they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; nor will they ever sleep, but serve God day and night in the heavenly temple. -Rev. vi. 15, 16.

Obs. 169.-Believers shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted by Christ at the day of judgment.

1. They shall be openly acknowledged or owned by Christ as his. They shall be owned by him, not in the presence of a few, not only before their brethren, but before many witnesses, before an assembled world, before devils, and before God and the holy angels.-Matt. x. 32.

2. They shall be acquitted by Christ, the judge of all. They shall be acquitted, not only from every false aspersion cast upon them, but also from the real guilt of all their sins, on account of their interest in Christ and his righteousness. Neither men, nor devils, nor law, nor conscience, shall have any thing to prefer against them, which shall not be fully answered by Jesus.-Rom. viii. 33, 34.

There are several other benefits, of which believers shall partake in the day of judgment, besides those above mentioned. They shall be gathered together from all quarters of the earth by the angels, Matt. xxiv. 31; they shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord Jesus, who will descend from heaven with a shout,-1 Thess. iv. 16, 17; they shall be placed at the right hand of Jesus,-Matt. xxv. 33; they shall be invited by Christ to take possession of the glorious inheritance prepared for them,-Matt. xxv. 34; they shall sit with Christ as assessors in judgment on fallen angels and wicked men.-1 Cor. vi. 2, 3.

Obs. 170.-Believers shall be made perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity.

They shall be made perfectly blessed, or they shall be completely delivered from all sin and misery, and fully possessed of all happiness. Blessedness consists in freedom from sin and sorrow, from suffering and temptation, and from all evil whatever. But there can be no freedom from these things till death; nor even at death are believers perfectly blessed, for before this can take place, the soul and the body must be united; and when these are united, they shall be fully satisfied. "When Christ, who is their life, shall appear, then shall they also appear with him in glory."-Col. iii. 4.

The highest degree of happiness consists in the full enjoyment of God, the chief good.-Ps. lxxiii. 25. This implies that believers shall have the glorious presence of God with them,-Rev. xxi. 3; that they shall have the immediate and beatific vision of his face,-Rev. xxii. 4; 1 Cor. xiii. 12; 1 John iii. 2; that they shall have a full persuasion and sense of God's love to them, and perfect love in their hearts to him, which necessarily results from

the vision of God in heaven; and that they shall have fulness and exceeding joy.-Ps. xvi. 11; Jude 24.

And this full enjoyment of God by believers shall continue through all eternity. It shall be without interruption and without end.-1 Thess. iv. 17.

Obs. 171.-At the last day, the state of unbelievers shall be very different from that of believers.

In the day of judgment, the condition of the wicked will be miserable beyond expression. Their bodies shall be raised from the grave by Christ as their offended judge; and shall be endued with strength and immortality, only to render them capable of eternal misery. They shall with horror behold Christ coming in flaming fire, to take vengeance upon them.-Rev. i. 7; 2 Thess. i. 7, 8. They shall be placed before the judgment-seat of Christ, where they shall be judged and sentenced to eternal punishment. -Rev. xx. 11, 12; Matt. xxv. 41. And immediately after this, they shall be driven from the presence of the Lord into hell, where they shall be punished both in soul and body throughout the endless ages of eternity.-Matt. xxv. 46; Rom. ii. 8, 9; Rev. xiv. 11.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. The encouragement which believers have to go on their way rejoicing. 2. That there shall be a great difference between the righteous and the wicked at the resurrection. 3. That believers shall soon obtain the redemption of their bodies. 4. The happiness resulting from confessing Christ before men, and the danger of denying him. 5. That the enemies of believers shall in due time have their reward. 6. That the saints have no cause to fear the consequences of the resurrection. 7. That believers, while in this world, can enjoy no blessedness which is full. 8. That a final separation shall be made between the righteous and the wicked at the day of general judgment.

PART SECOND.

THE DUTY WHICH GOD REQUIRES OF MAN.

INTRODUCTION.

Nature of Man's Duty in General.

Q. 39.-What is the duty which God requireth of man? The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,

1. That there are certain duties required by God from men. Deut. x. 12.-"And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul."

