V.

heard through all the heavenly courts - DISC. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come! Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord, most high!

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, feeing thefe our bodies are to become inftruments of glory hereafter, how ought they to be inftruments of grace here? for grace is the dawn of glory, as glory is the meridian of grace. Seeing we are to have such bodies, what ought our fouls to be, for whom fuch bodies are prepared? And how ought we to spend our fhort moment of probation in "cleanfing ourselves from "all filthiness of flesh and fpirit, perfect

ing holiness in the fear of God!" The confideration of our glorious change cannot but make our hearts to burn within us. And then is the time to reflect, that bleffed is he, whofe foul is changed from grace to grace, for his body shall be changed from glory to glory. And if the foul of a Christian be ever "transformed by the

DISC. "renewing of his mind," it must be, not V. while he is in the hurry and vanity of the

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world below, but when he leaves the world, and, following the fteps of his dear Lord and master, afcends, by faith, to the mount of transfiguration, and is on his knees before God, remembering it is writ"While he PRAYED, he was "TRANSFIGURED." Bleffed therefore is he who breaks away from idle and vain conversation, to meditate in the law of God day and night; to commune with his own heart, and in his chamber; to call his past ways to remembrance, in the bitterness of his foul; to confefs his wickedness, and be forry for his fin. " Rejoice, "O young man, in thy youth," says the world. "Bleffed are they that mourn,” fays he, whom the world crucified. Let thofe, therefore, who enjoy a life of perfect leisure, and are continually complaining how heavy time hangs upon their hands, confider whether they could tell, if God fhould call upon them at this moment, when they ever freely and voluntarily with

drew

V.

drew for one hour, to attend the business of DISC. changing their fouls from fin to righteousnefs, that fo their bodies may be changed from duft to glory. And if this question, from the mouth of the all-feeing Judge, will ftrike the unprofitable fervant fpeechless at his footstool, where fhall the ungodly and the finner appear? Let us confider this, and be wife unto falvation, and in every thought, word, and action, remember our latter end. Let us remember, that "our "Redeemer liveth, and that he fhall in"deed ftand at the latter day upon the "earth; and though after our skin, worms

destroy this body, yet in this flesh shall

"we see God." And may we so "look "for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Christ," by the eye of faith, that when we see him

as he is, he may "change our vile body,

"that it may be fashioned like unto his

glorious body, according to the working, 'whereby be is able even to fubdue all things to himself."

DISCOURSE VI.

THE UNSPEAKABLE GIFT.

EPHESIANS IV. 7.

Unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

TH

VI.

HE Church, having in the course DISC. of her holy offices led us through all the different stages of the life of Christ, from his advent in the flesh to his death on the cross, and from thence to his glorious refurrection, and triumphant afcenfion, has now at length brought us to the celebration of that joyful feftival, wherein she proposes to our meditation the bleffed fruit and crown of her Redeemer's labours, the effufion of the Spirit from on high. And with good reafon it is, that she calls us together more than once to contemplate this greatest

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