Morning Star

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth;
for the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away; and there was no more sea."
"Behold the tabernacle of God is with men,
and he will dwell with them, and they shall
be his people, and God himself shall be with
them, and be their God. And God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes; and there shall
be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away. He that over-
cometh shall inherit all things; and I will be
his God, and he shall be my son." Rev. xxi.
1, 3, 4, 7.
The Scriptures lead me to contemplate a
world of perfect happiness. There is a glory
in creation, and a glory in the kingdom of
grace; but there is a kingdom beyond the lim-
its of this world which is emphatically—the
kingdom of glory; in which there is light
without darkness, life without death, joy with-
out sorrow, and holiness without stain.
How sublime is that declaration of St. John:
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and
it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but
we know that when he shall appear, we shall
be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
How delightful and consolatory is the thought!
Man was placed in the earthly paradise in
the image and likeness of God; and all the re-
deemed and sanctified shall shine forever in
the recovered image and likeness of God in
the heavenly paradise. Here I see the work
of divine grace. "Now are we the sons of
God." Redeemed by the blood of Christ,
and renewed by the Holy Spirit, the soul
stands in an exalted and endearing relation
to the eternal Father. "The Spirit itself
beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are
the children of God."
Here I see the nature of Heaven. "We
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he
is." The soul, defiled and deformed by sin,
is by divine mercy and grace pardoned and
renewed, and is thus made like God in the
purity of his nature: and thus it is made meet
for the inheritance of the saints in light.—
But further, when this brief, shadowy, unper-
fect life is over, it shall enter into the world
of light, into the immediate presence of God,
and have that exalted and intimate vision of
Him, of which, in the present state, it cannot
possibly have any conception.
I need not perplex myself about the locali-
ty of heaven. Man is naturally corrupt, but
heaven is perfect purity; it is essentially a ho-
ly, exalted, and happy state of the soul. The
great point is not—where I am; but it is—
what I am. Perfect holiness in an intelligent
being is perfect happiness, in whatever part
of the universe he may be placed. A holy
soul sees God and delights in him. Here is
bliss. So much as I have of holiness, so much
I have of happiness; even of that happiness
which is—yes, I will utter it—godlike, im-
mortal, eternal.
But what am I at present? Even at best a
miserable sinner. I would not amuse myself
with idle fancies. Sin is mingled with my
animal and spiritual frame; and it mingles
with all I do. Is the old man completely put
off, and the new man completely put on?-
Have I already perfected holiness in the fear
of God? Far hence be all delusion; I am a
sinful creature, O Lord. What a languid
and dying life is this! What changes and in-
equalities are here! My best thoughts and
my best feelings are lamentably imperfect in
themselves, and have but a lamentably im-
perfect influence over me. I think of myself;
I think of the holiness of God, and of the
glory of heaven; and I shrink, I tremble, I
feel something like despair. Shall I, pollut-
ed worm, enjoy the sublime felicity of heav-
en? I dare not disbelieve it: I dare not re-
nounce my hope.
Yes, from the clouds of time I look to the
effulgence of the world of glory; from the
storms and sorrows of time I look to the se-
renity and the joys of heaven; from the im-
perfection of this transient and mutable state
I look to the perfection of that state which is
eternal and immutable. I see the gracious
purpose of God: the design, object, and issue
of redemption. Thou, O glorious and bless-
ed Redeemer! "shalt see of the travail of
thy soul, and shalt be satisfied." By the
knowledge of Thee shall many be justified,-
They who know Thee now by faith, shall fi-
nally know Thee by immediate vision. They
who follow Thee in the kingdom of grace,
shall walk with Thee in the kingdom of glory.
They who in this world "sow in tears,"
shall in another world "reap in joy;" and
they shall join the celestial host in their tri-
umphant song—"Blessing, and honor, and
glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ev-
er."
O my soul! bear with patience the ills of
time. Trial, change, pain, and sorrow, are
the lot of man; but do thou acknowledge in
all things, the will, the wisdom, and the good-
ness of our Heavenly Father. Let it be thy
study, thy unceasing prayer, that thou may-
est be in Christ, and Christ in thee; that thou
mayest live by the faith of the Son of God:
and that, while thou gloriest in Him as thy
Prophet and thy Priest, thou mayest obey
Him as thy Lord and king, and follow him as
thy example. Do not merely think about the
future glory; do not merely talk about it; but
diligently, faithfully, and unremittingly pre-
pare for the enjoyment of it. Some amuse
themselves with fine dreams and fancies;
some speak with fluency on future scenes;
but time, if it be properly regarded, is the
season for duty. Walk thou, therefore, in
the paths of righteousness; and look forward
with humble, animated hope, to the inheri-
tance of the blessed in the world of perfection
and felicity.
In the regions of light, in the everlasting
Jerusalem, the "city which hath foundations,
whose builder and maker is God," I see all
that is sublime, delightful, and satisfactory.—
If I look to this world, to its wealth and plea-
sures, its fame and honors, they are lighter
than vanity; but when I look to the future
world, to the celestial Canaan, I behold what
is substantial and eternal; what fills my soul
with a deep, calm, and pure joy.
O, my soul! rejoice in the gospel of Christ;
rejoice in Christ himself. It is He who has
opened the gate of heaven to all believers,
and unfolded to them the boundless prospect
of glory and blessedness. Look upward to
that better world, and onward to unending
ages, and magnify the love and mercy and
grace of the Lord Jesus, who has obtained
such an inheritance for his people; and order
thy conversation as one of his faithful follow-
ers.

O, glorious Jehovah, Father, Son, and
Spirit, have mercy on me a miserable sinner;
prepare me for heaven, for eternity, for Thy-
self. Enable me so to believe and act during
this short and uncertain life, that my ever-
lasting portion may be with the righteous,
through the merits and mediation of Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.—Book of the Heart.