unto God even his Father, unto him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.

The Universe, also, for the first time since the apostacy of angels, will be at peace. To this period, rebellion will have existed, and war been carried on in the Kingdom of JEHOVAH. But after the entrance of the Righteous into Heaven, all these evils will be settled in uninterrupted quiet. Animosity, contention, and confusion, will no more invade the regions of virtue, nor disturb the harmony of their inhabitants. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, says St. John, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. The Sea is chosen by the prophetical writers as an image of those violences, which are so prevalent, and so universal, here, and to which its own restless agitations bear so strong a resemblance. These, it is here asserted, will exist no more. In the future world of enjoyment, no cloud will overcast the sky; no tempest will rage; no billows will roll. Peace, divine and eternal, will breathe her balmy influence through every bosom, and hush the voice of contention for ever.

At the same time, the Mediatorial Kingdom will be terminated; and all the immediate purposes of this wonderful system accomplished. His chosen ones, will be all gathered. Not one of them, however poor, humble, or despised, will be lost. Not one of them will be prevented from arriving in this glorious Kingdom. Every one will see his infirmities, sins, and dangers, vanished

for ever.

At this era, God, in a new sense, will be all in all. In other words, his perfections will be manifested with a clearness and splendour before unknown.

Particularly, the former dispensations of his providence will be unfolded to the contemplation, and comprehension, of virtuous beings. These dispensations, it will be remembered, were merely means, adopted for the promotion of ends, to be accomplished In the future world. The fitness of their adoption for these purposes, as well as the wisdom of their author, cannot, therefore, be thoroughly understood, until the ends, for which they exist, shall take place. At this era, they will begin to be clearly disclosed. All of them will now appear to have been necessary, wise, and good; and will show beyond a doubt, that he, who selected them, was wonderful in counsel, excellent in working, wise in heart, and mighty in strength.

The beauty, glory, and happiness, of virtuous beings will, also, be only a new and illustrious manifestation of the perfections of God. Their bodies and their minds will be his workmanship; archetypes of those infinitely various forms of beauty, glory, and loveliness, which, like the colours of light in the sun, shone, and mingled, with immortal splendour, in the Uncreated mind. Their virtues will be only unceasing emanations of his excellence; their

enjoyments only perennial streams, flowing from the eternal Fountain of good.

In them all, also, He will live, and breathe, and move. The animating principle, a vernal warmth, an ethereal fire, impercep tible in itself, but gloriously visible in its effects, will spread without intermission through the virtuous universe; and quicken all things, which it contains. The air, the trees, the streams, the fruits, will all be informed with life. This divine principle in the glorified bodies of the blessed, will warm the heart, kindle the eye, and play around the aspect, with youth and immortality. The soul it will invigorate with energy, which knows no decay; will glow in its affections; and supply it with strength to form vast conceptions, and to model plans and purposes for eternity. All things will be full of life; and the life in all things will be God.

Finally, a new system of dispensations will here commence, incomparably more glorious than any thing, and every thing, which has before existed. Christ is the light of Heaven, as well as of earth. In this Divine Person, the Godhead will shine without a cloud, and be seen face to face. The splendour will be all intelligence and enjoyment, and the warmth, life and love. The happy millions will bask for ever in the benevolent beams; and, with the eagle's eye fixed on the Divine Luminary, will rise, on eagles' wings, with a perpetually invigorated flight, nearer and nearer to the Sun of righteousness for ever.

SERMON CLXX.

THE REMOTER CONSEQUENCES OF DEATH.-THE HAPPINESS OF HEAVEN.

REVELATION xxi. 1—3.—And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven, saying; Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

IN the preceding discourse, I endeavoured to give a summary view of the New Creation, or the new heavens and the new earth, mentioned in the beginning of the text. In this, I propose to consider briefly, the particular State of the Redeemed in their future existence, for whom, principally, the Scriptures exhibit the glorious state of the universe, which was the subject of the preceding discourse, as being accomplished. For them, particularly, Heaven is formed, and furnished, to be their everlasting residence. In my Father's house, said our Saviour, are many mansions; I go to prepare a place for you. Come ye blessed of my Father, will the Judge say to the Righteous at the final day, inherit the Kingdom, prepared for you, from the foundation of the world. To complete this world of glory, to adorn it with unrivalled beauty, to store it with the richest blessings, to fill it with the most proper inhabitants, and to reign over it with peculiar displays of his perfection for ever, is, I think, sufficiently exhibited in the Scriptures as the End, especially proposed by the Creator in all his antecedent dispensations. That heaven was created, to become the residence of those, by whom it will be inhabited, and to become the theatre of those glorious dispensations, which will constitute the eternal providence of God towards them, will not, I suppose, be questioned. It has been shown, that the display of the Divine wisdom to principalities and powers, in the heavenly places, by means of the Church, was the intent, for which God created all things by Jesus Christ. It will not be doubted, that this display will be chiefly made in the heavenly world, rather than in this; and more extensively, and perfectly, during the endless progress of future ages, than during the momentary continuance of time. For the same end existed the work of Redemption. For this end, also, mankind are born; angels employed as ministering spirits, to minister to them who are the heirs of salvation; the revolutions of time finished; the Judgment set; the world consumed by fire; and the

