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dom of heaven has the throne in thy heart, if thou haft a right to that kingdom: Chrift is in thee; and God is in thee; and having chofen him for thy portion, thy foul has taken up its everlafting relt in him, and gets no kindly reft but in him; as the dove, until the came into the ark. To him the foul habitually inclines, by virtue of the new nature, the divine nature, which the heirs of glory are partakers of, Pfal. Ixxiii. 25. "Whom have I in heaven but thee."" And there is none upon earth that I defire befidcs thee," (2.) The laws of heaven are in thy heart, if thou art an heir of heaven, Heb. viii. 10. I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts." Thy mind is enlightened in the knowledge of the laws of the kingdom, by the Spirit of the Lord, the inftructor of all the heirs of glory: for whoever may want inftruction, fure an heir to a crown fhall not want it." It is written in the prophets; and they fhall all be taught " of God," John vi. 45. Therefore though father and mother leave them early, or be in no concern about their Chriftian education, and they be foon put to work for their daily bread; yet they shall not lack teaching. Withal thy heart is charged, and thou bearest God's image, which confifts in righteoufnefs and truc holiness, Eph.iv. 24. Thy foul is reconciled to the whole law of God, and at war with all known fin. In vain do they pretend to the holy kindgom, who are not holy in heart and life; for without holinef. no man fhall fee the Lord, Heb. xii. 14. If heaven is a reft, it is for fpiritual labourers, and not for loiterers. If it is an eternal triumph, they are not in the way to it, who avoid the fpiritual warfare, and are in no care to fubdue corrup tion, refift temptation, and to cut their way to it, through the oppolition made by the devil, the world, and the flesh. (3.) The treasure in heaven is the chief in thy efteem and defire, for it is your treasure, and where your treafure is, there will your heart be alfo, Matth. vi. 21. If it is not the things that are feen, but the things that are not seen, which thy heart is in greatest care and concern to abtain; if thou art driving a trade with heaven, and thy chief business lies there; it is a fign thy treasure is there, for thy heart, is there. But if thou art of thefe, who wonder why fo much ado about heaven and eternal life, as if less might serve the turn: thou art like to have nothing ado with it at all. Carnal men value themfelves moft on their treafures pon earth; with them, the things that are not feen, are weighed down by the things that are feen, and no loffes do fo much affect them as earthly loffes: but the heirs of the crown of glory will value themselves most on their treafures in heaven, and will not put their private estate in the balance with their kingdom: nor will the lofs of the former go fo near their hearts, as the thoughts of the lofs of the latter. Where thefe firft-fruits of heaven are to be found, the eternal weight of glory will furely follow after; while the want of them must be adnitted, according to the word, to be an unconteftible evidence of an heir of wrath.

Secondly,

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State IV. Secondly, Let the heirs of the kingdom behave themfelves fuitable to their character and dignity. Live as having the faith and hope of this glorious kingdom: let your converfation be in heaven, Philip. iii. 20. Let your fouls delight in communion with God while ye are on earth, fince ye look for your happiness in communion with him in heaven. Let your fpeech and actions favour of heaven: and, in your manner of life, look like the country to which ye are going; that it may be faid of you, as of Gideon's brethren, Judges viii. 18. Each one refembled the children of a king. Maintain a holy contempt of the world, and of the things of the world. Although others, whose earthly things are their best things, do fet their hearts upon them; yet it becomes you to fet your feet on them, fince your beft things are above. This world is but the country, through which lies your road to Immanuel's land; therefore pafs through it as pilgrims and strangers; and dip not into the incumbrances of it, so as to retárd you in your journey. It is unworthy of one born to a palace, to fet his heart on a cottage, to dwell there: and of one running for a prize of gold, to go off his way, to gather the ftones of the brook: but much more is it unworthy of an heir of the kingdom of heaven, to be hid among the fluff of this world, when he should be going on to receive his crown. The prize fet before you, challengeth your outmost zeal activity and diligence; and holy courage, refolution, and magnanimity, become thofe who are to inherit the crown. Ye cannot come at it, without fighting your way to it, through difficulties from without, and from within: but the kingdom before you is fufficient to balance them all, tho' ye fhould be called to refift even unto blood. Prefer Chrift's crofs before the world's crown; and wants in the way of duty before cafe and wealth in the way of fin; Choose rather to fuffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of fin for a feason, Heb. xi 25. In a common inn, ftrangers (perhaps) fare better than the children: but here lies the difference, the children are to pay nothing for what they have got; but the ftrangers get their bill and must pay compleatly for all they have had. Did we confider the wicked's afterreckoning for all the fmiles of common providence they meet with in the world, we would not grudge them their good things here; nor take it amifs that God keeps our belt things laft. Heaven will make up all the faints loffes, and all tears fhall be wiped away from their eyes there.

