Consider some dear departed child of God thus interested in your
concerns, and you will find it a spur to duty, and an incentive to
labor and not faint in the work assigned you, preparatory to your
joining the church of the first born above. Think now that the godly
ones who loved you here, and labored to animate you in the service of
God--or those who lately looked to you for counsel and guidance,
having made their way to glory, are waiting your arrival and longing
to hail your entrance into the kingdom, and by all the strength of
your love to them, now freed from the imperfections of their earthly
residence, and made glorious and heavenly, you will find yourself
drawn on toward that state of blessedness, in which you hope again to
rejoice with those whose distresses you witnessed here--yea whose
dying agonies, may have chilled your frame and filled you with anguish
unutterable!

To meet them again, and find yourself and them, forever removed from
the fear of evil, either natural or moral--forever secure the divine
friendship--forever happy and glorious in the enjoyment of God, "the
former things being all passed away, and all tears forever wiped from
your eyes!" There to recount with those blessed spirits, the
travels and trials of this life, and look back, perhaps, on many
hairbreadth escapes from eternal death! There, to dwell on the wonders
of divine love and mercy exercised towards you, and often in things
which you once thought to be against you! Who would not willingly
suffer many deaths to enjoy these things?

Such considerations are animating in duty, and supporting in times of
trial. If realized, we shall adopt the language of the suffering
apostle--"None of these things move me, neither do I count my life
dear to myself, that I may finish my course with joy"--and share
such blessed society--such inconceivable felicity and glory in my
Father's house above, in which are many mansions!

* * * * * *

SERMON XXVIII.

The Danger of Deviating from Divine Institutions.

Colossians ii, 8.

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not
after Christ."

St. Paul was the apostle of the Gentiles. The care of the churches
gathered among them devolved particularly on him. At the writing of
this epistle he had no personal acquaintance with the church to which
it is addressed.* Epaphras, a bishop of the Colossi