52 THE EXCELLENCIES OF of this inconstancy in heaven. If pe fret love castelli out fear,(h) then perfect joy must needs cast out sorrow, and perfect happiness exclude all the relics of misery. We shall there rest from all the evil of sin and of suffering, # 11. Heaven excludes nothing more directly than sin, whether of nature or of conversation. «There shall in no wise enter any that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie. "(i) What need Christ at all to have died, if heaven could have con- tained imperfect souls? " For this purpose the Son ofGod was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. "(k) His blood and Spirit have not done áll this to leave us after all defiled. " What communion hath light with darkness ? and what concord hath Christ with Belial ? "(l) Christian, if thou be once in heaven, thou shalt sin no more. Is not this glad news to thee, who hast prayed, and watched against it so long? I know if it were offered to thy choice, thou wouldst rather choose to be free from sin, than have all the. world. Thou shalt have thy desire. That hard heart those vile thoughts which accompanied thee to every duty, shall now be left behind for ever. Thy under -, standing shall never more be troubled with darkness. All dark scriptures shall be made plain ; all seeming, contradictions reconciled. The poorest Christian is . presently there a more perfect divine than any here. O that happy day when error shall vanish for ever ! When our understanding shall be filled with God him- self, whose light will leave no darkness in us ! His face shall be the scripture, where we shall read tile truth. Many a godly man bath here, in his mistaken zeal, been a means to deceive and pervert his brethren; and when he sees his own error, cannot again tell how to undeceive them. ßut there we shall conspire in one truth, as being one in him who is the truth. We shall also rest from all the sin' of our will, affection, and conversation. We shall no more retain this rebelling principle, which is still drawing us from God ; no more be oppressed with the power of our corrup- (h) 1 John iv, 18. (k) 1 John iii. 8. (i) Rev. xxi. 27. (l) 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15.
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