the text, that Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And will you then sit down contentedly under such a conclusion as this, "I shall be excluded from this kingdom, as accursed, and profane?" Alas, Sirs, the conclusion is big with unutterable terror and death; as I should now proceed to shew you at large, if my time would allow : For I am next to represent the infinite importance of entering into that kingdom, and consequently of that entire change which has been proved to be necessary to that entrance. But I must reserve that to the next opportunity of this kind. In the mean time let me add, that I doubt not, but there are many present, who have heard this description of the heavenly world with delight, and who are saying in their hearts, "This is my rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it*: This is the felicity, to which my heart aspires with the most ardent breathing." Such may with the utmost reason regard it as a token for good, and may go on in a cheerful assurance, that the grace that has Made them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light†, will at length conduct them to it, in perfect safety, and everlasting triumph. Amen. SERMON VI. ON REGENERATION. Of the Importance of entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. John iii. 3. --Except a Man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. How impossible it is, that an unregenerate sinner should see, i. e. enjoy the kingdom of God, or that future blessedness to which the gospel is intended to lead its professofs, I have shewn you at large. I have appealed to the testimony of God's holy prophets, and apostles, in concurrence with that of his incarnate Son, to prove that persons of such a character are, by the inviolable constitution of that kingdom, excluded from it. And I have farther, in my last discourse, proved that if they were actually admitted to it, they would be incapable of relishing its pleasure; that their vitiated palate would have a distaste to the choicest fruits of the paradise of God; yea, that in these blissful regions thorns and briars would spring up in their paths, and make them wretched in the very seat of happiness. I doubt not, but you are in your consciences generally convinced, that the truth of these things cannot be contested. You are inwardly persuaded, that it is indeed so; and I fear, many of you have also reason to apprehend, that you are of this unhappy number, who are hitherto strangers to regenerating grace. But how are your minds impressed with this apprehension? Do I wrong you, Sirs, when I suspect, that some of them are hardly impressed at all? Do I wrong you, when I suspect, there are those of you, who have spent the last week with very little reflection upon what you have heard? The cares and amusements of life have been pursued as before, and you have not taken one hour to enter into the thought with self-application, and seriously to consider, "I am one of those, concerning whom eternal wisdom and truth has pronounced, that, if they continue such as at present they are, they shall not see the kingdom of God." You have not paused at all upon the awful beg that you may be recovered from this unhappy state, and brought to a meetness for his kingdom, and a title to it. For your sakes therefore, and for the sakes of others in your state, having already explained, illustrated, and confirmed the proposition in my text, I proceed, III. To represent to you the importance of the argument suggested here; or to shew you, how much every unregenerate sinner ought to be alarmed to hear, that while he continues in his present state, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And oh that while I endeavour to illustrate this, my Words might enter into your minds as goads, and might fix there as nails fastened in a sure place! The substance of my argument is Given forth by the one great Shepherd *; may the prosecution of it be blessed, as the means of reducing some wandering sheep into his fold; Now in order to illustrate the force of this argument I beseech you seriously to consider,what this kingdom is, from which you are in danger of being for ever excluded;—and what will be the condition of all those, who shall be finally cut off from any interest in it. [1.] Consider, "what that kingdom is, from which the unregenerate, or those who are not born again, shall be excluded." And here you are not to expect a complete representation of it: For that is an attempt, in which the tongues of angels, as well as men, might fail; or how proper soever their language might be in itself, to us it would be unintelligible; for Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. And surely these final and most illustrious preparations of his love must, beyond all others, exceed our description and conception. A minister that with the apostle Paul, had been Caught up into the third heaven, if he would attempt to speak of the glorious scenes which were there opened to him, must say, they were unutterable thingst: And one, that with John, had laid in the bosom of Christ himself, must say, as that apostle did, It does not yet appear what we shall be§. And indeed, when we go about to discourse of it, I doubt not, but the blessed angels pity the weakness of our apprehensions and expressions, * Eccles. xii, 11. Isa. xxii. 25. † 1 Cor. ii. 9. ‡2 Cor. xii, 2, 4. § 1 John iii. 2. accordingly, being Clothed in white raiment, they have crowns of gold on their heads*; as well as Harps and golden vials, or censors, full of incense, in their hands+: And lest we should think, these pompous services are only the entertainment of some peculiarly sacred seasons, we are told that They rest not day nor night, adoring him that sits upon the throne, and are fixed, as Pillars in his temple, to go out no more §.