situation of our family and worldly affairs, and just about to take the last farewell of our friends, and of all we have ever loved on earth; if in the midst of this scene of distress, we shall be also tormented with the thought of what is to become of us in that next world which is just opening to our view; if we depart from life, conscious that we deserve punishment for the manner in which we have lived; and dreading that the hour of our being to receive that punishment is at hand; such a state of complicated misery who can endure? The spirit thus wounded and bleeding, when it is going forth from the body, who can bear?

I by no means say, that he, who during his life has taken the greatest care to preserve his conscience void of offence, can upon that plea rest with confidence or upon this ground alone leave this life without uneasiness or fear. No man's conscience was ever entirely clear from all reproach. We daily offend; and the best have much reason to implore mercy and forgiveness from their Judge. The whole strain of the gospel tends to humble and depress those who vainly trust to their own imperfect righteousness. It teaches us that the ultimate ground on which we are to rest for acceptance with God, is the righteousness and merit of our great Redeemer.- -But this I say and testify to you, that the most satisfactory evidence you can possess of having an interest in the Redeemer's merits, and being finally accepted through him, must arise from the testimony of a conscience, which you have studied to keep void of offence towards God and towards men. This will be the best proof of your belonging to the number of the sons of God. It will be the witness of the divine spirit within you; the day-star arising in your hearts, and preparing the approach of a more perfect day. -Without the study of attaining a good conscience be assured that all other grounds of hope will prove fallacious not the most fervent zeal, nor the highest pretences to intercourse with God, will be of any avail. They will have no more stability than the house built on the sand, which, in the day of trial, falls to the ground. He only whose conscience bears witness to his faithfulness, his integrity, and sincerity, in discharging all the duties of life, can, with a steady mind, and a firm but humble trust in his Saviour, look forward to all that awaits him in a future unknown world.

In the next place, while the conscience void of offence thus delivers us, in a great degree, from the terrors of a future life, it keeps us free, at the same time, from innumerable disquietudes in this life. All the offences for which conscience condemns us, become, in one way or other, sources of vexation. Never did ay man long forsake the straight and upright path, without having cause to repent of it. Whether it be pleasure, or inte

He

rest, or ambition, that leads him astray, he is always made to pay dear for any supposed advantage he gains. Warily and cautiously he may at first set out, and lay many restraints on himself against proceeding too far. But having once forsaken conscience as his guide, his passions and inclinations soon take the lead of his conduct, and push him forward rashly. One bad step betrays him into another; till in the end, he is overtaken, if not by poverty and disease, at least by dishonour and shame, by the loss of friends, and the forfeiture of general esteem. who walketh uprightly, has been always found to walk surely : while in the dark and crooked paths of fraud, dishonesty, or ignoble pleasure, a thousand forms of trouble and disaster arise to meet us. In the mean time to a bad man, conscience will be always an uneasy companion. In the midst of his amusements, it will frequently break in upon him with reproach, At night, when he would go to rest, holding up to him the deeds of the former day, putting him in mind of what he has lost and what he has incurred, it will make him often ashamed, often afraid. -Cowardice and baseness of mind are never-failing concomitants of a guilty conscience. He who is haunted by it, dares never stand forth to the world, and appear in his own charac

He is reduced to be constantly studying concealment, and living in disguise. He must put on the smiling and open look, when dark designs are brooding in his mind. Conscious of his own bad purposes, he looks with distrust on all who are around him, and shrinks from the scrutiny of every piercing eye. He sees, or fancies that he sees, suspicion in many a countenance; and reads upbraidings in looks where no upbraiding was meant. Often he is in great fear, where no fear is.

Very different from this, is the state of the man whose conscience is void of offence. He is manly and intrepid in every situation. He has never seduced the innocent by guilty arts. He has deluded no one with false promises. He has ensnared no man to trust him by a deceitful account of his affairs; nor taken any advantages of the distresses of others to enrich himself.-Without uneasiness he can look every man boldly in the face; and say with the good prophet Samuel, Behold, here I am; witness against me. Whose ox have I taken? or, whose ass have I taken? or, whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I received any bribe? Declare, and I will restore it to you. He who can thus take God and the world to witness for his integrity, may despise popular accusation or reproach. Those censures and rumours which are constantly disquieting the man of guilty conscience, pass by him unheeded. His witness is in heaven; and his record is on high. Innocence and upright

* 1 Samuel, xii. 3.

ness form a tenfold shield, against which the darts of the world are aimed in vain. Of neither God as his Judge, nor of men as his companions, is such a man afraid. With no unquiet nor terrifying slumbers will his couch be haunted. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for the Lord maketh me dwell in safety.

