Page images
PDF
EPUB

Friendly. Will the faints know one another in this perfect ftate?

Truth. This question was afked LUTHER juft before his death; and he answered by citing the cafe of Adam who knew Eve to be flesh of his flesh, whom he had never seen before; how could he know this but by revelation from the Spirit of of GOD; in like manner fhall we know parents, wives and children in the other world, and that more perfectly. How otherwife could the apoftles, when on the mount with CHRIST, have known Mofes and Elias whom they had never before feen? So fhall the faints of GOD know each other in their glorified ftate, elfe how can thofe, whom gofpel ministers have been the means of converting, be their joy and crown of rejoicing in that day. And, indeed, it seems neceffary to the happinefs of Society for one to have a knowledge of the others, for we are never happy in company with ftrangers. In that day, therefore, we by the Spirit fhall fee and know Adam, the head and reprefentative of all mankind, with Eve, the Mother of all living, in a more exalted state of blifs than when in a ftate of innocence in Paradife: there we fhall fee the firf martyr whofe blood was thed for the cause of religion, who by faith in CHRIST offered a more excellent facrifice than Cain To be brief, there we fhall fee the Patriarchs, and Old Teftament faints, who all by faith in the promised Messiah, have obtained an excellent inheritance. The apostles, evangelifts, and difciples of our LORD, with the whole tribe of believers, in every stage of the Church, fhall we then fee and know, even alfo as we are known.

:

Friendly. In what will the happiness of this ftate confift? Truth. In the enjoyment of all this good, and freedom from all that is evil. The faints will no more groan being bur thened by fin.

Temptations from fatan will no more moleft us, we fhall be out of the reach of his fiery darts; though he found means to enter the garden of Eden, and feduce our firft parents, yet he fhall never difturb the inhabitants of the heavenly paradife, there the wicked ceafe from troubling fob. iii. 17. and the weary are at reft. Afflictions fhall no longer attend us; but everlasting joy fhall be upon us; forrow and fighing fhall flee away for ever, and there fhall be nothing but perfect reft, eafe, and peace.

Friendly. What will be the employment of the faints in this ftate?

Truth. This deferves notice, as it will be no fmall part of their hapiness: their bodies will be raised and united to their

fouls; they will spend the happy hours in conversing one with another, and taking fweet counsel together; what language they will speak cannot be determined, but it will, no doubt, be more refined, elegant, and perfect than any now in ufe; they will then be employed in ferving the LORD continually, not by external ordinances as at prefent; but in praifing him for all the benefits of his grace and goodness; they will fing the Song of Mofes and the Lamb; the fongs of electing, redeeming, justifying, adopting, calling, fanctifying and perfevering grace, and this will employ them throughout an endless eternity.

Friendly. What will be the engagement of the faints in glory? Truth. None but glorified faints can conceive, for they will be always under the influences of God's love, which will in a most lively manner be reflected back in praises to his name. Their ftrong and affectionate praifes will be continued without intermiffion; for they will then be bleffed with complete conformity to God, and with uninterrupted communion with Father, Son and Holy Ghoft; their hearts will be filled with the love of God, and their tongues will be employed in finging praises to him that fitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever. What conception can be formed of this joy and happinefs, that confifteth in the vifion of CHRIST, in feeing him as he is, in perfectly loving, and being by him beloved? It is a joy beyond imagination and expreffion, for their he will be known, enjoyed, loved and adored in all the gracious names, relations and applications which he bears; and this knowledge will run in the veins of the strongest love, union, and complacency in the object beloved, which union and communion will infinitely exalt our joys, but to what heights none can tell,

But certainly that dear adorable name, which is the fong of angels, and the joy of faints, will be then beyond expreffon precious to the redeemed; the excellencies of JESUS will attrac every eye, engage every heart, and employ every tongue to celebrate the infinite honours of his name, the matchlefs glories of his perfon, the triumphs of his death, and wonders of his love. Through him all the glories of the Godhead will be known, adored, enjoyed, loved, and praifed for evermore, which will engage in eternal raptures of blifs, angels and archangels, cheru bim and feraphim. Thrones, dominions and powers will fing, adore, love and wonder, and will be delightfully employed in finging eternal praises to him that fitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever.

