SER M. us now, that we have little or no notion of XXVIII. them, and therefore it is faid, that our life is

hid with Chrift in God; because, as it is faid in another place, it doth not yet appear what shall be; but we know, that when Chrift shall appear, we fhall be like him. But then we must confider well, that this crown of glory is not laid up for us as an inheritance that will furely devolve upon us as heirs, by any unalterable fettlement or decree, as we are the peculiar elect of God; but it is laid up as a reward or prize that is to be obtained by labour and industry, by refolution and courage, and by an habitual practice of an holy life: So that if ever we hope to obtain it, it must be by thus preffing towards the mark for the prize of our high calling; for if we do not make this calling and election fure to us while we are in this world, we shall come fhort of the glory of God in the next. But 3dly,

The third thing exprest in this text, is the giver: which God the righteous judge fhall give us; and that this is not added here without very good reafon; for that must be exceeding great and valuable, which is worthy of God to beftow, who is the great Creator and Difpofer of all things; and nothing is fo apt to raise our thoughts, to enlarge our apprehenfions, and give us worthy notions of those rewards of virtue in another world, as the confideration of the giver. If we do but confider, that he is a God of infinite power, and wisdom, and goodness, what can be too great to hope

for

for from him? As he is Omnipotent, what S E R M. is it he cannot do for us? And fince he made XXVIII. us out of nothing, to how great a degree can he improve our nature? And to what a vast extent can he enlarge all our faculties? Of how great things can he make us capable? And then how great things can he prepare, to fill them all with unfpeakable delight and ravishment? And then, as he is of infinite wisdom, there is nothing fo great, that he cannot contrive for us: He knows what will be moft fuitable to all our spiritual appetites and defires; and therefore, we shall not only be poffeffed of that which is good in itfelf, but of that which is exquifitively beft: For what can lye hid from infinite wisdom and knowledge?

But above all, the confideration of his goodnefs ftrikes our minds with a yet more quick and lively fenfe of thofe heavenly joys; for this will engage him to bestow upon us all that his wisdom can contrive, or his almighty power can effect. For this crown of glory that he will place upon our heads, is not the payment of a debt, or the reward of our merit; if it were, we fhould juftly have but very fcanty notions of it: But it is the free gift of

his

grace; it is the bounty of God; and therefore, how great muft that glory be, when he fhall reward us not according to our fervices, but according to his own immenfe, unlimited goodnefs. Nothing can be too great for him to confer upon us, though the leaft of his favours is too great for us to deferve. Nay, what

SERM. muft it be when he himself becomes our reXXVIII. ward; he that is the fource and fountain of

glory and happiness, who hath all perfections, and makes all things good and happy only by discoveries of himself to them. It must be fomething unconceivably great and worthy of him, when he fets himself after a folemn manner to fhew us what he can do for us at a time when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that have believed in him; when he gives us a near view of himself, and unfolds all the excellencies of his nature to be adored, and praised, and magnified by all the choiceft works of his creation.

Nay, what must it be when we come to be one with him, which is an expreffion we durft not utter, but that our Saviour spoke it firft, and gives us warrant for it! this carries the mind on to fomething fo lofty and afpiring, that we are apt to check our too forward thoughts, and fear the fin of Lucifer. But oh! the depth of the goodness of God to us, beyond even what we read of to the Angels; for undoubtedly, this expreffion of being one with him, fignifies a myftical union, the nature of which we are not able to conceive; however, thus much we may fay of it, that it imports these three things:

1. That as the humanity of Chrift is united to the Godhead, fo there fhall be a union of all glorified faints in Heaven, to the fame eter

nal

ternal God, though we know not in what it SE R M. will confift. XXIX.

2. It denotes a likeness of nature; and a great refemblance we fhall then have of the divine nature; and a participation of his excellencies and perfections.

3, and laftly, It must fignify a fameness of enjoyments in kind, though not in degree; and then if we do but confider what is the nature of those enjoyments which make up the felicity of God, then when we come to partake of the fame, how happy muft it needs make us! This is the very top of what we are able how to think or fpeak of thofe heavenly joys, and therefore nothing more remains for us in this life, but filent wonder and admiration.

I thall only observe to you here, that God is faid to be a righteous Judge in conferring these things upon us, not because they are any due reward of our merit, but because he hath bound himself by promife to give this crown of glory to all that feek for it by patience in well doing; fo that it is become a debt in refpect of God, and the obligation he hath laid upon himself, though it be none in refpect of us; fo that though we cannot earn it and deferve it, yet we have a fure and folid foundation for our hopes, the repeated promifes of almighty God, who is a God of truth, and keeping his promise for ever; and this is the ground of St. Paul's confidence; his confcience approved of his fervices, and VOL. II.

T

fince

SER M. fince he had done what God required, there XXVIII. remained nothing but the fulfilling of his word.

4. The 4th thing mentioned in this text, is the time when this crown fhall be given, (i. e.) at the day of judgment, which is here called, as it is in many other places, that day, by way of excellence, as it is the great and terrible day of the Lord, and the day of the revelation of the power of God. And the reason why this crown is laid out of our fight until that day, is,

1. Because while we are in this world, is the time of trial; and fince it is a kingdom to be fought for, and a prize to be obtained, it is not to be conferred until we have conquered our fpiritual enemies, and that our race is ended. And then

2. We cannot hope to come to the confummation of our happiness until foul and body meet, to be rewarded together; not but that the foul, even in the state of separation, shall enjoy great degrees of blifs; but that it is much fhort of what will be conferred upon them at the day of judgment is plain, from that impatience of theirs for that day, expreffed in the Revelations.

3. And then 3dly, this is defigned to shew us that the rewards of virtue and goodness are not to be expected in this life, as fome perfons have dreamt of an earthly crown, and then reigning here on earth with Chrift in a visible appearance; no, it is a crown of righteoufnefs,