joys re earthly, fading, fleeting. "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay-tree. Yet he passed away, and lo, he was not; yea, I sought him, but he could not be found." The Psalmist said he had been foolish as a beast, before God; that he had been envious at the wicked; but after gazing, in his foolishness, for a while, upon the wicked, he returned to the sanctuary of God; that is, to that state of divine assimulation to God, which is godliness; then he understood the end of the wicked. Not that they were to be annihilated, or consigned to endless pain, but the end of the wicked man or wicked nation, is to be punished. The wicked incur the retribution of God. This they bring upon themselves, by their wickedness, and it is inevitable. But this chastisement, correction, retribution, or punishment, is not the end of the man; though it is the end of the individual as a wicked man. The end of the wicked man, as such, is punishment. He incurs it, it is certain; and however he may calculate to get clear, this is his end as a wicked man. But God punishes his children, to reform them; his punishment can be designed for nothing else; and when his punishments shall

have done their perfect work, then he will restore his offspring to his own image; to the state of godliness, by the power of his grace. All this, his love is pledged to do.

From the above remarks, it is certain that ungodliness is the state of death, and that godliness is the state of life, or that divine assimulation to God, which has the promise of the life that now is. Reader, will you try to seek that state?

Fourthly: I am to show how godliness has the promise of the life which is to come.

This follows from the fact that godliness is the same in all places, and in all worlds. Godliness being the divine image — the element of life-it has the promise of life in all places and in all worlds. I know our text is sometimes adduced to prove that those, and those only, who are godly in this life, will be happy in the next. But such is not the testimony of the Bible, much less of this text. Such a sentiment is not even intimated in the text; nor are we anywhere certified that we shall have life even one week hence, because we are godly now. We are nowhere certified that we shall have life next month, because we are godly this month. No, but the assurance is, that if we would have life next

next.

month or next year, we must be godly next month or next year. Nor are we anywhere certified that we shall have life in the next world, because we are godly in this world. Godliness is the element or state of life, and the assurance is, that we must be godly in the next world, in order to have life in the Godliness has the promise of life now; it has the promise of life next week, next month, next year, and in the next world. Wherever godliness is, there is life; and thus godliness has the promise of life in all places. The man who is godly to-day, may sin and turn aside from the divine character and image, to-morrow; then he has death; and his godliness is not remembered. Hence, the godliness of to-day, does not necessarily give life to-morrow; the man must be godly to-morrow, in order to have life to-morrow; and he must be godly in the next world, also, in order to enjoy life in the next world; and in this view only, has godliness the promise of the life which is to come.

If it now be asked, what assurance we have that all will have life in the next world? I answer, the assurance that all shall be made godly in that world. That all shall be made thus pure and holy and godly, and, conse

quently happy in the next world, I could adduce great proof from the Bible; although it will not be expected that I shall make such effort now. It does not properly belong to this discourse. Nor have I space to present it. Let it suffice to say, here, that "The Lord God will wipe away every tear from off all faces." [Isa. xxv: 8.] And that, "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." [I Cor. 15: 22.] What a testimony! Surely, such a hope is worth many thousand worlds like this! But, kind reader, I must take my leave of you, now; and, while I believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that God, through Christ, will subdue the world unto himself, and crown it blest in the kingdom of immortality, allow me to entreat you to seek the divine image now, as it has the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come.

AMEN.

6*

PRAYER.

O! THOU that rulest in heaven, may Thy name be hallowed above every name; and may Thy kingdom come, and Thy will be done, on earth. We bow before Thee, believing that Thou art worthy, O! Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure, they are, and were created. With the myriads round the throne, we, Thy creatures, Thy offspring on earth, would offer unto Thee the tribute of gratitude and thanksgiving for life and all its joys. While we would pray for the accomplishment of the divine purpose, we rejoice in the assurance that Thou doest Thy will in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth. And that Thou reignest; that the heavens do rule. O! let the earth rejoice; let the inhabitants thereof, be glad; let the floods clap their hands, and the mountains and hills be joyful together. O! Lord, Thou art not limited in power and goodness;