DISCOURSE VIII. 163 and I shall be satisfied when I awake out of the dust with thy like- ness ; Ps. xvii. 15. With my soul have I desired thee, O Lord, in the night, in the darkness of this desart world I have longed for the light of thy face, and with my spirit within me I will seek thee early ; Is. xxvi. 9. Whont have I in heaven but thee, neither is there any on earth that I desire beside thee ; Ps. lxxiii. 25. 0 when shall the day come when there shall be no more distance and estrangement of my heart from God, but I shall feel all my powers for ever near him ? Is the sweet society of Jesus to be enjoyed in the heavenly region, then those are prepared for this happiness, who feel in themselves a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is for better than the most pleasurable scenes on earth ; Phil. i. 23. I am willing, and rejoice in the thought of it, rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. v. 8. I behold in the light of faith, the dawning glory of that day, when Jesus shall return from heaven, when he shall revisit this wretch- ed world, and put an eud to these wretched scenes of vanity. Behold he cometh in the clouds, and, every eye shall see him ; Rev. i. 7. He comes into our world to them that look for him, not to be made a sacrifice for sin, but to complete our salvation ; Heb. ix. 28. I long to behold him, and I love the thought of his appearance ;. 2 Tim. iv. 8. Is there not only a freedom from pain and sorrow among the saints on high, but is there also an eternal release from all the bonds of sin and temptation ? Then that soul discovers a degree of preparation for it, who can say with a holy groan and grief of heart, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death? Rom. vii. 24. In this tabernacle we groan, indeed, being burdened, and are desirous rather to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven, with our holy state of immortality ; 2 Cor. v. 4. That God who has wrought these divine breathings in the soul will one day fulfil them all ; and he is working up the christian to a blessed meetness for this felicity by awakening these wishes in the very centre of the heart. Happy heart which feels these holy aspirations, these divine breathings. 5. The blessed God is pleased to work us up to a prepara- tion for the heavenly world by forming the temper of our minds into a likeness to the inhabitants of heaven, that is, to God him- self, to Christ Jesus, the Son of God, to angels and saints, to the spirits of the just made perfect. From the children of folly and sin we must be transformed into the children of God, we must be created a-new after his image, and resemble our heaven- ly Father, that we may be capable of enjoying his love, and re- joicing in his presence. We must be conformable to the image of his only - begotten Son Christ Jesus, and walk and live as he L 2
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