connexion as to show that it was generally known and acknowledged. The first part of the proposition is confirmed by universal experience and observation; the last part," after this the judgement," depends for its truth on the veracity of God. The sentiment of the text then shall furnish a subject, on this occasion, for a few reflections. In the first place, let us consider for a moment the cause of death. No doubt it is accomplished by the hand of God. It is by him " appointed unto men once to die." He orders all events so that this appointment always takes place. "See "See now," saith Jehovah," that I, even I am he, and there is no God with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand." Men are very apt to attribute the occurrence of death to secondary causes. They blame themselves for the neglect of some means which they imagine would have been effectual to prolong life. They talk of deficiency in medical skill. They look for peculiar circumstances of exposure in which the subject of death had been placed; and a thousand causes are hunted after which may be found adequate to the effect produced. But the scriptures assure us that it takes place by divine appointment. These causes which we imagine,may indeed have been used as means of bringing the end to pass; but they are ordered by Him who rules in uncontrollable and holy authority, the creatures he has made. If any thing has been neglected, the use of which might have prevented death, it was so appointed in the providence of God. If medical skill be ever deficient, if peculiar circumstances of exposure lead to death, he commands that it should be so. All the circumstances of our life are ordered by him; and he only knoweth the bounds of our habitation. He is not only our Creator and our Preserver, but when he sees fit, the life he gave he takes away. In his hand our breath is, and his are all our ways. The moment he pleases to withdraw his hand of pro-. tection, that moment we die; the moment he gives forth the order that our breath depart from our nostrils, that moment we sink into the arms of death. Now that death should thus take place by God's appointment, is to the man who feels as he ought to feel, a matter of unspeakable consolation. If we supposed with the heathen, that some evil being was watching to destroy us, and might have the power of accomplishing his purpose when our guardian god was not aware of it, we should be in perpetual terror. The fact being as it is, we may have abun dant confidence that our death will take place under the direction of the greatest possible wisdom and goodness. The death of our friends too, though exceedingly grievous in itself, we know could not take place if He who sees through all causes and knows all events, and who is influenced by the highest possible benevolence, did not think it to be best. In proportion then to the strength of our faith in God and our love towards him, will our consolation arise. We may indeed be overwhelmed at first by the suddenness of the event; we may even be driven to temporary insanity before we have time to call up to view the considerations arising from the government of God. But let a Christian have time to reflect-let the first agitations of surprise be over, and he will find delightful consolation in the fact that God, and not an evil being, has caused the event which cuts him to the heart. As a child who looks up to his father with abundant confidence that he will do right, and when reduced to the most helpless state of disease, is willing to take those medicines which his parents think best; so the Christian, following the dictates of faith, takes the dispensations which his heavenly Father orders, confidently believing that they are what he needs. Who should direct these things but he who is governed in all his purposes and actions by infinite wisdom and goodness? Of God's right to take our lives when he pleases, there can be no dispute. He who gave, has a right to take away. He who committed into our hands talents which were his own, has a right to resume them to bimself whenever he pleases, and to call us to give an account of our stewardship. has come. II. Let us see what is the occasion, or reason of death. Here again we must resort to revelation. The language of that book is, "Death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Sin then is the grand reason in the divine mind for inflicting death upon our species. As soon as sin had entered into the world, God pronounced the sentence, "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return ;" and thousands of years have witnessed its faithful execution. One generation of men has passed away and another One man has died in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet; another has died in the bitterness of his soul. No sinless being but one ever died; and he not for himself but for others. "He died, the just for the unjust." The dark valley of the shadow of death must be passed therefore by us all, because we all are sinners. The direct tendency of sin is to destroy all happiness. Hence all the calamities which visit our species are brought upon us by reason of sin. All the sufferings in the universe are endured by reason of sin. The miserable beings who inhabit the bottomless pit are placed there by reason of sin; and it is this reason only that prevents them from rising to the seats of blessedness on high. Sin is our worst enemy; and wherever it bolds undisputed dominion, it prepares the way for desolation in the most tremendous sense of the term. From this source come out troubles of various kinds. On this account our peace is disturbed by a thousand