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but they are sanctified, but they are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God."

Now when the souls of the saints here on earth are raised to such divine contemplations, what transporting satisfaction and delight must arise from the surprising' union and harmony' of the attributes of the blessed God in these his transactions? And especi ally when the soul in the lively exercise of grace and view of its own pardon, justification, and restored holiness, looks upon itself as one of these happy favourites of the majesty of heaven: It cries out as it were in holy amazement, 'What a divine profusion is here of wisdom and power, glory and grace, to save a wretched worm from everlasting burnings, and to advance a worthless rebel to such undeserved and exalted glories!

SECTION V.

'The wonders of divine perfections united in the success of the gospel,' give an ecstasy of joy some. times to holy souls. Not only do these views of the united perfections of God, as they are concerned in the contrivance of the gospel, entertain the saints above with new and pleasurable contemplations, but the wonders of divine wisdom, power and grace, united and harmonizing in the propagation and success of this gospel,' become a matter of delightful attention and survey to the saints on high.

This is imitated also in a measure by the children of God here on earth. Have you never felt such a surprising pleasure in the view of the attributes of God, his grace, wisdom, and power in making these divine designs so happily efficacious for the good of thousands of souls? If there "be joy in heaven among the angels of God" at the conversion "of a sinner,” what perpetual messages of unknown satisfaction and delight did the daily and constant labours of the blessed Apostle Paul send to the upper world? What perpetual tidings were carried to the worlds on high of such and such souls, converted unto God from gross idolatry, from the worship of dumb idols, from the vain superstition of their heroes and mediator-gods, and from the impure and bloody sacrifices of their own countrymen, whereby they intended to satisfy their gods for their own iniquities, and to reconcile themselves to these invented gods, these demons or devils which were deified by the folly and madness of sinful men? What new hallelujahs must it put into the mouths of the saints and angels on high, to see the true and living God worshipped by thousands that had never before known him, and to see Jesus the Mediator in all the glories of his divine offices admired and adored by those who lately had either known nothing of him, or been shameful revilers and blasphemers of his majesty.

And what an unknown delight is diffused through many of the saints of God now here on earth upon such tidings, not only from the foreign and heathen countries, but even some that have professed Chris

tianity, but under gross mistakes and miserable fogs of darkness and superstition? What an unconceivable and overwhelming pleasure has surprised a Christian sometimes in the midst of his zealous worship of God and his Saviour, to hear of such tidings of new subjects in multitudes submitting themselves to their divine dominion?

And even in our day, whensoever we hear of the work of grace begun by the ministry of the word awakening a drowsy and lethargic soul from its dangerous sleep on the brink of hell, rousing a negligent and slothful creature from his indolence and carelessness about the things of eternity; or again, in making a heart soft and impressive to the powers of divine grace, which was before hard as the nether millstone; and especially when multitudes of these tidings come together from distant places, as of late we have heard from New England, and several of those plantations, from Scotland, and several of her assemblies, what additional scenes of heavenly joy and pleasure have been raised amongst the pious souls, both those who relate and those who hear them.

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SECTION VI.

Foretastes of heaven are sometimes derived from 'the overflowing sense of the love of God' let in upon the soul.

The spirits above who are surrounded with this blessedness and this love, and rejoice in the everlast

ing assurance of it, cannot but be filled with intense joy. What can be a greater foundation of complete blessedness and delight than the immediate sensation and assurance of being beloved by the glorious, and supreme, and the all-sufficient Being, who will never suffer his favourites to want any thing he can bestow upon them to make them happy in perfection, and for ever? All creatures are under his present view and immediate command; there is not the least of them can give disturbance to any of the favourites of heaven, who dwell in the midst of their Creator's love; nor is there any creature that can be employed towards the complete happiness of the saints on high, but is for ever under the disposal of that God who has made all things, and it shall be employed upon every just occasion for the display of his love to his saints.

Some have imagined, that that 'perfect satisfaction of soul which arises from a good conscience, speaking peace inwardly in the survey of its sincere desire to please God in all things, and having with uprightness of heart fulfilled its duty,' is the supreme delight of heaven: But it is my opinion God has never made the felicity of his creatures to be drawn so entirely out of themselves, or from the spring of their own bosom, as this notion seems to imply. God himself will be all in all to his creatures; and all their original springs of blessedness as well as being are in him, and must be derived from him: It is therefore the overflowing sense of being beloved by a God almighty and eternal, that is the supreme foun

tain of joy and blessedness in every reasonable nature, and the endless security of this happiness is joy everlasting in all the regions of the blessed above.

Now a taste of this kind is heavenly blessedness even on this earth, where God is pleased to bestow it on his creatures; and the glimpses of it bring such ecstacies into the soul as can hardly be conceived, or revealed to others, but it is best felt by them who enjoy it.

SECTION VII.

Foretastes of heaven in the fervent emotions of soul in love to Jesus Christ.'

What the love and strong affections of the blessed saints above towards Jesus Christ their Lord and Saviour may impress of joy on their spirits, is not possible for us to learn in the present state; but there are some who have even here on earth felt such transcendent affections to Jesus the Son of God, even though they have never enjoyed the sight of him, yet they love him with most intense and ardent zeal; their devotion almost swallows them up and carries them away captive above all earthly things, and brings them near to the heavenly world. There is an unknown joy which arises from such intense love to an object so lovely and so deserving; such is that which is spoken concerning the saints to whom St. Peter wrote, 1 Pet. i. 8. "Whom having not seen, ye love, in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

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