no tyrant lust, no ensnaring world, no tempting devil, shall deprive us of his presence for a moment. Another important branch of our happiness will consist in being like our Lord. Nothing so much cements friendship as similarity of disposition. To enjoy communion with our Divine Redeemer, we must be like him, and the more we are so, the more shall we enjoy of his divine presence. In heaven we shall see him as he is, and be conformed perfectly to his image.-The company of our earthly friends, whom we esteem as great, and wise and good, is highly gratifying; but the pleasure of being with Christ must be wonderfully enhanced by the consideration of our infinite obligations to him, for his eternal, immense, and unpara!elled love and goodness to us. If an unseen Christ is precious to us, we have reason to think that a sight of his lovely and glorious person will fill us with joy unspeakable and full of glory.-Lastly, This felicity will be eternal. When our Lord was upon earth, he often dropt hints of leaving them, "yet a little while, and I go to the Father,” -which sometimes made them exceedingly sorrowful. But in heaven will be no more parting, nor even the possibility of it." We shall be for ever with the Lord.”

VII. We observe the great end which Christ has in view, in having his people with him—“ that they may behold his glory."

To "behold" is in Scripture language to enjoy, to participate: "except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God:" that is, he cannot participate or en joy it. In this we may remark, that mutual happiness is the great object of our Redeemer. It was promised as the reward of his sufferings, that he should "see his seed, that he should prolong his days"-that he should "see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied." Is. liii. 10, 11. So that Christ himself has a great interest in the happiness of his people, and indeed cannot himself be happy without they are with him, and enjoy the like happiness: "I will," I desire, I delight, as the word is sometimes used, "that they may behold my glory." See Matt. xxvii. 43. Mark,

xii. 38. Luke xx. 46.

Jesus Christ was infinitely glorious from all eternity. We read, ver. 5. of "the glory which he had with the

Father, before the world was ;" but for our sakes he made himself of no reputation (emptied himself of all his glory) and assumed human nature in a lowly form, submitting to a life of deep humiliation, and to an ignominious death. Yet, even before his incarnation, he was pleased, occasion-> ally to afford some resplendent glimpses of his glory. Abraham was indulged with a view of it, for " he saw Christ's day, and was filled with ecstatic joy." Moses, the man of God, earnestly prayed, saying, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory," and he was gratified: and we are expressly told, that "Isaiah saw his glory," when he had a vision in the temple of "the Lord of Hosts."

When our Saviour dwelt among men, and appeared in the form of a servant; when carnal eyes, dazzled with worldly splendour, saw no form nor comeliness in him ; when, as a man of sorrows, he was despised and rejected of men; even then, the lustre of his glory broke through all the clouds of his humiliation; and believers, whose eyes the Lord had opened, "beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." The beauty of holiness displayed in his whole character, the divine light that shone in his charming instructions, the heavenly love that glowed in all his benevolent miracles," manifested forth his glory." He appeared divinely glorious at Jordan; on the mount of transfiguration; and when rising from the tomb. Stephen, and Paul, and John, were favoured with a glance of glory on extraordinary occasions.

The state of our Lord, after he had finished his meritorious sufferings on earth, and ascended to heaven, became infinitely glorious. It was according to the plan of redemption that, having "suffered these things, he should enter into his glory;" and the Spirit of Christ in the ancient prophets "testified beforehand these sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."

But in what more particularly, does this glory consist? 1. His human nature is most glorious: that sacred countenance, which once was marred more than any man's, that sacred body which was bruised, broken and crucified for us, is now brighter and more glorious than the sun; and is become the pattern of what his redeemed shall one

day be; for " he shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like his glorious body." This now possesses a lustre too brilliant for mortal eyes; for when Jesus presented himself in his glorified state to Saul at his conversion, he was utterly overpowered with the vision; and when the beloved John beheld his glorious appearance in Patmos, "he fell at his feet as one dead."

2. Jesus Christ will appear infinitely glorious in the exercise of his office as mediator, for he continues to exercise this office in heaven, and will continue to do so until all the ransomed are come to glory.

As a prophet, he still teaches the whole church, by his holy word and holy Spirit. We are by no means to confine his teaching to the few years he travelled in Judea: millions of humble scholars have been sitting at his feet in all ages; and millions more will succeed, till the whole body of the elect has become wise to salvation.

