No. III. THE EXCUSES FOR NOT REALIZING HOWEVER natural it may be to prefer the prospect of immortality to the horrid idea of annihilation, it is certainly neither natural nor common to think often of immortality. It is not so attractive to us as annihilation is repulsive. We dislike the bare idea of coming to such an end as "the beasts which perish;" but we do not, proportionably, love the bright hope of being "as the angels of God in heaven." We do not turn to the latter with the promptness or spirit that we turn away from the former. Indeed, our reluctance to speak or think much of immortality is almost as great as our aversion to annihilation. This is a strange inconsistency! We loathe the extinction of our being, and yet shrink from dwelling on the eternity of it. This would be very inconsistent, even if the gospel did no more than proclaim redemption from the hell it reveals, without at all describing the heaven it promises. Mere escape from everlasting misery, to eternal life of any other kind, and in any other place, would deserve more consideration than we usually give to our "Father's house." O, yes; were we never to see God as he is, nor the Lamb in his essential glory; never to see the throne nor the temple of Deity; never to behold one angel, nor to hear one anthem of the heaven of heavens ; even the bare prospect of not being under the wrath of God and the Lamb, would be worth more attention and gratitude than we commonly pay to the full-orbed prospect of being for ever with the Lord, and with all who are the Lord's. Indeed, if the gospel were utterly silent on the subject of heaven, and said nothing else to commend or enforce its own claims, but just that, by believing and obeying it, we should escape the abode of "the devil and his angels," it would be glad tidings of great joy, and worthy of all acceptation. But this is not the gospel, nor yet like it. It opens heaven as fully as it uncovers hell. It says quite as much to render heaven alluring, as to render hell alarming. It is not, therefore, owing to any defect in God, bliss or glory, nor to any deficiency of information concerning them, that we meditate so seldom and slightly upon them. The Old Testament saints, who knew far less of these eternal realities than we do, realized them far more than we do. This is no gratuitous compliment to their heavenly-mindedness. who cannot lie nor err, has expressly testified that their life and conversation "declare plainly" that they desired "a heavenly country," and "looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Why is it, then, that, in general, we are reluctant to dwell upon the prospects of a glorious immortality; and that we require to plan, and watch, and pray, and resolve, before we can at all enter into the spirit of heavenly contemplation; and, that we do not always succeed, even when we make an effort to pass within the veil ? It is very pitiful when this question is answered by the cold remark, "We know too little of heaven to think much about it. We rather know what it is not, than what it is. It is chiefly described by negatives." Negatives! True; but they are glorious negatives. No night! no death! no sin! no suffering or sorrow! This is what heaven is not. And is all this too little to furnish matter for frequent 66 and profound meditation? Sin cannot be a very oppressive burden to the mind that takes no pleasure in contemplating eternal freedom from the very being, as well as from the love and power of sin. Ignorance, and liability to mistake and err, cannot be very irksome to the mind that is not delighted with the prospect of seeing "face to face" all the things which we now see through a glass darkly." Pain and death cannot be much felt or feared, nor the vicissitudes of life much reckoned on, where the prospect of "no more curse " has little or no attraction. It is, therefore, very pitiful, when the negatives of revelation are appealed to, as reasons for not looking much to the things which are unseen and eternal. Were any of the lowest of these negatives to become true of any place in this world, that place would soon be attractive and popular. The discovery of a country in which there was no pain, or no sickness, would be a theme of enthusiastic congratulation. Such a place would soon be crowded; and even those who staid at home would be unable to forbear from thinking of it, although it were described only by negatives. Such a negative as "no suffering," would be held to be a positive good, and be hailed with general gratitude. And, as heaven is the entire and eternal negation of all evil, natural and moral, they evince little mind, and less conscience, who excuse their inattention to it by the pretence, "that we know what it is not, rather than what it is." It is also common to put forward a better excuse in a worse form; because an unscriptural form. How often are both speaking and thinking, abruptly broken off, by quoting the words of Paul, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." This too is pitiful, whether it arise from ignorance or inattention; for Paul immediately adds, "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit." 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10. This the apostle repeats with triumph; "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things which are freely given us of God; which things also we speak." So far, therefore, is the apostolic argument from being an apology for not attempting to realize heaven, that it is, in fact and intention, a strong reason for looking much and often to the joy set before us. Well might BAXTER say, "Think on the joys above as boldly as Scripture hath expressed them. To conceive of |