If the

not without a feeling of reluctance now to leave it; being conscious that much more yet remains to be advanced on so important a theme: a theme, like that of salvation, concerning which we may say "I know no end thereof." Nor shall we know it, till the wondering soul enter that state, where we shall know such sublime truths, even as also we are known. angels themselves desire to look into them, how gratifying will it be to the children of mortality, then to be made acquainted with such mysteries of godliness! to know, for instance, why "God was manifest in the flesh," and why, in that body which he assumed, he became a sacrifice for sin; to see the self-devoted Paschal Victim, the great vicarious High Priest himself; to" look on Him who was pierced" for the transgressions of a whole world; to behold that head, which was once, in cruel mockery, encompassed with lacerating thorns, "adorned with many crowns; to see all the kings of the earth casting their ensigns of sovereignty at his feet, as "the only wise Potentate-the King of

kings, and Lord of lords;" to view a great multitude which no man can number, surrounding his throne "high and lifted up," and to hear their voices, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Allelujah! salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever!"

CONCLUSION.

Reader if a perusal of these pages shall have kindled within thee but one edifying or consolatory thought, praise Him for it, who is the giver of every thing that is good. Then, haply, by His Grace, the smallest beginnings of earthly piety may, to thy unspeakable blessedness, terminate in heavenly Allelujahs with Saints and Angels, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen, Amen.

APPENDIX.

Ir being so strenuously asserted by Materialists that, after the dissolution of the body, the soul remains in a state of temporary annihilation, during the interval between death and the day of judgement-some additional arguments to those already adduced against such a cheerless doctrine, will here be subjoined from in telligent writers, whose view of the subject may still further demonstrate on what visionary ground is reared an hypothesis, so unsupported by reason or analógy, and so repugnant to revelation.

In a work, intituled " An Essay on the Identity and Resurrection of the Human Body," &c. by Mr. SAMUEL DREW, there are some passages, so excellent in themselves, and so apposite to the subject in

which we are engaged, that I shall take the liberty of transcribing, or, more correctly speaking, of abridging them, for the edification of the reader.

"Whatever difficulties seem to clog the doctrine of the Resurrection, they are neither greater in themselves, nor more in number, than nature exhibits in almost all her works. It is true, that the constant repetition of a wonder, invariably tends to lessen our astonishment; and we continue to gaze, till we behold with the most perfect indifference, the most astonishing events, as the common occurrences of our present state.

"The

power and

process of vegetation, which are constantly exhibited before our eyes, include secrets which we cannot unravel; and, when viewed with an attentive observation, discover mysteries, which are far more unaccountable than any which are contained in the belief, that our bodies shall be re-animated in some future period, after the great recess of nature in the grave shall have passed, and be totally done

away.

"If we confine our observations, on the analogy between vegetation and the resurrection, to vegetation in its most simple state; and only presume that one grain shall, through its corruption, produce another similar to itself, we must at least acknowledge, in this case, that the difficulties will be equal; and we can no more account for the one, than we can comprehend the other. But when, to this simple state of vegetation, which we have supposed, we add that power of multiplication which it possesses, and which we constantly perceive in the production and re-production of grain, the difficulties which approach us are most decidedly on the part of vegetation; while the doctrine of the resurrection stands, comparatively, unembarrassed with any obstacles which can forbid belief..

"If the power and process of vegetation were only known in theory, and if that theory had asserted, that one grain of wheat was capable of producing another new grain by the dissolution of it's component parts; if this, I say, had been as