upon its side our understanding entirely, and our conscience too in no small degree.

This is, so far, well. It does not, however, disprove the assertion, that we are reluctant to cultivate realizing views of eternity. Deliberate efforts to acquire and keep up a solemn sense of eternal things are very rare; and not at all equal, in kind or degree, to the efforts we make in order to maintain a becoming sense of the evil of sin and the necessity of holiness. We are even afraid of an abiding impression of eternity; and suspect, if not believe, that it would throw a gloom over life, and turn seriousness into sadness. This lurking suspicion is not dislodged, nor much shaken, even when we remember that it is on the bright side of the pillar of eternity we are invited to dwell. We cannot forget that it has a dark side too, which may turn upon us oftener than we should like. And we see, with some clearness, that even on its bright side, we should be kept more familiar with death than we wish to be at present. We can hardly conceive it possible to think much of eternity, without thinking too much about death; they are so closely associated in our minds. The latter appears to us the dark shadow of the former, even when the former is brightest,

Thus there is against the habit of looking daily to eternal things all the natural and acquired force of our love of life, and of our fear of death. The claims of immortality present themselves to us, pointing to the grave, and muttering our mortality. We believe that Jesus Christ brought immortality to light; but, somehow, we feel that it is the king of terrors who holds up the prospect to us. Our "last enemy," rather than our best friend, is most seen, in connection with our glimpses of the invisible world.

There are also causes of reluctance, which are more discreditable to us. We see, at a glance, that an habitual sense of eternity would impose and compel more self-denial, or selfcontrol, or self-examination, than we altogether like. We feel, instinctively, that certain tempers and tendencies, if not some habits also, would require great and immediate improvements, if they were confronted from day to day with the claims of Heaven. Every aspect of immortality is so full of solemn protests against all compromises with the flesh and the world, that even the most exemplary cannot but see clearly, and feel deeply, that they are not altogether that "manner of persons" which, as heirs of immortality, they ought to be.

These are not imaginary nor slight causes of that shrinking from the realization of eternity which is so common. We are eagle-eyed in discerning how a habit of realizing it would bring all our habits, public, domestic, and secret, under solemn revision and stricter discipline; and, thus, whatever is bad in our nature and character, as well as all that is weakin them, is averse to the duty, because it involves so many other duties.

It is this, much more than the difficulty of forming clear views of invisible realities, that prevents us from looking often to the things which are unseen and eternal. There are indeed, mental hindrances, but they are neither so many nor, so great as the moral hindrances. | This is self-evident from the single fact, that we understand enough of the nature both of heaven and hell to make and keep us intent upon reaching the former and escaping the latter. Our knowledge of them is not SO dim nor indefinite, as to prevent us from prizing the great salvation. Were we, therefore, as intent upon present deliverance from all wrong habits and tempers, as upon future escape from the wrath to come, we should find our knowledge quite as sufficient to induce greater holiness, as it is to endear the cross.

It

looks ill, therefore, when we, who never complain, nor pretend, that our views of eternity are either too few or feeble to endear the atonement, pretend that we know too little of it to live under its direct influence. This does not tell well. That which binds us to the cross, notwithstanding all its mysteries and all its odium, could not fail, if equally applied to universal holiness, to bind us to it also. Besides (and let the fact prevent for ever, in our case, all attempts to shelter aversion under the wing of ignorance) we hope to die in triumph or tranquillity, upon the faith of what we know of heaven, both as a state and as a place. We are sure, and must confess, that if we can only enjoy then, all that we can anticipate and understand now, we shall not be strangers to comfort or composure when we come to exchange worlds. Away, then, with the pitiful pretence that our ideas of future glory are too indefinite to have an habitual influence upon our present character and spirit: they are, by our own acknowledgment, distinct enough, and numerous enough, to "turn the shadow of death into the morning," even when heart and flesh are failing. Surely, therefore, they are adequate, if honestly applied, to make all sin

3

66

appear exceeding sinful," and all holiness "altogether lovely."

Nothing is more unfounded (as will hereafter be shown) than the pretence that we know what heaven is not, rather than what it is. This is a poor compliment to Him, who "brought life and immortality to light, (illuminated them,) by the gospel." It is an equally mean and meagre commentary on this sublime fact, to say, that the future state is chiefly revealed to us by negatives. Both heaven and hell are revealed in the same way, and almost to the same extent, as the perfections of God, or the person and work of the Saviour. Negatives are as much used in explaining their character, as in depicting the invisible world, and are, in general, as useful, on both subjects, as the most positive information. We might, therefore, just as well say, that we do not know enough of God or the Lamb to think much about them, as say that we know too little of eternal things to think much about them. We do not, indeed, know all the truth concerning either, nor comprehend all that is revealed; but both are alike adapted to our capacity, and equally distinct. Accordingly, the claims attention and affections,

of heaven upon our

are as fully stated as the claims of the law or