SECTION II.

These are the four cautions. I proceed now to describe some of these foretastes of the heavenly blessedness,' and shew how nearly they resemble the blessedness and enjoyments of the heavenly world.

First, In'heaven there is a near view of God in his glories, with such a fixed contemplation of his several perfections, as draws out the heart into all correspondent exercises, in an uncommon, transcendent, and supreme degree.' It is described as one of the felicities of heaven, that "we shall see God." Matth. v. 8. that we shall behold him "face to face," and not in shadows and glasses, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Let us exhibit some particulars of this kind, and dwell a little upon them in the most easy and natural method.

1. In heaven the blessed inhabitants 'behold the majesty and greatness of God' in such a light as fixes their thoughts in glorious wonder and the humblest adoration, and exalts them to the highest pleasure and praise. Have you never fallen into such a devout and fixed contemplation of the majesty of God,' as to be even astonished at his glory and greatness, and to have your souls so swallowed up in this sight, that all the sorrows and the joys of this life, all the businesses and necessities of it hath been forgotten for a season, all things below and beneath God have seem. ed as nothing in your eyes? All the grandeurs and splendors of mortality have been buried in darkness

and oblivion, and creatures have, as it were, vanished from the thoughts and been lost, as the stars die and vanish at the rising sun and are no more seen? Have you never seen the face of God in his sublime grandeur, excellence and majesty, so as to shrink into the dust before him, and lie low at his foot with humblest adoration? And you have been transported into a feeling acknowledgment of your own nothingness in the presence of God. Such a sight the prophet Isaiah seems to have enjoyed, Isai. xl. 12, 15, 17. "Behold the nations before him are as the drop of the bucket, and as the small dust of the balance, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. All nations before him are as nothing, they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity."

When the lips are not only directed to speak this sublime language, but the soul, as it were, beholds God in these heights of transcendent majesty, it is overwhelmed with blessed wonder and surprising delight, even while it adores in most profound lowliness and self-abasement. This is the emblem of the worship of the heavenly world, see Rev. iv. 10. where the elders, saints and prophets, martyrs, angels, and dominions, and principalities of the highest degree "cast down their crowns" at the foot of him that made them, and exalt God in his supremacy over all.

2. In heaven there are such blessed and extensive surveys of the infinite knowledge of God,' and his amazing wisdom discovered in his works, as makes even all their own heavenly improvements in knowledge and understanding to appear as mere ignorance,

darkness, and folly before him. In such an hour as this is, the holy angels may charge themselves with folly in his sight, as he beholds them in the imperfection of their understanding. Now have you never been carried away in your meditations of the all-comprehensive knowledge of God to such a degree, as to lose and abandon all your former pride and appearances of knowledge and wisdom in all the native and acquired riches of it, and count them all as nothing in his sight? Have you never looked upward to the midnight skies, and with amazement sent your thoughts upward. to him who calls all the stars by their names,' and brings them forth in all their sparkling glories, who marshals them in their nightly ranks and orders, and then stood overwhelmed with sacred astonishment at the wisdom which made and ranged them all in their proper situations, and there appointed them to fulfil ten thousand useful purposes, and that not only towards this little ball of Earth, but to a multitude of upper planetary worlds? Have you never enquired into the wonders of his wisdom in framing the bodies, the limbs, and the senses of millions of animals, birds, and beasts, fishes, and insects, as well as men all around this globe, and who hath framed all their organs and powers of nature with exquisite skill, to see and hear, to run and fly, and swim, to produce their young in all their proper forms and sizes, furnished with their various powers, and to feed and nourish them in their innumerable shapes and colours, admirable for their strength and beauty? And have you not felt your souls filled with

devout adoration at the unspeakable and infinite contrivances of a God.

And not only his works of creation,' but of his providence too, have afforded some pious souls such devout amazement. What astonishing wisdom must that be which has created mankind on earth near six thousand years ago, and by his divine word in every age continues to create them or give them being, with all the same natural powers and parts, beauties and excellencies! That he hath wisely governed so many millions of animals with living souls or spirits in them, so many millions of intelligent creatures, endued with a free will of their own to choose or refuse what they will or will not do, and hath managed this innumerable company of beings in all ages, notwithstanding all their different and clashing opinions and customs, their crossing humours, wills and passions in endless variety, and yet hath made them all subservient to his own comprehensive designs and purposes through all ages of the world and all nations on earth! What unconceivable wisdom is that which hath effectually appointed them all to centre in the accomplishment of his own eternal counsels! And with what overwhelming amazement will this scene appear, when he shall shut up the theatre of this earth, and fold up these heavens as a curtain, and this visible structure of things shall be laid in ashes? What an astonishing view must this be of the allsurveying knowledge, all-comprehending wisdom of a God, and with what holy and humble pleasure must the pious soul be filled who takes in and enjoys this

scene of infinite varieties and wonders? How near doth such an hour approach to the bliss of heaven and the raptures of contemplation, which belong to the blessed inhabitants of it?

3. I might add something of the Almighty power of God in his creation and government of the world, in his kingdoms of nature and providence. Did not the angels rejoice at the birth-day of this universe, and "those morning stars shout for joy" at the first appearance of this creation? And what the inhabitants of heaven make their song, may not a holy soul be entertained with it, even to extacy and rapture? I behold, says he, in divine meditation, I behold this huge structure of the universe rising out of nothing at the voice of his command; I behold the severat planets in their various orders set a moving by the same word of power. With what delightful surprise do I hear him pronouncing the words, "let there be light," and, lo 'the light appears?' Let there be earth and seas; let there be clouds and heavens; let there be sun, moon and stars, and lo the heavens, and the dry land, and the waters appear, the clouds and the stars in their various order and situation, and all the parts of the creation arise, all replenished with proper ornaments and animals according to his word. At his command nature exists in all its regions with all its furniture; the beasts, and birds, and fishes in all their forms arise, and at once they obey the several Almighty orders he gave, and by the unknown and unconceivable force of such a word they leap out into existence in ten thousand forms.