will more particularly appear in the following example) and another who is poffeffed of the goods of this world, and who, after he has fupplied himfelf and his family with the neceffaries of life; applies the remaining part of his revenue in acts of humanity and benevolence, for the benefit of his fellow-creatures who are poor, and who want his affiftance; together with the dreadful fituation into which the former will be plunged in another world." There was a certain rich man," fays he, "who was clothed in purple and fine linen, "and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who laid at "his gate full of fores; and he defired to be fed 66 with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table and moreover the dogs came and licked his fores."We see here a clear description of the rich man whom Jefus hath before obferved: he is clothed, and fed, with all the luxuries of life; he is a perfect Epicure, but is loft to all fense of humanity, and the divine Providence hath bestowed her bleffings upon him to no purpose. He fees a fellow-creature lying at his gate, in the greatest distress and mifery, and praying for fome relief; not that he thereby defires to diminish, in the least, the luxury and extravagance of the rich man, but to receive only the crumbs which fell from his table, and which he gave to nourish his dogs; but this inhuman glutton rejected his prayer, and regarded him with that unfeelingness to which the dogs were unaccustomed; for these dumb L 2 dumb animals, feeing a thing that had animal life in fuch a wretched fituation, came and licked his fores, from an inftinct peculiar to their fpecies, and fhewed at leaft a defire to do him all the fervice that they were in a fituation to do him.-And when oppreffed nature was exhaufted, the foul of the poor beggar was delivered out of mifery, and carried by angels into Abraham's bofom:-" The 66 rich man died alfo, and was buried; and in "hell he lift up his eyes, being in torment, and "faw Abraham afar off, with Lazarus in his bo"fom; and he cried, and faid, Father Abraham, "have mercy on me, and fend Lazarus that he . ' may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame." But alas! that mercy which he had refufed to fhew when on earth, the time of his probation, was now refused to him: "For Abraham faid, Son, remem ber that thou, in thy lifetime, haft received thy good things, and Lazarus his evil things; but 66 now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And moreover between us and you, there is a great gulph fixed, fo that they who would pafs 66 1 from hence to you cannot ; neither can they pass to us that would come from thence.”—Jefus Christ has clearly fhewn us from hence, that there is no repentance in the grave; and that as death leaves us, judgment will find us.-But to illuftrate still more this important part of Christ's doctrine, we shall find it more particularly explained in the difcourfe which he had with Nicodemus, where he lays. lays open the neceffity of regeneration towards attaining eternal falvation; a point which none of the Ifraelitish prophets or lawgivers had ever touched upon before, and which, apparently, was never a part of the ideas of the ancient philofophers. Nicodemus, we are told, was one of the fect of the Pharifees, a man of confiderable note, and a ruler of the Jewish nation: it appears alfo, that, like the young man before mentioned, he was well. disposed, and wished to be instructed in the right way to falvation: but as Jefus Chrift and his doctrine were at that time held in the greatest contempt by his fect, and by the chief perfons of this nation, he had not refolution, enough to fupport all the mockery and perfecution which he forefaw would be the confequence of his taking up his cross and following him, or even of his being openly feen with him, although it is clear that he was convinced, that Jefus Chrift was either the Meffias, or fome other great prophet :-And therefore, "he ' came to Jefus by night, and faid unto him, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come '' from God; for no man can do thefe miracles 66. that thou doeft, except God be with him*." But Jefus, who apparently knew the man's thoughts, and his defire to inherit eternal falvation, but at the fame time, to pafs fmoothly through life, and to avoid expofing himself to the fame perfecution, to which his followers were expofed, put him immediately to the test, and said unto numbers of the Jews went away and believed on Jefus *. No reasonable man can reflect upon the conduct of thofe Jews without being filled with horror and amazement: they refolved to destroy an innocent perfon, because he had raised a man from the dead. Of the fact they were well convinced, because feveral of their friends were eye-witneffes of it; and they must likewife have been well af fured, that he could not have done this miracle, but by the immediate interpofition of the Divinity. They attempted alfo to deftroy Lazarus, because he was fo happy as to be the fubject whereon this great miracle was performed. We read of the character of Nero, of Caligula, of Bajazet, and of many other tyrants, with deteftation; but thefe tyrants were innocents in comparifon with the chief priests and Pharifees of thofe days. The former would not have had the courage to have degraded human nature fo much, as to do an act of this kind, to which nothing but the determined obftinacy, depravity, and hypocrify of a Jew was equal. However, from this time forward, Jefus walked no more openly among the Jews; but gave his difcis ples a particular account of all that should happen afterwards to Jerufalem, and of the entire deftruction of the Jewish nation and government; with all the great figns, and fcenes of distress, that would attend it. He had frequently, before this time, told his difciples that he fhould fuffer death, John xi, xii, by ઈ 66 66 66 ་ in the wilderness, even so muft the Son of man be 66 lifted up, that whofoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God "fo loved the world, that he gave his only begot66 ten Son, that whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have everlasting life for God. “ fent not his Son into the world to condemn the "world, but that the world through him might 66 be faved. He that believeth on him is not "condemned; but he that believeth not is already condemned, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God: And "this is the condemnation, that light is come in66 to the world, and men loved darknefs rather "than light, because their deeds were evil.”The latter part of the discourse with Nicodemus is fufficiently clear, and wants no explanation; but we do not find that, notwithstanding all that Jefus faid, this Pharifee was fufficiently converted to follow him in the regeneration of life; although it appears, that he had afterwards refolution enough to attempt to stem the torrent of abuse that they were pouring forth against Jefus in their council."Doth our law," fays he, "judge any man before “it hear him, and know what he doeth *?" When Jefus began to preach, and to do his great avow that he was the Meffias and Son of God; |