something of what it is. But eternityawful word! what can we know of it? It is above our thoughts, and beyond our understanding. We may have some idea of what it would be to live for millions and millions of years. But to think, that after these are gone, still millions and millions

of

years are to come; that even when these are ended, eternity is still before us; to consider, that at the utmost distance of time which we can count or conceive, the soul will still be living, and thinking, and feeling; and at the same time will be no nearer to an end, than it is at this present moment. What a vast, what a wonderful idea! Of what inestimable value must the soul be! Who can compute its worth?

But there is yet a further consideration to be added: The value of a thing is often times best known when it is lost. Now the soul may be lost. The man who makes the bargain in the text, who sells his soul for the sake of worldly happiness, is said to lose his soul. What is meant by this expression? By the soul being lost, is not meant its ceasing to be; its sinking, like the body into a senseless state, without life and feeling. In this sense the soul cannot be lost for it will live for ever! But how

will it live?

This is the main question,

Will it be happy or miserable? Will it live in bliss or in pain? It may be happy. It may live in bliss. It may dwell for ever in the presence, the favour, and the service of God. It may enjoy a glorious eternity in heaven. But on the other hand, it may fail of all this. Instead of being happy, it may be miserable. Instead of living in bliss, it may live in pain. Instead of dwelling for ever in the presence, the favour, and the service of God, it may be driven from his presence, be cast out of his favour, and be counted unworthy of his ser vice. Instead of enjoying a glorious eternity in heaven, it may be condemned to suffer everlasting torments in hell. And this is what is meant by the soul's being lost; its being lost to every good, and desirable, and valuable purpose; its being lost to peace, and hope, and happiness: its being plunged into an endless state of grief, despair, and misery.

Judge then, my brethren, what is the worth of the soul, and then say, Is worldly happiness well bought at such a price as this? Do these things bear any proportion to each other in value? Will worldly happiness make any amends for the loss of the soul? Surely this one consideration

that, "the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal *;" that all worldly happiness must come to an end, but that the loss of the soul will be followed with never-ending misery-is of itself sufficient to decide the question. This one consideration proves, beyond all doubt, the truth which I am explaining. If a man, for the sake of enjoying one day's happiness, would willingly engage to suffer pain and torture for fifty years, should we not at once condemn his folly? What then must we say to the folly of that man, who, for the sake of being happy while he lives, should consent to be miserable for ever when he dies; who, for the sake of obtaining a short, temporal, perishable enjoyment, should engage to suffer eternal torment? Would not such a man make a most foolish bargain ?-Would he not in the end bitterly lament what he had done? Let us suppose him to have gained, were it possible, the whole world; to have had as large a share of worldly honour, wealth, and pleasure as any man ever yet had or could have. Let us suppose him to have been as great, and wise, and rich as Solomon himself; to have possessed all the means of worldly enjoyment which he possessed; to have lived in

*2 Cor. iv. 18.

the full possession of them for the greatest number of years, which any child of Adam has ever lived; yet what will all this profit him, when he shall die, and shall" lift up his eyes in hell, being in torments ?" Ask him what he then thinks of his bargain, and of his wisdom in making it. Ask him, whether his past pleasures make up for his present sufferings? Whether in gaining the world and losing his soul, he has done well for himself? Whether in casting up the whole account, in balancing his gains against his losses, he is satisfied with what he has done? What answer will he make to these enquiries? He will surely say, Ah! no. I have miserably deceived myself. I have • made a most foolish bargain. I gained indeed the world; but what does the world now profit me? What am I the better for all I had, and all I enjoyed on earth? Nothing of my pleasures or my possessions ⚫ now remains. Not even a drop of water is left to cool my tongue. Had I ten thousand thousand worlds, how readily would I give them all, that I might be delivered ⚫ from this place of torment. I have caught at a shadow, but have let go the substance. I thought only of time-I forgot eternity. O that I had been wise: that I had under

stood this; that I had considered my latter • end!'

My brethren, if you feel the force and justice of this reasoning, let me remind you how greatly you yourselves are concerned in it. The truth which I have been proving concerns (you all. You have every one of you an immortal soul. Xan You have (within you that precious, invaluable treasure, which is of more worth than ten thousand worlds. It is committed to your keeping; and your own eternal happiness or misery depends on the care you take of it. If you lose it, far better would it have been for you never to have been born. Beware then, lest you make the foolish bargain described in the text. Beware lest you are guilty of the folly there set forth, and sell your soul for this world's gain.

Perhaps you judge the caution to be needless. You think that there is no danger of your acting so unwise a part. You feel assured, that if the same proposal, which was made to our blessed Lord, should be made to you, you, like him, would instantly reject it; that you would not deliberately sell your soul for "all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them." And I believe that you would not. I be*Matthew, iv. 8.