the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit eternal life. But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first. z. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. a And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding. garment and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servant, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. b Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children and lands, with persecutions; & in the work to come eternal life. But Matt. xix. 28 30. a Matt. x. 32 33.. See also Mark viii. 38. Luke ix. 26. and xii. 8, 9. Rom. x. 9, 10. & Matt. xxii, 11-14. many that are first shall be last and the last first. c The King's daughter is glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold.. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought they shall enter into the king's palace. d Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteosness of saints. e And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. f And there came unto me one of the seven angels who had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me,saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even likę a jasper-stone, clear as crystal. g And I saw no temple therein for the Lord God. Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple of it: And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did c Mark x. 29, 30, 31. Luke xviii. 29. 30. d Psalm xlv. 13. 14, 15. e Rev. xix. 7, 8. f Rev. xxi, 2. g Rev. xxi. 9, 10, 11. lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them who are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory & honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie but they who are written in the Lamb's book of life. b And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the riv. er, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no : more curse but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him; and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever. i And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. j Rev. xxi, 22 27. i Rev. xxii. 1—5, j Rev. xxi. 6. Future Happiness.. A SERMON. MARK X. 30. AND IN THE WORLD TO COME, ETERNAL LIFE. IN this short Discourse, I shall omit speaking of eternal life, in the sense in which the words are used in St. John, xvii. 2, 3, and many other places, as of a living principle derived from Christ, the knowledge of God communicated by him, and an internal preparation for entering into his kingdom. I omit not this view of the matter, because I judge it of small importance; I consider it as of the greatest possible conséquence; but it does not appear to be the meaning of the words in this text: But an eternal state of well-being hereafter. And in this light I shall consider the passage; and I doubt not, but we shall find much matter, worthy of of our most serious consideration. Eternal life, supposeth not only a state of existence and sensibility, which must necessarily be implied; but a state of happiness, or wellbeing. A constant state of existence and ensibility, must be implied in eternal life; therefore, it is evident that the soul doth not die with the body, as some good people suppose : meaning, no doubt, to give greater glory and honor to Christ by that view, than appears to them be given him by the other. And by causing believers wholly to die, and at the great day to rise again in his glorious image: they suppose it will appear, that he is the great author and giver of eternal life, in every sense of the words, much better than by the contrary supposition. But we should always be careful, not to give honor to one perfection of our Lord, at the expence of another. Christ has declared, in the most unequivocal manner, that true believers shall not only be raised up at the last day, but shall never die. "If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death;" says Christ to the Jews: St. John, viii. 51. They called him a liar, for making such an assertion and do not those, in some sort join with the Jews, who venture to assert, that the souls as well as bodies of true believers, fall underneath the pow er of death, and continue so till the resurrec tion? : But if there is something of believers that shall die, and be raised up again at the last day, (even their bodies;) and something that shall never see death, (even their souls ;) then are all our Saviour's words true: but on the contrary supposition, I cannot see how they can be justified. Our Lord has expressly declared, saying :"This is the will of him that sent me, that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life and I will raise |