intruders; and earth is rendered a place of disquietude and woe. Sin gives to death its principal sting. Without it, death would be but a comfortable passage to glo ry, like the one which Elijah took when he ascended in a chariot of fire to his everlasting rest. III. The effect of death is the finishing of our probationary state of existence. There is no knowledge, or work, or device, in the grave whither we hasten. While we live we are met by the messenger of God and invited to partake of the blessedness of religion. The calls of the gospel are sounded in our ears. The warnings of God are held up to our view; the invitations of Jesus Christ to the sweetness of forgiving love and to all the consolations of his religion, are urged upon us. We are visited by the gracious influences of the Spirit of God. We are instructed by the Providence of God. We are perpetually reminded that here we have no continuing city; and we are told of that city which God has made eternal and happy above, where we are urged to place our affections. We are constantly reminded in various ways that our breath is in the hands of God, and that he will take it from us when he sees fit; that now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation; that if we refuse to hear the voice that speaks from heaven, we shall hereafter suffer the consequence of our guilt in the world of retribution. are constantly reminded that God now deals with us in the way of mercy, whether by prosperity or adversity, that we may be made partakers of his holiness. And every important truth is impressed upon us by a thousand means which God has set in operation. We But when death comes, our ears are closed, and we cannot hear the invitations of the gospel. The voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely,is no longer beard; and motives which should influence moral agents we can no longer perceive. We are carried to our long home, and the clods cover us till the heavens be no more. Our immortal part goes to the world of retribution where no voice of inviting mercy shall ever be heard, if it has not been heard on earth. The gospel is not proclaimed among the miserable beings who have set at nought all its gracious provisions while the time of their merciful visitation lasted. He who refused to hear Moses and the pro phets while they lived on earth, will not be invited to hear them when residing in the regions of the damned. They who refused to credit the testimony of God, will not be permitted to profit by their own experience so as to escape from the evils which they were warned would overtake them. Though the happy spirits of heaven may be seen afar off, yet "a great gulf" will for ever debar all approach to them. In vain will a drop of water be called for to cool their parched tongues, Abraham and all holy beings, will stand aloof with infinite abhorrence; and despair will brood over them without relief, or the least gleam of hope to alleviate for a moment their anguish. IV. The time of death is uncertain. No usefulness, or happiness, or love of life, can shield us from the arrows of the destroyer. One man lives to a good old age, and goes to his grave, as a shock of corn fully ripe is gathered into the garner. Another lives to see a family depending upon him for support, and then is hurried away by the hand of death. Another just takes a survey of the path of life, and fancies a thousand flowers, and calculates upon a thousand enjoyments, and he is cut down and deposited in the grave. Another just opens his eyes, and then shuts them for ever. One on whom the fondest hopes are placed, whose opening mind fills all its friends with joy, and who ere long promises to be the prop of age and the ornament of society, is called away from all terrestrial scenes. Another whose character is oppo site in every respect, falls too, and is seen no more. One whose situation in society seems to be such that all dependence is placed upon himone whose counsels, or whose prayers, or whose every exertion seems to be needed-is laid aside as useless; and be who doeth all things after the counsel of his own will, teaches us that other instruments can accomplish his purposes. The sprightly youth whose eye beams with activity and intelligence, whose every motion is dignity and grace, is removed from us when he thinks not of it. The hoary head is laid low when hope bade us reckon many more years to roll over it. He who to-day sits and speculates with indifference on the awful message of God, and he who hears that message with thoughts wandering like the fool's eyes, to the ends of the earth, and he who devoutly endeavours to obey it, all alike may tomorrow be the victims of the grave. Death tells us not of his approach. He snatches from our arms our dearest friends, and leaves us to mourn for a little while, and then clasps us in his cold embrace. Though the time of death's approach is uncertain; though we know not what a day may bring forth; yet one thing we know, that he will not refuse to take us when God gives him the commission. The time of his coming cannot be far distant, with any of us. Youth, nor health, nor vigour, nor any thing else, can give us security; nor can any of these things diminish the truth of the assertion, that the time of our sojourning here is short. The places which now know us will soon know us no more for ever. V. The consequence of death, or that which follows it, is the judgement. Death, as I have already observed, closes our season of trial. What then more proper than that the judgement should be pronounced? Our lives then receive a review which is impartial. No little prejudices can influence Him who occapies