FINIS.

Plummer, Printer, Seething-Lane, Tower-Street.

A.

A

DORATION paid to Christ, vol. ii. page 51.
Advocate, Christ one, i. 224.

Afflictions sweetened by a view of Christ, i. 123.-shall not destroy the saints, i. 146.-polish, adorn, and purify the saints, i. 147.-very profitable, ii. 81.of a trying nature, ii. 292.-t e way to have them removed, ii 297.-to be supported under them, ii. 29o.- -we must wait in faith under them, ii. 297.proceed from love, ii. 299.-God to be glorified in them, ii. 313.-are not punishments, ii. 159.-Faith prospers under them, iii. 6.

Angels mutable beings, i. 3.-their standing depended on sovereign grace, i. 71. -represented by the cherubims, i. 167.-delight to contemplate the mysteries of redemption, i. 168.-Christ called an angel, i. 192.

Apples, what signified by being comforted with apples, iii. 117.
Apple tree among the trees of the wood what it denotes, iii. 110.
Arminians for conditions in the gospel, ii 78.

Arians dying such cannot be saved, i. 23.

Ark, a type of Christ, i. 79.

Ascension of Christ triumphant, i. 34.-ii. 27,

Assurance not the privilege of all God's people, i. 208.-whether of the essence of faith, ii. 373.-from whence it arises, iii. 12.-why so few Christians enjoy it, iii. 11.-how it may be known, iii. 16.-its happy effects and fruits, iii. 17-a duty to endeavour to attain it, iii. 20.

Atonement of the great one, i. 317.

Babel builders, who they are, i. 82.

Back slider, his lamentable case,

B.

iii. 39.

Baptism, its signification, ii. 266. the mode and subjects of it, ii. 267.
Banqueting house, what signified by being brought there, iii. 114.

Barrenness, what it is a sign of, i. 436.

Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord explained, iii. 169.

Believers two principles in his nature, sin and grace, iii. 49.-these acts contrary to one another, iii. 49.-compared to a flock, ii. 123.

Belly as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires, explained, iii. 141.

Birth of Christ resembles that of believers, i. 18.-new occasions great joy, i. 18. Blemishes rendered the high priest unfit for his office, i. 276.

Blessing of the High Priest, i. 433.

Blessing of every kind are from Christ, ii. 39.

Blood of Christ typified by the lavers, i. 263.-effectual to cleanse from sin, i. 292.-cleanseth from all sin, i. 302.-the excellency of it set forth, i. 306.

Bondage of Egypt prefigured our bondage under sin, i. 114.

Book of life contains our names, i. 44.

Bread of life what, i. 131, 163.-a portion for believers only, i. 164.

Breadth of Christ's love, what it denotes, iii. 29.

Breast plate what it was a type of, i. 209.

Calling of the Jews, ii. 90.

C.

Canaan a type of heaven, i. 426.

Cheeks as beds of spices, as sweet flowers, explained, iii. 138.
Chiefest among ten thousand, what it denotes, iii. 229.

CHRIST, our near kinsman, i. 263.-is very compassionate, i. 270.-the way of life, i. 18.-no coming to God but through him, i. 264.-the most excellent and glorious, i. 229.-his obedience has hononred the law, i. 20.-his righteousness the souls right to heaven, &c. i. 20.-his death the way to life, i. 21. -his deity gave infinite virtue to his sufferings, i. 23.-all nations blessed in him, ii. 9. gave himself freely, ii. 25.-his infinite beauty, ii. 26, 45, 124.— elegant description of him, Psalm seventy-two, ii. 30.-his grace compared to rain, ii. 30.-his dominion, ii. 32, 38.-the fountain of life, ii. 34.-prayed for and praised, ii. 37.—is most mighty, ii. 41, 50, 80.-is wonderful, ii. 48, iij. 211.-a counsellor, ii. 49,—is God, ii. 50. a Prince, ii. 53.-an ensign,

D.

