as the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world. No impoftor will bring his pretenfions to a trial of this nature.

II. Let us direct our attention to the happiness of those who shall be bleffed with the Refurrection and the Life, which our great Redeemer alone can beftow. When the eyes of man are closed in death, and his connection with all fublunary objects is entirely diffolved, an inquifitive mind is folicitous to know, what is the ftate of the spirit which animated the mortal frame, and what will be the effect and extent of the power of death with regard to the body. From the light of nature, the mind derives little or no relief as to these inquiries; all the discovery it makes concerning them is imperfect and defective; doubtful, perplexed, and unfatisfactory. But divine revelation clearly unfolds these great and important objects: and while it fets before us the different state and circumstances of good and bad men after death, it fpeaks on the interesting subject with authority and decision, faying, in the language of truth itself, "Thefe "fhall go away into everlasting punishment, but "the righteous into life eternal*." The awful

*Matth. xxv. 46.

hall be added the exercise of the moft fervent and active love. The faints in light fhall not only be taught, but enabled" to love the Lord "their God with all their heart, and with all "their foul, and with all their strength, and with "all their mind; and their neighbour as them"felves." They fhall live in a state of the most endearing friendship with all the family of God, with all his children in heaven: even with all the redeemed of the Lord, of every nation, kindred, tongue and people. No ftrife, or contention, or jealoufy, or envy, fhall exist among them but love and charity fhall abound, and prevail more and more. It will be no small addition to the happiness of this delightful intercourse, that it shall be enjoyed in the presence and company of the holy angels, to whofe kind offices the faints on earth are much indebted, as "miniftring fpirits, fent forth to minifter for "them who fhall be heirs of falvation.” Living in this great and happy fociety, beyond the reach of the malice, artifice, and power of all their fpiritual enemies, admitted to fee the truth in its own light, and to behold the face of God in righteousness and love; their will fhall be brought into a full conformity to the Divine will, and their affections fhall invariably be fet

on spiritual and heavenly objects. It fhall then be their chief care to please God, and their highest ambition to be accepted of him. His work fhall be their pleasure, his service their delight. Thus purified from fin, and exalted to a ftate of perfect holiness, great, inexpreffibly great shall be their joy in the Lord. Whether it proceeds from the glory of their Redeemer, their own confcious and uninterrupted fenfe of the Divine favour, the perfection of their nature in purity and holiness, the fecurity and continuance of their blifs; or, from whatever other fource it may flow, it fhall be a joy, pure and unmixed, unfpeakable and full of glory. Many are the paffages of facred writ, that confirm and illuftrate the account now given of the heavenly bliss. At prefent, however, I fhall only mention a few of them. In our Lord's mediatorial prayer he addreffeth his heavenly Father in these words: "Father, I will that they also whom "thou haft given me, be with me where I am, "that they may behold my glory which thou

haft given me; for thou lovedft me before the "foundation of the world." In his confolatory difcourfe to his difciples before he left the

world,

John, xvii. 24.

hall be added the exercife of the most fervent and active love. The faints in light fhall not only be taught, but enabled" to love the Lord "their God with all their heart, and with all "their foul, and with all their strength, and with "all their mind; and their neighbour as them"felves." They shall live in a state of the most endearing friendship with all the family of God, with all his children in heaven: even with all the redeemed of the Lord, of every nation, kindred, tongue and people. No ftrife, or contention, or jealoufy, or envy, fhall exift among them but love and charity fhall abound, and prevail more and more. It will be no fmall addition to the happiness of this delightful intercourse, that it fhall be enjoyed in the presence and company of the holy angels, to whofe kind offices the faints on earth are much indebted, as "miniftring fpirits, fent forth to minifter for "them who fhall be heirs of falvation." Living in this great and happy fociety, beyond the reach of the malice, artifice, and power of all their fpiritual enemies, admitted to fee the truth in its own light, and to behold the face of God in righteousness and love; their will fhall be brought into a full conformity to the Divine will, and their affections fhall invariably be fet

"washed their robes, and made them white in "the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they "before the throne of God, and ferve him day " and night in his temple; and he that fitteth "on the throne fhall dwell among them. They "fhall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, "neither fhall the fun light on them, nor any

heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst

"of the throne fhall feed them, and fhall lead "them unto living fountains of waters, and "God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes*."

Having now confidered, and endeavoured to reprefent the felicity of the feparate state, it may be proper next to observe, that the happiness of the faints in heaven will be rendered complete, by the redemption of their bodies from the power of death, and the re-union of them to their glorified fpirits. "Jefus faith, I am the "refurrection and the life; he that believeth in 66 me, though he were dead, yet fhall he live." To the eye of fenfe, the bodies of his faithful fervants appear to be neglected and forfaken at death. Some of them are buried, and moulder

into

• Rev. vii. 9, 10, 14.-17