have concluded, this man lived and died unhappy to the last degree; but therein, fuch as judged after a human way would have been fadly mistaken; that poor man was at peace with God, he had made a bleffed ufe of his affliction, out of the deep of it he had cried to the Lord and was heard; he had made his part fure in the book of life, and in the favour of the Lord his God. It is true, he had little or none of the good things of this world, his eyes had been often red with weeping, and his poor heart inured to diftrefs and fighing, but he had obtained the love of God, and knew his Redeemer lived; this comforted him till the angel of death released him, and he died. There was then an end to his penury and needs; all the tears were wiped away from his eyes, all forrow left his aching heart; his fickness funk his spirits and weighed him down no more; no more his wounds and fores fmarted, nor his hunger pinched his poor carcafe; he heard no more the menaces and threatnings of fuch as would not relieve him; no, all was over now, and the angels carried him to Abraham's bofom." While his body was finding a rest in some nasty but quiet fpot, the bleffed fpirits who ftood round him as he died, and who waited for the appointed moment, now fung him up to the paradife of God. How sweet was heaven to his weary foul! how fweet, how tranfporting the kingdom to him, who had been a beggar and the outcaft of all the world! He could not any more weep at his hard lot, or figh that he had been fo poor; he rather could adore before the throne that he had been afflicted, and faved from "trufting to uncertain riches, and weaned from the world, and that a better portion had been defigned for him by his merciful Creator. O how must he bless the wisdom of God, and his unsearchable goodness in faving him, and for changing

changing his want to eternal riches, his rags to God's righteoufnefs, his dunghill to a throne, and his poor troublesome life to a life eternal! Inftead of dogs to lick his fores, angels attend him and hail him to his thrice-bleffed home and harbour, where he fhall reft for ever and ever!

But now we will leave him in his glory and return to the rich glutton in his pomp and fplendor, "who alfo died and was buried." All his gold and filver could not purchase him a renewal, or longer term of life; he died, and left all his companions, his coftly furniture, his fine raiment, and plentiful table; he died and went into another ftate, whither his gold could not be carried, "neither could his pomp follow him." There is no mention made of the beggar's funeral, it was too mean and infignificant to notice; if he was not caft out into the open fields to the beafts and birds of prey, it is likely, as I before obferved, he was buried with the burial of an afs; but Dives was buried: He, no doubt, was laid in ftate, and his hearfe attended with mourners, and fuch as were fkilful in lamentation, and in folemn magnificence interred in the fepulchres of his fathers; but O! while his brethren and friends were bearing their once rich brother' with fuch fplendor to the grave, his foul funk down to hell, and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments, and faw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bofom." Amazing change! his pleasures are turned to torments, his riches to eternal wants, his fcarlet and purple robes to purple and fcarlet flames. of fire, his bowls of new wine to infatiable thirst, bis mufic to howlings, his fine house to the bottomlefs pit, his brethren and merry company to devils and wicked fpirits. "He lifted up his eyes," but faw no more grandeur and delicate things; he fhould have opened them before, and have feen the

things that made for his peace, but now they were hid from him, he opened his eyes too late. It is true, he saw Abraham and Lazarus in glory, but it was afar off; yes, there he saw the fame beggar he fuffered to perifh without mercy at his gate; he faw him now in the bofom of the friend of God; he beheld him who was once unworthy his notice, fitting among the favourites of the God of Abraham; and he who had fcarce any covering, while Dives wallowed in riches and was cloathed with purple and fine linen, now was cloathed with the white and fine linen, which is the righteoufness of the faints, and in which they stand without spot before the throne. He had not minded his cries once, but now he cries for his help; and he cried and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and fend Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame." He perhaps had never prayed before, and now prays when it is too late, but he prayed to Abraham. It is the only prayer in the fcripture made to the faints, and is a prayer made in vain. He called Abraham, father, but found it not avail to have had believing or good parents, without having their experience of the love of God, and trod the steps of the faith of Abraham. No more ftrong drink and new wine refreshed him; he begs not a drop of water, but lefs if poffible, for he prays only that "Lazarus might dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue." See how he intreats mercy from him to whom he would fhew no mercy! Thus fhall it be in the day when Jefus comes; then the defpifed and perfecuted few, who loved him in the world, and who for his fake were hated, abused, flandered, reviled, and as it were, "killed all the day long," fhall be honourable in their fight who flighted and used them ill. They fhall then worship VOL. II. G

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at their feet, and fue for mercy with fhame and confufion. This honour fhall have all the faints. Thus Dives behaves to Lazarus, when he intreats Abraham to fend him to ease him. "Have mercy upon me, he fays, my father Abraham." This would have been a pretty prayer if made to the Father of mercies, and made in "the day of grace, and in the acceptable year of the Lord;" but now Abraham anfwers, "Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus his evil things, but now he is comforted and thou art tormented." Abraham calls him fon, but it did him no good; he expoftulates with him, and fhews the equitable dealings of juftice; he bids him "remember, that once as he loved the world and the things of the world, fo he had them, and had his portion in this life; and as he flighted grace, and the riches and things of the life to come, fo they were far from him." On the other hand he says, 'Poor Lazarus, who had no good things here, but was a man of forrows, was not of the world, but chofe his part above, fo the world hated him and forfook him; but now he is arrived to his treasure, and fhall be comforted for evermore.

Hear this, ye who count them happy who live in pleasure, and who make merry as in a day of flaughter! ye, who are continually heaping up gold, and "who fare fumptuously every day!" ye, who ride on horfes and in chariots, and feel no evil! and ye who are continually wishing for honour, and defiring to be great and rich, or to enjoy large poffeffions in the world, O hear it and tremble, and change your wishes into prayers for mercy, and a part at God's right hand! Remember, "they that love the world and the things of the world, have not the love of the Father in them; and that a man cannot be a friend of the world without being an enemy of

God."

God." Defire not then to have here a fulness, but if you have it, behave as stewards of "the mammon of unrighteoufnefs," and remember the ftrict account you must one day make.. Have you no more than food and raiment convenient? be content, and know you are better off than your Lord. Or do you fuffer want, or are poor? pray to have Lazarus's fure kingdom in the better world, and be not unhappy with cares, but give up yourselves and your wants to the care of your heavenly Father, who careth for you. Let not riches, or finery, or gay apparel, or pleafures, or wantonnefs, or lufts be a fnare to you; be released from all, and "touch not the unclean thing;" keep out of the danger, and follow your plain and lowly Lord through the world, and have your glory where it is eternal, and let your riches be durable riches and righteoufnefs.

Many have made another choice, and repented it for ever. Abraham tells Dives, that there was now

paffing from one ftate and place to the other; a gulph, an infinite fpace was between. When he found this, he prays Abraham, at least, to let Lazarus go to his father's houfe, where his brethren lived in the fame wicked way, to preach and forewarn them, left they should come into the fame torment and perish in the fame way. Abraham anfwers, "they have Mofes and the prophets, let them hear them." "Nay, he faid, father Abraham, but if one would rife from the dead they would repent. As if he would fay, "O! I know how it was with me; I know how I jeered fuch as spake of danger; I know their thoughts of all preaching, they flight it as I did; they defpife the fcriptures, and atheistically mock religion, but if fuch an one as Lazarus, whom they knew to be dead, would go and appear to them, and tell them, Your brother is in eternal flames,

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