them for evermore. The glorified shall have a most clear and distinct understanding of divine truths, for, "In his light we shall see light," Psalm xxxvi. 9. The light of glory will be a complete commentary on the Bible, and loose all the hard and knotty questions in divinity. There is no joy on earth, comparable to that which ariseth from the discovery of truth; no discovery of the truth is comparable to the discovery of scripture truth, made by the Spirit of the Lord unto the soul. "I rejoice at thy word," says the Psalmist," as one that findeth great spoil," Psal. cxix. 162. Yet it is but an imperfect discovery we have of it while here. How ravishing then will it be, to see the opening of the whole treasure hid in that field! They shall also be let into the understanding of the works of God. The beauty of the works of the creation and providence, will then be seen in a due light. Natural knowledge will be brought to perfection by the light of glory. The web of providence concerning the church, and all men whatsoever, will then be cut out, and laid before the eyes of the saints, and it will appear a most beautiful mix. ture; so as they shall say together, on the view of it, He hath done all things well. But, in a special manner, the work of redemption shall be the eternal wonder of the saints, and they will admire and praise the glorious contrivance for ever. Then shall they get a full view of its suitableness to the divine perfections, and to the case of sinners; and clearly read the covenant, that past betwixt the Father and the Son, from all eternity, touching their salvation. They shall for ever wonder and praise, and praise and wonder at the mysteries of wisdom and love, goodness and holiness, mercy and justice, appearing in the glorious device. Their souls shall be eternally satisfied with the sight of God himself, and of their election by the Father, their redemption by the Son, and application thereof to them by the Holy Spirit.

2. The saints in heaven shall enjoy God in Christ by experimental knowledge, which is, when the object itself is given and possessed. This is the participation of the divine goodness in full measure, which is the perfection of the will, and utmost term thereof. "The Lamb shall lead them unto living fountains of waters," Rev. vii. 17. These are no other but God himself, the fountain of live

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ing waters, who will fully and freely communicate unto them. He will pour out of his goodness e into their souls; and then shall they have a mos sensation, in the innermost part of their souls, of goodness they heard of, and believed to be in hi of what they see in him by the light of glory. T be an everlasting practical exposition of that word men and angels cannot sufficiently unfold, viz. God " be their God," Rev xi. 3. God will communica self unto them fully; they will be no more set to the streams of divine goodness in ordinances, were wont, but shall drink at the fountain-head. will be no more entertained with sips and drops, b with all the fulness of God. And this will be th tainment of every saint; for, though in created what is given to one, is with-held from another; infinite good can fully communicate itself to all, all. These who are heirs of God, the great h shall then enter into a full possession of their in ces; and the Lord will open his treasures of g unto them, that their enjoyment may be full. Th not be stinted to any measure; but the enjoyme go as far as their enlarged capacities can reach narrow vessel cannot contain the ocean, so neither finite creature comprehend an infinite good; but sure shall be set to the enjoyment, but what arise the capacity of the creature. So that, although t degrees of glory, yet all shall be filled and have w can hold; though some would be capable to ho than others, there will be no want to any of th shall be fully satisfied, and perfectly blessed in enjoyment of divine goodness, according to their e capacities. As when bottles of different sizes ar some contain more, others less; yet all of the what they can contain. The glorified shall hav God, for the satisfaction of all their desires. No thing can afford satisfaction to all our desires; may warm us, but they cannot feed us; the light fortable, but cannot nourish us. But in God we sh all our desires, and we shall desire nothing with They shall be the happy ones, that desire noti What is truly desirable; and withal have all they

God will be all in all to the saints; he will be their life, health, riches, honour, peace, and all good things. He will communicate himself freely to them; the door of access to him shall never be shut again, for one moment. They may, when they will, take of the fruits of the tree of life, for they will find it on each side of the river, Rev. xxii. 2. There will be no veil betwixt God and them, to be drawn aside; but his fulness shall ever stand open to them. No door to knock at in heaven; no asking to go before receiving; the Lord will allow his people an unrestrained familiarity with himself there.

