DISCOURSE VIII. 167 employing them in this manner while they are below : He is in some measure fitted for-this heaven, who can say, the saints are the excellent of the earth, in 'whom is all my delight ; Ps. xvi. 3. I love them from my soul, because they love my God, and my Saviour. I see the image of the Father, and of Jesus his Son in them, and I cannot but love that image wheresoever I behold it. I feel myself ready to rejoice when my fellow- christians partake of joy, and I long for that temper of mind when I shall delight myself in the felicityof all my fellow- saints in perfection, and shall make their heaven a part of my own. But I proceed not here, because this would anticipate what I de- sign hereafter. S. God is pleased to work up his people tó .a prepara- tion for the heavenly state, by "giving them a pledge and earnest of the blessedness óf heaven," that is, by sending his own Spirit into their hearts under this very character, both as the spring of a divine life, and as the evidence of our hope, and sometimes bestowing upon them such foretastes of the heavenly world, by the operations of his holy Spirit, which are too joyful and glorious to be fully expressed in mortal lan- guage; but we shall- attempt something of it in another discourse. [Here this discourse may be divided.] I proceed now to seek what inferences or edifying remarks may be made upon our meditations thus far : Remark I. We learn from my text " what are the brighest the plainest, and the surest evidences of our interest in the heavenly blessedness : Are we trained up to it, and prepared for it ?" Has the blessed God wrought up our souls to any hopeful degrees of this preparation ? Has he in any measure made us meet for the inheritance of the saints in light Q I grant the scripture teaches us, that it is by a true and liv- ing faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, that we obtain a title to eternal life, according to the proposals of the covenant of grace in the gospel; but our preparation for heaven by a holy and heavenly temper of mind and conduct of life, is the fairest and most un- contested evidence of the truth and life of our faith, and such a proof of it as will stand the test both in life and death, in this world and in the world to come. If we would manifest our faith in Christ to be sincere and genuine and effectual for our salva- tion, we must make it appear that we are growing up into the image of Christ in all things, we must be formed after the like- ness of the Son of God, who is our great example, and our fore- runner into heaven ; and where this evidence is found the soul cannot fail of salvation. Wheresoever there is this fitness for the joys on high, God will assuredly bestow these divine pleasures.
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