SERMON XLIII. 623 of the sunshine, and that perfect day that shall scatter all these clouds of doubt and mistake, and let thee see thy Saviour and thy God face to face, as they are seen by angels ? O that sur- prizing hour, of unknown delight, that shall place thee, O my soul, in the midst of the world of spirits, surrounded with the light of heaven, and in theopen presence of God, even thy God ! When thou shalt gain swift and transporting acquaintance with the Almighty Being that made thee, and the Son of God, who dwelt once in mortal flesh, and died to save thee ! When the divine irradiations of the Eternal Spirit shall unfold those mys- teries tothy view, which had somuch darkness about.them in these lower regions ! What an illustrious scene of light and joy shall arise all around thee as thou enterest into that unknown state ! What strange new ideas of things, what new worlds of know- ledge shall throng in upon thee, and thy enlarged understanding shall receive them all with infinite satisfaction, and with ever- growing pleasure ! Art thou not already on the wing, my soul, at such a divine prospect as this ? O stupid creatures that we are ! we seek after the light of truth here below, and crowd about a glimmering spark of knowledge, we wrangle all around it with endless contention, and yet when death would open the gate of glory, and admit us into regions of light, we start back, and retire, contentedto abide among twilight and shadows. °C But, Omy soul, iftruthand knowledge are not sufficient, to allure thee, has holiness no constraining power ? Hast thou not sinned enough and broken the laws of God often enough already ? Hast thou not brought guilt enough, and griefenough, upon thyself, that thou art afraid of a state of perfect holiness ? What is it that has given thee such inward pain as the perpetual workings of thy native iniquity? What is it thathas made thee cry out, O wretched creature that I am! who shall deliver me frgm the body of this death? Rom. vii. 24. From the tempta- tions and sins which are mingled 'with flesh and blood ! And art thou afraid to have thy groans ended, thy complaints remov- ed, and thy deliverance appear? Art thou unwilling to accept of the release ? Dost thou shrink back from the sight of the deliv- erer? Hast not thy faith often seen the spirits of the just made perfect standing before the throne, rejoicing before God, wor- shipping in the complete beauty of holiness ? And has not thy faith awakened thy desires and thy sacred wishes ? O that I were in the midst of them ! Why then art thou so unwilling to leave this body of sin and darkness, and to go out of this trou- blesome and impure prison into that glorious world, that blessed assembly, and to worship amongst them without imperfection,and Without weariness ? Consider, O any soul, are thy complaints Vol., I. S s
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