are fightings; within are fears. Here we have a thousand ungratified desires; experience daily disappointments, reproaches of conscience, and distressing apprehensions of the wrath of God. We are subject to hunger and thirst, to cold and heat, to weariness and languor, sickness and pain, decay and death. Our friends and relatives suffer with us; they sicken and die; their sins disgrace them, and wound us; and awaken painful apprehensions concerning their destiny beyond the grave. Wars also spread far and wide the miseries of dismay, plunder, slaughter, and destruction. Fires, famine, and pestilence often desolate cities, and depopulate kingdoms.

To beings, who suffer here so many great and distressing evils, how great and wonderful the change they experience, when the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to the heavenly Zion, with songs; when they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away; when they enter heaven, the seat of unalloyed happiness; where beauty, grandeur, sublimity and glory meet the eye; where harmony salutes the ear, and raptures of joy fill the soul; raptures unmixed, increasing, and endless.

Thus far it has been designed to give a clear and distinct view of heaven, so far as it is revealed in the bible. We see accordingly, heaven is a world of perfection; every beauty, glory, and excellency reign there in perfection. Every character is perfect, beautiful and divine. The employments of that world are study, obedience, and praise. And endless, increasing happiness, without any interruption from evil of any kind, will dwell there, and render all the inhabitants inconceivably blessed. It will be a state as glorious as an infinite author can make it.

I shall, therefore, conclude with an exhortation to all to prepare for that world without delay. You now see clearly the prize which is set before you. All you can acquire or enjoy, in your pursuit after worldly good, is vanity compared with heaven. And all are running, wrestling, and striving to obtain a prize. And the prize sought is either such enjoyments as this world affords, or the enjoyments of heaven. And heaven, in durable riches, in unfading honors and glories, and in refined pleasures, as far exceeds all the riches, honors, and pleasure of this world, as light exceeds darkness, or happiness misery.

To spend our days here in pursuit of worldly good, to the neglect of running for the prize in heaven, is the greatest wick

edness and folly. And when the uncertainty of life is considered, to delay preparation for heaven, is the height of folly. And that depravity of heart must be great, which causes men to pursue a course to their own ruin, when they might win a prize so glorious as heavenly and endless felicity.

From this day, let all turn into the narrow way, run the christian race, and so run as to secure success. Delay not. If you do, and ruin overtakes you, how must you lament your conduct, as you make your eternal bed in outer darkness; when you behold afar off the bliss of heaven, lost to you by your folly and madness. forever lost by your own perverse

ness.

Referring to different parts of the work.

A Page 31.

THE term judgm nt is often used in an indefinite and popular sense, without any regard to metaphysical accuracy. Estimating articles of daily traffic and commerce, or giving an opinion concerning their value, is called judging. Yet here two objects are perceived, and when compared with some standard, it is distinctly seen that one is of more value than the other. Perceiving this difference in their worth, when compared with the standard, is the judgment formed, or conclusion of the person concerning their value. Again. Judicial officers and referees give judgment in cases submitted to their decision. Here the understanding is employed, in investigating the real truth in the cases before them. And when every witness is heard, and every fact or truth is perceived, in relation to the cause pending, the judge comes to a conclusion; and perceiving what is true or false, right or wrong in the case, he pronounces a decision upon it to the parties concerned. In this process, the final perception of the real truth in the cause before him, and declaring this in words, is called his judgment. Hence in every sense in which the word judgment may be used, it is the understanding which is exercised, in perceiving or taking a view of all the objects necessary to come to a final conclusion and result, which is his judgment. And this is nothing more than a clear perception of the value of an article compared with its standard, or the truth of a cause referred to him. And no generic, and no more than a specific difference is discernible, between the numerous operations of the understanding. All its operations are no more or less, than perceptions of objects, whether the objects are things, or properties, or qualities, or relations, or connexions between antecedents and consequents.

B Page 46.

The word of God informs us, it is the office of conscience to accuse and condemn, or to excuse, approve, and justify, according as our hearts, actions and lives, agree or disagree with the moral law, our rule of conduct. And it must be obviousto can

did minds, that no other than specific operations of the understanding are employed, in accusing and condemning, or in approving and justifying. And it will be granted, that the various operations of the mind, when brought into view in the scriptures, are not presented in an accurate and systematic manner, as metaphysicians in examining the operations of the mind arrange them methodically.

Hence it is sometimes the case, that in the word of God we find one faculty of the mind used for another, as the understanding for the heart, and heart for the understanding. And sometimes what is in the word predicated of one faculty, in strict truth belongs to another. By observing these things, we may readily see that every thing, which is affirmed of conscience in the word, will agree with the view given of it in this essay. We read of a pure, a good, a peaceable, an inoffensive conscience; and of an evil, defiled, and seared conscience. When conscience does not condemn, but justify us, it is called good, and without offence. This is what Paul means, when he said he had lived in all good conscience; had maintained a conscience, not only good, but without offence. Whatever the reason was, his conscience in different periods of his life did not condemn but justify him. A conscience is pure, when free from error in its decisions. When conscience is said to be purged from dead works, to be alive, and washed, it is then awake to perform its office faithfully; to condemn er justify, according to a person's real conduct or deserts. And when persons have for a long time stifled and silenced the voice of conscience, and refused to regard its decisions and remonstrances; when it is silent, and ceases to perform its office in accusing and condemning, it is then styled a seared conscience. As when the warnings, admonitions, and counsels, we give to persons for evil conduct, have been long disregarded, we become silent, cease to warn them any longer, but give them up to ruin. So conscience ceases to warn, and the person is left to the dominion of an evil heart, to effect his own destruction. Here the fact is, the heart is become so hardened in a course of sin and rebellion, that the voice of conscience produces no effect, and makes no impression upon it. Then this hardness of heart is predicated of conscience, which is expressed by the term seared. When the true meaning is, conscience is silent, no longer performs its office towards a person so hardened in sin. This is the awful case, it is feared, with many persons.