shall probably be hereafter, from what he sees to be now.

For example, he is ready to say to himself, "if there be a God, he is a God of mercy, he " will not punish." But what is the fact? Let him here exercise his reason, and refer to the evidence before him. He sees that God DOTH punish, even in this world. This life is to many a permanent scene of punishment and misery. Now, what is the just inference and legitimate conclusion from this fact? It is this, that, if it be consistent with the mercy of God, that there should be misery here, it will be consistent with his mercy that there shall be misery hereafter. If it be compatible with his justice, that there should be punishment in this world, we may believe that there will be punishment in the life to come. Do we behold a succession of awful events and revolutions in this world? Let us prepare ourselves to behold more awful and terrible scenes in the world to come. The events of this life, in regard to their importance to the soul of man, are but shadows and names, compared with the great realities which are approaching. We behold, at this time, the kingdoms of the earth desolat. ed, new empires established, princes dethroned, and new kings created; and all this executed by the hand of man; executed with an impious spirit which would arrogate the cha

racter and power of the Deity. What, then, may we believe shall be the scene in that Great Day, when God himself shall come to "judge "the world in righteousness," to vindicate his insulted honour, and to display his almighty power, in the presence of angels and of men! in that "great day of his wrath, when the "kings of the earth, and the great men, and "the rich men, and the captains, and the "mighty men, shall hide themselves in dens, "and in the rocks of the mountains; and "shall say to the mountains and rocks, fall cc on us, and hide us from the face of HIM "that sitteth on the throne, and from the "wrath of the LAMB; for the great day of "his wrath is come, and who shall be able to "stand."*

Judging from the same principles of analogy, we infer again, that if God giveth happiness and gladness of heart to believers in this world, he will give happiness in the world, to come. If there be seasons of joy and exultation in the converted soul here, there will be unutterable joy hereafter. If there be persons now in this world, who delight in praising God, and in contemplating the blessings of redemption, by the blood of the Lamb, we are warranted to presume, that they will enjoy the delights of

*Rev. vi. 17.

that employment, in a supreme degree, in the world to come.

For, as certainly as we have beheld a temporal Jubilee on this earth, celebrated in joy and triumph by thousands of those who love their king, so surely shall we behold the HEAVENLY JUBILEE, celebrated by "thousands of "thousands, and ten times ten thousand" of those who have loved HIM, who is "King of "Kings, and Lord of Lords;" who have loved HIM in this world, and maintained his cause, and proclaimed his glory; and who, when the marriage of the Lamb is come,' shall join with angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, evermore praising HIM, and saying, "Worthy is the Lamb that "was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." And let us, who are yet upon earth, follow the example" of the glorious company of the Apostles, of the

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goodly fellowship of the prophets, and of the "noble army of martyrs ;" and unite with "the holy church throughout all the world," in ascribing "blessing, and honour, and glory, "and power, unto HIM that sitteth upon "the throne, and unto the LAMB, for ever " and ever."

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD,

A

SERMON,

PREACHED AT

The Parish Church of St. Andrew by the Wardrobe and St. Anne, Blackfriars,

ON TUESDAY IN WHITSUN WEEK, JUNE 12, 1810.

BEFORE THE

"Society for Missions to Africa and the East,"

INSTITUTED BY

MEMBERS OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH ;

BRING THEIR

TENTH ANNIVERSARY.