152 SERMONS upon Serm. XXIII. glory to glory : therefore there !hall be another manner of transformation , e Yoh. 3. 2. Then we shall be like him for we ¡ball fee him as be is. Here he injoyeth Communion with God , i Job. I. 3. Truly our fellowship is with the Father , and with his Son Jefus Chrifi: there it (hall be more full and t$rinterrupted. Here he rejoyceth and delight - eth himfelf in God, Pfal. 27.4. One thing have I defired of the Lord, that will I feek af- ter, that.I may dwell in the hopfe of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his Temple : there more efpecially , when there (hall be no- thing to divert that delight, and the participation of his benefits thall be more full. Here he promoteththe glory of God, and fetteth forth his Praife, either by way of design, making that hisfcope, e Cor. ao. 31. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or wbatfoeveryou do, do all to the glory of God : or of Refemblance, t Pet. 2. 9. re are a chofen generation, a royal Prieflhood, an hod Nation, a peculiar people, that ye should thew forth the praifes of him who hath called you out of darknefs into his marvellous light. Eph. i. 12. That we fbonld be to the praife of his glory , who firfi trufied in Chrrfl: there his whole work is to laud and praife God , and he doth more perfeûly refemble him, there being nothing to obfcure his image. 3. It is an endlefs and everlalling Life. Such as are once poffeffed of it , (hall never be difpoffeffed again. If man be deligned to injoy a chief good , and this chief good mull content all our delires, it mutt alto be fo firm, and abfolutely immutable, as to se- cure us again(t all our fears; for a fear of losing would disquiet our minds, and to hinder our Bleffednefs. Now that there is no fear of that , let us confider what may be laid concerning the firmnefs of it. i. On Gods part. 2. On the part of the Bleffed. I. On Gods part, it ftandeth on three ftrong Foundations. Firfl, The infinite Love of God , which is from Eternity to Eternity , Pfd. 103.17. The mercy of the Lord is from everlafling to everlafiing to them that fear him, before the world was, and when the world (hall be no more. Secondly, The everlating Merit of Chri(t, which never lofeth its force and effect, Heb. 9. 12. Having obtained eternal redemption for us: not that Christ is always propitia- ting God by a continued Sacrifice, no, the work was once done in a (hurt time, but the virtue of it it of everlalting_ continuance. Thirdly , The unchangeable Covenant, fo Heb. 13. 20. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus Chrifl,thatgreat Shepherd of fheep,tbrough the blood of the everlafiingCovenant. Though the Covenant made with Ifrad was abolished, yet this continueth for ever, and (hall never be altered, becaufe it was able to reach the end for which it was appointed, which is the eternal Salvation of man : that was a temporary Covenant, this eternal. 2. On the part of the, Bleffed, who being once admitted to the fight of God, cannot any more ceafe from the Love of God , or be fubjeft to Sin. Heaven is a Paradife, where the flowers that grow are incorruptible and undefiled, and never fade away, a Pet. IL The Reafons of it, why this is our final Reward. a. Becaufe this is the End to which they are appointed , every thing hath its end and final perfeáion, for God made nothing in vain: Now inanimate things tend to fuch an end, as they are appointed unto by Gods overruling Providence; fuch things as have a fell- moving Principle, as Beats, they are carried to their end by inftinl , Appetite, or natural Inclination : thofe things which have Realon and Knowledge , forefeeing the End , order the Means thereunto , they know the End , chufe the Means, as meer men, they feek to be happy ; and Chrittians who are holy Men , feek to be molt like him who is holy and happy. Now then , since whatever advth , aíleth for an End , they that have their fruit to Holiness, have their End everlafing Life. A capacity of an endlefs Bleffednefs doth difference a Man from the Beats that perish; a difpofition to it doth difference the Saints from the ungodly ; and the fruition of it at length doth difference the glorified from the damned. 2. Gods Government requireth it. The wifeft Lawgivers could not devife any other means to make men good befides Peena & Pnemium,Puni(hment and Reward. For in the right Difpenfation of thefe two the Life of Government doth confift. indeed many Laws do more incline to Punishments than Rewards, for Robbers and Manflayers death is ap- pointed ; but the innocent Subject hath only this reward , that he doth his Duty, and efcapeth thefe punifhments. In few Cafes doth the Law promife a Reward, the reafon is, becaufe
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