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3. St. Peter says" Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away; reserved in heaven for you; who are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation,ready to be revealed in the last time :" 1 Pet. i. 3, 4, 5.

And St.Paul says, to the Ephesians—“ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly places, in Christ :" Ephesians, i. 3.

This inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away; well deserves the name of Riches: But who can tell what is con

tained in those words-All spiritual blessings, in heavenly places, or heaven itself?

Inheritances sometimes come to men by deed, and sometimes by will, or testament. The heavenly inheritance comes to the saints both ways: God has given them a fair deed of the glorious possession. This is written in the Scriptures; recorded above, by the eternal Three, that bear record in heaven; witnessed on earth, by the Spirit, the water, and blood: which agree in one. The children of God are beirs; heirs of God, and joint-beirs with Christ; if so be, that they suffer with him, that they may be glorified together. They are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of their inheritance; and they are exhorted not

to grieve the holy Spirit of God, by which they are sealed unto the day of redemption :-See 1 John, v. 7, 8. Rom. viii. 16, 17. Ephes. i. 13, 14. iv. 30.

Our blessed Saviour made a will, just before he expired; in which is this clause:

"Father, I will, that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me, where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world:" St. John, xvii. 24.

This will secures the inheritance to the heirs of promise. God hath been willing to shew unto them the immutability of his counsel; and therefore confirmed it by an oath-That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us: Heb. vi. 17, 18.

In consequence of this will of our dear Lord, we hope, that when he who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory; and that, though It doth not yet appear what we shall be ; yet we know, that when be shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall· see him as he is: Col. iii. 4. 1 John, iii. 2.

These are great blessings, indeed; and well might the antient Christians take joyfully the spoiling of their goods--knowing, in themselves, that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance: Heb. x. 34.

4. But farther the Scripture, in the inventory of the believer's inheritance, speaks of an heav enly country; after which Abraham, Isaac, Ja

eob, and the patriarchs sought :-"For they that say such things, declare plainly, that they seek a country. And truly if they had been mindful of the country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now, they desire a better country; that is, an heavenly. Wherefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city : Heb. xi. 14, 15,

16.

Many persons seek after new countries, and spend their time, labor, and substance, in exploring distant regions: and why should we not consider ourselves as strangers and pilgrims here below, and seek after that heavenly country, that will enrich us forever?

5. The glorious and heavenly city, New-Jerusalem, belongs to those who keep the commandments of the Lord. This is that holy city, where the throne of God and the Lamb shall be forever; which hath no need of the light of the sun, nor of the moon: for the glory of God doth enlighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof: Rev. xxii. 3. xxi. 23.

This is Jerusalem, which is above, which is free; who is the mother of all true Christians : Gal. iv. 26.

It is said of Abraham, that, "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country. For he looked for a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God:" Heb. xi. 9, 10.

This is "Mount Sion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem;" where the in

numerable company of angels dwell, and the gen eral assembly and church of the first-born, who are written in heaven, are gathered together: where God, the Fudge of all, displays his bright. est glories; where the spirits of just men, made perfect,now assemble: where Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, now appears in the presence of God, for us, and presents that precious, all-atoning blood, the blood of sprinkling; which speaketh better things than that of Abel. O what a glorious city is this!

"Here have we no continuing city but we seek one to come;" (says the apostle, Heb, xiii. 14.) And it is worth our while to seek such a city as this. For were we honored with the freedoms of all the corporations on earth, and did we actually possess as much wealth as Solomon in all his glory did; our wealth would not be worthy to be named,in comparison of the riches of the least of the citizens of this heavenly city. How happy are they, that are no more strangers, nor foreigners; but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the houshold of God!

The glory and riches of this city are described, in Rev. xxi. to which I refer you; and I doubt not, when you have read and considered the description, you will be convinced, that greater riches and magnificence are there spoken of, than you ever read or heard of besides.

6. True religion may be called the current coin of heaven: the more we have of it, the better. To love God with all the heart, with all the soul, with all the might, and with all the strength; and one another as ourselves; is

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hat religion which is acceptable with God now, and will be to eternity.

Good works, done in the name of Jesus, out of obedience to him; may be compared to valuable moveables, as St. Paul saith

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"For other foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid; which is Jesus Christ. Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it; because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire :" 1 Cor. iii. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.

By this account, it appears, that true good works, are like gold, silver, & precious stones; which shall be capable of enduring the trial, be approved and rewarded while all false works, even though performed by such who are on the right foundation, shall be as hay, wood, and stubble, wholly burnt up and destroyed.

It therefore concerns us to be rich in faith, and good works; that we may be heirs of the kingdom of heaven. We should give all diligence to add to our faith,virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly-kindness

and to brotherly-kindness, charity that so an entrance may be ministered unto us abun

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