difference), be appointed to the fate. It prevents, too, alı invidious comparison, with the elation on the one side, and mortification on the other. It leaves no place for envy, jealousy, or competition; leaves no matter even for comparison. Now, that which is of a nature to excite and keep in activity these passions is certain to be an object of great attention and interest, and vice versa. Death has no hold on a large proportion of those feelings by which the human mind is kept in a state of attention and interest toward an object. No man, in a company, can say within himself, which of us shall be alive ages after the others of us shall be reduced to dust ?" No one has against his enemy the hope that he may die, but himself live. There is no sense of inequality, stimulated to intense interest by wondering and wishing it could but be known where the advantage lies. No one's death, when it takes place, is the practical answer to any curiosity respecting whether he was to die.

We might specify another thing as one of the causes sought for; that is, the utter inability to form any defined idea of the manner of existence after death. The thoughts sent onward to that boundary of life, cannot stop there; the mere termination itself is nothing; they look beyond; but beyond is thickest darkness, as often as they go there; so that there is, as it were, nothing shown to draw the mind thither to look over the limit. And it is not in the disposition of the mind to look in the direction of that which it can form no definite idea of, (we do not prolong our look on absolute darkness) especially while the mind has, close around it, a crowd of things of which it has a distinct and vivid idea, with great interest of its passions concerning them. There may be added to this, our having no communications with the persons who have passed through death.

But after all, the chief causes that there is so little

thought and concern on this great subject, are of a much more obvious kind, and involving guilt.

One is a general presumption of having long to live. In each stage of life, still this beguiled confidence is indulged. In imagination the prospect stretches away into indefinite remoteness. Death must be somewhere yonder, it is acknowledged, but, far beyond the sensible horizon; and it is willingly left shrouded in the mists and clouds. Some period long hence will be the proper time to think of it; but there is ample space of privilege and exemption between. This presumed wide space diminishes the greatness and importance of the object; and thus diminished to insignificance it has no power to compel men's thoughts or serious cares. This pernicious presumption of long life is indulged in spite of all evidence of life's uncertainty, and of its actual brevity, in a very great proportion of instances. It would be a striking disclosure, if we could know the amount of the difference between the average measure of time that the people now alive will actually live, and that measure which would be the collective amount of what they presume on living.

Another great cause of the thoughtlessness and insensibility, (indeed it is both cause and effect,) is that men оссиру their whole soul and life with things to preclude the the thought of its end. They mingle their whole being with the world's elements so that their spiritual nature is lost, and cannot, in this gross compound, be come at,cannot be touched or found by any solemn subject applied. They have thus a disastrous protection against the thought of death, amidst employments, projects, amusements, society, news, and all that the world is crowded with. In conjunction and co-operation with this cause, there isto dwell in contemplation on those things to which death leads; for example, eternity, the appearance before the

-an aversion

Divine Majesty, the great award, the entrance on a state of retribution. We may add to these causes, an inadequate, contracted notion of what is necessary as a preparation for the event.

And, to give full force to all these causes, there is, in a large proportion of men, a formal, systematic endeavour to keep off the thought of death. How striking if it could be known in how many instances, within one week, in this great city, this effort has been made, and with success! A strong action to turn the thoughts in another direction,—an amusing book seized-or a hasty recourse to occupation,or an excursion,-or a going into a gay circle,-possibly a plunge into intemperance. And all the unfortunate things that may have befallen, have not been a measure of calamity equal to that involved in the success of this endeavour!

Such are the causes in operation to keep men from considering their latter end. We have hardly a moment left for the topics of admonition and remonstrance against indulging such a habit of the soul. But let it be impressed upon us, that to end our life is the mightiest event that awaits us in this world. And it is that which we are living but to come to. It holds out a grand protest against being absorbed and lost in this world. It is the termination of a period confessedly introductory and probationary. Without thinking of it, often and with deep interest, there is no possibility that our scheme and course of life should be directed to the supreme purpose of life. To have been thoughtless of it, then, will ultimately be an immense calamity; it will be to be in a state unprepared for it. settled indisposition, therefore, to think of it, should smite us with the conviction of something greatly and ominously wrong. If it be fear that deters, consider whether prolonged estrangement from the subject will remove or lessen. the just causes for that fear. And consider, that there is a

The

sovereign antidote against the fear of Death. There is ONE that has himself yielded to Death, in order to vanquish it for us, and take its terrors away. The Son of God took on him our mortal nature, " that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, and deliver them who through fear of death, were, all their life-time, in bondage."

WE have often occasion to wonder that brief expressions, descriptive of actual conditions of men, do not strike us far more forcibly, do not convey more to thought, and awake more emotion. For example, suppose it to be said, “At this very time, this hour, even this minute, a great number of human beings are dying." A positive fact; but,-what is it to die? what would it appear if I were with the dying? what, if I were in the act of dying? But, a great number are in this very situation!-think! Following their flight from the world, suppose it said, "A multitude of human beings are now in Heaven!" But suppose it said (another solemn fact), "A vast number are now in Hell!" But revert to things on earth; let it be said—“ Enemies to God-there is a prodigious army of such;"-or our text, "Without God in the world." Think what a description, and, applicable to individuals without number! If it had been, "without friends-without shelter-without food "that would have had a gloomy sound; but-" without God!" Without Him! that is, in no happy relation to him who is the very origin, support, and life of all things; -without him, who can make good flow to his creatures from an infinity of sources;-without him, whose favour possessed, is the best, the sublimest, of all delights, alı triumphs, all glories;—without him, who can confer an