I?IISC. X.) THE EORETASTE OF HEAVEN. 549 you would willingly part with all the attainments and honours that you have already arrived at, which make you ever so eminent in the world or in the church, as to be made so near a conformist to the image of the blessed Jesus as this fellow-christian has seemed to be ? " Have you never seen or read of the glories and graces of the Son Of 'God exemplified in some of the saints in so high a degree, and at the same time been so divested of self, and so mortified to a narrow self love, as to he satisfied with the lowest and the meatiest sup- ports of life, and the meanest station in the church of Christ here on earth, if you might but be favoured to partake of that transcendent likeness to the holy Jesus, as you would fain imitate and possess ? " Have you never had a view of all the virtues and graces of the saints, . derived from one. eternal fountain, the blessed God, and flowing through the mediation of Jesus his Son in so glorious a manner,' that you have longed for the day when you shall be amongst'them, and receive your share of this blessedness? Have you never found yourself so united to them in one heart and one soul, that you have wished them all the same'blessings that you wished to yourself, and that without the least shadow of grudging or envy, if everyone of them were partaker as much as you ?" There is no envy among the heavenly inhabitants ; nor cloth St. Paul receive the less because Cephas or Apollos has a large share. Every vessel has its capacity enlarged to a proper extent by the God of nature and grace, and every vessel is com- pletely filled, and feels itself for ever full and for ever happy ; then there cannot be found the shadow of envy amongst them. Now to sum up the view of these things in short; who is there that enjoys these blessed evidences of an interest in the inheritance on high, who is there that has any such foretastes of the felicity above, but must join with the whole creation in groaning for that great day, when all the children of God shall appear in the splen- dour of their adoption, and every thing in nature and grace among them shall attain the proper end for which it was at first designed ? And whensoever any such christian hears some of the last words in the bible pro- Iv 3
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