lent intention appear every where around us; What a profufion of beauty and ornament is poured forth on the face of nature? What a magnificent spectacle presented to the view of man? What supply contrived for his wants? What a variety of objects fet before him, to gratify his fenfes, to employ his understanding, to entertain his imagination, to cheer and gladden his heart? Indeed, the very existence of the univerfe is a standing memorial of the goodness of the Creator. For nothing except goodness, could originally prompt creation. The Supreme Being, felfexiftent and all-fufficient, had no wants which he could seek to fupply. No new acceffion of felicity or glory was to refult to him, from creatures whom he made. It was goodness, communicating and pouring itself forth, goodness delighting to impart happiness in all its forms, which in the beginning created the heaven and the earth. Hence thofe innumerable orders of living creatures with which the earth is peopled; from the loweft clafs of fenfitive being, to the highest rank of reason and intelligence. Whereever there is life, there is fome degree of happinefs; there are enjoyments fuited to the different powers of feeling; and earth, and air, and water, are with magnificent liberality made to teem with life.

Let

Let thofe ftriking difplays of creating goodness call forth, on our part, refponfive love, gratitude, and veneration. To this great Father of all existence and life, to Him who hath raised us up to behold the light of day, and to enjoy all the comforts which his world prefents, let our hearts fend forth a perpetual hymn of praise. Evening and morning let us celebrate Him, who maketh the morning and the evening to rejoice over our heads; who openeth his hand, and satisfieth the defire of every living thing. Let us rejoice, that we are brought into a world, which is the production of infinite goodness, over which a fupreme intelligence prefides; and where nothing. happens, that was not planned and arranged from the beginning, in his decree.

1

THE DISSOLUTION OF THE WORLD.

THIS

many

a

HIS earth has been the theatre of great fpectacle, and many a high atchievement. There, the wife have ruled, the mighty have fought, and conquerors have triumphed. Its furface has been covered with proud and stately cities. Its temples and palaces have raifed their heads to the skies. Its kings and potentates, glo

rying in their magnificence, have erected pyra

mids, conftructed towers, founded monuments, which they imagined were to defy all the affaults of time. Their inward thought was, that their houfes were to continue for ever, and their dwellingplaces to all generations. Its philofophers have ex-.. plored the fecrets of nature; and flattered themfelves, that the fame of their difcoveries was to be immortal.-Alas! all this was no more than a tranfient fhew. Not only the fashion of the world, but the world itself, paffeth away. The day cometh, when all the glory of this world shall be remembered, only as a dream when one awaketh. No longer fhall the earth exhibit any of those scenes which now delight our eyes. The whole beautiful fabric is thrown down, never more to arise. As soon as the destroying angel has founded the last trumpet, the everlasting mountains fall; the foundations of the world are fhaken; the beauties of nature, the decorations of art, the labours of industry, perish in one common flame. The globe itself shall either return into its ancient chaos, without form and void; or, like a ftar fallen from the heavens, fhall be effaced from the universe, and its place fhall know it no more.

THE

THE NEW HEAVENS AND EARTH.

WE

E contemplate the diffolution of the world, as the introduction to a greater and nobler fyftem, in the government of God. We, according to his promife, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Temporal things are now to give place to things eternal. To this earthly habitation is to fucceed the city of the living God. The earth had completed the purpose for which it was created. It had been employed as a theatre, on which the human generations were fucceffively to come forth, and to fulfil their term of trial. As long as the period of trial continued, much obfcurity was of course to cover the counsels of Providence. It was appointed, that all things fhould appear as coming alike to all; that the righteous fhould feem often neglected by Heaven, and the wicked be allowed externally to profper; in order that virtue and piety might undergo a proper teft; that it might be fhewn who were fincere adherents to conscience, and who were mere followers of fortune. The day which terminates the duration of the world, terminates all thofe feeming diforders. The time of trial is concluded. The final difcrimination of characters is made. When the

3

righteous

righteous go into everlasting happiness, and the wicked are difmiffed into the regions of punifhment, the whole mystery of human affairs is unravelled, and the conduct of Providence is juftified to man.

Suited to a condition of trial was the state and form of the world, which we now inhabit. It was not defigned to be a manfion for innocent and happy fpirits; but a dwelling for creatures of fallen nature and of mixed characters. Hence, those mixtures of pleasure and pain, of disorder and beauty, with which it abounds. Hence, fome regions of the earth, presenting gay and pleasing scenes; others, exhibiting nothing but ruggednefs and deformity; the face of nature, fometimes brightened by a ferene atmosphere, and a fplendid fun; fometimes disfigured by jarring elements, and overcaft with troubled fkies. far unlike fhall be the everlasting habitations of the juft. Though how they are formed, or what objects they contain, is not given us now to conceive, nor, in all probability would our faculties be equal to the conception; the emblematical descriptions of them in Scripture are calculated to excite high ideas of magnificence and glory. This one particular we know with certainty, that therein dwelleth righteousness; that is, complete virtue and eternal order; and wherever thefe are

R

But

found,