-Again, if it be spoken of as a crown it is represented as incorruptible ||; A crown of glory that fadeth not away¶.-And when it is called a kingdom, the scripture does not only add, as here in the text, that it is the kingdom of God, which must certainly exalt the idea of it; but that it is A kingdom which cannot be moved **, an Everlasting kingdom++: Nay, to carry our thoughts to the highest degree of dignity and glory, it is spoken of as a Sitting down with Christ on his throne‡‡, But further, the value of these illustrious representations is much enhanced, if we consider the character of the persons by whom they are made. They were persons well acquainted with these things, having received their information from a divine Revelation, and from the immediate visions of God. They were also persons of such sublime and elevated sentiments, that they had a sovereign contempt for all the enjoyments of time and sense, even those which the generality of mankind set the greatest value upon; and Counted all things but loss for the knowledge of Christ §§, and The testimony of a good conscience, while they Looked not at temporal, but at eternal things¶¶. They could deliberately, constantly, and even cheerfully, resign all the riches, and honours, and carnal pleasures, which they might have purchased by their apostacy from religion; and were ready to embrace bonds, imprisonments, or death itself, when it met them in the way of their duty.-Now certainly a glory, with which such holy, wise, and heroic persons were so passionately enamoured, and which they describe with such pathos of language, and such extacy of delight, while they were trampling with so generous a disdain on every thing which earth calls good and great, must deserve our very attentive regard. And this it will more evidently appear to do, if we consider, 2. "It is the state and world, which God has prepared for the display of his glory, and the entertainment of the most favoured of his creatures." *Rev. iv. 4. 1 Cor. ix, 25. + Rev. v. 8. ¶ 1 Pet. v. 4. Rev. iv. 8. § Rev. ii. 12. + 2 Pet. i, 11. This argument seems to be hinted at, when it is said (as in the place I referred to before) Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him *. God well knows the capacity of his creatures, and how much happiness they are able and fit to receive; and he can fill their capacities to the utmost; nay, he can farther enlarge them to what degree he pleases, that they may admit superior degrees of glory and felicity. A happiness therefore which he has prepared on purpose to display the riches of his magnificence and love, and to shew what he can do to delight his creatures, must certainly be in some measure proportionable, if I may so express it, to the infinity of his own sacred perfections. Let us then seriously consider, who God is; and attentively dwell, in our meditation, on the extent of his power, and the riches of his bounty; and our conception of the happiness of heaven must be raised to something more glorious, than the most emphatical words can perfectly describe. And here, to assist our imagination in some degree, let us look round us, and take a survey of this visible world. This earth, how conveniently has he furnished it, how beautifully has he disposed it, how richly has he adorned it! What various and abundant provision has he made for the subsistence, the accommodation, and the entertainment of creatures that inhabit it! and especially of man, in whom this scheme and system of things appears to centre, and to whom it is all most wisely and graciously referred! Yet earth is the habitation of a race of mean and degenerate creatures, who are but in a state of trial; nay, it is the habitation of thousands and ten thousands of God's incorrigible enemies, with whom he Is angry every day†. Already it is marked with some awful characters of the divine displeasure; and the scripture assures us, that it is Reserved unto fire, against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly ment. Yet even this earth is not a spectacle unworthy our regard; nor can we, if we allow ourselves to survey it with becoming attention, behold it without an affecting mixture of admiration, of love, and of joy: Passions, that will strike us yet more powerfully, if from this earth of ours we raise our eyes to the visible heavens; and there behold the glory of the sun, the brightness of the moon, and all the numerous hosts of heaven that attend in her train. Who that considers, with any * 1 Cor. ii. 9. VOL. II. + Psal. vii. 11. 2 Pet. iii. 7. |