DISCOURSE VII. 145 him of his possessions. But in the heavenly world, there is no dark hour ; there is nothing that can encourage such mischievous designs; nor are any of the sons of violence, or the malicious powers of darkness suffered to have an abode or refuge in that country. No surprizo nor fear belongs to the inhabitants of those regions: Happy souls, who spend all their life in the light of the countenance of God, and are for ever 'secure from the plots and mischievous devices of the wicked ? While We dwell here below 'amongst the changing seasons of light and darkness, what daily care is taken to shut the doors of our dwellings against the men of mischief ? What solicitude io a time of war to keep the gates of our towns and cities well secured against all invasion of enemies ? Cantic. iii. S. Every man with his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. But in that blessed world there is no need of such defences; no .such guardian cares to secure the inhabitants. The gates of that eity shall not be shut by day, and there is no night there. There shines perpetual day- light, and the gates are ever open to receive new-corners from dur world, or for the conveyance of orders and messages to and fro from the throne, through all the dominions of God and the Lamb. Blessed are the inhabitants of that country, where there are no dangers arising from any of the wicked powers of darkness, nor any dark minute to favour their plots of mischief; 6. " The time of night and darkness is the time of the con - cealmentof secret sins." Shameful iniquities are then practised amongst men, because the darkness is a cover to them. The eye of the adulterer watches for the twilight, saying, no eye shall see me. Job xxiv. 15. in the black and dark night he hopes for concealment as well as the thief and the murderer, and they that are drunken, are drunken in the night; 1 'I'hess. v. 7." The hours of darkness are a temptation to these iniquities, and the shadows of the evening are a veil to cover them from the sight of men : They find a screen behind the curtains of the night, and a refuge in thick darkness. But in the heavenly world, there is no temptation to such iniquities, no defilement can gain an entrance there, nor could it find any veil or covering. The regions of light, and peace, and holy love, are never violated with such scenes of villany and guilt. No secret sins can be committed there, nor can they hope for any screen to de- fend them from the eye of God and the Lamb, whose eyes are like a flame of tire. The light of God shines round every crea- ture in that country, and there is not a saint or angel there, that, desires a covering from the sight of God, nor would accept of a veil or screen to interpose between him and the lovely glories of divine holiness and grace. To behold God, and to live under ioL. VII. I
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