did eat, and sinned against God, death was the consequence. Sin, therefore, brought death into the world, and all our woe. Hence the plain testimony of the apostle, "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned." Had there been no sin, there would, therefore, have been no death, as we are heir to it. This is the secret cause of the fear of death, so tormenting to men. "The sting of death is sin." What an expression! Death is a monster who derives all his power from sin. It is the consciousness of its attaching to us, that makes us afraid to die.

And what views do these things give us of the nature of sin, and of the light in which it must be regarded by God. If we are to judge of causes by their effects, how shall we estimate sin, the cause of sickness, sorrow, and death. Nor is it merely that every one who commits it exposes himself individually to these calamities. The one sin of Adam was deemed of such enormous magnitude, as to entail them on the whole race descended from him. "In Adam all die." Death is a proof of the guilt and danger and demerit of sin, which no other effect of it, save the death of Christ, so fully attests. And particularly does it teach us how sin is regarded by God, since it is he who has annexed to it such a punishment. Let us bear this thought upon our minds as often as death is presented to our notice that it is no more law or necessary ac companiment of humanity, but the judgment of a holy and righteous God upon the guiltiness of an apostate portion of his creatures. The indulgence of this thought will prepare us for the next branch of our inquiry.

III. What is the preparation necessary to meet death? The cause of death, we have seen, is sin; to prepare for it, therefore, is to be delivered from sin. The sting of death, we have seen, is sin; to conquer the monster, therefore, he must be deprived of this weapon. The whole inquiry thus comes to be what shall a sinner do to be saved? And the answer is familiar to the Christian ear-" believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

Were the question, what is the preparation for death, to be answered in one sentence, that answer should be given in the language of the apostle Paul, "there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." Union with Christ is the only security against sin, and, therefore, the only preparation for death. Nor can there be any difficulty in apprehending how it answers such an end. When the sinner is united to

Christ, his g guilt is cancelled; for by means of that union, he becomes a partaker in the benefits of his death; and since that was intended to be an atonement for sin, his guilt is taken away; and when death comes, he is found to be free from condemnation. Again, in virtue of union with Christ, he be. comes a partaker of his righteousness, so that not only is he supposed to have suffered what Christ suffered, but to have done what he did; so that when death comes upon him, he is able to plead the perfect righteousness of Christ, as his title to eternal life. Farther, by reason of this union, his mind undergoes a complete change. Faith and the new birth take place simultaneously. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." And being thus a new creature, delivered not merely from the guilt and punishment of sin, but from the power and love of it, when death comes, it finds him ready to enter into the presence of God, and to enjoy him for ever. Finally, by this union, he is brought under the habitual and practical influence of the gospel. Its views are entertained by him, its motives actuate him, and its precepts are his rule of action. His life thus becomes holy. The mind that was in Christ is imparted to him, and he walks even as Christ also walked; and when death comes, it finds him like unto one waiting for his Lord, in the exercise of watchfulness, diligence, and prayer.

To be ready for death is thus seen to be one with Christ, by faith. That secures all that the sinner needs. And, therefore, when we are exhorted to prepare for death, it is an admonition to see that we are united to Christ, to examine the evidences of that union in ourselves, and to be diligent, that these evidences may abound in our life and conversation. The true Christian is habitually ready to die as much so when asleep as awake-whether rejoicing in God, or mourning over sin-when suffering under the fear of death, and triumphing over it. But it is also his duty to cultivate the actual readiness of having his loins girt about, his lamps burning, being diligent in, business, and waiting till his change come.

As to the feelings with which death shall be contemplated at a distance, or met when it comes, this must, in ordinary cases, be determined by the measure to which we have attained, of clearly apprehending Christ, and the evidences of our union with him. It is thus that the review of our past life influences the peace of the death-bed. If we have been faithful in his service, the evidence of our union is proportionably clear, and accordingly so is our happiness; whereas, if we have been

neglectful and ungodly, in the same measure must the evidence of our union be darkened, and our spirit disturbed. There are exceptions to this rule, arising out of peculiarities in situa. tion, or temptation, or constitution, but generally it will be found to regulate the case. It is as Christ is seen in the completeness of his salvation, and our union with him in the ful ness of its evidence, that we are likely to die in doubt, or submission, or confidence, or triumph. It is possible that the Christian may go out of the world in any of these states of mind; but it is needless to say how desirable it is that he should depart in peace, and hope, and joy. According to his faith, so shall it be unto him-whether in fear he shall say, "I wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but I walk in darkness:" or in submission be able to say, "Father, thy will be done :" or in confidence, "I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day:" or in triumph, and that is neither impossible nor unfrequent, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

IV. What are the consequences of death? These are many-some of them immediate-others more remoté. At present we shall do little more than name them.

