Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

whofe time of life is distinguished by feebleness in body and mind, by ignorance or very limited knowledge, by meaner exertions, purfuits and pleafures: fo a faint in heaven differs from a faint in this world. Many things belonging to infancy are laid afide in riper years and many things, the faint, who is admitted into heaven, lays down with his mortal ftate, that accord not with the perfection on which he enters. That which is effential to our usefulness, perfection and enjoyment in life is, or ought to be, principally attended to and preferred and acquired, in the beginning of our days; is, or ought to be, the object of parental study and early education: just fo, in the present state, this infancy of being, Christians ought chiefly to regard, and to prepare for, the maturity of existence, in the regions of perfection and felicity: Chriftians ought chiefly to be reminded of the virtues and graces by which they are meet for the inheritance of the faints in light, and which they carry with them into heaven. Now, that which conftitutes, at once, the perfection and the blifs of the heavenly state, is this charity which I am defcribing and recommending. I fhew you, there

Rr 2

therefore, the better way, the way of higher excellence, the chief object of your desire and purfuit. Whatever other things are to be valued by you and defired and attained, follow after charity.

ALL this, I truft, you perceive, is fuggefted by the text, or contained in it; "When I "was a child I spake as a child, I understood

66

66

as a child, but when I became a man I put away childish things."

By this contrafted view of the present and future ftate, we are led to much useful and comfortable reflection and meditation. According to the various characters of men, in relation to the state of the blessed in heaven, inftruction, expoftulation, reproof, may be neceffary; or direction, encouragement and confolation. It is indeed previously fuppofed that the faith of the apostle is alfo ours. It is to those who believe there is a state of perfection and felicity, we address ourselves. The apostle mentions it as an indifputed truth; a matter, in admitting which all whom he addreffed agreed, without the least hefitation: and, affuredly, the moment we

are

are convinced of the truth of Christianity, we can entertain no doubt that there is a ftate of perfection and felicity, referved for the faints, greatly fuperior to their highest attainments and happiness on earth.

SHALL we therefore proceed to lay the foundation of the practical obfervations and reflections, I referred to, by fhewing, in fome inftances, that the future ftate of the faints is fuperior to their highest acquirements and blifs on earth, as mature age is to childhood?

To thofe only who believe in this future glorious ftate, the fubject is agreeable and ufeful to those only who believe, CHRIST is precious: bút, all men have not faith. We live, alas! in a very licentious period, in which more openly, and more generally too, I fear, than in those that are paft, men have fet their mouths against the heavens, and spoken and written against the blessed revelation with which we are favoured, and its most important truths. It is neceffary, therefore, to confirm and establish those who profefs the faith of the Gospel, in the belief of

doctrines,

doctrines, the most generally received, and the most fully proved. I address those who profefs this faith. It is not to infidels, for their conviction and converfion, but to Christians, for their establishment and comfort, that we propofe fome of the principal evidences that there is a state of maturity in perfection and blifs, beyond the grave.

My friends, for confirming your faith and hope of future blifs, turn your attention inward: your minds are capable of much improvement: how fuperior is education to nature, your prefent to your former attainments! you perceive in yourselves, and in others, the unfolding powers, the progreffive improvement, of the foul. The prefumption is, all the powers of the mind fhall be unfolded all the capacities of improvement, of perfection and blifs, fhall be filled. Shall not the faculties that are unfolded in a man of learning, in those who have been educated with much study, which are originally as vigorous in others, never appear at all? The high attainments and enjoyments of fcience, confined to few, fhall they never be experienced by many, of equally vigorous minds and worthy

cha

characters, but who never have been lighted by the lamp of learning? Queftions of this kind are propofed with more advantage when we raife our thoughts to GoD, when we attend to the condition of humanity. Our Maker forms us to the love of excellence: " the righteous LORD loveth righteoufnefs." Yet the wicked are fometimes permitted to prosper, the worthy to be depreffed and perfecuted. Shall it always be thus? The belief of the perfections and government of God, is, in effect, the faith of a future ftate.

66

! In this faith we are confirmed, by our love of existence, our horror at diffolution; by our moral feelings, by the mifgivings of heart in those who depart from truth, justice and humanity; by the ferenity, felf-fatisfaction and confidence, of those who have done and fuffered, generously and boldly, in the cause of truth, justice and humanity. Are not these the teftimonies of nature, or of the GOD of our nature, the Governor of the world, that there is a future ftate? that a state of higher perfection and happiness is naturally expected ?

« AnteriorContinuar »