PART 11. SERMON XIV.. , 247 conveyance, i&hy light shall we see light ; Ps. xxxvi. 9. Here we seek the Father and the Son ; the one as our happiness, the other as the say to the enjoyment of that happiness, as they are usually representedin the wordof God : There we shall say, We have found him whom our souls desire and love, and shall be for ever happy inhis presence. Qur business now in this world is to get a right temper and frame :, there to practise and indulge the joy. Happy souls, who are tints prepared in the outer courts to draw nigh and worship within the veil! Now we appear with imperfect services, and poor improve- ments, there with glorious and complete worship : For here we see God but as in a glass darkly ; there face to face; 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Now we can have his glory, or his grace represented to us but in part, in a small measure, and according to our poor capa cities of receiving ; there weshall see him as he is, and know as we are knoten. What are our prayers, what are our praiseshere ? our prai- ses when offeredup in a song, or in plainer language, in compa- rison with those that arepaid to Godabove ? Now we speak of himwhom we have not seen, therefore we speak in so imperfect a manner : There we shall hear and speak of him whom we see or know more intimately : Now we appear before God, and bring too much of the worldwith us ; there we leave the world andgo to the Father, God and Christ are toomuch forgotten, or they are too often thrust out of our minds byvain thoughts, even when we ourselves are never so desirous to spend anhour or two with God ; what interruptions do we find ? What long blanks divide the several petitions of our prayer, and break off themeditation while we stand before God to worship him ? We have many enemies within and without, who stand ready to seize away our souls from God, and to rob himof our devotion : Vain fancies call us aside, and our senses turnoff our minds from heaven. 'There shall be everlasting worshipabove, without one impertinence interposing ; no trifles there to divert us, and separate one part of our worship from the other : there all the powers and faculties of nature shall perpetually be engaged in the business and blessedness of that state. Glorious worship, and blessed worshippers ! fit for the presence of the Majesty of heaven. 5. I mightsay, We come with very little comfort, and many diseouragements, to appear before God on earth; but there with everlasting consolation. We come now to the word, and we go away again, hardly hearing the voiceof God in his word or seeing his countenance, but there we shall be for ever near him ; nowall of flesh, or of sin to divide us. Now we are defiled with guilt, and ashamed to lift up our Vox.. t. p
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