But who are the perfons for whom this building of God is prepared; or how fhall we know whether we belong to that happy number?-This, my brethren, is a most important inquiry, which I propose to make the fubject of another discourse,

SER

SERMON XV.

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II. CORINTHIANS, V. I.

For we know that if the earthly houfe of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a build-ing of God, an houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

'N the first part of this verfe, the Apoftle

IN

compares the body to an earthly house, yea to a tabernacle or tent, which is still less durable, and more easily taken down, and therefore the diffolution of fuch a frail thing ought not to be reckoned a very great calamity. To this he oppofes the glorious object of the Christian hope, which he calls “ a building of God, an houfe not made with

hands, eternal in the heavens." At the fame time expreffes the firm perfuafion which he had, in common with all true Chriftians, of being admitted into that glorious and perR 3

manent

manent habitation, as foon as the earthly tabernacle should be diffolved. "We know." He does not fay we think, or we hope fo, but we are affured of it; we are as firmly perfuaded that this fhall be our lot, as if we were already entered upon the poffeffion of it. In handling this important branch of the fubject, I propose, through divine aid,

I. To defcribe the perfons for whom this building of God is prepared.

II. To inquire how or by what means they come to know that they fhall certainly poffefs it.

And then direct you to the practical improvement of the whole.

The Pfalmift proposes a question in the 24th Pfalm, which you must all be fenfible deferves our most serious attention. "Who "shall afcend into the hill of God, and who "fhall ftand in his holy place." This is the queftion which I am now going to answer, and as God enables me, I fhall follow the light of his own word, and bring in nothing as a mark of the heirs of glory, but what is clear

ly

ly expreffed in the Scriptures of truth, that infallible rule by which we must all be judged at last.

ift, Then, we are taught that this building of God, this houfe in the heavens, is prepared for believers in Chrift Jefus, and for them only, exclusive of all others. "This is the "will of him that fent me," fays our bleffed Lord, John, vi. 40. "that every one that "feeth the Son, and believeth on him, may "have everlasting life, and I will raise him up "at the last day. He that believeth on the "Son hath everlasting life; he that believeth "not the Son fhall not fee life, but the wrath "of God abideth on him." It is faith which unites us to the Lord Jefus Chrift, who is the heir of all things; for, "to as many as re"ceive him, to them gave he power to be

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come the fons of God, even to them who "believe on his name ;" and if once we are made fons, then are we likewife heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrift, and may confidently expect that inheritance which he hath purchased. By nature we are all children of wrath, and can look for nothing but judgment and fiery indignation, to devour us

as adverfaries; but, immediately upon our be lieving on the Lord Jefus Chrift, the great Mediator between God and man, we pafs from death to life, God receives us into favour, adopts us into his family, and invests us with a title to all the privileges of children, of which this is the greatest and the best, that we fhall dwell with him for ever in the building here spoken of, this houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2dly, Another qualification, by which the heirs of glory are diftinguished, is this, that they are new creatures, born from above, born again of the Spirit of God. "If any

66 man be in Chrift he is a new creature; old

things are past away, behold all things are "become new. Whereas, "If any man "have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of "his.-Except a man be born again," faid the faithful and true witnefs, "he cannot fee "the kingdom of God," John, iii. 3. and verse 5. "Except a man be born of water and of "the Spirit, he cannot enter into the king"dom of God." None but fuch as are born anew fhall find accefs into this building of

God,