Now they are in part made partakers of the divine nature; then they shall perfectly partake of it; that is to say, God will communicate to them his own image, make all his goodness not only pass before them, but pass into them, and stamp the image of all his perfections on thenr, so far as the creature is capable to receive the same; from whence shall result a perfect likeness to him, in all things in or about them, which completes the happiness of the creature. And this is what the Psalmist seems to have had in view, Psalm xvii. 15. "I shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likeness;" the perfection of God's image, following upon the beatific vision. And so says John, 1 John iii. 2. "We shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Hence there shall be a most close and intimate union betwixt God and the saints: God shall be in them, and they in God, in the way of a most glorious and perfect union; for then shall they dwell in love made perfect. "God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him,” 1 John iv. 16. How will the saints knit with God, and he with them; when he sees nothing in them, but his own image; when their love shall arrive at its perfection, no nature but the divine nature, being left in them; and all imperfection Swallowed up in that glorious transformation into the likeness of God! their love to the Lord being purged from the dross of self-love, shall be most pure; so as they will love nothing but God, and in God. It shall be no more faint and languishing, but burn like coals of juniper. It will be a light without darkness, a flaming fire without smoke. As the live coal, when all the moisture is gone out of it, is all fire; so will the saints be all love, when

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they come to the full enjoyment of God in heaven, by intuitive and experimental knowledge of him, by sight and full participation of the divine goodness.

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Lastly, From this glorious presence and enjoyment shall arise an unspeakable joy, which the saints shall be filled with." In thy presence is fulness of joy," Psalm xvi. 11. The saints sometimes enjoy God in the world, when their eyes being held, that they cannot perceive it, they have not the comfort of the enjoyment; but then, all mistakes being removed, they shall not only enjoy God, but rest in the enjoyment, with inexpressible joy and satisfaction. The desire of earthly things breeds torment, and the enjoyment of them often ends in loathing. though the glorified saints shall ever desire more and more of God, their desires shall not be mixt with the least anxiety, since the fulness of the God-head stands always open to them; therefore they shall hunger no more, they shall not have the least uneasiness, in their eternal appetite after the hidden manna ♦ neither shall continued enjoyment breed loathing; they shall never think they have too much; therefore it is added, "Neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat," Rev. vii. 16. The enjoyment of God and the Lamb will be ever fresh and new to them, through the ages of eternity; for they shall drink of living fountains of waters, where new waters are continually springing up in abundance, ver. 17. They shall eat of the tree of life, which for variety, affords twelve manner of fruits, and these always new and fresh, for it yields every month, Rev. xxii. 2. Their joy shall be pure and unmixed, without any dregs of sorrow: not slight and momentary, but solid and everlasting, without interruption. They will enter into joy, Matth. xxv. 21. "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." The expres sion is somewhat unusual, and brings me in mind of that word of our suffering Redeemer, Mark xiv. 34. "My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death." His soul was beset with sorrows, as the word there used, will bear: the floods of sorrow went round about him, encompassing him on every hand: whithersoever he turned his eyes, sorrow was before him; it sprang in upon him, from heaven, earth, and hell, all at once; thus was he entered into sorrow, and therefore saith, Psal, ixix. 2.

"I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me." Now, wherefore all this, but that his own might enter into joy? Joy sometimes enters into us now, with much ado to get access, while we are compassed with sorrows; but then joy shall not only enter into us, but we shall enter into it, and swim for ever in an ocean of joy; where we will see nothing but joy, whithersoever we turn our eyes. The presence and enjoyment of God and the Lamb, will satisfy us with pleasures for evermore; and the glory of our souls and bodies, arising from thence, will afford us everlasting delight. The spirit of heaviness, how closely soever it cleaves to any of the saints, shall drop off then; their weeping shall be turned into songs of joy, and bottles of tears shall issue in rivers of pleasures. Happy they who now sow in tears, which shall spring up in joy in heaven, and bow their heads there with a weight of glory upon them.

Thus far of the society in this kingdom of the saints. X. In the last place, The kingdom shall endure for ever. As every thing in it is eternal, so the saints shall have an undoubted certainty and full assurance of the eternal duration of the same. This is a necessary ingredient in perfect happiness: for the least uncertainty, as to the continuance of any good with one, is not without some fear, anxiety, and torment: and, therefore is utterly inconsistent with perfect happiness. But the glorified shall never have fear, nor cause of fear, of any loss; they shall be ever with the Lord, 1 Thes. iv. 17. They shall attain the full persuasion, that nothing shall be able to separate them from the love of God, nor from the full enjoyment of him, for ever. The inheritance, reserved in heaven, is incorruptible; it hath no principle of corruption, in itself, to make it liable to decay, but endures for evermore it is undefiled; nothing from without can mar its beauty, nor is there any thing in itself, to offend those who enjoy it: And therefore it fadeth not away, but ever remains in its native lustre, and primitive beauty, 1 Pet. i. 4. Hitherto of the nature of the kingdom of heaven.

SECONDLY, Proceed we now, to speak of the admission of the saints into this their kingdom; where I shall briefly touch upon two things: (1.) The formal admîs