-1.14 2'ME WORLD TO COME. Deity, and under the smiles of his countenance, who approves all their work and worship. 3. As in our present world the hours of night are inactive if we sleep, so they seem long and tedious when our eyes are wake- ful, and sleep flies from us. Perhaps we hear the clock strike one hour after another, with wearisome longings for the next succeeding hour : We wish the dark season at an end, and we long for the approach of morning, we grow impatient for the dawning of the day. But in heaven, " ye spirits who have dwelt longest there, can ye remember one tiresome or tedious hour, through all the years of your residence in that country ? Is there pot eternal wakefulness among all the blessed ? Can any of you ever indulge a slumber ? Can you sleep in heaven ? Can you want it or wish for it ? No, for that world is all vital, and sprightly for ever." When we leave this flesh and blood, fare- well to all the tedious measures of time, farewell tiresome dark- ness ; our whole remaining duration is life and light, vital activity and vigour, attended with everlasting holiness and joy. 4. While we are here on earth the darkness of the night often exposes us to the danger of losing our way, of wandering into confusion, or falling into mischief. When the sun- beams bave withdrawn their light, and midnight clouds over - spread the heaven, we cannot see our path before us, we cannot pursue our proper course, nor secure ourselves from stumbling. How many travellers have been betrayed by the thick shadows of the night into mistaken ways or pathless desarts, into endless mazes among thorns and briars, into bogs and pits and precipices, into sudden destruction and death ? But there are no dangers of this kind in the heavenly world : All the regions of paradise are for ever illuminated by the glory of God : The light of his counte- nance shines upon every step that we shall take, and brightens all our way. We shall walk in the light of God, and under the blessed beams of the Sun of righteousness, and we are secured for ever against wandering, and against every danger of trip- ping or falling in our course. Our Peet may stumble on the dark vnourztains here below; Jer. xiii. 16. but there is no stumbling- block on the hills of paradise, nor can we go astray from our 6ód, or our duty. The paths of that country are all pleasure, and everliving day-light shines upon them without end. Happy beings, who dwell or travel there! 5. In the night we are exposed here on earth to the vio- lence and plunder of wicked men, whether we are abroad or at home. There is scarce any safety now a -days to those who travel in the night, and even in our own habitations there is frequent fear and surprize. At that season the sons of mischief dig through houses in the dark 'which they had marked for themselves in the day-time : They lurk in corners to seize the innocent, and to rob
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