that peace, that blifs, and heavenly delight, which fin by reafon of it's defilement and contrariety to the divine purity, had rendered us utterly incapable of partaking in; by restoring his image to the foul, by the renovating power of his gracious fpirit, and by transforming the whole man by the efficacy of his grace, into that glorious form and likeness of himfelf, which he cannot behold but with complacency and delight. Sanctification in the fcripture fenfe and language is firft, either legal as Heb. ix. 13. and herein is an emblem of the inward washing of the Holy-Ghoft, or 2dly, evangelical, and herein refpects that perfection and certainty of the fpirit's work in believers as the infallible effect of the merits of Chrift. Again, fanctification is either imputative, as 1 Cor. i. 30. "Chrift is made unto us of God, wifdom, righte "oufnefs, fanctification and redemption; or in"herent called the fan&ification of the spirit." 2 Theff. ii. 13. Believers being born of the spirit (in order of time) previous to their being fuch, partake of the pure and holy nature of that spirit which begot them, fo that faith itfelf concerning which fuch excellent things are faid in the word of God, is an holy act, a divine and fpiritual acquiefcence in God's method of falvation, an unfeigned and cordial reception of his declared purpofe of the falvation of his people through the merits of his well-beloved fon. Hence the apoftle Paul reminding the Corinthians of their former fins and lufts, adds, "but now ye are fanc"tified, now ye are juftified in the name of the "Lord Jefus, and by the fpirit of our God." I Cor. vi. II. Hence alfo the fame apoftle, Rom. viii. 30, fpeaking in refpect of the certainty of fal falvation to the called, faith, "whom he juftified, "them he alfo glorified." We may easily from hence país on to a third thing included in that falvation, our Saviour intended for his people, which is their glorification together with himself in heaven for ever and ever. But the exceeding fullness of that falvation being like the fountain from whence it firft took it's rife, namely, the LOVE OF GOD, is altogether immeafurable in the length and breadth, and height and depth thereof; therefore a few things at prefent concerning it muft fuffice. It would be impoffible for us to form any conceptions of that state of blifs and glory that awaits the righteous, if God had not revealed it in his word; therefore fuch blifs and glory cannot be hoped for, but through faith; otherwife we muft fuppofe a man to hope for what he does not believe to exift, which is abfurd, and contrary to the nature of hope. Now in respect to the happiness referved for the juft, may be confidered, 1ft. as it confifts in an exemption from all forrow, fuffering, pain, grief, and death itself; this world is a ftate of almoft uninterrupted trial and difficulty, all our fweets are imbittered with the moft diftafteful ingredients; and our moft fanguine expectations of fublunary good, are blafted e'er we come to the enjoyment of them, or disappoint us in the pleasure we had promifed to ourfelves therein. There is no tafting the honey of earthly pleasure, without a fenfation of the pain arifing from the piercings of the thorn from which it is gathered. He that talks of perfect happiness below, is to be regarded as one in a fleep, and pleafed with a dream; and he who waking induftrioufly feeks it, in any it thing befides God, is to be efteemed as one not in his right mind; whom all that fee should pity, but none fhould imitate. True happiness was banished from this world by fin, Adam enjoyed it in his perfect ftate, for God made Adam upright and pure, Eccl. vii. 29. but the baneful fruit of the interdicted tree, vitiated his palate, robbed him of his comfort, entailed a curfe on the ground and all that fhould come from it. The peace that Jefus brings unto his people, is the fame pleasant plant that grew in Adam's nature, in his pristine state, and there and then 'till blasted by fin, was like a tree planted by rivers of water ; he lived under the bedewing unction of the gracious fpirit, and was refreshed by the beams of beatific rays which fhone upon his foul from cloudlefs fkies; but now 'tis an exotic, it is a foreign plant, a plant that grows in heaven, and when tranfplanted hither, is fubject to a thousand blasts and nipping frofts. But in that land of blifs, that land of pure delight, where our all conquering captain fills the radiant throne; what may we not expect? What evil may we fear? Our bleffed Lord in order as it were to leffen our esteem for earth and earthly things; and enkindle in our hearts an infatiable thirst for nobler joys, has told us in his bleffed word, what we may expect as the leaft part of that happiness he has purchased with his blood, and is gone to take poffeffion of, for all the chofen feed; that ift. There fhall be no night, nor darkness, Rev. xxii. 5, 21, 23, 25. In this world we have the inceffant viciffitudes of day and night, light and darknefs in perpetual round fucceed each other, an emblem of the mutable ftate to which all things here t here are fubjected; but there the fun fhall rife with uneclipfing fplendor, and with never fetting rays fhall fhine upon the juft. Or rather they fhall need no fun, for the uncreated brightness of the refulgent Jehovah, fhall for ever give them light; fo faith the bleffed word, "And there "fhall be no night there, and they need no candle "neither light of the fun; for the Lord God giveth them light." Rev. xxii. 5. Here, our moft neceffary and delightful employment fuffers frequent interruptions by the returns of night and darkness; but there, the faints of God in the fulleft fenfe of that prediction, "Run without "wearinefs, and walk without fainting," in the delightful way the Lord has prepared for them to walk in; they delight themselves in the Lord, and have an uninterrupted joy in the God of their falvation. 2dly, The accufer of the brethren is now caft down for ever, he that was wont to accufe them day and night before God. Rev. xii. 10. In this state the most eminent of God's fervants have been, and are opposed by satan; if Job and his friends affemble themselves before God, fatin the grand adverfary appears in the midst of them. Job i. 6. 2. 1. For what end? No doubt to accufe and hinder their devotion. If Joshua the high-priest come before the Lord, fatan apZech. iii. pears at his right-hand to refift him. I. When the woman travailed in birth, and pained to be delivered the great red dragon, the devil, ftood before her to devour the child; but in the bleffed kingdom of the Lamb, this accufer and true disturber of Ifrael fhall have place no more; no more accusations shall be preferred, for there shall be none to accufe, nor aught to accuse of; II. of; for "the people that fhall dwell there fhall weakness, is raised in power; it is fown a na"tural body it is raifed a spiritual body." 1 Cor. xv. 42, 43. And again, "He fhall change our "vile body, that it may be fashioned like to his 66 glorious body." 4thly, All the trials of God's dear children fhall then be over; no more shall the prince of darkness disturb their tranquil breafts by evil and blafphemous fuggeftions; no more fhall the vain allurements and bewitching wiles of a delufive world enfnare their minds, captivate their affections, or intrude with its perplexing cares to hinder their devotions; for the wicked world, the wicked devil, and the wicked heart, fhall |