nomy of our redemption, to form the soul to a meetness for glory. Accordingly, when the Apostle Paul had been reminding the Corinthians, that while they continued in their sinful state, they were unfit for the kingdom of God; he adds, "But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

That the Spirit should condescend to engage at all in such a work, must give us a very sublime idea of the end at which it aims. But much more will that idea be raised, when we consider with what a variety, and what a constancy of operations he begins, continues, and perfects it. He attempts it, (as we shall hereafter more particularly show you) sometimes by convictions of terror, and sometimes by insinuations of love; and by one method or another, in the hearts of all the heirs of this glory, he works so great a change, that it is represented by "turning a heart of stone into a heart of flesh," by "raising the dead from their graves," yea, by "producing a new creation." For this does he watch over the soul with the tenderest care, and continues his friendly offices, to recover it from relapses, and gradually to form it to advancing degrees of sanctity, till at length it be enabled to "perfect holiness in the fear of God." Nay, so intent is this Sacred Agent on the important work, that when sinners most insolently and ungratefully reject him, and by resisting him, oppose their own happiness, he does not immediately leave them; he strikes them again and again; and waits upon them for succeeding days, and months, and years; and when, perhaps, the

sincere convert makes the most ungrateful return for the experience of his goodness, even after he has acknowledged, and at length obeyed it; when, under the fatal transport of some ungoverned passion, and the influence of some strong temptation, he acts as if he were intent upon tearing down the work of the Spirit of God upon his soul, and driving him for ever away; yet, in how many instances does he return again, after all these injuries, pleading the cause of God with a sweetly prevailing eloquence, and thus healing the wound, and repairing the breach, and making it perhaps stronger than before? And all this, for what? That the happy subject of all these kind operations may be formed to a fitness for the kingdom of heaven. And are we to regard this blessed Spirit as an unmeaning agent, or as incapable of judging of the importance of this end for which he acts? Is that almighty energy of his employed in an insignificant manner? Surely Nicodemus, slow of understanding as he was, must apprehend the importance of entering into the kingdom of heaven, when he heard, that, in order to be admitted to it, a man must be born of the Spirit. And let me add once more,

5. That the excellency of the heavenly kingdom may further be argued, from the eagerness with which the enemy of souls is endeavouring to prevent our entrance into it.'

You know the devil is always represented as the inveterate enemy of our happiness. His rage is expressed by that of "a roaring lion, that walks about seeking whom he may devour; and with unwearied diligence he is continually employed in form

ing and pursuing his temptations; and this is the grand design of all, that he may exclude us from the promised felicity. While sinners are in their unregenerate state, he endeavours to engage all their regards to the objects of time and sense; and for that purpose he continually presents them with a variety of entertainments and amusements, suited to their respective tempers and circumstances.

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If they are awakened to any serious concern about their eternal salvation, he uses his utmost address to divert their minds from an attendance to it; and for this purpose, he displays before them all the allurements of sin, in its most engaging forms: and if they are not captivated with these, he often puts on a face of terror, and endeavours to affright them from religion by the most gloomy representations of it, or by horrible and distracting suggestions, that it is now for ever too late to attain it.' Or, if divine grace surmount all this opposition, and the sinner resolutely chooses his portion in heaven, and puts his soul into the hands of Christ to be conducted to it, the malice of Satan pursues him even to that sacred retreat, which he has sought in the arms of his Saviour; and if he cannot prevent the soul from entering into heaven, he will at least labour to bring it into such a state of negligence, and to seduce it into these delays and relapses, which may divert its regards to that blessed world, which may cloud its evidences of it, and may, at least as much as possible, diminish the degree of its glory there.

Now permit me, in this instance, to turn the artillery of this cunning enemy against himself, and to argue the excellency of this kingdom, from the

zeal and attachment with which he endeavours to obstruct your attaining it. Though Satan be now a very degenerate creature, he was once an angel of light, and still retains much of the knowledge, though he has lost the rectitude and integrity of the angelic nature. And he particularly knows what heaven is, because he was once an inhabitant there: and while he is endeavouring to persuade the sinner to prefer earth before it, he does, by that very endeavour, incontestibly prove, that he himself knows the contrary, and is fully apprized that there is nothing here to be compared with the felicity of the future state. And, therefore, while he seeks the destruction of the soul, he can leave it in the enjoyment of all its worldly prosperity; nay, he will attempt to lead him into methods by which this prosperity may be promoted and increased.

And thus, sirs, I have endeavoured a little to represent to you what this kingdom of heaven is, from which we are assured that unconverted sinners shall for ever be excluded. I have argued its excellency -from the representations which are made of it in the word of God-from its being the preparation of divine love-from its being the purchase of a Redeemer's blood-and the end to which, on the one hand, the glorious operations of the blessed Spirit lead-and of which, on the other hand, all the stratagems and assaults of the prince of darkness are intended to deprive us. If, therefore, there be truth in Scripture, if there be wisdom in heaven, or policy in hell, it must surely be infinitely important. And will any of you be such mean-spirited creatures, as when this happiness is proposed to you, basely to re

linquish the pursuit of it, and to sacrifice this blessed hope to any perishing trifle of mortal life? Surely it would be madness; though nothing more were to be apprehended than the loss of it; and though, when heaven were lost, all that earth can give, should remain, if not to counterbalance the loss, yet at least to make you less sensible of it. But the weight of the argument will much more evidently appear, if you consider,

(2.) What will at last become of all those who are excluded from this heavenly kingdom.

And here, I beseech you, to ask your own consciences, whether they be not inwardly persuadedthat those who are excluded from heaven will remain in a state of existence, in which they will be ever sensible of their loss,-and will be delivered over by divine vengeance into that state of torment, which God has prepared for the punishment of his implacable and incorrigible enemies. This many of you do undoubtedly believe of such persons in general; believe it, therefore, of yourselves, if you are, and continue in an unregenerate state.

1. You will continue in a state of existence, in which you will be ever sensible of your loss.'

It might afford some wretched kind of consolation. to you, if, as soon as you died out of this world, your being, or your apprehensive powers were immediately to cease. Then the loss of heaven would only be an affliction to you in your dying moments, when you saw the enjoyments of heaven were come to an end, and that you must have no part in any future happiness. But, alas, sirs, you cannot but know, that when your bodies are dead and consumed in