parted friends in language better fuited to finlefs than finfut creatures, as being innocent, without guile, &c. a young perfon about 13 or 14 years of age paffing by, I took occafion to inquire the name of their minifter: to which an answer being given, I added, do you ever go to church? A. No. Q. Do your father and mother attend the church? A. No. Q. Can they read? A. Yes, father can. Q. Does he read the Bible? A. No. Q. Did you ever hear any thing of Jefus Chrift? A. No. Q. Do you know you have an immortal principle within you, called the foul? A. No. Q. Do you know you fhall one day die? A. Yes, I know that. The fecond dialogue took place between the writer and a very decrepid old man, who was labouring to afcend a steep hill.

Q. Father, you feem very old, and very infirm, what age are you? A. Yes! I find it hard work to get up the hill,I am in my 75th year. Q. And how ftands the account between God and your foul? do you know any thing of yourfelf as a finner, and of Jefus Chrift as a Saviour? A. I keep my church, and have been brought up to it, thank God, and I fometimes attend the holy communion. Q. And do you think that fufficient to carry you to heaven? It is very poffible to do all this, and a great deal more, and at the fame time to be walking in the path that leadeth to deftruction. A. I do the best I can, I cannot do more, can I? But, mafter, what's the clock? A. I fear you are totally ignorant of yourself, and of the whole fcheme of falvation by Jefus Chrift. A. I am not afraid of that-I fhall do as well as others- what can I do more? But, mafter, what's the clock? A. It is paft feven. Reply. O Chrift! is it fo late? So faying, the profane old man hobbled on, apparently rejoiced to make his efcape; but not before I had put into his hand Vivian's Dialogue between a minifter and one of his parishioners, which he promised me to read. In what a melancholy flate are we born? What heathenifh ignorance reigns around us? Surely darknef's hath covered the earth, and grofs darknefs the people. The people are perishing, for lack of knowledge. If the blind lead the blind, we know the awful confequence. What a loud call for village preaching, and for the utmost exertions of all those whom the Lord has been pleafed to bring to the knowledge of himself. May he be gracioufly pleased to add to their number, and increase their zeal and ufefulness! T. M. H.

THE FINAL STATE OF MAN.

'AN's ftate of innocence, and of sin, and of grace, have

been confidered in former numbers. We are now to view his fourth and final state. There are belonging to it many peculiarities, which are all exceedingly important. The way of entrance is infinitely folemn; 'tis by the gate of death. Once to die is appointed to all men. Death is the way out of this world, both to heaven and hell. The righteous would not, and the wicked shall not always live upon the earth. The latter must be driven away in their wickednefs. Death, attended with all his horrors, will feize them in his dreadful jaws, and make them his lawful prey. Such fhall not be the cafe with the righteous. It is true, die they muft, for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. They muft go the way of all flesh. The earthly house of their tabernacle will be diffolved. They, too, find this a ferious bufinefs. Herein they break up house and every earthly tie; they bid the world farewel, and launch into eternity. Nevertheless, in death they have hope. Death is theirs. He is not to them the king of terrors, but the mef fenger of peace. To die, is gain. Death places their bodies where the wicked ceafe from troubling, and the weary are at reft. Then their fouls return to God, their centre, and their joy. If through life their path be rough, still at length, their end is peace. Their Saviour is the king of glory. He holds the keys of hell and death. Well he knows what it is to die. He paffed through death to overcome its terrors. He guides his followers through the gloomy vale, and opens for them the everlafting kingdom.

Another folemnity belonging to Man's final ftate, is the judgment that follows death. It is appointed unto men once to die; and after this the judgment. When the foul leaves the body, its ftate for eternity is immediately determined. The departing finner lifts up his eyes in hell. The dying. faints is carried by angels to Abraham's bofom. That day, or night, he dies, Jefus receives him, to be with him in Paradife. But the particular judgment, which takes place when the spirit first returns to God, will be followed with a general judgment at the end of time. To this purpose we

ar affured that the dead, both small and great, fhall arife. Do we fay, how can thefe things be? With God all things are poffible. He hath faid, and he will do it. Heaven and earth fhall pass away, but his word fhall not pafs away. When his omnipotent hand fhall have collected and united the fcattered duft of all the dead, then fhall be brought to pafs the faying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." In that day, how folemn the meeting btween fouls and bodies long feparated by death! What heart can now conceive the tranfporting extacies of joy which shall fill the faints in that decifive day! Their bodies, fashioned like unto Chrift's glorious body, and united to their glorified fpirits, fhall ftand complete, and fhine as the fun. Jefus, their judge, their advocate, and friend, in the prefence of the affembled world, both of angels, men, and devils, will vindicate their caufe, acquit them with honour, and pronounce them all bleffed for ever and ever. In that day the wicked fhall wail. They fhall not ftand in the judgment, nor in the congregation of the righteous. Their just and awful judge will fay unto them, "Depart ye curfed into "everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels."

