necessarily requires to suppose, that it had a speedy termination, and that he was cut off in the midst of his days. Whether the disease that put a period to his earthly existence, was of a lingering kind, or rapid in its operations, we know not. But that it found him wholly off his guard, and totally unprepared to appear before a holy God, we have most abundant evidence. We hear of no serious reflections, no kindled relentings, no painful regrets: neither is mention made of any disheartening fears, or any trembling apprehensions. But, as he lived, even so he died, in a state of the most perfect indifference, with regard to eternal things. A most dreadful change, however, awaited him, though he suspected it not. In one awful moment, he was reluctantly torn from all his rich possessions, and violently hurried away from all his enviable enjoyments. He was suddenly stripped for ever of all that had rendered him honourable among men, and plunged at once into a state of outer darkness and intense distress. Scarcely had he closed his eyes upon the fading glories of this world, when he opened them in that place of tor ment, from which there is no escape, and to which hope can never come. The rich man died, and was buried; and in hell he lifted up his eyes being in torment. If the friends and relatives of Dives could have looked beyond the pomp of his funeral to the wretchedness of his present condition, what an indescribable effect would it have produced in their feelings! But between us and the spiritual world there hangs an impenetrable veil: and were it not so, with how many awful scenes should we be shocked and terrified from day to day! How would our imaginations be scared, and our souls afflicted, with the dreadful exhibitions which that uncovered world would present to our view! Our neighbours and acquaintance are continually falling around us by the stroke of death: but whither they go, and what is their destiny beyond the grave, is hidden from our eyes. Where they dwell, and how they fare, all the united wisdom of the world is insufficient to discover. Consequently, the final state of Dives could not have been known, had not He seen good to reveal it, who hath the keys of hell and of death. The first feeling of this departed sinner, was that of overwhelming misery, connected with the extremest anxiety for one moment's relief. And in these tremendous circumstances, catching a transient glimpse of Abraham afar off with Lazarus in his bosom, he lifted up his voice in an agony, and cried -Father Abraham, have mercy on me; and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame. As a man, whose spirits are consumed and whose tongue is parched with a burning fever, longs and prays for the cooling draught; so Dives, in the anguish of his soul, is heard imploring the high privilege of one poor drop of water, as a momentary alleviation of his grievous sufferings. But, instead of obtaining his importunate request, he receives only the. awful information, that his circumstances are absolutely remediless, that his lot is unchangeably fixed, and that his torments are incapable of the slightest abatement. Remember, son, returned Abraham, that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now, he is comforted, and thou art tormented. Moreover, were he ever so compassionately minded towards thee, he who formerly lay at thy gate exposed to want, abuse, and scorn, he could accomplish nothing in thy favour—for between us and you there is a great gulph fixed; so that they who would pass from hence to you, cannot; neither can they pass to us, who would come from thence. The beloved Lazarus must now abide for ever beside the fountain-head of blessedness; while thou art condemned to drink, without ceasing, the wine of the wrath of almighty God, where their worm dieth not, and where the fire is not quenched. Thus driven from the trembling hope of procuring one moment's mitigation of his own personal distress, he ventures next to supplicate, under all the distracting effects of his punishment, that a messenger might be despatched to his brethren and friends, with tidings of his present deplorable condition. I pray thee therefore, Father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house, for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Dives had formerly given no credit to the declaration of God's wrath against impenitent sinners, and had even enter vine tained strong doubts concerning the reality of those excruciating pains, which he now found himself condemned to undergo. His kindred and connexions were, at this very time, in a like state of mind; very little suspecting that, while they were revelling in every species of self-indulgence, their miserable friend and brother was become a companion of devils, and the victim of divengeance. From this fatal delusion he wished to awaken them, ere their day of grace should reach its appointed period. And with this view he groaned out his miserable request, that the secrets of the eternal world might be laid open to his infidel brethren; fondly persuaded, that, in such a case, they would assuredly be constrained to believe and repent. To this urgent application, however, nothing further was granted than the following replyThy brethren have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. They have among them the instituted means of grace, and are already favoured with that divine revelation, which contains in it all that is necessary to be known, in order to the attainment of eternal blessedness. Let them know their |