bodily organs we behold the sun in the firmament. Nor are his communications there any longer partial, scanty, and occasional; but constant and full, according to the measure of every one's capacity to receive them.

The consciousness which every one will then have of his interest in God; of the relation which he bears to him; and of the indissolubleness of that bond which has united him to God; O! what a source of joy will this be! But on a subject like this, "we only darken counsel by words without knowledge." We have no conception of the presence of God. A new-born infant is not less capable of appreciating the sublime exercises and enjoyments of spiritual perception, than we are of comprehending the felicity of beholding God face to face.]

2. The perfection of it

[The negative felicity of heaven comes more within the grasp of our feeble minds. We know here, by sad experience, what pain and sorrow mean: and frequent are the occasions on which tears flow down our cheeks. Death too, that king of terrors, warns us of the pains which we shall speedily endure in our conflicts with him. This whole world is little else than a vale of tears. At best it is a checquered scene, and sorrows are continually intermingled with our joys. But in heaven there will be no more pain, or sorrow, or crying: our happiness will be uninterrupted, and without alloy. Nor will there be any termination of it; for "there will be no more death." Whatever tears bedewed our cheeks in our departing hours, they will all be wiped away by God himself; who will, from the instant of our entrance into his presence, seat us on his throne, and put a crown of pure gold upon our head, and invest us with all the glory and felicity of his kingdom. When joy and gladness have thus taken possession of our souls, not only will 66 sorrow and sighing flee away," but all occasion for them, all scope for the exercise of them, will vanish for ever. O beloved, what a state will this be! Would to God we were able to speak of it as we ought! But we feel the subject far too great for our feeble grasp.]

Lest this vision should appear to exceed what will ever be realized, let me draw your attention to, II. The confirmation of it

"God, in giving us his covenant, confirmed it with an oath, in order that we might have the stronger consolation:" so here, he confirmed this vision to the Apostle by an audible voice, declaring that the things which he had seen,

1. Were really true

["Behold, I make all things new. Write; for these words are true and faithful." God would have this vision recorded for the benefit of the Church: nor would he have any part of it doubted: for every thing which had been spoken respecting it was true, and might be fully relied on.

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Now this at first sight appears to have been superfluous: but it was in reality no more than what our necessities required. When the soul is bowed down with pains and sorrows, it needs support: and there is no support equal to that which this vision affords. Our trials are but for a time: and eternity is near at hand: and the very troubles which we are called to endure, are subservient to our best interests, and conducive to the augmentation of our happiness to all eternity. Look at the saints of old, and see what supported them in all their trials. What enabled the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to leave their country and kindred, and to live as pilgrims and sojourners on the earth? They looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is Gode." What enabled the martyrs of following ages to sustain their accumulated afflictions? They "looked forward to the resurrection," when they should possess "a better and an enduring substance." It is to that period that our blessed Lord teaches us to look, as affording us a rich compensation for all that we can now endure for his sake. And it is the prospect of that time which reconciles all the Lord's people to the diversified afflictions of this present life. Hence it was necessary that we should have the fullest testimony respecting the certainty and the excellency of that future state.

Know then, that state does indeed await you know, that "light is sown for the righteous:" and "though weeping may endure for a night, joy will come in the morning."]

2. Were in actual existence

[The voice which attested the truth of these things, added also, "It is done." The very glory of which the vision spake, is actually begun. Thousands and millions are already in possession of it. What a blessed thought, to those especially who have been bereaved of pious friends or relatives! They are already joined to the general assembly and Church of the first-born: their spirits are already perfect; perfect in purity, and perfect also in felicity. Think of the dying thief, when, on the very night of his crucifixion, he was received into the presence of his Lord in Paradise! We wonder not that" Paul desired to depart and to be with Christ," accounting that infinitely better than the happiest state on earth. Nor

• Heb. xi. 10. f Heb. x. 34. and xi. 35. g Matt. v. 12.

do we wonder that he made light of every thing which stood between him and the consummation of his blissh; and longed for the dissolution of his earthly tabernacle, that he might have it reared anew in that better world1 — Let us only

think how near we are to that blissful state, and nothing will be able to damp our ardour, or retard our progress, in the pursuit of it.]

