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world again, he was not able to exprefs, and which SERM. is not poffible for man to utter.

So that in difcourfing of the ftate of the bleffed, we must content ourselves with what the fcripture hath declared in general concerning it, that it is a ftate of perfect freedom from all those infirmities and imperfections, thofe evils and miferies, thofe fins and temptations to which we are liable in this world; a ftate of unspeakable and endless joy and happiness in the blessed fight and presence of GoD, and in the happy fociety of "an innumerable company "of angels," and of "the spirits of just men made ર perfect."

So St. John describes the felicities and glories of that ftate, as they were reprefented to him in a vifion, Rev. xxi. 2, 3, 4. "And I John saw the

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holy city, new Jerufalem, coming down from GOD "out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her hufband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, faying, behold, the tabernacle of GOD is "with men, and he will dwell with them, and they "fhall be his people, and GoD himself shall be with

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them, and be their GoD. And GoD fhall wipe "away all tears from their eyes: and there fhall be "no more death, neither forrow, nor crying, neither "fhall there be any more pain; for the former

things are paffed away;" that is, all thofe evils which we faw and fuffered in this world, will for ever vanish and disappear. And ver 23. "And "the city had no need of the fun, neither of the "moon to fhine in it for the glory of GoD did

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lighten it, and the lamb is the light thereof." And which is the greatest privilege and felicity of all, no fin fhall be there; ver. 27. "And there "fhall

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CLXXXIV.

SERM. fhall in no wife enter into it any thing that defileth," CLXXXIV; and confequently no mifery and curfe fhall be there: chap, xxii, 3, 4. "And there fhall be no more "curfe; but the throne of Gop, and of the lamb fhall be in it, and his fervants fhall ferve him, ❝ and they shall fee his face." In which last words, our employment and our happiness are expressed; but what in particular thefe fhall be, and wherein they shall confift, it is impoffible for us now to defcribe; it is fufficient to know in general, that our employment fhall be our unfpeakable pleasure, and every way suitable to the glory and happiness of that ftate, and as much above the noblest and most delightful employment of this world, as the perfection of our bodies, and the powers of our fouls fhall then be above what they were in this world.

In a word, our happiness shall be such as is worthy of the great king of the world to bestow upon his faithful fervants, and infinitely beyond the juft reward of their beft fervices; it is to fee GoD, and "to be ever with him, in whose presence is fulness "of joy, and at whofe right-hand are pleasures for "evermore."

SER

SERMON CLXXXV.

Of the happiness of good men, in the future ftate.

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1 JOHN iii. 2.

It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we fhall fee him as he is.

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this text.

HE great defign of this epiftle is to per- SERM. fuade men to purity and holiness of life, CLXXXV. without which we can lay no claim to the pro- The firft mifes and privileges of the gospel. Chriftians are fermon on called "the children of GOD;" and this is a great privilege indeed, a mighty argument of God's love and favour to us, to own us for his children. "Be"hold what manner of love the FATHER has "bestowed upon us, that we fhould be called the "fons of GOD." This is the happiness of our prefent condition: "now we are the fons of GoD; "and if fons, then heirs;" this gives a title to a future inheritance. "And it does not yet appear "what we shall be;" the circumftances of our future happiness and glory are not perfectly revealed to us, only thus much in general is difcovered to us, that we shall be very happy, because we fhall be adınitted to the immediate fight and enjoyment of GOD; and we cannot fee him and enjoy him, unless we bę like him; and to be like GoD, is to be happy. "We know that when he shall appear, iv pavepw9, that is, when it fhall appear. It doth not yet "appear

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SERM." appear what we shall be, but when it shall apCLXXXV. <6 pear," ," that is, when our future happiness fhall be

revealed to us it is not yet particularly discovered to

us, but thus much in general we know of it beforehand, that we fhall be like GOD, for we shall "fee him as he is." In which words there are these four things worthy of our confideration.

Firft, the prefent obfcurity of our future ftate, as to the particular circumftances of that happiness which good men fhall enjoy in another world; "it doth "not yet appear what we fhall be."

Secondly, that thus much we certainly know of it in general, that it fhall confift in the fight and enjoyment of GOD; "we know that when it fhall appear, we fhall fee him as he is."

Thirdly, wherein our likenefs to GOD fhall confift: we fhall be like him."

"

Fourthly, the neceffary connexion between our likeness to GOD, and our fight and enjoyment of him "we fhall be like him, for we fhall fee him "as he is;" that is, becaufe "we fhall fee him as "he is," therefore it is certain "we fhall be like "him" for unless we be like GOD, we are not capable of feeing and enjoying him.

First, the prefent obfcurity of our future state, as to the particular circumftances of that happiness which good men fhall enjoy in another world: "it "doth not yet appear what we fhall be." The fcripture tells us, that it is "a glory yet to be re"vealed:" that there fhall be fuch a state of happinefs for good men in another world, though it was in a great measure obfcure to the world before, both to Jews and Gentiles, yet it is now clearly reyealed to us by "the appearance of JESUS "CHRIST2

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"CHRIST, who hath brought life and immorta- SERM,

lity to light by the gofpel." But the particular circumstances of this happiness are still hid from us; and as it is a needlefs, fo it would be a faulty curiofity in us to pry and enquire into them. It is enough that we certainly know there is fuch a state; the knowledge of this in general is enough to quicken our diligence, and excite our endeavours for the obtaining and fecuring of it: it is enough to mortify all evil affections in us, and to baffle all temptations to fin, to know that it will rob us of fo great a felicity, as God hath promised to us; it is enough to fupport and comfort us under all the miferies and afflictions of this prefent time, to be fully affured that after a few days of forrow and trouble are over, we fhall be unspeakably and eternally happy. A firm perfuafion of this, is argument enough to our obedience, and a fufficient support to our faith and patience, and we need enquire no farther. Thus much GoD hath revealed to us for our comfort and encouragement, the reft, he hath conceal'd from us; and it would be a bold intrusion into his fecrets, to pry and fearch any farther; and if we should, it would be to no purpose. For in things which depend upon divine revelation it is impoffible for us to know any more, than God is pleased to reveal to us. In matters of pure revelation, we cannot go beyond the word of the LORD;

the things of GOD knoweth no man, but the "SPIRIT of GOD" or he to whom the SPIRIT of GOD fhall reveal them. If one fhould come from ftrange country, never known and difcover'd before, and fhould only tell us in general, that it was a most pleasant and delightful place, and the inhabi

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CLXXXV.

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