their nature, and their happiness confequently arifes from increafing knowledge of the divine excellencies and works, from an improving veneration, love, and devotedness to the Deity; from admiration, gratitude, and love to the Son of God and Saviour of men, from the confcioufnefs of being intirely devoted to him, and having resembled him while upon earth in piety, righteoufnefs, and mercy; and therefore being fully approved and beloved by him in heaven; from continual communications of the nobleft truths, and perpetually renewed instances of a just efteem and a difinterested affection. And is it not evident, that if we would enjoy these fatisfactions, we must have before cultivated a fenfe of what is excellent and amiable in difpofition and conduct, and a love to it, a piety, rectitude, and goodness of heart? And the fenfual, the irreligious, the covetous and unjust, to whom the converfations and entertainments of the wife, the pious the generous and charitable are now burdenfome, can never be qualified to enjoy their esteem and friendship in heaven, and to be happy in them. 'Tis therefore manifeft, that if we would be bleffed in the fociety of angels and Spirits made perfect above, we muft, by obeying the divine precepts of righteousness, truth, purity, goodness and mercy, form our minds to delight in, and practise these below, and K k

thus

thus prepare ourselves to become bleffed with the perfect in these difpofitions in hea

ven.

Finally, the confciousness of having approved ourselves, though amidst many fins and defects, grateful and obedient to God, and being fully and publickly owned by him, and by the Redeeemer; and thus knowing ourselves to be amiable in their fight: are among the most exalted delights of heaven. But how can any receive this teftimony from their confciences, who have not before practifed what their confciences, enlightened by the divine law, enjoin? Or how rejoice in the full approbation of God, and of Jefus the Judge; who, inftead of living obedient to their laws, have lived in the practice of what they utterly dislike.

'Tis then evident to demonftration, from the nature of the heavenly felicity, that we have much to be done by way of preparation for it, and can alone, by an obedience to the divine commands, particularly those requiring the love of God and of our neighbour, become meet to enjoy it. They who have fincerely observed thefe on earth, dropping with their bodies all thofe vicious inclinations and paffions which were rooted in them, are qualified to be compleatly bleffed, and that for ever, in goodness and devotion exercised in their noblest degrees, and in the most favourable circumstances.

Whereas

Whereas the wicked and irreligious are as unqualified to find their happiness in heaven, as the blind are to find theirs in the fine gardens and paintings of a palace.

Let us all therefore immediately refolve on doing what is evidently neceffary, that we may inherit eternal life; guarding against the fatal deception, of refting contented without the temper of heaven. Let us study the fcriptures, with that ferious and impartial concern, to know what God has in them made our qualification for eternal bleffednefs; and with thofe warm and fixed purpofes of acquiring it, which become perfons who know the infinite importance of the inquiry; and that by indulging to careleffness and prejudices, they may deceive themselves, and lose heaven; but can by no means impofe upon God, or alter his determinations, founded on the best reasons, on his own perfections, on the nature of man, and on the genius of the heavenly felicity.

This would lead us to confider the IIId Obfervation, but we must defer it to the next opportunity.

SERMON

SERMON XXII.

The Difpofitions with which we fhould inquire the way to eternal Life.

MARK X. 17.

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and afked him, Good Mafter, What shall I do, that I may inherit eternal life?

O

F three important obfervations, which this hiftory presents to our thoughts, having confidered the two former, I fhall now treat the

IIId. If we would inquire after the way to eternal life, and pursue the directions given from heaven with the most fuccefs, it should be our first inquiry, made with ferioufness and humility, and with a firm refolution to give up every thing which would interfere with this pursuit. The person who propofed this question to our Lord was young,

rich, and a man of figure; he ran, and kneeled to Jefus: yet having fuffered the love of riches to prepoffefs his heart, he failed of the happiness which he fought.

I. To ask this question, and with the most fuccefs pursue the directions given in answer to it; this fhould be our firft inquiry, after we have arrived to years of discretion and choice. St. Matthew informs us *, that the person who propofed this question to Jefus, was young. And, Sirs, what question fo proper to be asked, on our firft fetting out in the journey of life, as what way we must take if we would attain to that happiness, which is the great end of our being? Efpecially, fince the happiness which the Divine benignity offers to our purfuit, is of the most excellent nature, and of an everlasting duration? This is certainly the most likely method for preventing fatal wanderings, and obtaining our end. When we are beginning alfo to form our several difpofitions and characters, can any inquiry be fo proper, as what are these difpofitions, and what conftitutes that character, which will qualify us to become eternally bleffed; that we may prevent contrary difpofitions from being formed, and carry to the higheft improvement that temper, which will beft fuit us to the employments and happiness of immortality?

Matth. xix. 20.

Kk 3

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