on's excellent fpirit never have higher thoughts of the divine attributes, than when their circumfrances call moft for the exertion of them.--- When the view of their own ignorance, weakness, and unworthiness rifes, the view of God's wifdom, power, and fovereignty fwells in their eye. Nay, that the glory of divine power may be the more fhining, they fometimes exult in their very weakneffes and imperfections: "Moft gladly (faid an "eminent faint) will I glory in my infirmities, "that the power of Chrift may rest upon me," 2 Cor. xii. 9.

3. Is there fuch a thing as the kingdom of heaven and of God? Is there fuch a confummate. felicity in referve for the heirs of promife? Then fee,

That this prefent is not the abiding state of faints. Now, they are only minors, in the life of grace, but haftening toward majority in the life of glory at a distance from their Father's houfe, but bound for Emmanuel's land, where their man fions are prepared; foldiers under the banner of Chrift,but fure of the victory in due time; prifoners in houfes of clay, but the day haftens when thefe prifon-doors will burft open, and thofe ranfomed fouls get leave to depart in peace. They are fubject at prefent, to numberlefs difeafes, and namelefs difafters; but, by and by, they fhall be where the inhabitants do not,--where they cannot fay they are fick. Many of them are now in penurious circumftances as to their bodies, and groaning under manifold wants with regard to their fouls; but, ere long, their whole wants fhall be fupplied, all their treasures filled, and their cup made eternally to run over. They frequently meet with dilrefpect at prefent,

and

and contempt from foes,---and fometimes from friends themselves; but when that which is perfect takes place, they fhall appear in their true light, as heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and be treated as becomes the children of fuch a king. In their characters and interefts, they may now be oppreffed, by the men who are God's hand, without being able to vindicate or extricate themselves; but then, their righteoufnefs fhall break forth as the light, and their judgment as the noon day :--When the morn of glory dawns, thefe righteous ones fhall have dominion over the wicked.

What then, believers, though your present state be extremely mixed, and the different periods of life chequered with trials and temptations, fince better things are provided and fecured for you?

That in as far as motives arifing from interest can weigh, or ambition be roufed by all that is great and good, we fhould be prevailed with to set our affections upon and bend our course toward the heavenly, the better country. Has the Father promised, the Son purchased, and the Holy Ghoft by the gospel exhibited the conveyance of this kingdom, is this conveyance exhibited to finners, finners of mankind, the chief of them not excepted? Who then would not aspire after a lot and part in this matter? O that every one may now lay for himself, Whatever I have formerly been and done, whatever my fellow finners think of doing, I cannot any longer refift the heavenly call; whether, therefore, the former heirs of the kingdom have gone, I am now (bleffed be the Gol of my falvation) determined to go; their people fhall henceforth be my people, and their God, my God.

4. Is it fo, that Gentile converts shall fit down

with the patriarchs and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God? Then fee

That, as there will be a moft intimate communion among glorified faints, the knowlege and experiences of patriarchs and prophets will become yours; while yours fhall alfo become theirs. The hiftory of their warfare and falvation, their trial and triumph; the hiftory of God's dealings with them in their respective converfions, his dealings with them through the life of grace, and through the valley of death; the hiftory of their doings and fufferings in the wilderness, their downcaftings and up-liftings; the hiftory, in one word, of their accefs to the kingdom of God, together with the holy furprise, rapture, and delight, the firft view of Emmanuel gave them; the. hiftory of these things from their own mouths, as all tending to exalt the riches of fovereign grace, will be vastly entertaining, fingularly refreshing to you. Nor will it be lefs joyous and tranfporting, to have an opportunity of recounting the labours of your own feet, and telling the patriarchs and prophets, with your whole other ranfomed friends, under what obligations to the fame grace you yourselves are laid. Are fuch communications as thefe delightful to Chriftians on earth? And fhall they not much more be so in heaven! See further

That true Chriftians part with one another at death to meet again. You have poffibly mourned over the lofs of Chriftian friends and acquaintance time after time :--But you need not forrow as they who have no hope; for there is nothing between them and you, but the vail of clay, which fhall no fooner be rent in twain, than your acquaintance and friendship fhall be renewed, with im provements which are inconceivable at prefent,improvements which are peculiar to that exalted

ftate

ftate of things. Holy parents, for inftance, and children, believing husbands and wives,-masters and fervants,-pastors and people, who were heirs of the grace of life, fhall meet together in the temple, at the table above, without the fear or moft diftant poffibility of being separated any more for ever. Should not this hope reconcile us to the lofs even of fuch relatives or companions as were most comforting and useful?—especially fince your temporary lofs is the dawn of their everlasting gain, and fince of their gain also you fhall foon partake. Lift up your heads, therefore, and rejoice, because your redemption will draw near. And fee

That you who continue in an unregenerated ftate, are not fo much as in the way to the kingdom of heaven. If you prefer the fociety of the wicked to that of the godly, and conference upon ufelefs or finful topics, to that of a serious and fpiritual nature;--if the duties of religion wherein holy fouls delight, are an intolerable burden to you; if the devotional life is confidered as enthu fiafm, the strictness of the Chriftian walk as grimace and hypocrify; and if you reckon the one and other of thefe no better than fruits of weakness or wickedness, delufion or defign:if that be the cafe now, you certainly belong not to the fpiritual commonwealth; and should you die in that ftate of mind, it is impoffible to imagine you can have any fellowship with the patriarchs and prophets in Emmanuel's better land.

Confequently, in hoping to get to heaven while you remain in the gall of bitterness, you impofe upon, and fatally deceive yourfelves. Either heaven must be a different place, the heirs of it different perfons,and their employments in it of a different quality, from what the holy fcriptures every

K 6

every where reprefent them to be;-or elfe, you in your prefent fituation, fhall not have accefs there. It is an irrepealable law of the kingdom, that "without holinefs,"-fuch in kind at leaft as the patriarchs and prophets have acquired, "no man"- Whatever he be, have, or do in other refpects, "fhall fee the Lord," Heb. xii. 14. This ftatute, therefore, though more ftable than the laws of the Medes and Perfians, muft be dif penfed with, or you must be made holy, in order to your fitting down with the ranfomed tribes. above. But, because the former cannot be fuppofed, the latter muft take place, otherwife you must be fhut out from the kingdom of God. But,

Though for arguments's fake, the reverfion of that law could be imagined, and your admiffion to the table above fuppofed; yet your account would not be found in it,-your happiness could not be promoted by it-for, if you find it unnatural to think, and disagreeable to talk of divine things upon earth;-what relish can you propose to have in fuch topics of contemplation and converfation in heaven?--If joining in prayer and praise for a few hours, would be a punishment here *; how

could

* A late minifter of this church, had a complaint lodged by the greater part of his feffion, against one particular member, whofe converfation was not as it became the gofpel; -inftead of encouraging a proposal, to have him expelled according to the form of process, that venerable father overtured that from thenceforth the feffion should agree to spend an hour or two in prayer, at every meeting. If ye do fo, faid he, the brother who walketh diforderly will foon fave you the trouble of depofing him, by a voluntary defertion;-for, added he, "it is poffible to pray a graceless man

"to ath."