~piritual PerJeflion. u~~~o_m •§n. Life on Earth. He did not preferve the Martyrs from the flames, nor forfake them in rhe ';J:~~;~~""IJ'1111 flames, buc in thofe fiery ~bariots convey'd them to ~~aven. . Briefly, God never demes or delays to grant the PetitiOns of IllS Children, but for a greater good eo them: He always hears their main Defires; that is, he bellows fuch Bleffings as arc moll conduc•ble for h•sglory, and. thw good. ThiS 1sthe pr~nc•pal Petition of tt e Saints, in conformity to Chnllm h1s ex1!!ency; he praJtd to be [4Ved from the •ppro"hint, ::u;,,~f hU ttmhlt f",jfmngs; but fubordmately to a h1gher requell, F.ther, glorify '"' La!lly, The Relation of Children to God, is not an Empty Title, but includes an Interefl in the Eternal Inheritance. The A poflle infers, If fons, tlun heirs, hrirs of God eo heirs svtth Chrijl. The Sons of Earthly l'arents cannot all inherit: the El dell is t h~ Heir to maintain the Splendour and State of the Family; and the Younger haveofren but thin Provifion. If a Kingdom be the Inheritance, 'tis appropriated to ooe: the Throne is incommunicable. When Pbar.oh made Jofeph Viceroy of Egypt, he rcferv'd the Throne to himfclf: In the tlsront I .,,a be greattr than tho,. . But all the SamtS are Kings. Our Saviour comforts his Di~ciples, fe_ar not little jlQck, 'tU your Fathtr~s good p!e~fure to give JM tht l(j~gdom: and hiS Power IS equal to Ius Pleafure. They are the Chddren of the King and Kingdom of heaven. The Kingdom, with a Note of Exce llency_; in Cornparifon of it, all the Kingdoms. of this World in their blazing glory are but a t.inr figure and a foil. Tranfcendent P11vrlege ! Infinite Bounty! Allrhe Concept10ns we can form of happinefs arc eminently in God. He is the Glory, the Joy, the PerfcClion, the SatisfaC\ion of Intelligent Creatures. He alone can fill the Capacity of Comprehenfive Immortal Spirits. He is their Eternal and in tire Inheritance,_ polfels'd equally by all, without di· minution to any. As the Light of the World is enJoyed by all without preJudice to any: according to the Apo!lle's Expreffion, The inheritanct of the Saints in Light . The Eter. ,.., enjoyment of God, excludes all fears of lofing it: there is a perpetual fecurity from all change and feparation: and excludes all poffible defires of a better ftate. Without Di· vine Revelation we could never have had any difcovery of this fupernatural Blelfedncfs. The Apoftle prays for the Ephejians, that the God of our Lord J efm Chrijl, the Father of ~~~r~ ~~::::;~;:;~:;i~ebei~;ee~£:~;;{[%::~z~~:,v~:;;:7:h~: ~1~/::h::;d~ Zsh::U;~;: And what is the richeso/theglory of hu Inher ita.nee in the Saints. God is infinicely rich ln his Perfet.lions, in Mercy, in Wifdom and Power; and as the Father [aid to his Son in the Gofpel , Son, .a that I bave is thine; fo all his Attributes are exer<is'd for the happinefs of bis Children. The difference isobfervablc bel\veenan earthly Inheritance, and the heavenly. ForEilates and Honours, conveyed by defcent, are not polfefs'd tiO the death of the Fathers; but we partake of the heavenly Inheritance, becaufe our Father lives : and we mull dye that we may enjoy ic: For jlefb and bloodca11not inherit the kingdom of heaven. WhAt man· ner of lo'Ve is it, that"" fbonld bethe Sons of God ? When Pharaoh's Daughter compaffio· nately preferved Mofes, an cxpos'd Infant , and adopted him to be her Son, 'cwas rare and wonderful goodnefs. The Privilege was fo high, that the fe]f.dcnial of Mof" is recorded with this lllu£lrious proof of it, that he rtjus'd to ht "/I'd the [on of Pha,.ol/s d•ughur. But fhe had no Son of her own. Adoption is a legal fupply for the want of Natural Progeny. But God had an Eternal Son the heir of his'lovc and glory, the adequate ObjeCt of his Complacency, yet he raifed us to fo near an alliance. Men adopc Sons for their fup ~ portand comfort, and ufually thofe in whom fame praife.worrhy qualities appear. God did not want a Son, but we wanted a Father: in thu tl:t f"""''/s find mercy. There was nothing in us but fin and mifery, ac occafionofhis mercy. 'Tis added by the Apoftle, "''are eo·ht irs wtth Chrijl. This may feem to be a U(urpati- ' on upon his Prerogative, who is mvefied with the Supremacy of Heaven. But this is ea· fily clear'd, by confidCFing thatChrill hasadoubleTit!eto thelnherirance: 1. ANatural Title as the Son of God, in a tranfcendent and peculiar manner. From Ecerni'Y chere was a mutual po!feffion of the Father and the Son, wherein their Ble!fedoefs conGfis. This Title is fingul ar and iocornmumcable. 2. An acquir'd Ti,lc: by _his Mericorious Obedience and Sutferings. Thtrt{ore God hiU tx11lted him above aD PrifleipalitJ, and Porvrr, Eph. r. u. and Might and Dominion, _4ndevt ry Name that U nam'd, not only in thi1 J>f!orld, hut in thAt to come. And fuch is h1s all:onifblng Jove, he affociates us wirh him in this Tide: he communkates a right to us in his Kingdom, by the Merirs of his Death, and inrroduces us into po!fdfion by his Med iation. His glory is inconfiflent wirh ours, and infcpara b!e from ours: for when the Head is crown'd, the Members reign. The Saints lit down 1vab him i11hi11hrone, as he is {tt down onhiJ /'at her's thron~. z , Let
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