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૯ power of his Chrift; for the accufer and tempter "is caft down, and will never lift up his head to hurt and afflict us any more !"

2. The happiness of the righteous in a future ftate, will confift not only in a complete deliverance from. every thing that is troublefome and uneafy, but in the full poffeffion of the greatest good of which their nature is capable.

And this is what is chiefly meant by eternal life in the text; for that can mean nothing lefs than life in its greatest perfection. We then truly live, when we draw our first breath in the air of heaven; when we open our eyes on the beauties and glory of the unseen world, and enter on the works and joys of the heavenly ftate. That indeed is the true birth-day of a faint fo that this expreffion denotes the affluence of all that can render our state completely happy.

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I might here observe to you, that the bodies of the faints at the refurrection, will be made more perfect than they were in this world. Our prefent earthly bodies are perpetually tending to corruption; and, how admirable foever their ftructure may be, they are at best but houses of clay, whose foundation is in the duft. But then, they fhall be raifed incorruptible and glorious bodies, and be purified to that degree, as to partake of the immortality of the foul. "The dead," the apoftle tells us, "fhall be raised incorruptible; "for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and "this mortal muft put on immortality;" and then fhall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is fwallowed up in victory (i)."

The happiness of this bleffed ftate, however, will chiefly confist in the perfect and heavenly life of the foul; for, then, all its powers will be enlarged, and its defires fatisfied.

The understanding will be enlightened with new discoveries of useful and noble truths; with a more

(i) I Cor. xv.

clear,

clear certain, and full apprehenfion of many things, concerning which we now doubt, or know but little.

What a poor, fhort-fighted creature is man, in this world! Even thofe who, by much labour and ftudy, have attained to the knowledge of more than others; yet, how few are the things they know, in comparison with thofe of which they are ignorant? But when the faints arrive at the mansions of glory, thofe fcales will drop from their eyes, and a glorious fcheme of Divine truth be prefented to them. Then fhall they know God himself, the All in All, the perfection of excellence and of love. Here, it is but a fmall por tion of himself, that he hath revealed to the fons of men. What is his name, and what is his Son's name, who can tell? But, then, they fhall know Him, even as they alfo are known; for they fhall fee Him as he is. Not that they will be able to compre hend the Divine nature: No, that is not poffible for the most perfect finite being. But they will get fuch discoveries of his glorious perfections, of his incom. parable excellencies, as infinitely tranfcend our prefent conceptions. "Now," fays the apoftle, "we "fee through a glass darkly, but then face to face (c)." And what an infinite pleafure muft the contempla tion of fuch an all-glorious object afford to fuch raised and elevated minds, which by every new dif covery are still enlarged to discover more, and have ftill new light pouring in upon their ravished foulsBut further, they will also have a far more compre henfive and delightful knowledge of the works of God, than we can poffibly attain to, in this ftate of darknefs and imperfection. Here, many things ap pear to us crooked, which we know not how to make ftraight. The steps of God are often in the deep; his counfels are unfearchable, and his ways paft find ing out. But, in the realms of light, the faints will fee into those dark mazes of providence, which lo

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(4) I Cor. xiii. 12..

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much perplex the minds of good men: Wherefore the wicked profper, and the workers of iniquity flourish apace; why the righteous are fo much afflicted, and waters of a full cup wrung out to them. Here, we fee, as it were, but one end of the chain of providence; there, we fhall view it from beginning to end, and behold all the links admirably joined and faftened together: And then, the whole fcheme being viewed at once, all the feeming blemishes will dif appear; and not only the justice and holiness, but the 'wifdom and goodnefs of the Divine government, will appear unexceptionable. The great mystery of our redemption, that myfterious wifdom of God, will also be then unfolded to the faints, and employ their never-ceafing admiration and praife. In a word, they will then be able to reconcile all the fancied. contradictions in the conduct of providence, and in the glorious scheme of our redemption by a crucified Saviour; nay, they will fee and admire the whole, as all-perfect, harmonious, and beautiful. Now, we fee by faith; but faith will then ceafe, and be perfected in vifion. We now fee God by a reflection of his perfections, from his works; but the veil will be then drawn afide, and we fhall fee him face to face. Glorious day! when thofe fhadows fhall fly away, and the Sun of righteoufnefs irradiate our fouls with his divine light and fplendour.

