II. The assurance given that they who do the commandments of God shall have right to an exalted blessing, was the second leading division of this discourse.

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life."

Not an absolute right, founded on any merit in man independently of the mercy and grace of God. Indeed the word translated "right", literally signifies, to have power. "Blessed are they that do his commandments," that they may have power, may have the privilege of enjoying "the tree of life." And this privilege they derive from the unmerited mercy and free grace of God. Excluded by transgression from the blessing of immortality, the grace of God alone restores it to them. And even when they do his commandments sincerely, universally, uniformly, and persevere unto the end; there is no proportion between the glories of heaven, and the imperfect service which they have rendered. The title to eternal life is therefore a privilege which they derive from the unmerited goodness of their gracious Maker, through the Lord Jesus Christ. Often reflect, Christians, on the imperfection of your best services, and on the felicities of heaven, that you may see the infinite disproportion between them, and adore the goodness of God who has assured to you these undeserved rewards. For, in a

qualified sense, they that do his commandments have literally a right to the tree of life-a right (so to speak of grace) derived to them from the goodness of God, and founded on his promise. He hath established, through his Son Jesus Christ, a gracious covenant with mankind, in which he offers to them eternal life on the conditions of their repentance and faith, producing holy obedience. Every page of the Gospel declares these to be the conditions on which eternal life is to be obtained. And they who, through the aids of divine grace, fulfil the conditions, may humbly claim the reward; not on the ground of absolute right, but of the mercy, the grace, and faithfulness of God.

All boasting, Christians, is thus excluded. For the free grace of God alone proposed the reward, established the condition, and renders these conditions practicable. But we have the surest ground of confidence, that if we fulfil the conditions, we shall not fail of the reward. The eternal Jehovah hath promised, and shall he not perform? His infinite goodness prompted him to prepare the glories of immortality as the reward of your obedience; and his goodness and faithfulness will not permit him to deceive you. Your security, Christians, is the goodness, the faithfulness of God." Be ye then stedfast, immoveable; your labour shall not be in vain "." For "blessed

are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life."

III. The nature of the blessedness expressed by the emblems, the tree of life, and entering in through the gates into the city, was the last point to be considered.

"The tree of life" was, to our first parents in Paradise, the emblem and the pledge of immortality. They were allowed freely to enjoy the fruits of this blissful garden, yielding every thing pleasant to the eye, and good to the taste. "The tree of life" in the midst of the garden, was to preserve them from death. For when, by transgression, they forfeited their high privilege, and incurred the sentence of mortality, they were then excluded from that tree which was the mean and pledge of everlasting life. "Now," says their offended Maker, "lest the man put forth his hand, and take of the tree of life, and eat and live for ever; therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden"." Man was doomed to return unto the dust from whence he was taken. He was deprived of the privilege of immortality "The Lord God placed cherubims and a flaming sword, to keep the way of the tree of life"." But, praised be the goodness and mercy of our God, the immortality which offending man lost in Adam, is restored in Jesus

• Gen. iii. 22.

P Gen. iii. 24.

Christ. There is a Heaven prepared by Jesus our Lord, of which Eden, in its full glories, was but a faint emblem. This Heaven, the Apostle John, in this book of the Revelation, describes, under the similitude of a city, whose "streets are of pure gold, and her walls and buildings of precious stones, and in the midst of the street of it is the tree of life, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations 9"

The tree of life, therefore, is still a symbol of immortality. And by having "a right to the tree of life,” is meant, having a title to the participation of the happiness of Heaven. Our feeble powers are incompetent to form an adequate conception of this felicity. Language is compelled to summon to her aid her most sublime and beautiful figures, to convey even a faint impression of the bliss of those who are admitted to a participation of the glories of the heavenly state" God (we are told) shall dwell with them. They shall be his people, and he shall be their God; and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away: and they shall be before the throne of God, and shall serve him day and night

9 Rev. xxii. 1, 2.

in his temple. For there shall be no night there; neither need they the light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever. And the city hath no need of the sun nor of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of the Lord doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof "."

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gate into the city."

Blessed indeed are they who tread thy courts, thoucity of the living God; who worship continually before. the throne of God and of the Lamb; who, clothed with the robes of righteousness, and adorned with the palms of victory, join the host of the redeemed, that multitude which no man can number, in ascribing "blessing and honor, and glory and power, to him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Come, that blissful day, O my soul, when, through the mercy of thy God, thou mayest enter in through the gates into this city.

"Blessed then are they that do his commandments;" for to them are assured these glorious rewards. Here then, brethren, is an object sufficient to rouse all your zeal, to occupy all your solicitude, to engage all your exertions. "The tree of life," immortal glory is the prize that is offered;

Rev. vii. 15. &c. xxi, 23. &c. xxii.