plexities and errors.

We feel a most

exquifite glow of pleasure spread over us upon the discovery of truth; we feel a permanent fenfation of pleasure in a teady contemplation upon fome truth. This fatisfaction, in the few branches of knowledge which admit of it, we think a fufficient reward for a tedious laborious investigation; for this, we compass fea and land, in obferving the different faces of countries, and customs of people, for this we spend days and nights and years in discovering and claffing the various curiofities of art and nature, in contemplating the heavenly bodies, calculating their motions, and fpeculating upon their uses. Mean purfuits upon comparison! To beatified faints, it is probable, all these things will be easy. Their curiofity may be boundless, and their powers equal to their curiosity; they may travel on the wings of the morning, with the fwiftness of light or even of thought, in vifiting the nume

rous

rous manfions of glory in the kingdom of GOD; the fecrets of his Providence may be unfolded, and the riches of his creation displayed. This is certain, we fhall know even as we are known.

THERE is a pleasure in the ardors of true friendship, and the pure unfufpicious exchange of benevolent affections. We shall then be all benevolence. All rude paffions will be left behind. We shall then come into the happiest of focieties; unto mount Sion, unto the city of the living God, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general affembly and church of the first born, to God the judge of all, and to the Spirits of just men made perfect. Heb. xii. 22. The groffest soul among us must conceive in some degree, the pleasure of this exchangeto remove from the converfation of a peevish selfish world, to fuch admirable fociety; from the perfidy, flander, and envy of finful duft and ashes, to the wife, innocent and endearing converfation of angelical

angelical beings; to live in friendships unruffled by diftrufts, undiffolved by death, free from all evils, and burning with unabated ardors.

THERE is laftly a pleasure in virtuous difpofitions, in pious exercises and afpirations. What must it be, when, divefted of the incumbrances of flesh and blood, we shall be all flame, all love, and all devotion? As the ignorant have faint ideas of the pleasures of knowledge, fo the vicious and debauched can have but a mean opinion of virtuous pleasures. But their opinion alters not the naturė of things. He, who formed fo many things capable of giving us delight here, must be much more amiable in his own nature, and perfections and greater works. To view him with an unclouded understanding, to love him with permanent unabating affections, must be a delight paffing all understanding.

In short, we must be as happy, as

he,

he, who made all the pleasures of this world can make us, in a world, where evils are to have no place; as happy as Almighty power, and infinite goodness can make us; as happy, as he can make us, in whofe prefence there is fulnefs of joy, and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

III. AND this leads us to the last point to be confidered; the certainty of our future reward.

To pafs by the natural prefages and hopes of future happiness, which no man throws away, till he forfeits, (as he fears,) his title to it by disobedience; I will use but one argument, addreffed to the wicked themselves, drawn from their feelings and experience. Though it never enters into their thoughts in the giddy riot of enjoyment, yet they must allow that God made the world. You find, then, a pleasure in the exquifite feelings, which God has diffused

over

over the feveral parts, by which you' taste the pleasures of this world. Do you think, that GOD has exhaufted his power; that he, who contrived thefe things, who adapted the texture of your fenfes in fuch an admirable manner for the relish of fenfible objects, cannot to purer bodies adapt purer pleasures, to fouls and bodies perfectly attuned and harmonized higher and more exquifite enjoyments?

Go then, and gaze with rapture on your encreasing stores, break through all the ties of honour and confcience, to gratify your defires-but know, that you are doating on things that were formed by him, who has forbidden your avarice and injustice, who has promised to virtue durable and lasting riches in a better world. Go and gaze on titles and honours and power, betray your friends, opprefs the innocent, proftitute your confcience, to enrich and aggrandize yourself and procure the gaping Admira