CONTEMPLATE heaven, then, I entreat you: contemplate it,

1. As an object of pursuit

[What is there in the whole universe that is worthy to be put in competition with it? O! blush that you can have your heart engaged about the vanities of time and sense, and that these eternal realities occupy so little of your atten-]

tion

2. As an object of expectation

[Can you really believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has given you a title to this blessedness, and ever be weary in the pursuit of it? The wonder is, how you can be content to live in this poor wretched world, when there is such blessedness awaiting you at your departure from it. Go and survey it from day to day: take Pisgah views of it: anticipate it: get such a sense of God's presence with you, as shall be a foretaste of it: and be daily "looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day," when you yourself shall be privileged to say, "He hath made all things new."]

3. As an object of actual fruition

[Ask of "those who came out of great tribulation, and washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and are now in the immediate presence of their God:" ask them, Whether they regret any labours or sufferings which they ever endured in their way to that bliss. Ask them too, How, with God's help, they would live, if they were again permitted to begin their course on earth? Ask yourselves too, what thoughts you will have of your present conduct, if ever you should reach those realms of bliss? These will be profitable considerations to you: they will place all present things in their just point of view: and will aid you greatly in running the race that is set before you.]

h Rom. viii. 18. 2 Cor. v. 1—4.

i It being delivered on the night of the funeral of his late Majesty George III. the audience were here led to contemplate the blessed exchange which his Majesty now experienced. And the same may be done on occasion of any one who dies in the Lord. See Rev. xiv. 13.

MMDXXX.

GOD THE LIGHT AND TEMPLE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM.

Rev. xxi. 22, 23. I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

"GLORIOUS things," says the Psalmist, " are spoken of thee, thou city of God"." This was true of Jerusalem, as it existed in the days of David: but far more applicable is it to the new Jerusalem, which yet remains to be built, at a period that is fast approaching; the foundations of which, indeed, have been already laid these eighteen hundred years! Whether it is of that city that St. John is here speaking, or of heaven itself, has been, and still is, a subject of controversy amongst Christian divines. It is not without a great appearance of truth that this whole vision is considered as referring to the millennial age: for "the holy city which St. John saw, the New Jerusalem, came down from God out of heaven";" and therefore could scarcely be heaven itself. Its foundations, and walls, and gates, are described by the very terms which are confessedly and exclusively applied by the prophets to the Church which shall be established at that period: and the flocking of all nations, with their kings and all their wealth, to this city, is the very event predicted in all the prophecies, as now fast approaching, and as ordained to continue for a thousand years. On the other hand, it is not without strong reason that others interpret this vision as relating to heaven itself: for the order of prophecy seems to require it. The day of judgment, and the punishment of the wicked, having been foretold in the preceding chapter, it seems reasonable to expect that the felicity of the saints should be next described: and to come back cver. 24, 26.

a Ps. lxxxvii. 3.

b

ver. 2.

from the day of judgment to the millennium, is to introduce confusion, where we should naturally expect to find order; and to cast a needless veil over prophecy, which, in itself, is necessarily involved in much obscurity. It is also said by these persons, that some of the expressions which are applied to this city— such as, that "there is no night or death there," and that "all former things are passed away"-appear to determine the sense of the whole as pertaining, not to this world, but the next. But perhaps the exclusive application of the subject is not right on either side: for it is indisputable, that the prophecies in general have different periods of accomplishment. Numberless passages had somewhat of a literal fulfilment in the Jewish state, and afterwards a spiritual accomplishment in the apostolic age; and are still to receive their full and final accomplishment at a period yet future. And sometimes these different events are so intermixed (as in our Lord's description of the day of judgment, which was shadowed forth by the destruction of Jerusalem), that you are necessitated to separate them according to the terms by which they are designated, rather than by any broad line of distinction observable in the prophecies themselves. Whilst, therefore, we suppose the state of the glorified Church to be primarily intended, we apprehend that its glory is considered as commenced on earth, and completed in heaven: for, in truth, the millennial age will be heaven, as it were, begun; and the heavenly glory will be the reign of Christ and of the saints consummated.

Understanding then our text in this view, I shall explain it,

I. In reference to the millennial age

The voice of Scripture, whether in the Old Testament or the New, declares, that the period which is usually called the millennium will be a season of universal piety and most transcendent bliss. In this

d ver. 4. and xxii. 5.

e Matt. xxiv.