It is worth obferving, that there is fuch a variety of fcripture notions of heaven's happiness, as may fuit every afflicted cafe of the faints. Are they oppreffed? The day cometh, in which they fhall have the dominion. Is their honour laid in the duft? A throne to fit upon, a crown on their head, and a fceptre in their hand, wili raise it up again. Are they reduced to poverty? Heaven is a treafure. If they be forced to to quit their own habitations, yet Chrift's Fathers houfe is ready for them. Are they driven to the wilderness? There is a city prepared for them. Are they banished from their native country? I hey fhall inherit a better country. If they are deprived of publick

ordinances, the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple there, whither they are going; a temple, the doors of which none can fhut if their life be full of bitterness, heaven is a paradife for pleasure. If they groan under the remains of fpiritual bondage, there is a glorious liberty abiding them. Do their defiled garments make them alhamed? The day cometh, in which their robes fhall be white, pure and spotlefs. The battle against flesh and blood, principalities and powers, is indeed fore; but a glorious triumph is awaiting them. If the toil and labours of the Christian life be great, there is an everlafting reft for them in heaven. Are they judged unworthy of Society in the world? they shall be admitted into the fociety of angels in heaven. Do they complain of frequent interruption of their communion with God? There they shall go no more out, but fhall fee his face for evermore. If they are in darkness here, eternal light is there. If they grapple with death, there they fhall have everlasting life. And to fum up all in one word, He that overcometh fhall inherit all things, Rev. xxi. 7. He shall have peace and plenty, profit and pleafue, every thine defirable; full fatisfaction to his most enlarged defires Let the expectants of heaven, then, lift up their heads with joy, gird up their loins, and fo run, as they may obtain; trampling on every thing that may hinder them in the way to the kingdom. Let them never account any duty too hard, nor any cross too heavy, nor any pains too much, fo as they may obtain the crown of glory.

Laftly, Let thofe who have no right to the kingdom of heaven, be ftirred up to seek it with all diligence. Now is the time, wherein the children of wrath may become heirs of glory: and when the way to everlafting happiness is opened, it is no time to fit ftill and loiter. Raife up your hearts towards the glory that is to be re, vealed and do not always ly along on this perishing earth. What can all your worldly enjoyments avail you, while you have no folid ground to expect heaven, after this life is gone? These riches and honours, profits and pleasures, that must be buried with us, and cannot accompany us into another world, are but a wretched portion, and will leave men comfortless at long run. Ah! why are men fo fond, in their life-time to receive their good things! why are they not rather in care, to fecure an intereft in the kingdom of heaven, which would never be taken from them, but afford them a portion, to make them happy through the ages of eternity! if you defire honour, there you may have the highest honour, and which will laft, when the world's honours are laid in the duft; if riches, heaven will yield you a treafure; and, there are pleasures. for evermore. O! be not defpifers of the pleasant land, neither judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life: but marry the heir, and heaven fhall be your dowry; close with Chrift, as he is offered to you in the gospel, and ye fhall inherit all things. Walk in the way of holiness, and it will lead you to the kingdom. Fight against fin and Satan, and ye fhall receive the crown. Forfake the world, and the doors of heaven will be open to receive you. HEAD

HEAD VI.

HEL L.

MATTH. XXV. 41.

Then fhall he fay also unto them on the left Hand, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlafting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.

