Of the Ble/fèdnef of the Pure in Heart. 375 mind, transforming them into the image of S E R M. God ;. beholding the glory of God now as in XIII. a glafs, we are changed into his likenefs, but that more perfect fight in heaven will pro- duce a more perfect fimilitude; thus in the pafi'age juft now referred to, t John iii. a, Tie (hall be like him, for we (hall fee him as he is ; and Pfal. xvii. i 5. I flail behold by face in righteoufnefs, when I awake (that is at the refurreftion of the juft) I (hall be fatised with thy likenefs. All the application I intend to make at this time of what has been faid, is only to re- commend to you fincere and confiant endea- vours to purify your hearts more and more, that fo you may be qualified to fee God, as he is manifefied in the gofpel by Jefus Chrift, and fo be prepared for feeing him as he is hereafter. The defign of chriftianity is to declare the Father to us, to give us the moft delightful view of him, as in the exercife of his moft amazing love to finful mankind, and as propitious to us on the moft gracious terms. But is Chri/l the minifler of fin? God fórbid. No. This is the meffage the apo- filès heard of him, and have declared unto us, that God is light, and in him is no darknefs ; if we fay that we have fellowftip with him, and walk in darknefs, that is, in fin, we lie and do not B b 4 t,.' e r
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=