SECT`. t. THE HAPPINESS OF SEPARATE SPIRITS. 3iß long to the church on earth. " We are come, says the apostle, verse Q2, we, in the gospel state, are come to mount Lion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the innume- rable company of angels, and to the spirits of just men made perfect." What. sort of communion it is that gbod men here be;- low maintain with-those exalted spirits,.it is not tirV pre- sent business to describe therefore I- apply myself im- mediately to the words of my text, and -confine myself to them only. And here I shall consider these four things -: I. Who are particularly designed by the spirits Of the just; and here I shall make it evident that 'theapostle intends not merely the spirits of goodmen, butsuch good spirits as are dismissed from their mortal bodies. II. We shall enquire wherein consists the'perfectiTh to which they have arrived, and what are the excellencies in which they are made perfect. III. What sort of perfection it is they enjoy, andwhat are the peculiar characters of it. IV. How they arrive at this perfect state, and what influence the dismission from their bodies has towards their attainment of it. And then conclude with a few remarks for obi- instrtc- tion and practice, suitable to the present.providence. SECTION I. Of the spirits of thejust. Our first enquiry is, whom are we to understand by the spirits of the just here spoken of The name of just or righteous men, taken in -á large and general sense, as it is often used in scripture, signi- fies all those who fear and love. God, and ate acceptbd of him. In the New Testament they are .`frequently called saints., believers, or children of God but in both parts of the bible they are often described :by the name of just, or righteous, and they are properlycalled so uptin these three accounts: I. Theirr persons are made righteous in ,the sight of God, having their sins forgiven, and their gatrls justified through the.death and righteousness of JesusChrist: So the word is used : Rom. v. 19. By the obedience of äie B4
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