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you, and blefs them that perfecute you." Let therefore your converfation be without offence. Neglect not any part of your duty in the fight of the world, and be the more watchful, that, on account of your profeffion, they will be the more diligent in obferving, and the more fevere in cenfuring your conduct. Whilft therefore you remember that faith in Chrift is the only fource of new obedience, remember alfo, that faith without works is dead, being alone.

In the last place, I would address this exhortation to all fuch in this audience as, by their office or ftation, or wealth or character, are raised above others. You will furely be fenfible of the propriety of this exhortation, "Let your "light fo fhine before men, that they may fee your good "works." You are placed in a confpicuous fituation, exposed to public view, and your influence will be great, whether it be profitable or hurtful. You ought not to count your higher station in life a favor blindly bestowed on you for your pleafure only, but a truft committed to you for which you muft render an impartial account. How fhould this reprefs and reftrain all vain-glorious oftentation of the temporary differences between man and man, and excite to a diligent improvement of your talents against the coming of your Lord, when the highest shall be upon a level with the loweft. I hope it will contribute to enforce the exhortation, that, in this age, the declining ftate of religion loudly calls for the afliftance of all to its rivival, but particularly for eminent and fhining examples. How hard is it, that when vice and infidelity have fo many advocates in writing and converfation, there fhould be fo few exerting themselves in their ftation for the promoting of truth and righteoufnefs! And let none excuse themselves for their own neglect of duty, by throwing the blame upon others, and holding up to light the floth or wickedness of those who are moft eminently guilty. Let none say, "Alas, my sphere of usefulness is very nar "row, my influence is very fmall; but if those who are " in more eminent ftations, and whofe ftations, give them "greater weight, would but exert themselves, the effect "would be fenfible." Remember your ftations are juft VOL. I. 3 Z

what God hath affigned you, and for these, and these alone, you are to be called to an account. The lefs im portant they are, the duties are the more eafily fulfilled, and the neglect, in one refpect at least, (though I cannot fay in all,) more criminal and inexcufeable. To conculde, Let the wife and powerful magiftrates, minifters, parents, ́and heads of families, be diligent in discharging the duties incumbent upon them, and join earnest prayer to God, that he would arise and effectually plead his own cause. Amen.

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Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple.—

Y brethren, however great a degree of corruption

M'prevails at prefent in the vifible church, the very

profeffion of every Christian, implies a renunciation of the world, and a fixed hope of a better ftate. His attendance upon the ordinances of God on earth, is in order to fecure the poffeffion, and prepare himself for the enjoyment of the heavenly inheritance. He confeffeth that he is a stranger and pilgrim on the earth; that he lives by faith, and not by fight. And, therefore, nothing can be more fuitable to his character; nothing more conducive to his comfort, than frequent views of the employment and happiness of the fpirits of juft men made perfect.

And, furely, this is a fubject highly proper for our meditation on the evening of a communion Sabbath. In this ordinance, you have had the price paid for this glorious inheritance fet before you by fymbolical reprefentation, that your faith in, and hope of the poffeffion of it, might be the more confirmed. In the inftitution itself, as recorded by the apostle Paul, you find he connects the commemoration of the fufferings and death of Chrift, with his fecond appearance in glory, 1 Cor. xi. 26. "For, as often as ye

"eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew the Lord's "death till he come." Nay, our Lord himself feems to have had his heart and his thoughts in heaven, when he left this memorial of his prefence on earth, as appears from Matth. xxvi. 29. "But I fay unto you, I will not drink "henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when "I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." And, indeed, we have his own example in this first communion, wherein he himself was the adminiftrator, for following or concluding it with a meditation on the heavenly happiness; for before he rofe from it, he begins his excellent confolatory difcourfe in this manner, John xiv: I, 2. "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, "believe alfo in me. In my Father's house are many "manfions; if it were not fo, I would have told you: I go to prepare a place for you."

It is true, indeed, my brethren, our knowledge of the future glory of the faints, is at prefent, extremely imperfect, and muft be fo, for wife reafons, while we continue in the body. There are, however, feveral different views of it given in the word of God, highly worthy of our attention. Amongst others, this in our text, that they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple. That these words are to be understood of the faints in heaven, and not of any glorious period of the church on earth, or, if of this laft, manifeftly in allufion to the former, I think is plain, both from what goes before, and what follows them; which I fhall read in connexion, as all the explication of the text that is neceffary, from verse 13. "And one of the elders anfwered, faying "unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white "robes and whence came they? and I faid unto him, "Sir, thou knoweft. And he faid to me, thefe are they "which came out of great tribulation, and have washed "their robes, and made them white in the blood of the "Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God,

and serve him day and night in his temple; and he that "fitteth on the throne fhall dwell among them; they "fhall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither fhall the fun light on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb,

"which is in the midst of the throne, fhall feed them, and "fhall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and "God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

What I propofe from this paffage, at present, is, through divine affistance, to illuftrate a little to you, the happiness of the faints in perpetual communion with God in his temple above; and then to make fome improvement of the fubject, for your infiruction and direction while you continue here below.

I. In the first place, then, I am to illuftrate a little to you the happiness of the faints in perpetual communion with God in his temple above. And, here, obferve, that though I have faid perpetual communion with God, and did mean it of his immediate worship and fervice, I did not intend to affert, that they are at no time employed in a different manner, or in work which may be called by a different name. What variety of exercifes may be provided for their noble and vigorous faculties, in the nature or works of God, we cannot pretend to know. As the angels are called "miniftring fpirits, fent forth to minifter "to them who are heirs of falvation;" fo we know not how far he may blefs and dignify his faints, by employing them in the adminiftration of fome part of his extenfive dominion. But it is furely juft to call their communion with God in his worship perpetual, both because of their frequent actual application to it, and becaufe of that conftant adoration of foul which we must fuppofe will accompany either an investigation of the nature and works, or an execution of the will of God. It is alfo well warranted by the expreffion in the text, and serve him day and night in his temple. Now, in order to illustrate the worship of the faints in heaven, we may confider it in two different lights: Firft, As it is internal and spiritual.Secondly, As it is external and sensible.

First, Let us confider the happinefs of the faints, in that part of their celeftial worship, which is internal and fpiritual; and, in general, we muft frequently recal to our minds the imperfection of our prefent difcoveries, and remember, that "eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, nor

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