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VII.

complaint be heard. All nature would S ERM. affume a different afpect. Cheerfulness would be feen on every countenance. Paradife would return. The wilderness would fmile; the defert rejoice and bloffom as the rofe. Now fuch are the effects. which the presence of the God of love muft produce on the inhabitants above. Beholding his glory, they are changed into the fame image. In that temple of eternal love, which his presence has hallowed and confecrated, no found but the voice of harmony is ever heard; no appearances ever prefent themselves but thofe of peace and joy.

THUS, confidering God under these two illuftrious characters which are given of him in fcripture, as Light, and as Love, it follows that in his prefence there must be fulness of joy. But I am far from saying that the few imperfect hints I have now given, exhaust, or even approach to, the fum of thofe pleafures for evermore which are at God's right hand. Ten thousand pleasures

are

VII.

SER M. are there, which now we have neither faculties to comprehend, nor powers to enjoy. Behind that mysterious cloud, which covers the habitation of eternity, the view of mortals cannot penetrate. Content with our humble and diftant fituation, we must as yet remain. Faith can only look to those glories from afar. In patient filence, it must wait, trust, and adore.

Suppofing the ideas which I have fet before you, in this difcourfe, to be no more than the speculations of a contemplative mind, fuch as were wont of old to be indulged by the philofophers of the Platonic school, ftill they would deferve attention, on account of their tendency to purify and elevate the mind. But when they are confidered in connection with a revelation, which, upon grounds the most unquestionable, we believe to be divine, they are entitled to command, not attention only, but reverence and faith. They present to us fuch high expectations as are fufficient to determine every reasonable man to the

VII.

choice of virtue; to fupport him un- SERM, der all its prefent difcouragements, and to comfort him in the hour of death. Juftly may they excite in our hearts that ardent aspiration of the Pfalmist : My foul thirfteth for God, for the living God; O when Shall I come and appear before him!-But, with this with in our hearts, never, I befeech you, let us forget what was fet forth in the first part of this difcourfe; that, in order to arrive at the presence of God, the path of life muft previously be fhewn to us by him, and that in this path we must perfevere to the end.

things cannot be disjoined,

These two

a virtuous

Who shall

life and a happy eternity.
afcend unto the hill of the Lord? and
who shall ftand in his holy place? He
only who hath clean hands and a pure
heart. Between a corrupted heart and
the God of light and love, there never
can be any connection. But of this
we may rest affured, that the path of pi-
ety and virtue, pursued with a firm and
conftant

SER M. conftant fpirit, will, in the end, through VII. the merits of our bleffed-Redeemer,

bring us to that prefence, where is fulnefs of joy, and where are pleafures for

evermore.

SERMON

SERMON

VIII.

On CURIOSITY concerning the AF

FAIRS of others.

JOHN XXI. 21, 22.

Peter feeing him, faith to Jefus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jefus faith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.

HESE words occurred in a confe- SER M,

TH

rence which our Lord held with Simon Peter, after his resurrection from the dead. Confcious of the difgrace which he had incurred by his late denial of his Mafter, Peter must at this time have appeared before him with fhame. Our Lord, after a tacit re

buke,

VIII.

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