But men do not come to understand what life is, nor to form fearful pictures of death, all at once. By degrees, as the faculties expand, and hope ranges more widely, and plans are formed for the future, and history unfolds the past—as years pass by and add to the experience of life, men begin to form new notions of what their life is; and for the most part they learn, if not to love life better, yet at least to fear death more and in many cases to shrink so distastefully from the thought of dying, that they choose to give up, as much as they possibly can, all reflection on the subject of death. For this reason, and for other reasons too many to mention here, men deceive themselves as to what life is: they see visions and dream dreams, the visions representing no true image of a substantial reality, and the dreams never to be verified by waking consciousness.

Now (in the first place) children have their notions of life, which the world is pretty well agreed to regard as vain and foolish. The pains and sorrows, the griefs and fears, of children so soon pass away, and are so soon forgotten, that they look forward to a bright sunshiny life as the portion designed for them until old age and death draw near. Why, they know not; and how, they trouble not themselves to inquire; but happy they expect to be happy in good spirits, happy in pleasures to be enjoyed, happy in having their own way as they grow from childhood up to independence, happy in the affections of those whose affections are worth the having. Flowers in spring, and fruit in autumn; frequent sunshine, few clouds, and those

soon blown away, and the winter far far away; this is their prospect of life. It is a view both true and false; less true than they think themselvesmore true than the world will allow. It may prove true, or it may not, according to the guides they follow, and the means by which they hope to attain that blessedness which their untainted imaginations picture to them as the portion they were made to inherit. Their life is like a flower with a worm near the root. If they, whose business it is to train and nurture the tender plant, should caress, feed, and pamper the worm, a slow decay and certain death, and endless disappointment, will be the consequence. But if the worm be destroyed, and the plant duly tended, the refreshing rains, and life-giving sun, will draw forth the tender foliage, the beautiful flower, and the perfect fruit in their seasons.

But the fancies and feelings of childhood and youth pass away; and then the world says that men are entering upon life. Their prospects in life are spoken of, and they are said to have begun life well or ill, as if all that was past were not worth the name of life. Then men enter upon their professions, and follow their callings in earnest, and settle down in life. The stream of the world lays hold upon them, and they are carried along by its fluctuating waters. Henceforth they take their station in society-they are men of pleasure, or men of the world, or men of business; they establish for themselves a character as shrewd, or industrious, or clever, or keen. Thus they come out in the world, and advance in life. Their fortunes increase, and friends gather round,

and their acquaintances respect them, and their relations look up to them, and have expectations from them, and treat them with deference.

This, my brethren, is what the world calls life. I have given you this little sketch only as a sort of specimen which some of you will recognise as according with your own experience: not as if it represented what your lives are or have been, or what you expect they will be. For every man's way of looking upon life is somewhat peculiar: that is, he sees life through a veil, which is coloured by his own experience, and harmonizes objects with his own dispositions. Each man, I say, has his own peculiar views of life; and yet every man, or almost every man, is influenced in forming his views of life by the world's opinion of what life is. The misfortune is, that that opinion is a false and deceitful one; and therefore every view which harmonizes with it is false, and injurious to him who holds it. For of all views of life there is but one true view; one only in which Christians can rest ; one only which can satisfy a soul redeemed from death by death, and restored to life by the resurrection of the dead: which says on the one hand, "What is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. And on the other hand, "Your life is hid with Christ in God," and, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear;" and, "To me to live is Christ;" and, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ;"" and lastly, in the words of the text, "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

1 St. James, iv. 14. 2 Col. iii. 3, 4; Phil. i. 21; Gal. ii. 20.

Our natural life is in itself but a vain shadow; and he that seeks for satisfaction in the life of nature, disquieteth himself in vain. Once it was otherwise, when man was made in the image of God: and even yet bright visions of that fair image float through the minds of children, especially the minds of the regenerate children of God, and blending with their anticipations of life, and their experience of the tender affections and sweet cares of their parents and friends, fill them with glorious hopes, of which the mother of their new birth takes hold, and thereby encourages them in the way of everlasting life, in which is no ultimate disappointment.

See, then, my brethren, those of you who are still light-hearted and hopeful, whither you must look for the fulfilment of the bright hopes of childhood. It is not for nothing that you were born again in the waters of salvation of incorruptible seed, by the power of the Holy Ghost. For then you were inspired with the breath of a new life, which shall endure for ever. Then was a new principle of immortality put within you. Then becoming the members of Christ, you became partakers of the life which is in Him; and you may, therefore, without being disappointed, draw beautiful pictures of the future, and hope for boundless joy: only let your pictures of bliss be heavenly, not earthly; let there be the bright-winged angels moving to and fro; and pure little infants, wrapped in the mantle of salvation given them in their baptism; and the saints redeemed from among men, whose garments have been washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.

Above all, in your thought of true happiness, ever remember the serene majesty and pure love of your Master and only Saviour, who died for you, and will judge you; never think of happiness apart from His favour; and if you would enjoy that glorious vision, would worship with the angels, hold communion with the saints, and be in the bosom of the Good Shepherd-remember it must be with pure hearts, chaste affections, and meek spirits, in all gentleness, goodness, truth, and humility. Is this your picture of life? Is it at all like it? Have you learned wisdom enough to look for your life, and the happiness of life, in Him, who lived and died, and rose again? Will you thoughtfully, yet cheerfully, look beyond this earthly life for a true life; and wait for the morning of the resurrection, when the Sun of Righteousness shall rise and shine forth gloriously? Will you wait till the harvest for your fruit, and sow your seed now, in tears, if so be it please God, that you may reap in joy hereafter? Then you may hope with confidence, and wait in quietness and silence, for perfect salvation when your Redeemer shall come.

Meanwhile, the Life is in very deed in the regenerate; and many foretastes of perfect bliss are granted them; because the Lord is risen from the dead, and is alive for evermore. The whole Body of the Church lives a real life in her living Head. If Christ were not risen, St. Paul says that we were yet in our sins, and that, notwithstanding the atonement made upon the cross. I think we may be able to see why it should be so: for is not He our life?