the throne; no partialities that would overlook our defects of character; every thing must be exposed in the light of day. And this judgement must be final. No appeal can be had to a superior tribunal; for the universe does not know such a one. No hope can be entertained of escape. Those piercing eyes that see through the inmost recesses of the heart will easily discover us whenever we may think to hide ourselves. The grand question which will then decide our endless fate is simply this-whether we have believed on the Son of God; or, in other words, whether we have been followers of Jesus Christ, or sincere Christians. The riches, or honours, or other distinctions of earth, will not be inquired into,except to know how we have used them: whether we have squandered away our property upon our lusts, or whether we have fed the stranger and the fatherlesswhether we have lived to ourselves, or to God. We shall then know whether we have indeed loved the Lord Jesus Christ and endeavoured to obey him, or whether all our professions have been like sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. The joyful or the dread rewards will await us. Heaven's everlasting gates will open to receive us, or the harsh gratings of the infernal doors will summon us to our prison. The judgement will finish our trial, and seal us for ever and ever in happiness or woe. Our ears will always be tuned to the delightful harmony of heavenly music, or be grated upon by the wailing and gnashing of teeth which the world beneath will constantly exhibit. This judgement then will not be in vain. God who appoints it will Lastly. The season to prepare see. The future is totally blank to our view. It lies hidden in the counsels of Him who directs the affairs of the universe. The messages of grace are delivered in our hearing to-day we may know nothing of them to-morrow. may then lie groaning under the wreck of reason, and incapable of listening to the sweet accents of forgiving mercy. The sabbath, with We all its blessings now shines upon us, and tells us of its great Author,as able and willing to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Jesus Christ: the future may bring along with it no sabbath and no blessing from Him who blesses so that none can carse. The present spreads before us life and strength the future may soon clothe us with weakness and death. The gloomy funeral investments may be soon ready to enrobe our bodies; and the grave about to receive them. Though we may build a thousand castles for our future habitation; yet they may soon prove to be only castles in the air, which a slight breeze may destroy for ever. Though we may strew the future with flowers, and imagine that their fragrance will fill us with delight; yet all our fine imaginations may soon be dissipated by the coming reality. Though we may calcutate on many days to secure our interest in another world, yet God may have appointed that few more shall ever roll over our heads, or that our last day on earth should be even now casting its sun upon the mountains. The future then we have not, and may never have. It lies only with Him who "declares the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done," to determine whether futurity shall ever tell us of the messages of mercy; whether the awful scenes of judgement shall not open upon us to-morrow. Now is the day of hope. Now is the day to secure the blessedness of the soul, the holy rewards of eternity. The voice of the present, is, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found-call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him turn unto the Lord who will have mercy upon him, and to our God who will abundantly pardon." This is the language of the present. Futurity is silent. She presses her hand on her mouth, and is forbidden to re move it, till she changes into the present. She may then hold the same language to us, and she may not. She may tell us of the mercy of God; and she may fill us with the terrible conviction that mercy is over with us. She may light up our path with the smiles of God's favour; and she may kindle around us the flames of eternal death. Death then takes place by God's appointment; the reason of it is sin; the effect of it is the finishing of our probationary state of existence; the time of it is uncertain; the consequence of it is the judgement; the season to prepare for it is now :-these simple and obvious reflections have arisen to my mind out of the sentiment of the text, that "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement." The purpose for which I have laid them before you, it will be readily perceived, is founded in the scason at which, by the good hand of our God upon us, we have arrived. We are now standing on the threshold of a new year. Another portion of our state of probation bas just closed, and a new one begun. We have seen the changes of the year which is gone those, of the year which is now commenced, are yet wrapped in the impenetrable veil of futurity. You have often, during the progress of the last year, cheered each other on the occurrence of happy events, and have smiled together in many a joyous scene. You have wept together too,no doubt,in the house of mourning; and have been often surprised by the sudden departure of those whom you loved and honoured, to the mansions of silence You have repeatedly followed the slow-moving hearse to the house appointed for all living, and have beheld it bear away from your sight, the aged and the young, the tender parent, and the amiable child, the beloved friend in the midst of usefulness, and the promising youth on whom many hopes were placed. The tears of |