182 THE PRIVILEGE OF THE [SERM. XL. his Saviour in that great and important hour. The saints, who are arrived at heaven, dwell in the tem- ple of God, and shall go no more out ;" Rev, iii. 12. They are for everpossessed of life and immortality. There are no more deaths or dangers for them to encounter, no more terrors to engage their conflict. Death is the last enemy of the saints ; and when the christian meets it with sacred courage, he gives that honour to the Cap- tain of his Salvation, which the saints in glory can never give, and which he himself, can never repeat. Dying with faith and fortitude is a noble conclusion of a life of zeal and service. It is the very last duty on earth; when that is done, thenheaven begins. Thus I have made it evident, in many instances, that there is a rich variety of virtues and graces to be exer- cised in this life, which have no place after death,, and upon this account the living christianmay be said to have some advantage beyond the dead. Here an objection or two will. arise that may require an ànswer. Objection I. But is not heaven always represented as a state of perfection ? Is not grace and holiness more complete there than ,ever they have been, or can be in the time of our mortal life ? And yet, how can it be a; state ofgreater perfection, if so many, graces are wanting. there ? Answer. These" graces which belong to the living saint, and have no place among the happy dead, are but the various exercises of a sanctified mind, arising from some imperfections in our present state. Faith is owing to our want of sight : Hope is owing to 'our want of en- joyment Patience, courage, compassion, forbearance, forgiveness, repentance, and such likegraces, are owing to the sins, the sorrows, or the temptations that are found in this world only The follies, the mistakes, the infir- mities ofourselves, or our fellow -christians, or the wick- edness of the world wherein we live, are the only things that give occasion for the exercise of such graces as I have now mentioned; therefore in a perfect state there is no room for them. Yet every saint in heavenhas a sanctified nature, which is the root and springof all these graces, and they would appear in glorious exercise again, if there were any ob'
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