mercy, and love, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence of the Eternal; and whilst expatiating upon the height, and depth, and length, and breadth, of those mysterious things which "angels desire to look into," they will for ever be making fresh discoveries, bowing down at each new revelation, and acquiring richer accessions after every adoration. "They will hunger no "more," save with that spiritual hunger after righteousness, which God will be for ever satisfying, "Neither thirst any more," save with the celestial thirst for knowledge which an exhaustless fountain will ceaselessly supply: and if Christ be the fountain, the joy will be that of the giver, on the one hand, and of the receiver, on the other; so that in this sense the enjoyment of the faithful may truly be called the joy of their Lord." The joy of thy Lord!"—If nothing more were revealed to us than these melodious words, are they not enough to suggest something overflowing with blessedness and unspeakably ecstatic? And if so, we ask you, dearly beloved, is there not here enough to stir us up to faithfulness? We cannot approach so near to the fountain, as to know every thing about that "living water" until we shall taste the reality. 66 Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have "entered into the heart of man the things which "God hath prepared for them that love him." But, if among the faithful, we shall have eyes "to see "him as he is"we shall have ears to listen to the transporting sound, "Well done, good and "faithful servant"-we shall have tongues to sing the "new song," which none but the redeemed will be able even to learn-we shall have bodies, spiritual bodies, to bow down before the Lamb,yes, we shall have crowns also to cast before the Throne; and thus marvellously furnished with instruments of enjoyment, and sealed with the blessed sentence, we shall enter into the heavenly Jerusalem, there everlastingly to be Rulers over things which may well be called "many," because they are countless, and to dwell in bliss which may well be called "the joy of our Lord," because, O Lord, " in thy 66 presence is the fulness of joy, and at thy right "hand there is pleasure for evermore." ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER. THE Author begs to state, that he wrote the following Essay some years ago, when it was printed in a separate form, but that he inserts it in the present Volume, because he thinks it will illustrate many parts of the foregoing Sermons, more particularly of the seventh upon "Christ's "Miracles and Preaching as Proofs of his Mission." |