2. That the sum of man's duty to God is obedience. 1 Sam. xv. 22.-" Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

3. That the extent of the obedience required by God is a universal obedience. James ii. 10.-" Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

4. That the quality of the obedience required from man is a perfect and perpetual obedience. Matt. xxii. 37.-" Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

5. That the only rule of man's obedience is the revealed will of God. Micah vi. 8." He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 172.-The duty which God requires of man is obedience.

As all mankind are the servants, the children, and the subjects of God (that is, in respect of obedience, although not in a gracious sense), all men are equally bound to obey him.

The obligations under which man is to yield that obedience which God requires, are these :

1. Man is bound to obey God, because he is his creator, preserver, and benefactor.

2. Man is bound to obey God, because he is the supreme sovereign Lord, king, and lawgiver. As he is the one lawgiver of all, and ours in particular, having committed to us his law, we are bound to receive it in the love of it, and to make it appear that we have not received it in vain.

3. Man is bound to obey God, because this is the chief end for which man was made.

4. Man is bound to obey God, because of his glorious excellencies. Surely they must be blinded to the excellencies of the Divine nature, who see nothing in God why he should be loved. And how can love to him be manifested but by obedience?

5. Man is bound to obey God in a special manner, from a sense of his love to sinners in Jesus Christ. If this love, which passeth all understanding, has no effect in producing an unfeigned obedience, nothing whatever will. This is the peculiar motive by which the friends of Jesus are actuated. See 1 John iv. 19; 2 Cor. v. 14, &c.

Obs. 173.-The rule of man's obedience is the revealed will of God.

The will of God is either secret or revealed.

1. God's secret will respects all things that are done and shall be done; and it extends even to sinful actions, which he permits and overrules to his own glory. This is the rule by which God himself acts, and not the rule of man's obedience.-Deut. xxix. 29.

2. God's revealed will respects those things which may and ought to be done; and it extends only to those things which are duty, and which in themselves tend to his glory. This is that which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and is the only rule of man's obedience.-Micah vi. 8.

Obs. 174.-The obedience which God requires of man is universal, perpetual, perfect, sincere, inward, and willing obedi

ence.

1. God requires universal obedience. Our obedience must have respect to all God's commandments.-Ps. cxix. 6. They are all stamped with the same Divine authority. See James ií. 10, 11.

2. God requires perpetual obedience. We must keep God's law continually.-Ps. cxix. 44. We must be constant and steady in our obedience to the will of God, and never dare to act contrary to it.

3. God requires perfect obedience. The law must be obeyed perfectly, either by the sinner himself, or by a surety. But the

former is impossible; and therefore all those who reject Christ, the only surety of sinners, must assuredly perish.

4. God requires sincere obedience. Without sincerity, or when the heart is not engaged, there can be no acceptable obedience. Hypocritical obedience may please men, but it cannot please God, who is the searcher of hearts.

5. God requires inward obedience as well as outward. His law extends to the thoughts of the heart, as well as to the actions of the life.

6. God requires willing obedience. They who obey the law of God from constraint, and not willingly, are slaves, and not

sons.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. That no excuse can be given why man should not obey God. 2. That man is bound to obey God, in whatever circumstances he may be placed. 3. That man ought to reverence every part of the Word of God, which is calculated to point out his duty in every circumstance. 4. That God requires the obedience of the heart, as well as external obedience. 5. That man is bound by the law of God as long as he lives; and that every part of it ought to be regarded by him. 6. That love ought to be the great motive of our obedience. 7. The necessity of an interest in Christ, who hath magnified the law and made it honourable. 8. That man is not left to act in the matter of obedience according to the dictates of his own mind. 9. That it is the honour of man to serve the Lord. 10. The happiness of the obedient, and the misery of the disobedient. See Isa. iii. 10, 11.

CHAPTER I.

SECT. I.-OF THE MORAL LAW, BINDING ON ALL RATIONAL CREATURES, AS SUMMED UP IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, WHICH ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO TABLES: THE FIRST COMPREHENDING OUR DUTY TO GOD, AND THE SECOND OUR DUTY TO MAN.

Of the Moral Law.

Q. 40.—What did God at first reveal to Man for the rule of his obediencé ?

The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,

1. That the first rule of obedience was given to man in the