454 NO NICHT 41,7 HEAVEN. [15IS6. VII. be no death,, nor the image Of it, where the ever-living God ditiells;and shines with his kindest beams: His pre- sence maintains perpetual vitality in every soul, and keeps(the new éreature'inits youth and vigour for ever. The saints shall never hávè reason to mourn over their Dithering graces, languidVirtues or dying comforts ; nor shall they%ever complain of drowsy faculties or inactive powers, where God and the Lanib are for everpresent in the midst ofthem. Shall I inviteyour thoughts to dwell a little uponthis' [Here this discourse maybe divided.] Shall ive make a more particular enquiry, whence it comes to-pass that there is no night nor darkness in the heavenly city ? We are told a little before the words of my text, that " the glory of God enlightens it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. There is no need of the sun by day, or of the moon by night;" there is no need of any such change of seasons as day and night in the upper regions, new any such alternate enlighteners of a dark world, as God has placed in our firmament, or in this visible sky; The inheritance of the saints, in light, is sufficiently irradiated by God hiínself, who at his first call made the light spring up out of darkness over a wide chaos of confusion, before the sun and moonappeared; and.the beams of divine light, grace and glory, are coin inunicated from' God; the original fountain of it, by the Lamb to all the inhabitants of the heavenly country. It Was byJesus his Son, that God made the light at first, and by him he conveys it to all the happy worlds. There is no doubt of this in the present heaven of saints ,departed' from flesh; who are ascended to " the spirits of the just made perfect." It is one of their pri- vileges that they 'go to dwell, not only where they see the face of God, but where they behold the glory of Christ, and converse with "Jesus; the Mediator of the new co- venant," Heb. xii 23; 24. and are " for ever with the Lordwho redeemed them," 2 Cor. v. 8. Since his me- diatorial kingdom and offices are not yet finished in the present heaven of separate souls, we may depend on this blessedness to be communicated through Christ, the Lamb of God, and all the spiritual enjoyments and feli- cities, which are represented under the metaphor of light, are conveyed to them through Jesus, the Mediator.
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