new heavens and the new earth created, as the eternal habitation of righteousness. Of course, this State is sufficiently glorious to justify these amazing labours, and the existence of that wonderful train of events, which they accomplish. The first heaven and the first earth were intended to be the theatre of temporary scenes; and, when these are finished, are declared in the text to pass away. The new heaven and the new earth are destined to eternal purposes; and are, therefore, formed to endure for ever.

The two last chapters of the Apocalypse are a discourse, written chiefly on this great subject. No descriptive writing, in the possession of mankind, can be compared with this in sublimity and splendour. The most beautiful, and the most magnificent, objects, which were ever presented to the imagination of man, are here selected with unrivalled skill, and combined with supreme felicity. Every stroke is the strong, masterly, effort of a great mind, filled with the immense grandeur of the subject, and giving vent to the wonders and glories of inspiration; every where invigorated with that conciseness, which is so characteristical of the Scriptures, and especially of their sublimest effusions. It is equally distinguished for the particularity of imagery, and phraseology, which is indispensable to all vivid, powerful impressions. Little and ordinary things, nay, such as may be styled great, but are yet possessed of secondary splendour, are here forgotten, or purposely left to be supplied by the mind of the reader; while the writer employs himself in exhibiting those only, which are eminently important, intensely beautiful, or gloriously majestic.

This discourse of St. John may perhaps with equal propriety be considered, as a description of a place, which, with its appendages, is denominated the heaven of heavens, or the new Jerusalem; or of the state of things existing in that delightful region; as an account of the future character, and happiness, of the Church; or the divine residence, where it will dwell, and its happiness be enjoyed. It is of little consequence, therefore, in which manner the discourse is understood.

Of this discourse the Text is the introduction, and contains several interesting declarations concerning its illustrious subject. The writer commences his observations by informing us, that, after the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, he saw a new heaven and a new earth brought into existence: the same, which St. Peter declares to be expected by himself, and his fellowChristians, after the conflagration. In these happy regions, he also informs us, tumult and confusion would never find a place: There was no more sea. Then, he announces to us, he saw the holy City, new Jerusalem, a magnificent emblem of the future state, and residence, of the redeemed, coming down from God out of heaven. This City, was prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; or, in other words, ornamented with every variety, and degree, of beauty and splendour. A great voice from heaven

In

proclaimed, that this was the tabernacle, or peculiar dwelling place, of God; that it should henceforth exist with men through all succeeding ages of duration; and that God would henceforth dwell with them, and be their God, and that they should be his people. other words, the voice declared, that the covenant, made with Abraham, and afterwards repeatedly promulged to the Church, should now be fulfilled in all its import, and to the utmost extent of the blessing, conveyed in those memorable words: I will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

Soon after, St. John was carried by an angel, in the spirit, to a great and high mountain; where, at leisure, he surveyed the same illustrious object; and beheld in distinct vision, and contemplated separately, the wonderful parts of this astonishing structure, and all its magnificent appendages. His description of these he concludes with this remarkable declaration : And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination; or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. For the redeemed, then, heaven is formed, and constituted; and all its blessings unite, to complete their happy state in the future world.

The observations, which I propose to make concerning this interesting subject, I shall arrange under the following heads: I. The Residence;

II. The Character;

III. The Employments; and,

IV. The Enjoyments, of the Redeemed.

In the first place, The Residence of these happy beings claims our particular attention.

No man, it is presumed, ever read the history of our first Parents, contained in the second chapter of Genesis, without being deeply interested in their state, as well as their character. The paradise, allotted to them as their proper residence, has in a high degree engaged the attention, and awakened the delight, of every reader. Its trees and fruits; its fields arrayed in verdure, and adorned with flowers; the life, which breathed in its winds, and flowed in its rivers; the serenity of its sky, and the splendour of its sunshine; together with the immortality, which gilded, and burnished, all its beautiful scenes; have filled the heart with rapture, and awakened the most romantic visions of the imagination. The Poets of the West, and still more those of the East, have, down to the present hour, kindled at the thought of this scene of beauty and fragrance; and the very name of Eden has met the eye, as a gem in the verse which it adorned. Nay, it has been transferred by God himself to the world of glory; and become one of the appropriate designations of Heaven. To him that overcometh, saith our Saviour, I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

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