fore," he concludes, "comfort one another with these words."

Of the existence of the soul after the dissolution of the body, scarcely any doubt was ever entertained among those who believe in a God: the ancient heathens, both poets and philosophers, admitted and inculcated it; the untutored savage learns it from the mere light of nature; and the Christian is instructed in it by the words of revelation. This, however, regards only the soul; of the resurrection of the body mankind knew little or nothing, until Jesus Christ brought life and immortality to light: for although very plainly alluded to in several parts of the Old Testament, yet the Jews in general had but very imperfect ideas concerning it, and the Sadducees denied it altogether. But, in the gospel, it is so plainly and positively declared, and Christ, by his own resurrection, has given such a certain pledge that he will raise up his faithful servants also, at the last day, that the point is now too universally admitted among all who profess the faith of Christ, to render any par

ticular arguments necessary upon the subject.

In the text, however, the apostle appears very pointedly to allude (as I shall have occasion to show more particularly hereafter) to the fact of recognition between departed friends in a future state. And this is a doctrine so full of comfort under the most trying of all visitations, that there are few who do not eagerly embrace it, cling to it, and cherish the fond hope which it affords. But since, as in most other things, there exists considerable diversity of opinion upon the subject, and objections have even been raised against the fact, I shall endeavour, in the two following discourses, first, to answer the principal of those objections; and, secondly, to state the grounds which both reason and revelation afford, in support of the doctrine.

I. The first objection I shall notice is this. It is said that, in a future state, the affections of the righteous will be so entirely centred in God, that all earthly ties will

necessarily be excluded; that even the recollection of those ties will be lost, because the soul will be totally absorbed in the fulness of that love and adoration it will then be constantly employed in paying to him.

In reply to this, it may be observedthat the future existence will be nothing more than the perfection of the present; that we shall be the same spirits, only purified and refined from all the dross they have contracted by their connexion with our corruptible bodies; that we shall even possess our bodies again, but purged from all their grosser particles, and so changed, as to be like the glorious body of Christ. Now, in our present state, the love of God and of our neighbour, are so intimately connected, that the one (as we are assured by St. John1) cannot exist without the other; therefore, since these affections are so closely blended here, there is no reason why the same connexion should not exist in a future state. It is true that we now see God in a glass darkly; but then we shall see him face to

1 1 John iv. 20.

face: now we behold only his reflected image, we know him and love him in and for his works; but then we shall be made acquainted with the full brightness of his glory: yet we are not to “imagine, that the happiness of heaven," to use the words of Archbishop Tillotson, "consists in a perpetual gazing upon God, and an idle contemplation of the glories of that place;" neither is there any reason why all our loveliest and best affections in this world, are to be cancelled by our superior love and adoration of God in the next. Our love of God, in the present state, is commanded to be paramount, but not exclusive of other affections; and the Scriptures give us no reason to suppose that it will be otherwise hereafter. Our love of God will then be more intense, more pure, more disinterested, and more perfect; but why should not our other affections undergo an equal improvement ?--why should it be supposed that all recollection of those very amiable qualities, for which we are to be rewarded, through Christ, shall then pass

2 Sermon on a Heavenly Conversation.

away; and that when the Redeemer, from his judgment-seat, shall have pointed out to us the very objects we have befriended, those objects should in a moment fade from our remembrance, and be lost in the full tide of glory into which we shall be received? Besides, the change which is to take place in our bodies, is clearly represented as being antecedent to the judgment-"the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed:"3 therefore, we are to rise from the dead in our altered state; and if we are to recognize our friends (as I shall presently show that we must do) before the tribunal of Christ, there is no reason to suppose that we shall not recognize them, after we are received up into glory-for the Scriptures nowhere authorize the idea of any subsequent change taking place in our persons.

But God has said, by the mouth of the prophet, "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind;" and this 4 Isaiah lxv. 17.

31 Cor. xv. 52.