Elect had grace and glory settled upon them in Christy i. 494 305-insumer-
able, ibid. The gospel preached for their sakes, 51.-Elect angels their
standing secured, 71.--Christ the head of the Elect, ii. 41√

[ocr errors]

Encouragement to trust in Christ, ii, 64.

Enmity of Satan and his seed, ii,47

Exaltation of Christ glorious, ii. 183
Excommunication what, ii. 236.

F.

Faith wherein it consists, ii. 365.—the various kinds of it, 358.-How true faith what compared may be known, 393.-The lowest degree of faith, 373. to, 384.-may be real though weak, i. 281.—works by love, 368.—overcomes great difficulties, 379.-how necessary, 383-compared to an eye, 389.that which cleaves to God when he frowns is true faith, 423.-wherein the life of faith consists, iii. 3—it is a heavenly life, 4.-opposes concupiscence and lust, 5.-derives its life and joy from Christ, 6.-Feeds on the bread of life, ibid. Is maintained by fresh influences from above, 7.-Believers in hope even against hope, 8.-weak for want of spiritual understanding, 11.-leads to love and obedience, 16.-We are to pray for its increase, 19.-Those who are weak in faith are not to be discouraged, ibid.

Fall of man by it lost communion with God, i. 93.

Fall of saints many though not final and total, i. 281, 282.

Fear, atonement made for it, i. 301.-how powerful, 302 —from what causes it proceeds, 303.-Removed by Chrsst, ii. 65.

Flagons, what signified by being stayed with, iii. 115.

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, explained, iii. 198.

Frames of believers how variable, i. 147.

Fruit, what signified by Christ being sweet to the Church's taste, iii. 112.

G

Gathering of persons to Christ, how and in what respect, ii. 14, 15.

Gentiles, Christ descended from the, i. 267.

Gifts, though mean, if accompanied with grace will be accepted, i. 299.
Girdle of the high priest, what it signified, i. 241.

Glory of Christ is to be ainted at, ii. 40.

Goat scape, a type of Christ, i. 318.

Gold, his head being as most fine gold, explained, iii. 134.

Grace lays us under obligations to love, serve and obey God, i. 307.—of God free and sovereign, i. 318.-Grace how poured into Christ's lips, ii. 26.-in what its growth consists, ini. 22-grows in manifestations of divine love, 24.and in humility and self denial, ibi.-We are to pray earnestly for its growth, 25.-Internal evidences of the growth, 36.-A lively degree necessary to know the power of Christ's resurrection, 39.—and to be conformable to his death, ibid.-External evidences of growth in gracs, 42.—what meant by irresistible grace, 3.

Grieve not the spirit of God, what signified thereby, iii. 170.

Guilt keeps from drawing near to God, with delight, iii. 89.

H.

Hands as gold rings set with beryl, what it means, iii. 141.

Happiness consisteth in the enjoyment of the love of God, i. 2.—not to be found in the pleasures of nature, 13.-Christ the way of happiness in his obedience, death, and resurrection, 18.

Hell, how Christ was there, ii. 94.

High priest typical of Christ, i. 266.—his blessing, 369.

Holiness, our obligations thereto, i. 348.

Honey why prohibited in the offerings, i. 303.

Hope of heaven supports under trials, i. 144.

Humility caused by afflictions, i. 423.—wherein it consits, ii. 341-of Christ

unequalled, 120-an example for us, ibid.

Hunger spiritual, a sign of grace, i. 424.

Hypocrites seldom question their election, ii. 353.

I.

Janeway his desire of conversation about Christ, iii. 45.

Japheth, from him sprang the Gentiles, i. 81.

Jehovah, its signification, ii. 50.

Ignorance, atonement made for it, i. 304.-many err through ignorance, 298. Incense was typical of Christ's intercession, i. 188.-altar, what it signified, i. 351,-how it was offered, 359.

« PreviousContinue »