death, has obtained among the wiser sort of heathens, who have had only the light of nature to guide them; unless some general traditions transmitted to them, especially among those who have given any credit to the immortality of the soul. Hence they speak of the Elysian' fields, and islands of the blessed, as the seat and habitation of pious persons after death; and which they describe after after a carnal and earthly manner; as grassy plains, and flowery meads; and is abounding with all manner of delicious fruits; and as in a most tempe. rate climate, free of all wintry weather and blustering storms, and of scorching heat; and where they are fanned with gentle zephyrs, and delighted with flowing fountains and purple streams, and are continually regaling themselves with nectar and ambrosia. Though even their images of those things, Tertullian' thinks they have borrowed from the sacred writings and the description of the heavenly state therein: "If, says he, we speak of paradise as a place of divine pleasantness, appointed for the reception of holy spirits the Elysian fields sieze upon and engross their faith." But those things are not only said by their poets, .but by their wise and grave philosophers; as Plato", Plutarch, Seneca, and others. 2. From a natural desire in mankind after happiness, and which is universal; and yet it is certain it is not attained in this present life, though eagerly sought for, in one way or another. Some seek for it in natural wisdom and knowledge; some in wealth and riches; others in the honours of the world, in fame and and popular applause; and others in the gratification of sensual appetites and lusts; but is never found to satisfaction in either; and as abur- dantly appears from the first and second chapters of the book of Ecclesiastes This is only found in God, the chiefest good; and that not to perfection in this life. Now either this desire of happiness is implanted in vain, which is not reasonable to suppose; or there must be a future state, in which this happiness will be enjoyed, at least by some of the individuals o ́ human nature, even by all good men; who, at the resurrection, and not befort will be completely happy to full satisfaction even when they shall awake in the likeness of God.3. From the unequal distribution of things in the present state; which makes the providences of God-very intricate and perplexed, with difficulties not easy to be solved; and which cannot be solved without supposing a future estate: here wicked men have a large portion of good things; and good men have a large share of evil things, afflictions, and distresses; and if their hope of happiness was bounded by this life, they would be of all men most miserable; especially such who are called to endure sharp and severe sufferings: but their hope extends beyond it; as it is reasonable it should; when, as they have suffered in the cause of goodness, truth, and righteousness, that they should be glorified together; and that their present momentary afflictions should These have their name from thy to rejoice, hence called læta aiva & læti loci, in Virgil. Bochart. Canaan, 1. 1. c. 34. col. foo. Tertull. A polog. c. 47.In Gorgia, p. 356. 357Contol. ad Polybium, c. 18.

& in Axiosho, p. 1808,

De facie in ofẹ lunæ, p. 943.

work for them, as they do, an eternal weight of glory. But this is more abun dantly appears.

11. From divine revelation; by which life and immortality are brought to light; or an immortal life of happiness is set in the clearest light; and which may be strongly conclude 1,-1. From the promise of God concerning it. This is the promise, the grand and principal promise; and which includes and secures all the rest; He, that is, God, hath promised us, in the covenant of grace, and which lies in his word, even eternal life, 1 John ii. 25. which gives hope and assurance of it, and in which it issues and this promise was made very early, even before the world began, and by God that cannot lie, and therefore to be depended on as sure and certain; and besides, it is in Christ; and not the promise only, but the thing itself, Tit. i. 2. 1 John v. 11. and in this lies the happiness of the saints, James i. 12.-2. From the predestination of men unto it; there are vessels of mercy afore prepared in the mind, and by the will of God, for this future glory and happiness; who are chosen to the obtaining, or to the enjoyment, of the glory of Christ; to behold his glory, and appear with him in glory; who are ordained to eternal life, and therefore believe to the saving of their souls and which act of the grace, and will of God, can never be frustrated and male void; for whom he did predestinate them he also glorified, Ron. viii. 30.

