stand on the Rock of Ages. We have chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from us. We have within us those sources of bliss, which the world can neither give, nor take away, those fountains of peace, which neither poverty, bereavement, sickness, nor even death can dry up. But were man a stranger to adversity; were the world always bright with hope, and had no cloud ever gone up to dim the splendor of its sky; were human life one even flow of prosperity ; were there no reverses to fear, nor bodily pains to dread; in a word, were every physical want supplied; there would still be a need, a pressing need of religion. There is a soul, which has its relations, and wants, and infirmities, as well as the body; and these religion alone can meet. The mind, the undying spirit of man-what a world of mighty thoughts, and divine aspirations, and unbounded desires! It sighs after the Infinite and Eternal, and finds the creation too small to satisfy its demands. The immortal mind needs supports which the world fails to afford; it longs for a peace which neither gold nor glory can purchase. It goes forth into the illimitable, in search of objects which will answer to its own ideal of good. Seeking a realization of its visions of excellence, it wanders through eternity. Can you say then, can you think, my brethren, that the soul, which traverses the universe ;-which travels backward through the ages, and holds communion with the spirits of departed generations; which in its contemplations leaps from star to star, from sun to sun, from system to system, through the immeasurable regions of space; and which is destined to live, when the heavens shall depart as a scroll, and the earth be dissolved by fire ;-can you think, that such a soul may be satisfied with this poor world-this brief, vanishing life-these momentary bubbles of joy? No; you cannot think thus. There is a world of affections treasured up in your hearts, which finds no response nor sympathy in the world of sense without. The infidel himself finds the world too poor, and, while he ridicules religion and scoffs at its solemnities and affects to regard it as a trifling matter, an inward voice rebukes his stupendous folly, and speaks out in earnest tones in defence of religion. No; the soul, the immortal soul cannot confine its soaring thoughts to this little earth; and its wandering desires can find no rest, but in humble submission to, and in close union with Him, who filleth all in all. II. But, in the second place, religion is important, as it respects our condition in the future life; or, in other words, it is important as a preparation for death. And here I would not speak in exaggerated terms. I would not excite groundless fears, nor throw imaginary terrors around death and the grave. But is it not true, that after death cometh judgment; and does it not therefore become us to inquire, by what means we may avoid the pains and obtain the recompenses of eternity? I say not, in this connexion, what will prepare us for a happy departure from this world; but I know my brethren, you know-what will not do this. Sin will not prepare us to die well. When the sinner, he who has lived without having the fear of God or man before his eyes; who, to get a little wealth, has wronged the widow and orphan, and ground the face of the poor, and taken advantage of the inexperience and ignorance of those with whom he has dealt; who has scoffed at religion, ridiculed piety, outraged conscience, and disregarded every warning from on high; when such an one comes to die, there is a terror around the bed of death. Such an one is not prepared to die. His last hours will be hours of anguish. The past glides in rapid review before him; but what a dismal picture! Ruin, desolation, death stand out there in appalling colors. The blessings of grateful hearts, hearts that have been gladdened by his charities, do not follow him; but the execrations of an injured world ring in his ears, as it were a summons to the bar of God, anticipating his future doom. And if the past be such a terrific picture, what must the future be? The future is always the maturity of the past; a creation formed from its materials; a reality, of which the past was a type; a fruit, of which it was the seed. What, therefore, must his future be, if it take its complexion from the tenor of his life? An ocean, heaving terribly with storms, and covered with clouds and darkness! And as he launches forth upon it in his frail bark, he hears in the distance the deep mutterings of the thunders, and sees the gleamings of the lightnings of retribution! Will it not, my friends, will it not be a fearful thing, for such an one to die? It is religion, then, and religion alone, that can support man in life, and take away the sting of death. The man of piety has sublime and elevated views of God. He knows Him as the Father of his spirit, his truest Friend and Benefactor. In all life's 6 changes and toils and troubles he feels, that there is in the universe one Being in whose bosom he can safely repose. Religion, as a faithful friend, attends him every where, and every where it opens around him new sources of enjoyment. It throws new charms around his earthly dwelling, and sheds the radiance of heaven over the whole scene of his life. He has no fear. Be life or death before him, he is equally prepared. He has made the wise choice,-laid up treasure in heaven, and secured his everlasting interests beyond the power of time. With the utmost composure he lays himself down upon that bed, from which he shall never rise again. Draw near now, ye faithless, ye