"moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star "differeth from another star in glory. So also is the "resurrection of the dead." Let us therefore look to

ourselves that we receive a full reward."

It is impossible to close without asking you in the presence of God, What preparation have you made for a dying hour? Surely you do not expect to live here always; you know that you must die; and if ever you think of it, you cannot help wishing to die in peace. But can you hope to conclude in comfort, a life passed in guilt? "Be not deceived; God is not "mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall ❝he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall "of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth to "the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." You are not in a state to die even SAFELY. You have only heard what you have to lose. To you No entrance will be adininistered.

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But I address myself to Christians; and call upon you to think much of a dying hour. The care of dying well, will influence you to live so. Value things according to the views you will have of them, when you look back from the borders of the grave. see the blessedness we speak of does not depend upon genius, learning, earthly riches, worldly distinctions. But some things have a favourable influence over a dying hour; value, select, pursue these. By such a death, regulate your plans of living. Be piously ambitious; seek after spiritual prosperity; be rich in faith; be filled with the fruits of righteousness; give all diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. Happy is the man who is no longer "in bon

dage through fear of death;" who can think with composure of "the house appointed for all living;" who can spend an hour among the tombs, and say, “Well, hither I have no reluctance to come when my "heavenly Father sends the summons. I know in "whom I have believed; and am persuaded that He "is able to keep that which I have committed to him "against that day." "O Death! where is thy "sting? O Grave! where is thy victory? The sting "of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; "but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory "through our Lord Jesus Christ."

SERMON XXI.

SERVICE DONE FOR GOD REWARDED.

EZEK. xxix. 17-20.

And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled; yet had he no wages, nor his army for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it: therefore thus saith the Lord God, behold, I will give the Land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon ; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army. I have given him the Land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord God.

66 SURELY the Lord will do nothing, "but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." When he would bring in the flood upon the ungodly world, he divulged his purpose to

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Noah. From Abraham he would not hide the thing he was about to do in the destrustion of the cities of the plain. When by his judgments he resolved to punish the house of Eli, he lodged the heavy tidings with Samuel. To Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, he announced the revolutions and doom of the surrounding nations.

Now this was done, first for the honour of these distinguished servants of God, by fhewing the confidential friendship with which he favoured them; and secondly, for the conviction and confirmation of oth

ers.

The truth of these predictions would increasingly appear in their successive accomplishments. The inference was obvious and undeniable. Who could draw back the veil which conceals futurity? Who could pierce through the obscurity of ages and generations, and foretell things to come? He, and He alone, "who declareth the end from the beginning, "and from ancient times the things that are not yet "done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do "all my pleasure."

The burden of the prophecy which is to engage your present thoughts, is the donation of Egypt to the king of Babylon for his trouble in taking Tyre.

Tyre was a place famous for navigation, merchandize, and riches. Our prophet calls it, "The mart of "nations," and enumerates the various countries in whose commerce it traded. But trade is perpetually changing its residence. It passed from Tyre to Alexandria, from Alexandria to Venice, from Venice to Antwerp, from Antwerp to Amfterdam, from Amfterdam to London. And if there be any truth in

history, an abundance of commerce has generally, if not universally, proved the ruin of the countries in which it has prevailed. It pours in wealth; wealth is favourable to every species of wickedness; and wickedness, by its natural tendency, as well as by the curse of God, brings in calamity and misery. So it was with Tyre. Luxury, pride, insolence, licentiousness of manners, indifference to the distresses of others, presumptuous confidence in their resources, all these abounded among them and foreboded the evil day; "Therefore thus said the Lord God: Behold "I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many "nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth "his waves to come up. For behold, I will bring upon Tyrus, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and "much people. He fhall slay with the sword thy ર daughters in the field: and he fhall make a fort "against thee, and caft a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee. And he fhall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he fhall break down thy towers. And I will make "thee like the top of a rock; thou fhalt be a place to "spread nets upon; I the Lord have spoken it."

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This prediction was now accomplished. Tyre had fallen, but not without immense labour and loss.Thirteen years Nebuchadrezzar besieged it with a large army. Toiling for so many seasons, night and day, summer and winter, the soldiers endured incred ible hardships; "every head was bald; every fhoul"der was pealed." For the walls were deemed im