Inexpressibly great is the glory of Jesus as the great High Priest of our Christian profession. We are to conceive of heaven as the true temple, of which that at Jerusalem was merely the type, where our glorious Lord is constantly officiating. By the one sacrifice he offered on the eross, he hath made a full and complete atonement for sin; and now he appears in the most holy place, in the presence of God, to present the merit of his blood, and to secure its application to every one of his people. Here he superintends the cares of the whole church. He raises up, sends forth, and gives success to the ministers of the Gospel; by their instrumentality he still seeks and saves his lost sheep; he exercises compassion and care toward "the ignorant, and them that are out of the way." He feeds his flock like a shepherd, and secures them in his almighty hands, that they may never perish, but have everlasting life.

In heaven, Jesus reigns, the king of Zion; he possesses universal authority; angels, men, and devils being subject to his controul. The affairs of the whole universe are under his direction, and are over-ruled to the purposes of his glory. He reigns, and "must reign, till he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and all power-till he hath put all enemies under his feet."

This then is that glory of Christ, which he prays that his people may see. This is a mere glimpse of it, imperfectly caught, by a weak eye, through that glass in which the keenest believer sees but obscurely. Yet this very poor and obscure glance of the glory of Christ may be sufficient to convince us, that to behold it, face to face, must be inconceivably happy; and to make us adopt the Psalmist's pious words, "As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness"-the likeness of God in Christ-the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person: this indeed will satisfy the unbounded desire of the human heart, and nothing less than this can suffice.

IMPROVEMENT.From what has been said, we may learn how to form the best idea of heaven of which we are capable in our present state. To be with Christ, and to behold his glory, is a just idea of heaven; it must be so, for it is the idea which Christ himself gives us of it. Let us not then be content to think of heaven as a state of mere exemption from trouble, much less as a place of sensual delight, as Mahomet taught; but as a condition of perfect holiness and supreme felicity in the presence of the lamb, and in the vision of his glory.

And this may also serve to enable us to form some judgment of our state towards God, and whether we are likely to go to heaven when we die. The serious Christian has many an anxious thought on this head; while the presumptuous sinner and the cold formalist seldom entertain a doubt. This subject may be serviceable to both. Does the former love to hear and read and think of Christ? Does he love the place where his honour dwelleth? Is Jesus high in his esteem? Does he delight in beholding the glory of Jesus in the glass of his word? Does he long to behold more and more of it? and does the glance he obtains transform him in some degree into the same glory? Then he has reason to hope, that he is interested in this prayer; and if so, shall certainly be with him where he is, and behold his glory without a veil.

But, on the other hand, here is nothing to countenance the vain hope of a carnal man. He who sees no glory in Jesus here, is not in the wab behold it hereafter;

and it is certain, that the person who neglects his Gospel, disregards his word, wilfully is ignorant of his truth, dislikes his people, shuns his ordinances, has never once discerned the glory of the Redeemer. He who loves the sin that Christ abhors, and hates the holiness that Jesus loves, cannot, in this state, entertain any scriptural hope of heaven. No, he must be washed; he must be justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus; he must be sanctified by the Spirit of our God; or he can never enter into the kingdom of glory. The persons described in this chapter, as those for whom Christ prays, and wishes to be with him, are such as know him-to whom God's name and nature are manifested-who are not of the world-who are sanctified by the truth. Is this then our character? If not, our hope of glory is mere presumption.

We may infer from this prayer of Christ the safety of all those who believe in him. It appears that the heart of Christ is fully set upon the happiness of his people. "I will,” saith he, "that they may be with me." Now, does Jesus, who hath almighty power, will this? Who then shall prevent it. Who shall resist his will? Is there any power in heaven, or earth, or hell, superior to his? If this be his will, it shall be accomplished; for what can prevent it? His love is unchangeable; his purpose unalterable; his engagements must be fulfilled. Let believers then be ashamed of their doubts and fears. Let them rely upon his promises; let them confide in his faithfulness; let them gladly join St. Paul. and say, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able and we may add, determined too) to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

This representation of the love of Christ is well calculated to excite our love to him. After having laid down his life for us, after ascending into heaven for us, after having called us by his grace, he pleads for our company, and will not be satisfied without having us with him. O what marvellous love is this! and surely demands a return of affection to him. Can we do any thing for him on earth? Let us do it gladly. Can we suffer any thing for him below? Let us bear it joyfully. And let us not cleave to the earth too much. he wills that we should be with