indifferent, ye sordid, ye sinful men! and behold how a Christian can die. Come, press around, ye sons of error and of darkness! and witness that sublimest of all spectacles, the believer's triumph over death. With tranquillity he arranges his temporal affairs, commits his children with confidence to the protection of their Creator, and drives from his soul every care of earth. Now,' he exclaims, I have done with the world. Ye deceitful and empty objects of time, which I have too long pursued and loved, come not to trouble me more. Ye shadows of mortality, begone! come not in between me, and Him who is now the only light of my soul.' Listen now to the last counsels of his trembling voice, that voice which already sounds as if it were not of this world. Ye young, who have set your hearts upon illusive pleasures and the frivolities of the world! hear him describe their emptiness, and declare how utterly unworthy they are to receive attention from man. Ye skeptics! hear him speak of the precious promises and high hopes and mighty encouragements of that religion, which ye in your foolish pride cast away as an idle dream. O eternity! eternity! transporting thought! that alone can measure my joy. Its glories are already revealed to my view; and voices, as of angels, whisper sweetly in my ear.' He lingers for a moment, as the setting star, on the verge of time. A light, as from heaven, and a smile, as of a seraph, pass over his features, and his triumphant spirit is reposing in the presence of his God. How calmly he passed away! The sun, after finishing his course in the heavens, descends with a serene and tempered majesty to his repose, 6 "Embosom'd by the purple West." So, with a mild and steady splendor, the Christian goes down to the grave. To the grave? No. While the sun appears to be setting in darkness, is he not rising with increased brightness on other lands, and carrying joy to other hearts? Thus the Christian, while he disappears among the clouds which gather their long and shadowy forms on the confines of the world, is beaming as a new star, with accumulated splendor, on the horizon of eternity. "How blessed the righteous when he dies! In conclusion, my brethren, let me ask, Have you chosen this "better part?"—this portion, which shall never be taken away from you. Do you embrace every opportunity to converse with Jesus? Do you sympathize with his character? Do you meditate, as often as you should, on those great truths and principles which he uttered with his lips and illustrated in his life? Or are you careful and troubled about many things-things of trifling moment-vain amusements-sinful pursuits? What vast folly—I am constrained to say it-what vast folly to busy oneself so much with these worthless trifles, to the neglect of that which is of infinite importance. Men, for the most part, acknowledge the importance of religion; nay, they speak gratefully of the privileges which they enjoy; and yet these very privileges they continually abuse, and this religion they dishonor every day. They thank God with their lips, that he has given them opportunities for improvement, and yet these very opportunities they disregard, and choose rather to spend their time in frivolous amusements than in the acquisition of intellectual wealth. With such persons I cannot employ other than the language of solemn and earnest expostulation. I cannot but say, You have reversed the order of Providence. God demandsaye, and the interests of your souls demand-that the best of your years and the most valuable portion of your time be devoted to intellectual and moral culture-to the service of God; and yet you give them all to the world, to pleasure, to business ! The ancient Israelites, forsaking the worship of Jehovah, brought their religious offerings and laid them on the altars of Baal, their idol-god. But when in the hour of their need they wished their god to manifest himself and come to their rescue, there was no voice that responded to their cries. "O Baal," they exclaimed," hear us ;" and they leaped upon the altar in despair, and cut themselves with knives; but their god was powerless; there was no voice, nor answer. Thus, O ye worshippers of the world, ye sensual, and earthly men! thus will it be with you. The time will come when you will need a happiness, inward, spiritual, intellectual. In vain will you apply to the world for peace. It has it not to give. The idols which you have worshipped will not respond to your cries. Wealth, honor, dignities, all these will be tarnished and have ceased to give you satisfaction, or they will have forsaken you and be vanishing in the distance. O, as you would not be left desolate in the hour of your need, make that choice which wisdom recommends. Then will you enjoy rest, and peace, and security. Yes, that rest which the world knows not of shall be yours; rest such as angels have in the paradise of God; rest, which God only can give, and Christians only enjoy ; rest eternal, because God who gives it is eternal. THE GOODNESS OF GOD. THIS doctrine is accepted by every Christian denomination. They all believe that God is good; perfectly good; as good as it is possible he should be; without any limitation to his goodness but that of impossibility. On this important point are all Christians agreed. But in reasoning from this point of doctrine they differ widely. Two Christian denominations have made very great account of the doctrine of the Divine goodness-the Hopkinsians and the Universalists. It is their favorite theme. In discussing it they are strong, animated and joyful. But the purposes for which |