LET those considerations which have been now briefly suggested, contribute to render the character in the text, of a conscience void of offence towards God and men, amiable and estimable in our eyes. If in its fullest extent we cannot attain to it, let us at least endeavour to approach to it, and herein with the great Apostle exercise ourselves. We may rest assured, that the more we partake of this character, the happier and more honourable shall our life be on earth, and the nearer shall it bring us to Heaven. Conscious of our innumerable frailties, let it be our daily prayer to God, that by his powerful spirit he would rectify what is corrupted in our nature; would guard us by his grace against the temptations that surround us; keep us from the path of the des troyer, and lead us in his way everlasting.

SERMON LXXXV.

ON THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST.

[Preached in the evening after the celebration of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.]

And he led them out as far as to Bethany; and he lift up his hands and blessed them: And it came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into Hea ven.-LUKE, xxiv. 50. 61.

THE sacred Scriptures not only set before us a complete rule of life, but give weight and authority to the precepts they deliver, by the information they communicate of certain great and important facts, in which all the human race have a deep concern. Of those facts one of the most illustrious is the ascension of our Saviour to Heaven, after having completed the work of our redemption. This is a subject on which it is at all times pleasing to a Christain to meditate; but especially after the celebration of that solemn ordinance in which we were this day engaged. We there renewed the memorial of our Saviour suffering and dying in the cause of mankind. Let us now take part in his succeeding triumphs. Let us with pleasure behold him rising from the grave as the conqueror of death and hell, and ascending into heaven, there to reign in glory, and to act as the protector and guardian of his people, to the end of time. -It will be proper to begin with taking a particular view of all the circumstances that attend this memorable event in the history of our Saviour's life; as they are related in the text, compared with the accounts of other evangelists. The circum

stances will all be found to be both beautiful and sublime in themselves, and instructive to us.

*

We are informed, that it was not until forty days after his resurrection from the grave, that this event took place. During this space he had shown himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being often seen by his disciples, and conversing with them of things pertaining to the kingdom of God. All being now concluded which he had to do on earth; the guilt of mankind having been expiated by his death, and his Apostles fully instructed in the part they were henceforth to act, and the character they were to assume; one day, we are told, he led them out of the city as far as to Bethany.-With the utmost propriety was this place selected for the scene of his ascension. Near Bethany was the Mount of Olives, to which our Lord was wont so often to retire for the exercise of private devotion; and there also was the garden of Gethsemane, where his sufferings commenced with that agony in which his soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death. At the spot where his generous sufferings on our account began, there also was his glory to commence; and those fields which so long had been his favourite retreat, and so often had been consecrated by him to meditation and prayer, were now to be dignified with his last and parting steps towards heaven; a sort of symbol, of devotion and virtuous sufferings being steps that prepare for ascent to heaven.-There, we are told, He lift up his hands, and blessed his disciples; and while he blessed them, he was parted from them. How beautiful is this attitude of our departing Lord! How well did such a conclusion suit the rest of his life; Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them to the end. While he lived, he went about doing good: He died, praying for his enemies; and when he ascended into heaven, it was in the act of lifting up his hands and blessing his friends; like a dying parent giving his last benedictions to his children and family. A worthy pattern is here set before us, of the manner in which every good man should wish to spend his last moments, in acts of devotion to God, and expressions of kindness and affection to his friends.While our Saviour was thus employed, he was parted from his disciples; a cloud, it is said, received him out of their sight, and he was earried up into heaven. Here were no whirlwinds, no thunder, no chariots of fire. Supernatural appearances of old, had been accompanied with majesty of a terrible kind. The law was given in the midst of lightnings and thunders. Elijah was caught up into heaven in a fiery chariot. But the Saviour of the world was gently received up in a cloud; with that sort of meak and calm Acts, i. 9.

Acts, i. 3.