diamonds? In tliis lieavenly kiii^'^dom i< thatwliicli is satisfying^, — inipaiallok'd Ijcau- ty, — rivers of pleasure, and this for ever, Ps. xvi. 11., "At tliv rijrlit liand are plea- sures for evermore." Heaven's eniineney is its permanency; and this kin<;<I()m Cod's chihhen shall enter into immediately after deatli : there is a sudden transition and passagce from death to glory, 2 Cor. v. 8., " Ahsfnt from the body, present with the Lord." Ciod's children shall not wait long- for their inheritance; it is but wiidxing, and they shall see (iod. I low may this com- fort (lod's children, who perhaps are low in the world! Your Father in heaven will settle a kingdom upon yon at death, such a Idnjidom as eye hath not seen ; he will <>ive you a crown not of gold, but glory; he will give yon white robi s lined with immortali- ty. " It is your Father's good pleasure to give you a kingdonj."
19. If God be our Father, it is ccmifort, 1st. In case of loss of relations. Ilast thou lost a father ? Yet, if thon art a believer, thou art no orj)han, thou bast an heavenly Father, a Father that never dies, 1 Tim. vi. 1()., ''Who only bath immortalit v." 2d. It is comfort, in case of death ; (lod is thy Father, and at death thou art going to thy Fatiier ; well might Paul say, death is yours, 1 Cor. iii. 22. It is your friend that wiil carry you home to your Father. IIow glad are children when they are going home ! This was Christ's comfort at death, be was going to his Father, John xvi. 28., " I leave the world, and go to the Father." And, John xx. 17., " I ascend to my Fa- ther." If (iod be our Father, we may with comfort at the day of death, resign our ponls into his hand : so did Christ, Luke xxiii. 46., " Father into thy bands I com- mend my Spirit." If a child hath any jew- el, be will in time of danger, put it into his father's bands, where be thinks it will be kept most safe : our soul is our richest jew- el, we may at death resign our sou!s into (iod's bands, where they will be safer than in om- own keeping : " F.ither, into tiiy bands I commend my spirit." AVbat a comfort is this, death carries a believer to bis I'.ither's house, " where are delights inr- Kpeakable and lull of glory !" How glad was old Jacob when be kuvv the waggmis
and chariots to carry him to bis son Jo- seph ! The text saith, His spirit revived, Tien. xlv. 27. Death is a triumphant cha- riot to carry every child of Uod to bis Fa- ther's mansion-house.
20. If (iod be our Father, be will not disinherit bis children : (io<l may for a time desert them, but not disinherit them. The sons of kings have, been sometimes disin- herited by the cruelty of usurpers; as, Al- exander the Great bis son was ])ut by bis just right, by the violence and ambiti(»n of his Father's captains; but what power on earth, shall hinder the heirs of the promise from their inheritance ? Men cannot, and God will not cut oil" the entail. The Armi- nians bold falling away from grace, and so a child of (Jiod may be defeated <tf his inhe- ritance : but I shall show that (iod's chil- dren can never be degraded or disiidierite<l, their heavenly Father will not cast them off from being children. — 1. It is evident (iod's children cannot be finally disinherited by virtue of the eternal decree of heaven, (iod's decree is the very pillar and basis on which the saints' perseverance depends ; (iod's <lecree ties the knot of adoption so fast, that neither sin, death nor bell, can break it asunder, R(un. viii. 30., " Whom he did predestiiuite, them be also called," ^^:c. Predestination is nothing else but Cjod's decreeing a certain number to be heirs ol' glory, on whom be will settle the crown ; w bom be predestinates, be glorifies. What shall binder (iod's electing love or make bis decree null and void? — 2. Beside God's decree, lie bath engaged himself by pro- mise, that the heirs of heaven shall never be j)nt by tin ir inheritance. God's |>ro- niises are n(»t like blanks in a lottery, but as a scaled deed which cannot be reverscil ; the promises arc the saints' royal charter; and this is one jn-omise that tlieir heavenly leather will not disinherit them, Jer. xxxii. 40., " I will make an everlasting co\enant with them, that I will not turn away fi«im them ; but I will put my fear in llieii hearts, that they shall not depart from me."' (iod's fidelity, which is (he richest pearl of his crown, is engaged in this promise for bis children's jtersevorance ; " I will not turn away iVom ibem." A child of (iod cannot fall away, while be is held fast in these
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OF THE PREFACE TO THE LORD'S PRAYER.
two arms of God, — liis love, and his faith- fulness.— 3. Jesus Christ undertakes, that all God's children by adoption bhall bo pre- served in a state of grace till they inherit glory. As the heathens feigned of Atlas that he did bear up the heavens from fall- ing : Jesus Christ is that blessed Atlas, that bears up the saints from falling away.