3. From the preparation of this happiness for them; this consists of thingsunseen and unheard of, and not to be conceived of by carnal minds, which God has prepared for them that love him, fear him, and wait for him; and which, preparation was made in eternity; for it is a kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world; and which will only be given to, and will most certainly be given to, those for whom it is prepared of God. →→ 4. From Carist's actual possession of it for his people, in their name; and from the preparation he is making of it for them; he is entered into heaven as the forerunner for them, and has taken possession of it in their name, as their head and representaive; and in whom, as so considered, they are already sot down in heavenly places, and shall be in person, most certainly, ere long; for he is gone before to prepare a place for them, in his Father's house in heaven, where are many mansions, by his intercession for them, which is always prevalent; and therefore he assures them, he will come again, and receive them to himself, that where he is, they may be also, partakers of his glory and happiness, John xiv. 2, 3. 5. From the effectual vocation of men to eternal life and happiness? Lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, says the apostle Paul to Timothy; and to which happiness every man is called, who is called by grace: hence we read of the saints being called of God to his kingdoin and glory; and of their being called unto his eternal glory, by Jesus Christ. Now between vocation, and glorification, there is an inseparable connection; Whom he called them he also glorified, Rom. viii. 30.6. From the grace of God implanted in the heart, and the earnest of the Spirit there. The grace of God, which is wrought in the heart

in regeneration, is a well of living water, springing up into everlasting life, and issues in it; and the Spirit of God, in his operations on the souls of men, works them up for that self-same thing, eternal glory and happiness; and of which his indwelling also in them, is the earnest and pledge; for he is said to be given as an earnest, and to be the earnest of the inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession; that is, until the purchased ones are redeemed from mortality, death, and the grave; and therefore as sure as they have the earnest, they shall enjoy the inheritance, which is eternal life, John iv. 14. 2 Cor. v. 5. Eph. i. 14.7. From the present experiences of the saints, from those foretastes they sometimes have of future glory and happiness; like the Israelites, they have some clusters of Canaan's grapes, some of the fruits of the good land by the way, as a specimen and pledge of what they shall enjoy when they come into that better country; they now receive the first fruits of the Spirit, which encourage them to hope for the glorious harvest of the adoption of children: they now, at times, have communion with God in private, and also in public, in his house and ordinances, when they are as the gate and suburbs of heaven to them; and so, by inward felt experience know, from what they find in themselves, that there is something better, and more excellent for them in heaven.— 8. From the desires of the saints after future happiness. They choose to be with Christ, as more eligible than to be here; they desire to be clothed upon, with their house from heaven, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, that they may be present with the Lord, and press towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ, Phil. i. 23. and iii. 14. 2 Cor. v. 2° And now those desires in the hearts of the saints, are not formed by the Spirit of God in vain. 9. From the assurance of it some of the saints have had, both of the Old and of the New Testament; the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and others, all died in the faith of the better country they were seeking, and were desirous of; the psalmist Asaph expresses his strong faith of it, that God would receive him to glory; and the apostle Paul, in his own name, and in the name of other christians, says, we know, we are well assured, that we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, Psal. lxxiii. 24. 2 Cor. v. 1. 10. This happiness is begun already in this life; in regeneration men pass from the death of sin, into a life of grace; and a life of grace, is the life of glory begun; he that believes in Christ hath everlasting life: is possessed of it in part, and has the earnest and the beginning of it; eternal life is founded in, and begins with the knowledge of God and Christ, John v. 24.- Lastly, There are instances of saints already in heaven, and some in their bodies, as well as in their souls, as Enoch and Elijah; and, as it is highly probable, the saints that arose at Christ's resurrection, and went with him to heaven: and as as sure as they are there, all the rest of the saints will. I go on to consider,

II. The names, phrases, and epithets, used of this happiness; which may serve to convey to us some ideas of the nature of it.

