In comparison with the employments and enjoyments of heaven, how contemptible must be the noblest of earthly pursuits and pleasures; nay, how poor must be the noblest exercises, and the purest pleasures even of religion itself, in the present world! In this present world, the spiritual energies even of those who have been quickened from the death of sin, are so feeble and torpid, so narrow and shallow are their capacities of spiritual enjoyment, so faint and inconsistent are their desires after God, that they may be said to be in a state of sleep, and almost of death. It will not be till the morning of the eternal day dawn on them, that they will fully awake; but when they do awake, it will be in the matured strength of sinless purity, and in the full possession of unmingled bliss. "As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likeness."

How amazing, then, the transition of that moment when the soul becomes "absent from the body and present with the Lord." What joyful surprise will she feel, on finding the soft and soothing attentions of earthly friends exchanged for the guardianship of heavenly spirits, sent to conduct her to that world where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sin. What unutterable ecstacies will she experience when, after the agonies and tossings of a deathbed, she finds herself safe in the bosom of her Saviour, liberated from the body of sin and death, and reunited to the pious friends, the loss of whom had torn her with bitter anguish. Here it was with her the season of night; now the morning has dawned, and brought with it gladness and glory. Here she was like them that dream; for here she often mistook phantoms for realities, and realities for phantoms. Here she found it difficult to "watch with her Saviour even for an hour;" now

she feels neither languor nor distraction, but " serves God day and night in his temple." Where are now those earth-born cares, those dazzling allurements, those lying vanities, those clouds of doubt and ignorance, those constitutional infirmities, and inbred corruptions which often harassed and oppressed her? They are gone for ever; for she has awaked in a happier sphere of existence, where she "sees the face of God," and is "made exceeding glad with the light of his countenance." I conclude with some practical infer

ences:

1. The first practical lesson which I deduce from the preceding discussion is this. How worthy of our devout commemoration is the death of Christ. To some this inference will appear far-fetched; but a little consideration will convince you that it arises not unnaturally from what has been said. It was the request of Moses to God, on a memorable occasion, "I beseech thee show me thy glory." In answer to this remarkable request, God informed him that he would "make all his goodness pass before him; that he would allow him to see his back parts, but that his face or glory could not be seen." The splendour in which it is fit that God should array himself, and that full and unvailed. disclosure of his divine excellence, which is suited to the celestial sanctuary, could not be endured by humanity in its present state of imperfection and weakness. But that high honour will be given to all the saints hereafter. In heaven they are blessed with such manifestations of the divine glory, such expressions of divine love, and such communications of divine influences, as are justly described by seeing the face of God," They see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." And to what are they indebted for

these inestimable honours, and privileges, and enjoyments? To the death of Christ. It was the meritorious and procuring cause of all; and through it the guiltiest and vilest among us is invited to aspire to these celestial dignities and pleasures. How worthy, then, is the death of Christ, of our affectionate and devout commemoration! How worthy of our grateful and everlasting remembrance! Shall not we feel, then, irresistibly compelled to join in the doxology of the beloved disciple? "To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God, even his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

2. How glorious the distinctions by which the inhabitants of heaven are characterised. It was said by the princes of Midian, when interrogated by Gideon respecting the men whom they had slain at Tabor, "As thou art, were they; each one resembled the children of a king." There was something princely, it would seem, in their attire or appearance. It may sometimes happen that the nobles and potentates of the earth are distinguished, not only by the splendour of their dress, and the elegance of their manners, but by the dignity of their aspect. It sometimes happens, too, that they who are endowed with extraordinary talents, or whose dispositions are peculiarly sweet and amiable, have somewhat in their countenances betokening superior intelligence and benignity—that the qualities of the soul are visible in the features of the face. And accordingly, it is the admired saying of a popular poet, respecting the man who has naturally a high sense of honour and propriety, that "his eye, even when turned on empty space, beams keen with honour."

The grand distinctions, as we have seen, which will dignify and ennoble the inhabitants of heaven, are

knowledge, purity, and happiness-distinctions far superior to any of an external and corporeal nature. But may we not presume, that these glorious distinctions will be visible in their very aspect-that the face of the saint will, like that of Moses, be adorned with an overpowering radiance? Yes, undoubtedly. In this particular also, the saint will be like to his Saviour,"the disciple will be as his Lord." His nobility will be stamped on his brow. “The name of God will be on his forehead." His countenance will be irradiated with intelligence and wisdom; it will beam with gratitude and love; glow with zeal and devotion. He will be like Stephen, in presence of the Sanhedrim; for "all who look on him will see his face, as if it were the face of an angel." "Holiness to the Lord," will be inscribed on all his acts and movements, and will breathe in every word, and beam in every look.

3. How necessary is regeneration-that important moral change. We have seen that the heavenly state is not only a state of perfect knowledge, surpassing happiness, and transcendant glory, but of sinless purity and perfect holiness. We have seen that the happiness of the redeemed in heaven will arise chiefly from their intercourse with God, who is "glorious in holiness,"with Jesus Christ, who is "the brightness of the Father's glory,"—and with those angelic spirits, who retain their primitive integrity and purity. We have seen that the services, as well as the joys, of the upper sanctuary are pre-eminently holy, adapted only to beings who have either never sinned, or who have been "redeemed from all iniquity," and ransomed from all evil.

But it is a truth demonstrated alike by the evidence of experience and the testimony of scripture, that the natural state of man is a state of guilty estrangement from God. To qualify man, therefore, for heaven, not

only must his guilt be pardoned, his nature must be purified. In other words, he must be "born again.” Nor is the change implied in regeneration a superficial and external one. It is internal and radical, involving a change of heart as well as of conduct. A man may have been educated in a christian community,—he may have been trained to observe regularly the ordinances of religion, his character may never have been stained by gross or enormous immoralities; and yet his heart may be completely alienated from God, his affections may be set on things below, he may have no proper or abiding regard for the divine authority,—and, in short, he may be "living without God in the world." Suppose such a man admitted to heaven, what should he do there? Is it not manifest that he, as well as the gross sensualist, would be unhappy even in that land of happiness, that he would turn away in disgust from its noblest services and its purest pleasures,—as incapable of enjoying them as a brute is of relishing the beauties of a poetical description, or a philosophical disquisition. "Ye must then be born again." "Except a man

be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Unless the elements and rudiments of a new, a divine nature, are now formed in the soul, you are not qualified for the services and immunities of the kingdom of God on earth, and you shall never be admitted to the kingdom of heaven. How necessary, then, to inquire whether you are born again-born not only of water, but of the Spirit. How peculiarly necessary in the prospect of professing yourselves the disciples of the Saviour at his table. "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup."

4. Let me remind you, that even in the present state of darkness and imperfection, the face of God may be seen by his saints in an imperfect, though inferior sense;