1. The body is turned into a lifeless corpse. The eye that beamed intelligence is closed; the ear that delighted in the sweet sounds of friendship and love, is unstrung; the tongue that uttered words of eloquence and feeling, is sealed in silence; the countenance that beamed with life is pallid and unmarked; the animating soul is gone, and nothing is left behind hut a sordid mass of clay. O! what sin hath wrought!

2. The body is conveyed to the grave. It was the language of nature, when Abraham said, upon the death of his beloved Sarah, "give me possession of a burying-place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight." How dear soever our friends may be to us, we will commit earth to earth, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust. And though it be the partner of our bosom, yet will we leave them in the grave to say, like Job, “I have said to corruption, thou art my father: and to the worm, thou my mother and sister."

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3. The soul enters, immediately upon death, into the presence of God for judgment. Of this assertion the proof is clear and satisfactory in the Scriptures. "The dust returns

to the earth as it was, and the spirit unto God who gave it." Eccl. xii. 7. The parable of Dives and Lazarus assumes the present existence and reality of the case described, Luke xvi. 19-31. "We are willing to be absent from the body and present with the Lord," 2 Cor. v. 8. "Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ," Phil. i. 23. And John, in revelation, beheld and described the redeemed throng, saying, "these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," Rev. vii. 14.

4. The state of the soul will remain unchanged for ever. "These shall go away into everlasting punishment, and the righteous into life eternal." The punishment and the life are of the same endurance. Both are complete-both unchanging-both eternal. In the one there is "the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is not quenched;" while as for the other, "they shall go no more out, but the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and lead them to living fountains of water, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still."

Seeing, then, that these things are so, what views must we entertain of many of the pursuits and desires of men? What shall we think of the epicure, feeding a pampered body to be the food of worms? Of the ambitious, climbing up the slippery and dangerous ascent of human glory, that their fall may be at last the greater? Of the vain, decking a dying frame, that will soon be an inhabitant of the tomb? The proud, glorying in their vanity? Surely pride was not made for man, the creature of a day, and polluted with sin. The prospect of death ought to produce far other feelings, and engage in very different pursuits. It is unbecoming in a mortal, yet immortal being, so to occupy himself. "O! that men were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!"

Then let us inquire are we ready to die. The exhortation is sounding in our ears, "be ye therefore ready also, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh." He is not a wise man who rests contented without being prepared to die, and without the most clear and satisfactory evidence that he is so prepared. God has provided the preparation, and he has laid down the marks, in his word, by which we are to try whether that preparation has been made ours. How great, then, the folly, how inexcusable the neglect, and how aggra

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vated the sin, if we rest short of a sure and scriptural persua sion that we are in Christ, and so ready to die. The decisive interview between God and the soul must soon take place let us see that we are prepared for it. "Prepare to meet thy God."

THE POWER OF RELIGION,

Exemplified in the Heart-Exercises of some Eminent Saints of God.

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JOHN WICKLIFFE, the Father of the English Reformation, was born A. D. 1324, died A. D. 1384. The following citations from his works will prove the creed of his heart." He that followeth Christ, being justified by his righteousness, shall be saved by his offering.' Except a Christian be united to Christ by grace, he hath not Christ the Saviour." "If God will give me a teachable heart, a persevering constancy, and charity towards Christ, towards his Church, and towards the members of the Devil, who tear the Church of Christ, so that I may rebuke them out of pure charity, how glorious a cause shall I have to die for!"

JOHN HUSS, Rector of the University of Prague, in Bohe, mia, was martyred at Constance, A. D. 1415. In a letter, which has been preserved, he addresses his divine Lord in the following terms, anticipating his sufferings: "O most merciful Christ, draw us weak creatures after thee; for except thou draw us, we are not able to follow thee. Give us a strong spirit, that it may be ready, and that it may be willing and although the flesh be feeble, yet let thy grace go before us, go with us, and follow us; for we can do nothing, and much less enter into the death for thy sake.'

MARTIN LUTHER, the great German Reformer, died in

peace, A. D. 1546. The principal doctrine of Luther's theology was, free justification by faith in the obedience and sacrifice of Christ. Perceiving his last moments approaching, he breathed forth an edifying prayer, of which the following is a part:- My heavenly Father, who art the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, thou God of all consolation, I give thee thanks that thou hast revealed to me the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I have believed, whom I have professed, whom I have loved, whom I have preached, whom the Bishop of Rome and all the impious crowd persecute and put to an open shame. I beseech thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, receive my poor soul. O, my heavenly Father, although I leave this life, although I