The lowest degree, however, of this reward fhall be very great to those who receive it. This appears, from the images ufed in Scripture, to illuftrate its nature. It is compared to, it is illuftrated by, all the glories of royalty. Hence we read of " a crown of righteoufnefs," a and of" a crown of glory, that fadeth not away,"b that fhall be conferred upon all the fincere difciples of Chrift. Of a throne, and their sitting upon that throne; "To him that overcometh, will I grant to fit with me on my throne, even as I also overcame, and am fet down with my Father in his throne." We alfo read of a kingdom, and their entering on the poffeffion of that kingdom: Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."d Agreeably to this, the good and faithful fervants of Chrift are faid to be made kings and priests unto God.e But a throne, a crown, and a kingdom, are the fummit of earthly grandeur, the utmost reach of human achievement. And yet thefe, all thefe, fall infinitely fhort of the blessedness and honors in fure reserve for those whose character I have defcribed: for it is written," Eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."f

"En

4. The reward in our text includes the most consummate happiness, in the immediate presence and fruition of a God in Christ. This is imported in that phrafe, ter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Thefe are literally, Joys unfpeakable, and full of glory." They include all that happiness that is derived to the fpirits of just men made perfect, from the clearest knowledge of a God in Chrift; from the most perfect conformity to him, and the fulleft enjoyment of him. By the clearest knowledge of a God in Chrift, I do not mean a perfect knowledge of him; for "Who, by fearching, can find out God, or know the Almighty to perfection?" But I mean the fulleft knowledge of him, that the then enlarged and daily enlarging capacity can poffibly receive; and which, when

a 2 Tim. iv. 8. 61 Pet. v. 4. c Rev. iii. 21. d Mat. xxv. 31. e Rev. i. 6. f: Cor. ii. 9. g Job xi. 7.

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compared with our present knowledge, will be in a fenfe perfect. The clearnefs, precifion, extent, and fatisfactory nature of this knowledge, are expreffed, in Scripture, by "feeing no more darkly through a glafs, but face to face; and knowing even as also we are known."a And by the ftrong expreffive phrafe of "feeing God's face."b

This knowledge of God, efpecially as fhining in the face of Chrift, is one principal fource of that confummate happiness, enjoyed by glorified fpirits. They know him as their God and portion, and as fuch their delightful experience recognizes and realizes him. That is an inftructive and emphatical phrase, as it lies in the original, Rev. xxi. 3. laft claufe-which literally rendered, runs thus, "And God himfelf fhall be with them, their God;" that is, exhibiting and manifefting himself to them, as their God, in all the ways that their fouls, now arrived at the maturity of their existence both in a natural and moral view, can poffibly admit. Every power of the matured mind fhall be an avenue, through which bleffednefs fhall flow into it, from God, the fountain of blessednefs, throughout an unwafting immortality.

I may not, I dare not undertake to defcribe the nature of this happiness. I fhall only observe respecting it, that our text files it "the joy of our Lord"-" Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord"-This, no doubt, means the joy of our Lord Chrift.

It is the joy of our Lord, because it has been purchased by him. This reflects a peculiar glory upon it, in the eftimation of the fpirits of juft men made perfect; it infufes a divine and exquifite relifh into it-to this accords their fong to him, "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the feals thereof: for thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation."c

Again-It is the joy of our Lord, because Christ, our Lord, has taken possession of it in the name of his people -Some of his laft words to his difciples were, "I go to prepare a place for you."d He rofe from the dead and

@ 1 Cor. xiii. 12. b Rev. xxii. 6. c Rev. v. 9. d John xiv. 2.

afcended to glory, not in the character of a private person, but as the covenant head and reprefentative of his people -This is the character in which "he has entered into Heaven, as the forerunner for us."a

It is also the joy of our Lord, becaufe it is derived from God, to the happy subjects thereof, through Jesus Christ, as the bond of their union with him, and the medium of their intercourse with him-And this will continue to be the cafe throughout a blessed immortality.

And, laftly, it is the joy of our Lord, because it is a joy of the same kind with that which the glorified human nature of our Lord himself shares; fo far as they fhall be capable of it-What lefs than this can be the import of that ftrong phrafe, "Heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrift." Nor is this all, they fhall enjoy it in the fame manfions of bleffednefs, which he himfelf inhabits. This is his promise to them, "I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be alfo."c And his availing prayer for them is, "Father, I will, that they alfo whom thou haft given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou haft given. me."d Agreeably to which, we read, "They fhall ever be with the Lord."e

And now from all this, you will not hesitate to conclude, that this joy must be a compleat and an everlasting joy. And, what can it be more?