It adds to the folemnity of this ftate of man, the confideration that it is indeed final and eternal. The things of time are comparatively trivial, because they are temporal. There is no certainty of any thing fublunary. Here riches take wing, and honors fall. The healthy ficken, and the fick recover. The indigent become affluent, while the affluent become poor. While the honored are degraded, others, from obfcurity, are elevated to the highest pitch of dignity. And what will become of all earthly diftinctions by and by? Gold and filver, houfes and lands, places and penfions, pleafures and amufements, fervants, carriages and horfes, with every name and title of diftinction, muft all be laid afide: then will be the eternal ftate. Infinite is the importan e which the thought of eternity adds to all its concerns.

not poffible, by the utmoft ftretch of thought, fully to conceive how the boundlefs idea of eternity muft affect the finner in hell, and the faint in glory; how it overwhelms the former with black defpair, and ravishes the latter with extacies of joy.

The peculiar felicity of the faints in glory, juftly claims our particular attention. But who fhall fully defcribe what the eye hath not feen? what the ear hath not heard? what hath not entered into the heart of man fully to conceive? The eyes of men hath feen wonderful and pleafing fights; their ears have heard fweet and delightful founds; but their

imaginations have exceeded and far furpaffed all the bounds of fenfible objects; and yet, after all, they have conceived. nothing adequate to the blifs of heaven. All they have feen, heard, or thought, compared with what God has laid up for them that love him, will be found but as a drop to the ocean, or a dying fpark compared with the fplendour of the meridian fun. To fet forth the heavenly glories, nature is ranfacked for her beauties, but the choiceft things in which men delight in this world, fall infinitely fhort of expreffing the faints delights in heaven. All earthly things are defiled, corruptible, and fade away; and as fuch are not adequate to exprefs the undefiled and incorruptible inheritance that fadeth not away. The city whofe walls are all manner of precious ftones, the streets paved with gold, and all the inhabitants wife, wealthy, healthy, and immortal, who are crowned with glory and robed in white, in token of liberty, purity, and joy; the golden harps, the rich diadems, the delightful paradife, with all the honors, powers, profits, and pleafures of kingdoms, are ufed merely as emblems in condefcenfion to our childifh ignorance and weakness.

The faint in glory must be happy, for there he enjoys a perfect freedom from every evil, and a confluence of all good. The days of his mourning are ended. There remains no shadow of caufe for fighs, tears, or forrows. Sin, all fin, root and branch, is for ever done away. Temptations, perfecutions, afflictions, death and the hidings of God's face, will be no more for ever. Tears and doubts are all eternally gone. The body will be glorious; free from infirmity, deformity, and every kind of difeafe: it will never more require either meat, drink, medicine, or sleep : it will be fpiritual, incorruptible, and immortal. The foul will be perfect in knowledge. It will know all it defired and wifhed below. The books of nature, of providence, and fcripture, will all be quite plain. The foul will for ever enjoy the glorious prefence of Jehovah; and if his gracious prefence upon earth for a moment be so sweet, what must his glorious prefence be for ever in heaven? There they behold "the full glories of the Lamb," and are made like unto him. Their powers and capacities are enlarged to take in that felicity and glory which could not enter into them here. If the degrees of felicity vary, there is no murmuring among thofe who have the leaft, for all are veffels of mercy, and all are full of glory. Every fpirit is perfect, and perfect in every grace. All have run the race and won the prize. All have fought the good fight, and conquered the laft enemy. All triumph for ever more. They have no

more need to watch and pray, or read and hear. The lamp of ordinances may be put out, and laid afide, because the perfect day of glory is fully come. Guides, and guards, and inns for refreshment, are no longer neceffary, because the pilgrim has got home. Now the ranfomed of the Lord fhall for ever enjoy the beft fociety: the triune God-the innumerable company of angels-the noble army of martyrs -the goodly fellowship of the apoftles and prophets: in a word, all the fanctified and faved, from the days of Adam to the end of time. They will love one another with a perfect love, and never more either give or take offence. They will fing in perfect harmony, for all their joys are one.

Will they know one another? Adam had a perfect knowledge of all the creatures before he finned; and furely he and his fons, when restored to more than their primeval excellence, will not be ignorant of the faints in glory. Dives knew Lazarus; and furely they will not be ignorant of Abraham, who come from the east, the weft, the north, and the fouth, to fit down with him, and Ifaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God! The favoured apostles in the holy mount knew Mofes and Elias, whom they had never seen in the flesh. Austin thought there would be no ftrangers in heaven. Surely minifters will know thofe gracious perfons who will be their crown of rejoicing to all eternity. Will the faints have forgotten thofe minifters by whom they have believed? Will they in heaven lofe their recollection of those with whom they have taken sweet counsel together, in their way to their everlasting home and reft? It is not to be fuppofed. The bufinefs of heaven is not wholly a mystery to the faints on earth; and the language of heaven, as well as the place and company, they fhall know hereafter. Pleasing thought! Eternity fhall be the duration of their felicity. "A perpetuity of blifs is blifs!" The glories of heaven, like, the love of God, neither know measure nor end.

This paper is full. is full. There is no room to contemplate the horrors of the damned. May every reader flee from that wrath to come; and, with the writer, feek and find this heavenly city, whofe maker and builder is God. Thus prays Scarborough,

S. B.