i 88 Of theHappinef of Good Men, Vol. II. State of unfpeakable and endlefsJoy and Happinefs in the bleffed Sight and Pre- fence of God, and in the happy Society of an innumerable Company ofAngelo, and of the Spirits offufi Men made perfeti. So St. john defcribes the Felicities and Glories of that State, as they were re- prefented to him in a Vilion, Rev. 2t. 2, 3, 4. And I John fan the holy City, new yerufalem, coming down from God out ofHeaven, prepared as a Bride adornedfor her Husband. And .1 heard a great Voice out of Heaven, flying, Behold the Tabernacle of God is withMen, and he will dwellwith them, and they(hallbe his People, andGodhim- felffhall be with them, and be their God. AndGod (hall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes : and therefhall be no more Death, neither Sorrow, nor Crying, neither fhall there be any more Pain ; for the former Things are pad away ; that is, all thofe Evils which we fawand fuffer'din this World, will for ever vanifh and difappear. And, v. 23. And the City had no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to fhine in it : for the Glory ofGod didlighten it, and the Lamb is the Light thereof. And which is the greateft Pri- vilege and Felicity of all, no Sin {hall be there, v. 27. And thereThall in no wife enter into it anyThing that defileth, and confequentlynoMifery andCurfe fhall be there, Ch. 22. 3, 4 And there fhall be no more Curfe ; but the Throne ofGod, andof the Lamb (hall be in it, and his Servants fhall ferve him, andthey(hallfee his Face. In which Taft Words, our Employment and our Happinefs are exprefs'd ; but what in particular thefe {hall be, and wherein they [hall confift, it is impoffible for us now to defcribe ; it is fufficient to know in general, that our Employment {hall be our unfpeakable Pleafure, and every way fuitable to the Glory and Happinefs of that State, and as much above the nobleft and moft delightful Employment of this World, as the Perfe&ion of our Bodies, and the Powers of our Souls [hall then be above what they were in this World. In a Word, our Happinefs (hall be fuch as is worthy of the great King of the 'World to bellow upon his faithful Servants, and infinitely beyond the loft Re- ward of their belt Services; it is tofee God, andto be ever with him, inwhofi Prefence is Fulnef of joy, and at whofe right HandaroPleafuresfor evermore. SERMON CXXXIe Of the Happinefs of Good Men, in the future State. The Fll z JOHN III. Z. SCYMBtt ex this T` "`' It loth not yet appear what we (hall be ; but we know, that when he(hall appear, we(hall be like him; for we /hall fee him as he is. HE great Defign of this Epiftle, is to perfwadeMen to Purity and Holinefs of Life, without which we can lay no Claim to the PromiCes and Privi- leges of the Gofpel. Chriftians are call'd the Children of God ; and this is a great Privilege indeed, a mighty Argument of God's Love and Favour to us, to own as for his Children. Behold what manner of Love the Father bath bellowed upon us, that wefhould be called the Sons of God. This is the Happinefs of our prelent Con- dition : now we are the Sonsof God ; and if Sons, then Heirs ; this gives us a Title to a futureInheritance. And it does not yet appear what we fhall be ; the Circumftan- ces of our future Happinefs and Glory are not perfe&ly revealed to us, only thus much in general is difcovered to us, that we fhall be very happy, becauf we (hail be admitted to the immediate Sight and Enjoyment of God; and we cannot fee him and enjoy him, unlefs we be like him ; and to be like God, is to
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