WERE there no other place of eternal lodging but heaven, I fhould here have clofed my difcourfe of man's eternal itate: but feeing in the other world, there is a prifon for the wicked, as well as a palace for the faints, we mult alfo enquire into that state of everInfting mifery: the which the worst of men may well bear with, with-out crying, Art thou come to torment us before the time? Since there is yet access to fly from the wrath to come; and all that can be faid of it, comes fhort of what the damned will feel; for who knoweth the power of God's anger?.

The last thing our Lord did, before he left the earth, was, he lift up his hands, and bleffed his difciples, Luke xxiv. 50, 5 r. But the laft thing he will do, before he leave the throne, is to curfe and condemn his enemies; as we learn from the text, which contains the dreadful fentence, wherein the everlafting mifery of the wicked is wrat up. In which three things may be taken notice (of. Fift, The quality of the condemned, ye curfed. The Judge finds the curfe of the law upon them as tranfgreffors, and fends them away with it, from his prefence, into hell, there to be fully execute upon them. 2dly, The punishment which they are adjudged to; and to which they were always bound over, by virtue of the curfe. And it is twofold, the punishment lofs, in feparation from God and Christ, Depart from me: and the punishment of fenfe, in moft exquifite and extreme torments, Depart from me into fire. 3dly, The aggravation of their torments. (1.) They are ready for them, they are not to expect a moment's refpite. The fire is prepared, and ready to catch hold of thofe who are thrown into it. (2.) They will have the fociety of devils in their torments, being shut up with them in hell. They muft depart into the fame fire prepared for Beelzebub the prince of devils, and his angels; namely, other reprobate angels who fell with him, and became devils. It is faid to be prepared for them; because they finned, and were condemned to hell, before man finned. This fpeaks further terror to the damned, that they must go into the fame torments, and place of torment with the

devil and his angels. They hearkned to his temptations, and they must partake in his torments: his works they would do, and they must receive the wages, which is death. In this life they joined with devils, in enmity against God and Chrift, and the way of holiness; and in the other they muft lodge with them. Thus all the goats fhall be fhut up together; for that name is common to devils and wicked men, in fcripture, Lev. xvii. 7. Where the word rendered devils, properly fignifies hairy ones, or goats, in the fhape of which creatures, devils delighted much to appear to their worshippers. (3.) The last aggravation of their torment is the eternal duration thereof, they muft depart into everlasting fire. This is it that puts the cape-ftone upon their mifery, namely, that it thall never have an end.

DOCTRINE.

The wicked' fhall be fhut up under the curfe of God, in everlasting Mifery, with the Devils in Hell.

After having evinced that there fhall be a refurrection of the body, and a general judgment, I think it not needful to infift to prove the truth of future punishments. The fame confcience there is in men of a future judgment, bears witness alfo of the truth of future punishment. (And that the punishment of the damned fhall not be annihilation, or a reducing them to nothing, will be clear in the progress of our difcourfe.) In treating of this awful fubject, I fhall inquire into thefe four things. (1.) The curfe under which the damned fhall be fhut up. (2) Their mifery under that curfe. (3.) Their fociety with devils in this miferable ftate. (4) The eternity of the whole.

I. As to the curfe under which the damned fhall be shut up in hell; it is the terrible fentence of the law, by which they are bound over to the wrath of God, as tranfgreffors. This curfe does not first seize them, when, ftanding before the tribunal, they receive their fentence: but they were born under it, they led their life under it in this world, they died under it, rofe with it out of their graves; and the Judge finding it upon them, fends them away with it, into the pit; where it fhall ly on them through all the ages of eternity. By nature all men are under the curfe; but it is removed from the elect, by virtue of their union with Chrift. It abides on the reft of finful mankind, and by it they are devoted to deftruction, feparated to evil, as one may defcribe the curfe from Deut. xxix. 21. And the Lord fhall separate him unto evil. Thus fhall the damned, for ever, be perfons devoted to destruction: feparate and fet apart from among the rest of mankind, unto evil, as veffels of wrath, fet up for inarks to the arrows of divine wrath; and made the common receptacle and fhore of vengeance.

This curfe hath its firft fruits on earth, which are a pledge of the whole lump that is to follow. And hence it is, that as temporal and external benefits are bound up together, under the fame expreffions

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