The happiness of this life of the faints in glory, will alfo confift in the perfect conformity of their wills to the nature and will of God. For this is the happy and neceffary refult of their immediate vision of Him. Accordingly, when the apostle John gives us that fummary account of what we now know, concerning the glory and happiness of this future ftate, he conjoins thefe two branches of it: "We "know," fays he, "that when he fhall appear, we "hall be like Him, for we fall fee Him as he is (i).”

(i) I John iii. 2.

With

With what difficulty is it, that even the most ferious Chriftians, while in this valley of tears, get their wills brought to a compliance with the will of God? What averfion to their duty are they often doomed to feel? But there, like the angels in heaven, they will be all refignation and compliance with his will.

And as they will be thus perfectly conformed to the will of God, fo they will be exercised in the most vigorous acts of Divine love. Love, is that grace which, the apostle tells us, will abide, when prophecies fail, when tongues ceafe, and when knowledge vanishes away (c). It is an, immortal grace, that lives beyond time, and will live and flourish while eternity lasts. The faints above, as they know the ever-bleffed God, and contemplate his glory by immediate vifion; so, they love him with the most pure and ardent affection. There, perfect knowledge kindles perfect love. And, indeed, it is impoffible that they can behold fo much beauty and goodness, fuch vaft unmeasurable glory, without loving them. It is the great complaint of the pious here on earth, that their love is languid and faint. I appeal to your own experience: When you attempt to love him, and to raise your affections to things above, what finful damps and coldness hang heavy on your minds? What allurements offer to entice you from your duty? Even when you get nearest to your God and Redeemer, ftill you find reafon to complain of your distance, and to utter the pfalmift's paffionate with; "When fhall I come, and

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appear before God?" But, in the church triumphant, there will be no fuch complaints; for that love, which is here but as a fmoking flax, will be there a bright and active flame. Nor will it vent itfelf, as it often does here, in mournful defires after an abfent God, but in moft fatisfying complacency in his eternal prefence and love. To render the faints un speakably happy, every thing in heaven will confpire;

(4) I Cor. xiii. &.,

the

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the glories of the place, the fociety of angels and fellow faints, the ferenity of their own pure and im maculate fouls; but, abové all, the enjoyment of their glorious God and gracious Rédeemer. For, as they know that they love him, and feel this love to be the warmest affection of their hearts; fo, they know that he also loves them. Nay, every moment they tafte of his love, and live upon it with inconceiveable delight. And, O, what an unknown fatisfaction muft arife in the mind from the full affurance of the love of God! What tongue can exprefs, what heart conceive, the facred pleasure that fills every foul in heaven, under the immediate and lively fenfations of this Divine love! Is communion with God on earth fo exquifitely delightful, that a gracious foul would not exchange one minute of it for all the most luxurious pleasures of the fons of men? Is it fo delightful, at this humble distance, to taste of the ftream? How inconceiveable then must be the happinefs of dwelling. at the fountain head, and drinking of thofe rivers of pleasure, that flow at God's right hand for evermore!

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Another thing that will render the life of the righteous in heaven unspeakably happy, is, their exercise and employment. In the fcriptures, they are reprefented, as refting not day nor night; as praifing and finging Hallelujahs to Him that fitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb; faying, "Worthy art. "thou, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou haft created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created: To "Him that loved us, and washed us from our fins "in his own blood, and hath made us kings and "priefts unto God and his Father; to Him be "glory and dominion, for ever and ever." Their exercife, in a word, is one continued triumph over fin and Satan, and a conftant celebration of the praises of redeeming love: And, O,. what harmonious melody will this make, when every foul is filled with love, and every tongue refounds the praifes of their

King!

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