1

his wrath, and beholds him with a pleasant countenance. And, therefore, Although "the fig-tree fhall not bloffom, neither fhall "fruit be in the vines; the labour of the "olive fhall fail, and the fields shall yield no 66 meat; the flock fhall be cut off from the "fold, and there fhall be no herd in the "ftalls; yet will he rejoice in the Lord, he "will joy in the God of his falvation.".

But a

2d Source of joy to a child of God, confifts in the actual honours and privileges conferred upon him. He is advanced to the deareft and most intimate relation to God, adopted into his family, and invested with all the rights of a son. In him that life is begun, which, being hid with Chrift in God, fhall be preserved and improved, till at length it be perfected in the heavenly world. Rejoice "in the Lord, O ye righteous; and fhout "for joy, all ye that are upright in heart."

To

you it belongs to come boldly to a throne of grace, in the affured hope that you fhall obtain mercy, and find grace to help you in every time of need: by the blood of Jefus you can enter into the holieft, and in every thing

ག

by prayer and fupplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God; cafting all your care upon him, because he careth

for you. He is yours who poffeffeth all things, and what can you want? He is yours who can do all things, and what fhould you fear? He is yours who is goodness and love itself, how then can you be miserable, or what imperfection can there be in your felicity? His faithfulness is pledged to make all things work together for your good. your good. The most afflictive events, like the furnace or pruning hook, fhall only purge away your dross, or render you more fruitful. So that you may glory in tribulation, "knowing that tribula"tion worketh patience, and patience expe“rience, and experience hope that maketh "not ashamed." To conclude this detail of the privileges of a faint, hear how the Apostle to the Corinthians describes them (1 Corinth. iii. 21.), "All things are yours, whether "Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world,

σε

or life, or death, or things prefent, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; "and Chrift is God's."-Once more,

3dly,

1

3dly, The joy of a faint proceeds from the contemplation of thofe future bleffings which as yet are only the objects of hope. But in speaking of thefe, where fhall we begin? Shall I pass beyond the dark and lonely grave, which Job hath ftyled "the house appointed "for all living," and lead you upwards at once to the realms of light and joy, to furvey that house, with many manfions, whither Chrift is gone to prepare a place for his people? No; in the paffage I laft quoted, we find death reckoned among the poffeffions of believers. To those who belong to Christ, death ceaseth to be the king of terrors. The stroke he gives doth indeed put an end to the existence of the old man; but by that very ftroke, the fetters which galled the new man in Chrift are broken afunder, and the life imparted by the second Adam comes to full maturity, when that which was derived from the firft Adam concludes. When, therefore, we view death and the grave as confecrated by Chrift, who died and was buried, they are no more to be ranked among the articles of the curfe denounced against the original apoftafy, but fall to be inrolled among the " things to

1

"come;" of which every believer may say, They are mine. In this light did Paul behold them, when he faid, " To me to live is "Chrift, and to die is gain.-I defire to de

part, and to be with Chrift, which is far "better."-" While I am at home in the bo"dy, I am abfent from the Lord. I am, "therefore, confident and willing, rather to ❝ be absent from the body, and present with "the Lord."-"O death, where is thy fting? "O grave, where is thy victory? The fting "of death is fin, and the ftrength of fin is "the law. But thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory, through Jefus Chrift our Lord."

But it is the refurrection which fhall complete the triumph of the faints, when that which is fown in weaknefs, in difhonour, and corruption, fhall be raised in power, in glory, and incorruption. In that day of the manifeftation of the fons of God, when our vile bodies fhall be changed and fashioned like unto Chrift's glorious body," when this corrup"tible fhall have put on incorruption, and “this mortal shall have put on immortality, ❝ then shall be brought to pass the saying "that

"that is written, Death is fwallowed up in victory." But how fhall we fpeak of the glory yet to be revealed, "which eye hath

.

not feen, nor ear heard, neither hath it en"tered into the heart of man to conceive." Should I attempt any defcription of it, I should only "darken counsel by words with"out knowledge." "" It doth not yet ap" pear," faith the Apostle John, what we "fhall be but this we know, that when he "fhall appear, we fhall be like him; for we "fhall fee him as he is." Here, then, let us ftop. To be made like the Son of God, to behold his unveiled glory, and to be for ever with him thefe particulars must surely include every ingredient which can belong to the highest perfection and happiness of a creature. With this great object in our eye, how well doth it become us to adopt the language of the Apostle Peter, and to say with fervent gratitude, as he did, " Bleffed be the God and "Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begot

66

:

ten us again unto a lively hope, by the re"furrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to Cc4

an