its fields arrayed in verdure and adorned with flowers, the life which breathed in its winds and flowed in its rivers, the serenity of its sky, and the splendour of its sunshine, together with the immortality which gilded and burnished all its beautiful scenes, have filled the heart with rapture, and awakened the most romantic visions of the imagination. The poets of the west, and still more those of the east, have down to the present hour kindled at the thought of this scene of beauty and fragrance, and the very name of Eden has ever met the eye as a gem in the verse that it adorned; nay, it has been transferred by God himself to the world of glory, and thus, as well as a type, become one of the appropriate designations of heaven. To him that overcometh, saith our Saviour, will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

If the earthly paradise has been so delightful to the human mind, if the human heart has ever sighed over the loss of this happy residence, it must certainly be a more

delightful, as well as a more rational employment, to contemplate a paradise wonderfully superior both in its nature and duration, peculiarly gratifying if we consider ourselves as pilgrims and strangers in the present world, but looking for a permanent residence beyond the grave, a city which hath foundations, whose builder and whose maker is God.

St. John, in his description of the New Jerusalem, has described it in the most glowing colours which the language of man can use: "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God; and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; and had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; and the building of the wall of it was of jas

per: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass and the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second sapphire; the third a chalcedony; the fourth an emerald; the fifth sardonyx; the sixth sardius; the seventh chrysolite; the eighth beryl; the ninth a topaz; the tenth a chrysoprasus; the eleventh a jacinth; the twelfth an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there and there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh

a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him; and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever." And if this be a description of the place which the happy spirits are to enjoy, what must we say of the happiness of those who dwell there, with all around to promote their felicity? Their own minds will be in the highest degree prepared to take full possession; with every particle of sin removed, there will be no more

sorrow; with all cause of anxiety gone, there will be no more care; with all cause of strife away, they will enjoy perpetual peace; no cloud will ever appear to interrupt their joy, and with hearts overwhelmed with gratitude, their song of praise and adoration will be without end. Well might the apostle, in anticipation of this blissful abode, exclaim, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, what God hath laid up for them that love him." But we shall proceed to consider ;

1st, The feeling spoken of,-Joy in heaven.

2nd. The cause of it,-Over one sinner that repenteth.

3rd. How we ourselves may promote this joy.

In the first place we shall consider the feeling spoken of. "There shall be joy in heaven." The occasion of the words of the text being used, was this. The publicans and sinners were attracted by our Lord's ministry to hear him; at this the