"Come and fee." "of life;" that as foon as "the earthly houfe of this "tabernacle is diffolved, he fhall have a building of "God, a house not made with hands, eternal in "the heavens." Of this "glory" we can know but very little, till we shall hear the voice faying, But this circumftance wonderfully magnifies it; for what must be implied in a felicity which furpaffes all defcription, all conception, and which is hidden rather than unfolded by all the grand imagery employed to express it. But we have fome intimations which ferve to awaken our defires, to ele vate our hopes, and to folace our minds, in all the difficulties of life. O! it is a pleasing thought, that "there remaineth a reft for the people of God;" that "God fhall wipe away all tears from our eyes;" that "there fhall be no more death, neither forrow, nor "crying, neither shall there be any more pain;" that we shall "join the general affembly and church of the "first-born, whofe names are written in heaven;" that There we shall fee His face, that he will" fhew us the path of life," and bring us into "his prefence, where there is fullness of joy," and to his "right hand where there are pleasures for ever"It doth not yet appear what we shall be; "but THIS we know, that when He fhall appear we "fhall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is." "more. دو Again; These bleffings may be confidered in their order. Grace ftands before glory; and though God gives both irrespective of any meritorious worthiness in the recipients, he never gives glory, till he has giv en grace. We wish this to be obferved, because the generality of people would pass to the enjoyment of glory without fubmitting to the laws of grace; but fuch a hope is falfe and abfurd. Thus ftands the purpofe of God" Bleffed are the pure in heart, for they "fhall fee God;"" without holinefs no man SHALL "fee the Lord;" "except a man be born again, he "CANNOT fee the kingdom of God." And hencé you perceive that it is not only forbidden, but impoffible. Indeed if there were no law to exclude the unfanctified finner from glory, he would neceffarily remain miserable; fin is hell; his disposition would, detroy all the happiness of heaven; the fervice and the joy would only difguft and torment the mind; God cannot make us happy with himself, till he has made us holy like himself. "What fellowship hath righteouf"nefs with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness ?" We may obferve the connection of these bleffings; for they are inseparable; where the Lord has given grace, he will certainly give glory. And therefore, my dear hearers, the grand question is, whether you have grace? Decide this by its influences and effects, as they are marked in the Scriptures; by loathing fin; by hungering and thirsting after righteousness; by acceding to the terms of discipleship, denying yourselves, taking up your crofs, and following the Saviour; by your love to the ordinances, the word, and the people of God; by your deadness to the world, and having your conversation in heaven. Thus afcertain the reality of your grace, and "rejoice in hope of the "glory of God ;""being confident of this very thing, "that He who hath begun a good work in you, will "perform it until the day of Jefus Chrift." Did I fay, where there is grace, there WILL be glory? I go further; there is glory. "The Spirit of glory reft"eth upon them." They are "changed from glory "to glory." They "rejoice with joy unspeakable, "and full of glory." "He that believeth on the Son "of God hath everlasting life;" he has more than the promise; he has a part of heaven; he has "the ear"neft of his inheritance;" he has "the first fruits of "the fpirit," the fame in kind, though not in degree, with the whole harveft. Grace is glory in the bud, and glory is grace matured. Grace is the lowest degree of glory, and glory is only the highest degree of grace. This He gives, III. And what does He WITHHOLD? "No GOOD ઃઃ THING." O how full and comprehenfive is the language of promise! The Holy Ghost, in framing it, seems to anticipate all the objections of our fufpicious hearts. It was much to tell us, God was "a Sun and “Shield ;” but he enlarges and adds, " the Lord will give grace and glory." And furely this will fuffice. No, my brethren; there is fomething still behind, the condition of " the life which we now live in the flesh." This frequently preffes upon the mind, and perplexes and diftreffes the people of God; they have bodies; they have families; they are commanded to " provide "things honeft in the fight of all men." Where is the man who never thought within himself, “if I make "religion my chief concern, and facrifice whatever it 66 requires; fhall I not injure my temporal circumftan "ces?" Where is the man, whofe liberality was never checked, and whofe confidence was never weakened by flender means of fubfiftence? Where is the man, who with increafing demands from a numerous offfpring never with anxiety afked, " what fhall they eat, "and what shall they drink, and wherewithal shall they be clothed?" "He knoweth our frame, and "remembereth that we are duft:" He ftoops to our weaknesses; and faves us the pain and fhame of telling him our unworthy fears, by giving us promifes which effectually provide against them. "Your heavenly "Father knoweth that ye have need of all these "things." "Seek ye firft the kingdom of God and "his righteousness, and all these things shall be added "unto you." "No good thing will he withhold "from them that walk uprightly." Let us take three' views of this extenfive promise. First, Behold in it the grandeur of his poffeffions. He who engages to withhold no good thing, must have all good things at his difpofal. And, lo!" He is able "to do for us exceeding abundantly, above all that we "afk or think." Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, "and the power, and the glory, and the victory, anđ "the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the "earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and "thou art exalted as Head above all. Both riches "and honour.come of thee, and thou reigneft over all; "and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give ftrength unto all." "The filver and the gold are "thine." "Every beast of the forest is mine, and the "cattle upon a thousand hills." "The earth is the "Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world, and they "that dwell therein." And what is this lower world? An inconfiderable province of his empire-" Lift up "your eyes on high, and behold, who hath created "these things; that bringeth out their hoft by num, "ber: he calleth them all by names, by the greatness "of his might, for that he is strong in power, not one "failing." His dominion is univerfal; his refources boundless; his poffeffions infinite. Can he be poor, whofe Father is fo rich? Secondly, Behold in this promise the wonders of his liberality. All earthly benefactors fhrink from a comparison with him. He acts by no ordinary rule of bounty, by no human standard of beneficence; "as "the heavens are higher than the earth, fo are his 66 ways higher than your ways, and his thoughts than 66 your thoughts." "O how GREAT is the goodness, "which thou haft laid up for them that fear thee, "which thou haft wrought for them that trust in thee "before the fons of men !" "The fame Lord over all "is RICH unto all that call upon him." "My God "shall supply ALL your need, according to his riches "in glory by Chrift Jefus"" NO good thing will he " withhold." Thirdly, Behold in this promise the wisdom of His difpenfations. He has qualified his engagement, and regulated our hope, by the GOODNESS of the things proposed. Instead of regretting this condition, the christian rejoices in it; it fecures his happiness. Had God engaged to indulge him in all these things, whether they were good for him or evil, it would have been a threatening, not a promise. He now fees the providence of God choofing his inheritance for him, man |