2. What will be the frame of their minds —
[Little as the praise of our Redeemer is now heard, it will be proclaimed then by all : the praises of our God will resound in every place, and universal joy be diffused amongst the servants of the Lord. The noise, that is now accounted mirth, will cease ; and the revellings, which are now regarded as sources and scenes of joy, will be put away as unworthy of the Christian profession. There will then be nobler sources of delight opened to the whole Christian world ; and all of every rank will find their chief hap- piness in the service of their God. This is the testimony of all the inspired writers ; who uniformly concur in this, that it will be a season of universal joy; men every where " coming with singing unto Zion, and with everlasting joy upon their heads ; all of them being filled with joy and gladness; and sorrow and sighing having fled awayh."]
3. What discoveries they will have of God —
[No wonder their happiness will be so exalted, when God shews forth his glory in the midst of them. " Great will then be the glory of the Lord," as displayed in the person, and work, and offices of Christ, and in the manifestations of his love to
the souls of men Yes, " when the Lord shall build up
Zion, he shall appear in his glory1." And great indeed will be the splendour of that day : " The moon will be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and before his ancients, gloriously V]
Yet let us not imagine that these blessings are so reserved for future ages, as not to be enjoyed in our day. No : we are in reality as much interested in them as men can be at any period of the world : and therefore I call upon you to contemplate,
II. The felicity which we also are privileged to enjoy —
1. The word which they of the latter day will hear, is preached unto us —
[The Gospel was in a measure preached to Abraham ' ; but how much more to us ! By Christ and his holy Apostles God has made known to us his mind and will without reserve; nor have we any reason whatever to think that any addition shall ever be made to the inspired volume. Further light, indeed, will be thrown upon it, by the fulfilment of prophecy ; and a more abundant effusion of the Holy Spirit will be vouch- safed to men, for the comprehension of it : but the entire Gospel is vouchsafed to us, as much as it ever will be to them ; and, if we pray to God for the teaching of his Holy
h Isai. xxxv. 10. > Ps. cii. 16. k Isai. xxiv. 23. x Gal. iii. 8.