1. The names by which it is called; both as a place and as a state. As a place, 1. It is called heaven; for there this happiness lies, which is called the reward in heaven, the hope laid up in heaven, the inheritance reserved in heaven, and often the kingdom of heaven; and which is no other than the third heaven, where is the throne of God, whither Christ in human nature is gone, and there received, and is the habitation of the holy angels. 2. It goes by the name of paradise, in allusion to the garden of Eden, a place of pleasure and delight, Luke xxiii. 43. in the midst of which, Christ, the tree of life, stands, laden with all manner of precious fruit, for the solace and delight of the blessed inhabitants; and where are fulness of joy, and pleasures for evermore, Rev.ii. 7. -3. It is represented as a place of light; it is called the light of life; the inheritance of the saints in light; and needs no natural nor artificial light to illuminate it; where God and the Lamb are the light of it, and the angels of light dwell, Rev. xxi. 23. —4. It is signified by an house to dwell in; an house not made with the hands of men, but is a building of God; in which there are many mansions, room enough for the many sons the great Captain of salvation will bring to glory, who is gone before them, to prepare them for them; even in his Father's house, John xiv. 2.-5. It is said to be a city, a city of God's preparing, of which he is the builder and maker, and which has foundations, firm and strong, and so is a continuing and lasting one, Heb. xi. 10, 16. and of this city the saints are now citizens; Our conversation, nuwv to wohit vμa, our citizenship, is in heaven, Phil. iii, 20. 6. It is called, the better country, Heb. xi. 16. better than this world, or any country in it; better than the good land beyond Jordan, Canaan, the type of it: it is the land that is very far off, even in the highest heavens; the land of uprightness, where there is nothing but perfect purity and integrity, and where only upright persons dwell, Isai. xxxiii. 17. And as a state, it is sometimes called, 1. An inheritance, Acts xx. 32. and elsewhere, in allusion to the land of Canaan, distributed by lot for an inheritance to the children of Israel; or in allusion to inheritances among men, which are not acquired and purchased by them; but are bequeathed, or come to them by relations, and are transmitted from father to son; and so the heavenly glory is not obtained by the works of men, or is a purchase of theirs; but is bequeathed to them by their heavenly Father, and comes to them by his will and testament, upon, by, and through the death of the testator, Jesus Christ, Heb. ix. 15, 16, 2. A kingdom, often called the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of heaven, of which the saints are heirs; and they are now stiled kings and princes, being possessed of the kingdom of grace, as they will be of the kingdom of glory; to which they are called, and which is prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and which it is their Father's good pleasure to give them, Mark xxy. 34. 3. A crown; a crown of righteousness and life, a crown of glory, that fades not away, an incorruptible one; which serves

set forth the grandeur of this state, 2 Tim. iv. 8. 1 Cor. ix. 25.4. It is expressed by glory itself, Psal. lxxxiv. 11. as being exceeding glorious, beyond

all conception and expression; it is said to be a weight of glory, 2 Cor. iv. 17. in allusion to the ponderous crowns of princes; it will lie in beholding the glory of Christ, and in having a glory revealed in the saints, and in having a glory upon them, both in soul and body. — 5. It has the name of peace, into which good men enter at death, there being nothing in this state to ruffle and disturb, but all tranquil, serene, and calm; no sin within, nor sinful men without: no sorrow and affliction; no pricking brier, nor grieving thorn, throughout the land. 6. It is signified by a rest, which remains for the people of God, after this toilsome life is over, Heb. iv. 9. in allusion to the land of Canaan, a land of rest to the Israelites, after their weary travels in the wilderness; or to the Sabbath, the day of rest, this state being all day, and all Sabbath; a complete rest of body and soul, from all labours, troubles, and enemies whatever. —7. It is called the joy of the Lord, into which Christ's faithful servants will be invited to enter, Matt. xxv. 21, 23. a joy that can never be taken away from them, a fulness of joy, a joy unspeakable and full of glory.

11. There are various phrases also by which this happy state is expressed, and epithets used of it, which shew the happiness of it; as by being in Abraham's bosom; and sitting down as at a table and a feast, with him and others, expressive of the blessed communion of the saints, Luke xvi. 22. but more especially by being with Christ, and sitting with him on his throne, Phil. i. 23. Rev. iii. 21. and by being fed, and led by him, to fountains of living waters, Rev. vii. 17. The various epithets of this state, besides what have been given, are worthy of notice. It is, as yet, an unseen happiness; it consists of things not seen at present; and which faith and hope are only concerned with; and saints have only some glimpse of it, which encourages to wait for it, 2 Cor. iv. 18. Heb. xi. 1. It is future, it is yet to come; a glory that shall be revealed; grace that is to be brought at the revelation of Christ, and does not yet appear what it shall be: it is beyond all compare; the wealth and riehes, the glories and grandeur of this world, are trifles to it; yea, the sufferings of the saints, their purest services, are not worthy to be compared with it, Rom. viii. 18. it is an enduring substance, a never-fading inheritance; a crown of glory that fades not away; the glory of this world passeth away; but this glory will never pass away but of the eternity of it more hereafter. I proceed to shew,

III. The parts of this happiness, or wherein it will consist.

1. In a freedom from all evils, both of soul and body; from all evils that affect the soul. From the evil of evils, sin which is exceeding evil in itself, and the cause of all evil: but in this happy state there will be an entire deliverance from it; even,1. From all temptations to it, either from within or from without; glorified saints will have nothing within and about themselves, no sinful lust in their hears to tempt, entice and draw them away, as now; their souls being the spirits of just men made perfect'; nothing in or about their bodies to incline and lead to sin, which are now vile, and have a world of iniquity in them; but then made like the glorious body of Christ: nor will they have any from