not to be wondered that they reigned fecurely in the affections of their domeftics, and poffeffed an autho rity over them, on all occafions cordially acknow. ledged, without their feeming to affert it. ་ Their children (for they had a numerous family) inherited the virtues of their parents, as well as a striking refemblance of their perfous. While young they fondly hung on the bofom of the mother, amply rewarding maternal attention and care, with the play ful and endearing fmiles of infant fimplicity. Beauty bloomed in their countenances; and as the powers of reafon expanded, the feeds of religion, which had been carefully fown in their breafts, fprung up under a divine influence, and promifed a fair and joyful harveft. They knew, they felt, they acknowledged their ignorance, guilt, and depravity, and looked for pardon and eternal life through the mediation and grace of the Lord Jefus Christ. Each step they advanced towards manhood, furnished fome pleafing proof of their progrefs in knowledge, purity, and benevolence. Filial obedience was their delight, and when a temptation to undutifulness at any time found access to their imagination, it was quickly oppofed by the warra refeutments of unconquerable attachment. The focial commerce daily carried on between their parents and them, in the moft foft and easy manner, was a conti mal fource of growing pleasure to them both: as was alfo the commerce that fubfifted among themselves. Friendship, that balm of human life, was here enjoyed with little or no interruption. A mutual exchange of fentiments and paffions, accompanied with a thoufand offices of generous love, confirmed the union nature had created. And fo they were happy, in a degree, beyond what is ufual in the prefent life. They tenderly bore each other's griefs, and fincerely shared in each other's joys. "How good, how pleafant must "it have been, to behold brethren thus dwelling to 66 gether in unity!" The characters, too, and deportment of the fervants were such at entitled them, not only to the good-will, but the affection of the family. They were modeft, faithful, diligent, and cheerful; contented and happy in their stations, and ever disposed to do their duty from motives of love as well as intereft. The golden rule" of doing to others as we would have them do "unto us," was deeply imprinted on their breasts: and it was their aim, not only to escape the reproaches of a felf-accufing confcience, but to enjoy the commendations of thofe they ferved, and more especially the approbation of the great God. In a house compofed of fuch members, it may be eafily imagined peace and pleasure must have abounded. The welfare of the whole was the object of cvery individual, and each one partook liberally of the general flock of happiness which their mutual labours produced. Serenity and joy appeared in every countenance. One office of kindness fucceeded another. Bufiness and relaxation had their proper hours affigned them. Now they were in action, then at reft; Π now N now employed in their feveral departments, and then enjoying the pleafures of focial intercourfe. Their table was richly fpread with the bounties of provis dence, and their cup ran over. Alike ftrangers to fickening intemperance and guilty mirth, they ate their food with relish, and drank their wine with cheerfulness. The friends of virtue and religion met a hearty welcome at their board, and indigence was liberally relieved by their hofpitality. Their eyes pitied the diftreffed, and their hands clothed the naked: the widow, the fatherlefs, and ftranger bleffed them. The stated feafons of devotion they confidered as the most useful and improving portions of time. With pleasure they affembled, with attention they lif tened to the doctrines and precepts of God's word, and, animated by one Spirit, they addreffed their prayers and praises to the great Author of all their enjoyments. Thus happily they paffed their days, diftributed in prudent proportions between action, study, recreation, and devotion. Following the fimple dictates of nature, they acquired and preferved health; living on good terms with their neighbours, they fecured to themselves peace; cultivating domeftic affections, they enjoyed a flow of innocent and enlivening pleafure; improving their opportunities for contemplation and difcourfe, they grew in wifdom and virtue; and converfing daily with heaven in the duties of religion, they were gradually prepared for the fublime fervices and joys of that better world. Such was the family we meant to defcribe, and whofe flory, in many interefting particulars of it, it would have been both edifying and pleafing to relate. But But we forbear.Enough, methinks, has been faid to kindle in our breafts an ardent defire to copy after their amiable example, and to partake of the rich pleasures they enjoyed. Would to God there were many fuch families as thefe! But we have another object in view by holding up this picture to our imagination: it is to affist us in our attempts to frame fome conception of the bleffednefs of the future ftate. This figure, your fee, our Saviour adopts in the text, and upon this figure we mean to ground the prefent difcourfe. The apostles, to whom the words were more immediately addreffed, may be confidered as compofing one family. Over this family our Saviour, in the character of an indulgent parent, prefided.. With them he from day to day affociated, in all the habits of the moft tender and familiar friendship; defending their perfons, fupplying their wants, affifting their labours, and by his inftructive and animating difcourfe, at once enlightening their understandings, and diffufing heavenly joy through their hearts. But he was now at the eve of his final departure from them. The tid ings of this fad event with which he had just acquainted them, filled their breafts with the deepest anxiety and forrow. With all the tendernefs, therefore, of a dying parent, he adminifters feafonable confolation to them. 66 Let not," fays he, your heart "be troubled: ye believe in God, believe alfo in me," So he leads their views forward to the world whither he is going, affuring them that they fhould by and by follow him to that blissful ftate, and there enjoy in the highest perfection thofe domeftic pleafures of which they had here had fome tafte. In my father's boufe are many manfions; if it were not fo, E would 66 66 f |