kingdom of Gody:" and that " no unclean thing shall enter into his presence2." But what truth would there be in these declarations, if an unrenewed man could stand with acceptance in the sight of God ?
But, in fact, an unregenerate man could not be happy in the presence of God, even if he were admitted to it. For, how could so corrupt a creature endure the pre- sence of a holy God ; and a creature so full of enmity against God, be happy in immediate communion with him ? How could a person who has never found any pleasure in holy exercises, bear to spend an eternity in duties, for which he has no taste, no fitness, no capacity ? He has no meetness for heaven. He would be altogether out of his element there : heaven would be no heaven to him, for want of the dispositions ne- cessary for the enjoyment of it. If " two cannot walk together on earth, except they be agreed a," much less could the glorified saints and angels, all formed after the perfect image of their God, admit to their converse, and associate themselves with, those who bear upon their souls nothing but the image and deformity of Satan. St. Paul puts this in a very striking point of view, and appeals to us for the just- ness of his sentiments : " What fellowship," says he, " hath righteousness with unrighteousness ? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what con- cord hath Christ with Belial ? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel b ?"
If then Christ will not make void the eternal pur- poses of his Father, and the ends of his own incarnation and death, — if he will not render nugatory the office of the Holy Spirit as the sanctifler of God's elect, — and if he will not so dishonour himself as to number amongst his people those who have spent their whole lives in " treading under foot his blood, and doing despite to the Spirit of his grace0 " — in a word, if he will not exalt to his glory those who have no taste, no capacity for the enjoyment of it, — I think it clear, that Christ neither will nor can acknowledge any
y 1 Cor. vi. 9. z Rev. xxi. 27. a Amos iii. 3.
b 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15. « Heb. x. 29.