life, in beholding Christ's glory, and in being with him as their Lord. Thus heaven is set forth in the scriptures as a place, and also as a state, and what the enjoyments of it consist in, are expressed.

As a place, heaven is stiled, in the inspired word, (or compared to) a mansion, an house, or dwelling-place. In my Father's house, (says our blessed Lord) are many mansions," John xiv. 2. He stiles it " everlasting habitations," Luke xvi. 9. He calls it paradise, Luke xxiii. 43. The apostle calls it, "The third heaven, 2 Cor. xii. 2. he compares it to "a city, which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God:" to a "city which God hath prepared for his saints," Heb. xi. 10, 16. and in our text, to "an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

To speak very briefly of heaven, as a place, one excellent writer says, " It is reasonable to suppose, that in some part of the heavens, God now manifests himself in a most glorious visible display of his majesty to the exceeding ineffable joy of those who shall be admitted to approach to that light which is now inaccessible. So that it will be a part of our eternal happiness, to live in those pure, clear, regions, where unknown glories, and most splendid sights, will present themselves to us, where we ourselves shall be cloathed with a brightness like that wherein our

Lord appeared to Stephen and Paul, and behold him in a greater majesty and brightness, than that was, because our capacities will be enlarged for more illustrious manifestations of God to us. We shall live in that place, where he dwells in light, unapproachable by mortal men, in the company of holy angels, who, as so many stars of glory, will add, if it be possible, to the glory and splendor of the place, and with our blessed Saviour, God-man, whose glorified body we shall behold; and so behold it that we shall bear the image of the heavenly, as we have borne the image of the earthly. We shall be made immortal, that is, we shall be ever with the Lord; and at, and after the resurrection, in such glorious bodies as his is: so that in ourselves we may see the glory of the Lord." I think this is most truly excellent.

That heaven is a place, appears from the scripture expressions concerning Christ's ascension into it. His living there, as the representative and intercessor of his church and people; his going there to prepare it for them; and his promise that he will come again and receive them to himself, that where he is they may be also.

These phrases imply heaven to be a place, as does our text before us, in which it is called an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." When it is called paradise, it is in allusion to the garden in Eden, which was of

God's planting, made and prepared by him. And Adam's body and mind were not more completely formed for it, than the elect soul will be for its entrance into heaven, and enjoying communion with God there. When this place is stiled the third heaven, it is to point it out as the seat of the infinite divine Majesty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the one incomprehensible Jehovah.

It is an everlasting habitation, "an house eternal in the heavens, a city, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Holy angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, dwell in it there Enoch, Moses, and Elijah, are in their glorified bodies; so are also those saints, whose bodies were raised from the grave of death at the resurrection of Christ and Jesus, the head of saints is there, in his glorified humanity, and he will remain there until his second appearing and coming in his kingdom and glory.

Into this house, eternal in the heavens, the elect believers in the Lord Jesus Christ enter immediately on their departure from their bodies at death. Heaven, as a state, is expressed in scripture, under the terms of rest, and refreshment of peace and joy. Believers at death, are described as entering into rest, and into the joy of their Lord, and dwelling in peace. The Lord speaking to his believing servant Abraham, concerning

heaven and glory, says, "Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, thou shalt be buried in a good old age," "Gen. xv. 15.

Abraham, at his death, was to go to his fa thers, to the elect saints, who were gone to heaven before him, namely, Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, &c. He was to be removed from the church militant, and join the church triumphant, where an everlasting hallelujah is sung to Christ for his conquest and victory over death. What Abraham was to expect in heaven, is expressed by the Lord unto him in these words of the first verse of this chapter, where Jehovah says, "I am thy exceeding great reward." When he died, he was fully satisfied with the covenant goodness of the eternal Three, towards him; and it is expressly said, "he was gathered unto his people." Gen. xxv. 8. By his people, are meant his godly, believing predecessors, who were in heaven before him. The same is recorded concerning his son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob. And when the angel Jehovah appeared unto Moses in the bush, he called himself the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Our Lord quotes this to prove the resurrection, saying, "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live unto him." Luke xxii. 37, 38.

This is full scripture proof and evidence that the souls of these persons were with God in a state of glory and blessedness.

The apostle Paul expressly declares, concerning Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that they "looked for a city, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. He, speaking' of the class of believers, from Abel to Abraham and Sarah, says, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth," Heb. xi. Then the apostle proceeds to shew that they sought a better country, that is, an heavenly. They had heaven in view; their hearts and hopes were there: the Lord had prepared it for them, and they for it. He had promised heaven to them, nor would he disappoint them of their hopes and expectations; for their earnest hope, and full assurance in themselves of eternal blessedness, (which they had the Lord's word for, as the ground of their confidence) were well pleasing in his sight. He himself had created in their minds, those earnest desires, and holy longings and expectations; "Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, (says the apostle) for he hath prepared for them a city." Heb. xi. 16.

The state of blessedness and glory into which the elect, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, are admitted immediately on their leaving their