My brethren, you will eafily perceive this fubject teaches us the nature of the religion of Jesus Christ. It forms its happy fubjects to a proper temper and a proper conduct towards God and their neighbors. It makes them good and faithful fervants to their Master, who is in Heaven. It teaches them their duty, and inclines and enables them to comply with it. Its doctrines and precepts, its promises and threatenings, are powerful principles of action. Thus it is that divine truth fanctifies the human heart, agreeably to our Lord's prayer," Sanctify them through the truth; thy word is truth."f

Heb. vi. 20. b Rom. viii. 17. c John xiv. 3. d John xvii. 24. e 1 Theff. iv. 17. f John xvii. 17.

You will farther obferve, this religion not only teaches us our duty, and forms us to it, but rewards us, in the moft glorious manner, for this our very duty-Rewards us with an immortality of bleffedness, in the full enjoy ment of the Father of our Spirits. How grand, interefting, and dignified the fcenes it opens beyond the grave!

Do any of thofe fyftems of morality, which the fons of infidelity wish to establish, independent of the facred Scriptures, furnish fuch motives to virtue? Motives fo rational, and fo calculated to influence? It is revelation alone that pushes its incentives beyond the grave; that pushes them home to the inmoft feelings of the human heart; that embraces every spring of action, even the most fecret; and touches them in the moft tender, juft, and energetic

manner.

Again-This fubject fuggefts matter of great encouragement to the people of God, and efpecially to the minifters of Chrif, to be faithful and diligent in the work affigned them in life. Our Lord marks, with an omnifcient eye, all our conduct towards him; and while he reprehends our floth and unfaithfulness, he encourages and rewards our meaneft fervices for him. "A cup of cold water given to a disciple, in the name of a disciple," he affures us, "fhall in no wife lofe its reward."a Let us, then, shake off our floth: let us up and be doing: Our work is great; our time is fhort, and our reward glorious; Nor is there a fingle Chriftian, however private his ftation or obfcure his character, but what may, fome how or other, ferve the interefts of his Lord in the world. This he may do by a confcientious difcharge of the duties of the devout, but especially of the duties of the focial life. This will exhibit religion in a juft point of light to the furrounding world, and glorify our Father who is in Heaven.

They may also be useful in and by the duty of prayer; fecret and family prayer. Our God is a God who hears prayer; and he, no doubt, fheds many a bleffing on his minifters, on his church, on the commonwealth, and on

a Matth. x. 40.

the world, in answer to the prayers of his humble, though obfcure friends. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, feeing God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love"-" Let us be ftedfaft, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forafmuch as we know our labor is not in vain in the Lord."

But it is time I fhould haften to obferve, that this fubject ftrongly applies to the occafion of my addreffing you this day-The death of that venerable man of God, who prefided, with so much dignity, over this inftitution for twenty-fix years.

This great man was defcended from a refpectable parentage; which had long poffeffed a confiderable landed property in the eaft of Scotland. His father was minif ter of the parish of Yefter, a few miles from Edinburgh, where he was born on the fifth day of February, 1722.a This worthy man was eminent for his piety, his literature and for a habit of extreme accuracy in all his writings and difcourfes. This example contributed not a little to form in his fon that tafte and that love of accuracy, united with a noble fimplicity, for which he was fo diftinguished through his whole life. He was fent, very young, to the public school at Haddington: His father fpared neither expence nor pains in his education. There he foon

a Dr. Witherspoon was lineally defcended from that eminent man of God, the Rev. Mr. John Knox, whom Dr. Robertfon ftiles, "The prime inftrument of fpreading and establishing the reformed religion in Scotland." The genius, learning, piety, zeal, and intrepidity of this great man, rendered him fingularly qualified for the diftinguithed part he bore in that interefting event. It is recorded of Mary, Queen of Scots, that fhe faid, "She was more afraid of John Knox's prayers, than of an army of ten thousand men." Worn out by inceffant labors, he died on the 27th day of November, 1572, in the 67th year of his age. The Earl of Morton, then Regent of Scotland, who attended his funeral, pronounced his eulogium in a few words; the more honorable for Mr. Knox, fays the above hiftorian, as they came from one whom he had often cenfured, with peculiar feverity, "Here lies HE who never feared the face of man." Mr. Knox's daughter Elizabeth married the famous Mr. John Welsh, who ftrongly resembled his father-in-law in genius, character, and usefulness in the church: And in this line Dr. Witherspoon defcended from this honorable ancestry.