What a glorious society, my friends, must this indeed be? All the ransomed of the Lord, in every age, gathered out of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, united under one common head; with angels, principalities, and powers, cemented in the closest bonds of friendship, and each endeavouring to promote another's happiness, and in celebrating their great Creator's praise.

But as the place and the company, so

Third, The Employments of heaven are glorious.

How glorious is it to have the noblest powers of our nature, and these exalted and improved to the highest pitch, continually employed on the noblest objects, -to be engaged in the contemplation of the divine perfections,-to see the glory of our Maker in his various works of creation, providence and redemption,—to fulfil his every command with readiness and pleasure, and in the highest transports of delight to surround his throne with hallelujahs and hymns of praise! Are not these services, my friends, noble and exalted, services suitable to a rational and

immortal nature raised to its highest state of perfection? In the heavenly temple above, his servants shall serve him day and night. No weariness shall then be felt, nor shall the least imperfection stain their pious offerings. Their understandings shall be clear and unclouded, their wills free from every sinful bias, and completely conformable to the will of their Creator; and every affection of their souls shall conspire with their noble powers, in the pursuit and attainment of all that is good and excellent. Their capacities shall then be vastly enlarged, improved, and invigorated, to what they are at present; and it will probably constitute no inconsiderable part of their happiness, in a future state, to be making perpetual progress toward perfection, through an endless duration, without ever being able to reach that measure of holiness, of which their natures, continually enlarged and ennobled, shall be rendered susceptible.

Thus glorious is the work of heaven, -nor less glorious, in the fourth and last place, are its Enjoyments.-The enjoyments of a future state infinitely trans

66

Eye

cend our highest conceptions. "hath not seen, ear hath not heard, "neither have they entered into the "heart of man to conceive." Glorified saints shall be "abundantly satisfied with "the goodness of thy house, O God, and "thou shalt make them drink of the ri"vers of thy pleasures. "is the fountain of life.

"shall they see light. "them the path of life.

For with thee

In thy light

Thou wilt shew

In thy presence

In

"is fulness of joy; at thy right hand "there are pleasures for evermore. "the midst of the street of it, and of "either side of the river, stands the tree "of life, which bears twelve manner of

66

fruits, and the leaves of the tree are " for the healing of the nations."

If the nearest and closest communion with God, if the immediate sight and love of the Saviour,-if the intercourse of saints and angels,—if the utmost enlargement of our intellectual and moral powers, and a growing conformity to the divine image ;-if these things, I say, are fitted to confer the purest and most exalted happiness, the saints in heaven cannot but be transported, after an ineffable manner, with the sight of those objects,

which were made to affect them by that Being who formed the soul at first, who knows its inward frame, and how to please and ravish it in all its most secret powers and faculties. If the Apostle Paul was caught up into the third heavens, saw such glorious scenes, and heard such unspeakable words, as it is not possible for man to utter; what must the complete enjoyment of future glory be, when all the purposes of divine grace in the salvation of man shall be fully accomplished, and the whole company of the redeemed shall meet together in the celestial mansions, to mingle their gratitude and joys in one, and to join in the same rapturous song of praise to Him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever!

Thus have I attempted, my friends, to give you a faint description of the glory into which the people of God will be received upon their leaving this sinful and wretched world. This shall be the end of their faith, hope and patience,-the glorious issue of all their trials and afflictions, of their labours and their sorrows.

They shall enter into rest. He who conducted them through life, shall afterwards receive them to glory. Some may have longer to remain in this world than others; some may have a greater share of afflictions to endure,-severely tossed on the sea of human life, and threatened with its raging billows, but in heaven all the redeemed of God shall safely land at last, and find an abundant recompence for all the labours and sufferings of the Their sun shall no more present state. go down; neither shall the moon withdraw its light; but the Lord shall be their everlasting light, and the days of their mourning shall be ended.

Happy art thou, O believer, who hast the well-grounded hope of divine conduct through life, and of glory at the end of thy journey. What though Providence may sometimes, with respect to thee, wear a dark and frowning aspect ?— what though thy way to glory may be often blocked up with briars and thorns; -though the dearest of thy earthly comforts should be removed, or unexpected trials should arise to shake thy faith and constancy? It is still the hand of a Fa