can a man be faint hearted, when he has omnipotence for his strength? How can a man be fearful, when he has the presence of such a comforter? or how can he be discouraged when truth has promised grace and glory! How can he say in view of his sufferings, they are too much to bear, when he considers how much Jesus bore for him? He cannot ; but will say in the language of the poet, Our troubles and our trials here,

Will only make us richer there.'

The more they suffer here the brighter they will shine, 'for whom he justified them he also glorified.' We shall now proceed to inquire,

VI.

WHAT IS IMPLIED IN THE LAST MEMBER OF THE TEXT? And whom he justified; them he also glorified.' Nothing is more common than, when we read in the scriptures, of glory, to have our minds, at once, led to contemplate the blessedness of the saints in heaven; and it is very probable, that this one circumstance has been the means of leading many into an error, in reference to our text. A little attention to the scripture, will convince us that it does not always respect eternal life.

Parkhurst, on the Greek word Doxa says, it signifies, esteem, glory, honor. Let us look at this definition a few moments; the word occurs in Luke xiv. 10, and is rendered, worship, 'Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.' Thou shalt have worship; the worship of God, in paying a due respect, veneration, and homage to the Deity. And in the case before us, we understand by it, that the person, who should first go and take his seat in the lowest room, and afterward should be directed to go up higher, he should have worship, or due respect shown him, or he should be glorified.

,

In the gospel by John v. 44, the term is used twice, and each time rendered honor, How can ye believe which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only.' Again, the same term is used by Peter i. 24 and rendered glory. All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. Parkhurst, on the word Doxazo, says, to glorify, make glorious or honorable, or cause to appear so. In John xi. 4, it is said, That the Son of God might be glorified thereby.' Here we are informed that Lazarus was sick; his sister sent to Jesus, and informed him; Jesus said to them, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God. By this sickness Jesus was to be glorified. But how? Was he by this to be taken up to heaven? No. By this, Jesus would be glorified, inasmuch, as he would show by his power that he was God, and consequently, be honored. Jesus said to his Father, I have glorified thee on earth. I have finished the

work thou gavest me to do.'-John xvii. 4. If it be asked, How did Jesus honor or glorify the Father on earth? We have the answer in the text from his own mouth, I have finished the work thou gavest me to do.'-John xvii. 4. Jesus saith, Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit.'-John xv. 8. The Father is honored or glorified by his disciples, in the fruit they bear, by which they claim the character of his disciples. The apostle in our text speaks in the past tense, and says 'them he also glorified;" by which we learn, that they (the lovers of God) had been glorified already. That is they had been highly honored. Dr. A. Clarke says the Greek word Doxa, which is rendered glory, and Doxazo to glorify, both mean, to render illustrious or cminent. It may be asked, how are they rendered illustrious or eminent? David saith, Psa. cxlix. 4. He will beautify the meek with salvation." He will honor or glorify them with salvation. What greater glory can man desire on earth than this? God preserves and defends his people in the midst of the furnace, and renders them eminent by their gifts and grace.

6

The apostle in Cor. 15, speaking of the glory of bodies celestial and terrestrial, says, The glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.' As there is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for one star differeth from another star in glory.' We are doubtless to understand by the term glory, the excellence, beauty or perfection of the sun, moon and stars. There is an excellence or beauty belonging to the saint, which is not discoverable in his first enjoyiment of the grace of God, but, in his subsequent improvement of this grace renders him an eminent and worthy disciple. We will take an instance or two to illustrate this point. See the state of Joseph, when he said, How shall I commit this great wickedness and sin against God.' While in prison-and after being delivered therefrom, Did not the grace of patience, forgiveness, and faithfulness render him an honorable saint? Yes. Again, we see Daniel, a servant of the Most High God, cast into the lions' den. When the king came to the den, he said, ' O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?" Then Daniel said, my God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me.' Did he seek for revenge after he was delivered from the den? No, he possessed too much of the spirit of the gospel to do this. Read the history of Paul and Silas while in prison; they prayed, and sang praises, God heard, and delivered them. The jailor alarmed from his sleep, seeing the prison door open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing the prisoners had fled. But

Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, do thyself no harm; for we are all here.

The jailor said after he had brought them out, sirs, what must I do to be saved? Thus we see God glorified in making the apostles the honored instruments of his salvation. Then the apostle had a fine opportunity of preaching Jesus and the resurrection. What an honor conferred on man to preach Jesus under such circumstances! and in the conclusion we might name Peter, an ignorant or an unlearned fisherman preaching Jesus, and honored as being the means of the salvation of thousands. This gospel treasure we have in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. From this subject we infer

1., That notwithstanding this portion of the scripture has been made to favor the doctrine of a limited salvation, yet, in fact, no such sentiment was taught by the apostle, and we are authorised to offer salvation to all men by faith in Jesus Christ.

2., That it is honorable to man to have the privilege of suffering in the service of him who suffered so much for us.

3., That all the sufferings of the people of God, as the people of God, do in the present life work for their good, while they look at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. To GOD

BE ALL THE GLORY. AMEN.

THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM,

BY JAMES MONTGOMERY.

JERUSALEM! my happy home!

Name ever dear to me!

When shall my labors have an end,

In Joy, and peace, and thee?

When shall these eyes thy heaven-built walls

And pearly gates behold?

Thy bulwarks with salvation strong,

And streets of shining gold?

Oh when, thou city of my God,

Shall I thy courts ascend,

Where congregations ne'r break up,

And Sabbaths have no end?

There happier bowers than Eden bloom,

Nor sin nor sorrow know:

Bless'd seats! through rude and stormy scenes,

I onward press to you.

Why should I shrink from pain or woe?

Or feel at death dismay?

I've Canaan's godly land in view,

And realms of endless day,

Apostles, martyrs, prophets there,

Around my Saviour stand;

And soon my friends in Christ below
Will join the glorious band.

Jerusalem! my happy home!

My soul still pants for thee;
Then shall my labors have an end,
When I thy face shall see,

SERMON XI.

THE WORLD WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES OF JEHOVAH AND FOUND WANTING.

Delivered in the Methodist Episcopal Chapel in Providence, R. I. July 3d, 1832, during the session of the New England Conference in that city, and in Middletown, Conn., Šabbath afternoon, September 2d, 1832.

BY REV. CHAUNCEY RICHARDSON.

OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting: DANIEL v. 27.

THE imagery of the Bible is peculiarly sublime and impressive. The Bible abounds with moral paintings, exquisitely beautiful, and inimitably grand. They are manifestly the work of a master's pencil, dipped in colors native well.' The Scriptures resemble a gallery of paintings of various descriptions; some representing the varied and sublime scenery of the natural world, and others, abounding in moral representations, exhibiting the various, minute, and opposite shades of moral character. And all who enter this gallery of pictures, drawn by the unerring pencil of inspiration, may see their own portraits, perfectly resembling life. The book of Daniel contains several moral paintings of a most instructive and imposing character. Of this character is the one in the chapter before us. In this exquisite painting, we have a striking representation of a royal feast.

It consists of two parts. The first represents a most impious scene of mirth and dissipation. It exhibits the Chaldean king in the royal palace, surrounded by his wives, his concubines, and his most eminent courtiers, drinking wine in the consecrated vessels of gold and of silver, which his father Nebuchadnezzar, had taken out of the temple at Jerusalem-and in the midst of their cups, they are singing songs in praise of their gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone, and filling to the brim the cup of their iniquity. But