SERM. afbes: a deceived heart hath turned him VII. afide, that he cannot deliver his foul, nor

fay, Is there not a lie in my right hand*?— Once open to him the perfect fources of knowledge and truth; fuppofe him placed in the prefence of that God who is Light; fuppofe him illuminated by light derived immediately from the Supreme Being; prefently all his former errors would fly away as mifts are difpelled by the rifing fun. His whole nature would be changed and reformed. The prejudices which obfcured his understanding would be removed. The feductions of his paffions would disappear. Rectitude and virtue, having nothing now to obftruct their entrance, would take entire poffeffion of his heart. Angels are happier than men, because they enjoy more enlarged knowledge and views; because they labour under none of our unhappy deceptions; but fee the truth as it is in itfelf; fee it, as it is in God.

*Ifaiah xliv. 20.

VII.

God. Sharing the fame light which il- S ER M. luminates them, good men in a future ftate will share in their felicity.

Moreover, the light that flows from the presence of Him who is the original fource of light, not only banishes miferies which were the effects of former darkness, but also confers the most exquifite enjoyment. The knowledge afforded us at present serves to fupply our most preffing wants; but it does no more. It is always imperfect and unfatisfactòry; nay, much pain and anxiety it often leaves. Narrow is the sphere within which the mind can fee at all; and even there it can fee only darkly as through a glass. But when it fhall be enlarged beyond this dufky territory, let loose from this earthly prifon, and in God's light permitted to fee light, the most magnificent and glorious fpectacles muft open to the view of the purified fpirit. What must it be to behold the whole ftupendous fcene of nature unveiled, and its hidden myfteries difclosed! To trace the wife and just go

vernment

VII.

SERM, vernment of the Almighty, through all those intricacies which had fo long per-. plexed us! To behold his hand conducting ten thousand worlds, which are now unknown to us; and throughout all the regions of boundless space, to view wifdom and goodnefs perpetually acting, and diversifying its operations in forms of endless variety! Well may fuch discoveries infpire that fong of the bleffed, which the apoftle John heard as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, faying, Alleluiah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; juft and true are thy ways, thou King of faints*! As God is Light, so also it is said in scripture,

God is love. His prefence muft of courfe diffuse love, among all who are permitted to dwell in it.

He that

loveth

Rev. xix. 6 xv. 3.

VII.

loveth not, knoweth not God. He that SERM dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him*. Were man a fingle, folitary being, the full enjoyment of light might fuffice for his happiness; as the perfection of knowledge would rectify and improve to the highest all his faculties. But, both here and hereafter, he is connected with other beings.. Heaven implies a fociety; and the felicity of that fociety is conftituted by the perfection of love and goodness, flowing from the presence of the God of love.

Hence follows the entire purification of human nature from all thofe malevolent paffions, which have fo long rendered our abode on earth the abode of mifery. We greatly deceive ourselves, when we charge our chief diftreffes merely to the account of our external condition in the world. From the difadvantages attending it, I admit, that we may often have been exposed

to

*1 John iv. 8, 16.

SERM. to fuffer. We may have met with dif

VII.

appointments in our purfuits. By the

arrows of misfortune we may have been wounded. Under infirmities of body we may have languifhed. But on this we may depend, that the worst evils of our prefent condition arife from the want of goodnefs and love; from the disorders of selfish paffions; from the irritation which thefe occafion when working within ourfelves, and the diftrefs which they produce when breaking out upon us from others; in a word, from that corrupted ftate of temper, and that reciprocation of jealoufies, suspicions, and injuries, which is ever taking place among the focieties of men. Could you banish distrust, craft, and uncharitablenefs, from the earth, and form all mankind into an affembly of the juft and the benevolent; could you inspire every heart with kind affections, and render every one friendly and generous to his neighbour; you would banish at once the most afflictive tribe of human evils. Seldom would the voice of complaint