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fentence that fhall then be paffed on the righteous and on the wicked, viz. a fentence of abfolution, of folemn approbation, of a glorious reward, to the rightcous; Come, ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the "kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of "the world:" But a fentence of condemnation, of amazing horror, to the wicked; "Depart from me, "ye curfed, into everlafting fire, prepared for the devil "and his angels" He concludes the awful fcene with the verfe which contains the words of our text: "And thefe" i. e. the wicked " fhall go into everlafting punishment, but the righteous into life eter"nal."

Concerning the first of these, the deplorable condition of the wicked in another world, I fhall not now difcourfe. But I would lead your thoughts to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem; to the general Affembly and Church of the Firft-born; to God, the Judge of all; to the fpirits of juft men made perfect; and to Jefus, the Mediator of the new covenant. And here, indeed, a beautiful fcene opens to our view, a moft delightful profpect to every fincere Chriftian, the ferious contemplation of which is of admirable use to keep us ftedfast and immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

In difcourfing, then, on this delightful fubject, after defcribing the character of the righteous who fhall go into eternal life, I fhall endeavour to give you fome imperfect account of that future ftate of happiness into which they fhall enter; and then make fome practical improvement.

I. With refpeâ to the character of the righteous, the apostle Paul defcribes it in few, but expreffive words: "They are juftified, wafhed and fanctified "in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit "of our God (a).”

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1. They are juftified through the perfect righteoufnefs of Christ imputed to them: And this, as it is their diftinguishing privilege, difplays alfo the exceeding riches of Divine grace: For God having accepted the obedience and fatisfaction of his own Son, the Mediator, in their flead, he has placed it to their ac count, and reckons it theirs, as if they themselves had performed it; and in this manner, they have ob tained the forgiveness of their fins, and are accepted as righteous in the fight of God. Hence, in fcripture, they are not only faid to be justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus; but to be made the righteousness of God, i. e. righteous in the fight of God, through him.

2. They are alfo fanctified by renewing grace. And this indeed infeparably accompanies the former; for, whom God juftifies, them he alfo fanctifies. And thence, there refults an inward fincerity and purity of mind and intention, a difpofition to comply with every part of duty, and a converfation becoming the gofpel of Chrift. Not, that they are righteous in a ftrict and perfect fenfe. No; the righteoufnefs of the best and most improved faint, were it to be tried by the rule of perfection, and examined by the light of Divine holiness and knowledge, would be found extremely defective; for in "many things we offend "all." But the meaning is, they are really, though not completely, righteous; their minds unfeignedly approve the whole law of God, their wills prevailingly confent to it, and the course of their actions manifefts their zeal to obferve it. In a word, perfection in holiness is their earnest with, though not their actual attainment; it is what they now afpire to, but cannot fully reach; this being referved as part of their promised reward, and a neceflary ingredient in that future happinefs for which they are now preparing.

This, then, is the character of the righteous, that which diftinguishes them from the men of the world. 2. I 2. Thefe

These are they who, having washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, shall ftand before the throne of God, and ferve him day and night in his heavenly temple. And this brings

me,

II. To give you fome account of that future state of happiness, here called eternal life, into which the righteous fhall enter.

But, who is equal to such an undertaking? The grandeur of the fubject dazzles our minds, tranfcends our most lofty conceptions, and cannot be represented by the moft fignificant words. It doth not yet appear, fays the apoftle, what we fhall be. It is a glory and a happiness yet to be revealed, of which we can form no distinct notion, till we enter within the vail, and are admitted into the heavenly fanctuary. Nay, to check presumptuous and unavailing curiofity, we are exprefsly told, that "eye hath not feen, nor ear "heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of "man to conceive, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him "

As God, however, has been pleafed to afford us fome light concerning the future, and as we ought to be frequently employed in meditating on this dilightful fubject, I thall endeavour to give you, from Divine revelation, some imperfect account of that future ftate of happinefs, which is promifed to the righteous. And, O that, by the bleffing of God, it may beget in you an ardent defire after it, and engage you to feek that temper and difpofition of foul, which alone can qualify you for the enjoyment of it.

This ftate of future happiness is reprefented in the text, under the notion of eternal life, and to this I fhall chiefly confine myself in what I am to fay concerning it.

Life, you know, is the foundation of every enjoyment; nay, in the common eftimation of men, it is

the

the most defirable of earthly bleffings. The true notion of it is, to be well and happy. The damned in hell are alive; but they are fo far from enjoying life, that their deplorable and wretched condition is ftyled. in fcripture the fecond death: nay, the Spirit of truth. will not allow the life of the wicked in this world to be true life, but fpeaks of them as dead in trefpaffes and fins. Even that decaying and frail life we now live, though we be fo fondly in love with it, does hardly deferve the name of life. But the life of the bleffed in heaven, is life in its utmost perfection; pure, unmixed, unallayed life. For,

1. They are perfectly delivered from every thing that makes the prefent life uneafy and burthenfome.

In this ftate of mortality, there is nothing fo grievous to a good man, to an exercifed Chriftian, as fin. This is that law in his members that warreth against his mind. At intervals, in spite of all his exertions, his propenfities to pleafure and folly are reviv-ed; and though the general tenor of his conduct e-vinces that his heart is right with God, yet he often feels the ardour of his love to him abated; he feels reluctance and averfion to perfevere in his fervice,, and is fometimes tempted to restrain prayer before. him. Thefe failures are a fource of frequent lamen-. tation; a fource however, that, in this life, will never wholly be exhaufted. Perfection, is the ftandard which man fhould fet before him; but perfection he never can attain. He may attempt to purify his heart as God is pure; but iniquity muft ftill prevail against him. In the life to come, however, he will obtain complete deliverance. The very being of fin will then be deftroyed, every evil inclination eradicated, and the foul for ever freed from this- inteftine enemy. Think with yourfelvés, ye children of God, what a happy life you would lead here, if fin did not difturb your peace, if it did not imbitter your comforts, and imprefs you with the dread of future wrath. How happy,

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happy, then, are they, to whom an entrance is at last adminiftered into that world, in which its power is no more felt? Happy indeed, unfpeakably happy, thofe perfected fpirits of the juft, whose warfare with fin is now ended, who have obtained a complete victory, an eternal triumph over it!

But again, all the natural confequences, the penal effects of fin, will be excluded from that happy ftate. Thefe now prey upon our tranfitory life, and diminish its comforts. Our sweets here are still attended with a fting, and great enjoyments bring greater forrow; but, there, they will not disturb our repofe. The inhabitants of that upper houfe fhall not fay they are fick, neither shall they grieve; for God will wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there fhall be no more death, neither forrow, nor crying, neither fhall there be any more pain; for the former things are paffed away. In a word, in the midst of that innumerable affembly of the bleffed, there is not one eye that weeps, one breast that fighs, or one tongue that complains. How happy then are thofe glorified faints, whose fears are vanished with their guilt; and who, as they shall fin, fo they shall forrow no more!

Finally, the temptations of Satan, and of a wicked world, fhall have no place there.. There, the wicked cease from troubling; there, the weary are at reft, and they hear not the voice of the oppreffor. Then, Satan, their implacable enemy, will be bound in chains, and caft into the bottomlefs pit. The Chriftian, once landed on the heavenly fhore, is fafe, and eternally out of his reach. From him he has thenceforth nothing to fear. And, 0, with what pleasure will he look back, as it were, on the amazing dangers he has efcaped, on the boisterous waves by which he had been toffed, while in this wafte and howling wildernefs! And how cheerfully will he join with his fellow faints in that triumphant fong; " Now is come "falvation, and the kingdom of our God, and the

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