little effect upon the greatest part of those who hear it: howsoever, seeing our blessed Saviour is pleased to give this as the great reason, " Wherefore His little flock should not fear, even because it is their Father's good pleasure to give them the Kingdom;" for the right understanding of the words, it will be necessary to consider the great happiness which is here, as it is in other places of Holy Scripture, promised to them under the name and notion of a kingdom.

A kingdom among us, is a country or tract of land where many people live under one common head or governor, called a king, or sovereign; there are many such upon earth, and that which is in Heaven is so far like them, that all who live there, live under the power and dominion of one Supreme Head, the Lord God Almighty, who though He reign over the whole world, yet was in a more especial manner the King of Israel, so long as they continued His people, and so He is in a peculiar manner the King of Saints, of all the Saints; they own Him to be so in the song which St. John heard them singing; "Great and marvellous Rev. 15. 3. are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of Saints." And as there are some empires or kingdoms, particularly that of Germany, upon earth, where though all own the king or emperor for their head or sovereign, yet there are some among them who are kings or sovereign princes within their own dominions; so the Saints, notwithstanding that they are entirely subject to God, yet they are also made "kings" as well as "priests" unto Him Rev. 1. 6; by Christ their Saviour. They are all subjects to the King of kings, and yet every one of them also is a king in respect of all the rest of the world, all things else being subject unto every one of them; "For every one inherits all things." Rev. 21. 7. All things are settled upon them while they are upon earth, as St. Paul told the Saints at Corinth; "All things are 1 Cor. 3. 21, yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours." That is the reason why all things are continually at work for them, " For all things work together for good Rom. 8. 28. to them that love God," as the Saints be sure all do. And though they cannot see it at present, when they come to

ch. 5. 10.

22.

SERM. Heaven, they will clearly understand how all things conXLVII. curred to bring them thither, and will there enjoy all the true satisfaction and solid pleasure, that any thing in the whole world can afford them; so that the Kingdom which their Father is pleased to give them, hath no bounds or limits, like those upon earth, but extends and spreads itself over the whole creation, and all things in it.

Wherefore in this Kingdom there is never any scarcity or want of any thing, but the greatest plenty that can be imagined, and abundance of all things that can be desired; for they can desire nothing but they have it, or rather they cannot properly desire any thing at all, all things being theirs already. Neither can they be ever troubled with any cares or fears, being fully assured, that no evil can ever happen to them, nor any thing they have, be taken from them; from whence also it follows, that there is never any strife or contention, much less any wars or tumults among them, but they constantly live in perfect unity and peace together, for as they are all of that sweet and loving temper, that they would not fall out if they could, so neither could they if they would; for every one having all things he can desire, there is nothing for them to fall out or contend about.

To this we might add something concerning the pleasures which this Kingdom affords those who dwell in it; but they are so many, that they cannot be numbered: so high that they cannot be reached; and of such a nature that they cannot be conceived by any but those who feel them; only we may be sure that they are never sad or melancholy, never discomposed or out of tune, but are always pleasant and cheerful, always rejoicing and singing, and praising God for the wonderful works which He hath done; we can look upon them without any regard or concern, but they see such infinite wisdom and power and goodness in every thing that God hath made, that they are mightily pleased and delighted with the contrivance and design of it. And so they are with the clearer sight they have of His infinite goodness and truth, shining forth in the redemption of mankind by His Only-begotten Son, and particularly in His bringing them by Him through all the changes and chances of this

mortal life, to His Heavenly Kingdom, where they live "with Him their ever-blessed Redeemer," and see the glory [John 17. which the Father gave Him before the foundation of the world. And in and through Him enjoy not only all things that God hath made, but Him also that made them. They see Him as He is: they "see Him face to face:" they see [1 Cor. 13. Him as clearly as it is possible for finite creatures to see their infinite and Almighty Creator. It is by His own light 12.] they see Him: by the "light of His countenance shining continually upon them," in them, all over them, and so overspreading their whole souls with such a sight and sense of His glory, and goodness, that they are not able to contain themselves, but are always singing forth His praises, and crying to one another, "Hallelujah, praise ye the Lord."

But here we must stop; thus far we may go being led, by the Word of God, but know not how to proceed any further in describing this glorious Kingdom, called the "crown of 2 Tim. 4. 8. righteousness," and the "crown of glory." "The righteous 1 Pet. 5. 4. there being all so full of glory, that they shine forth as the Matt.13.43. sun in the Kingdom of their Father." They were once like us sinful mortals upon earth, but now they are " equal to the Luke 20.36. Angels." The Holy Angels, those glorious creatures, which we could not look upon without fear and trembling, if any of them should appear unto us: but the Saints above are fellow-citizens with them, of the same family, and therefore [Eph.2.19.] converse familiarly with them, as we do with one another, and join continually with them in setting forth the praises of their great Creator, for all the marvellous works that He hath done, and particularly the Angels, for His keeping them in their first estate, and the Saints for His restoring them unto it.

But that which adds a great lustre to the glories of this Kingdom is, that "it is a kingdom which cannot be moved," Heb. 12. 28. "an everlasting kingdom." A kingdom that never fades or Ps. 145. 13. decays either in the whole or in any part of it, but always continues in the same flourishing state and condition, not only to the end of the world, but to all eternity. This the blessed inhabitants of this glorious kingdom are fully assured of, and therefore as they have all they can desire, they never fear losing any thing they have, but are fully persuaded and

SERM. confident, that they shall always live as they do, in perfect peace, and joy, and glory, for ever and ever.

XLVII.

[Hor. 3. Čarm. 3. 7.]

Blessed and thrice happy is that little flock that have such a Father, who will give them such a Kingdom as this! What need they fear if all the kingdoms upon earth should be turned upside down, they may stand upon the ruins, and say we have lost nothing; our kingdom, our all is just as it was, and so it will be, whatsoever becomes of this world, and all things in it, come what will come, it is all one to us; our Father has said that He will give us the Kingdom, and therefore we are sure that nothing can keep us from it; nothing can happen but what shall help to bring us to it; and what are all the kingdoms of this world to that? They shall perish, but ours shall abide for ever: therefore we will not fear, we will fear nothing upon earth, for it is our Father's good pleasure to give us the Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven itself.

But shall the little flock of Christ have this glorious, this mighty, this eternal Kingdom? Who then would not be of that little flock? Blessed be God, there is never a soul here present, but as yet may be of it if he will. The great Shepherd invites all to come into it; and hath promised, that He John 6. 37. will refuse none that come. "Him that cometh to Me,"

saith He, "I will in no wise cast out." Wherefore in His Name, and for your own sake as well as His, be advised to stand out no longer, but come while ye may into His little flock, into the number of those few, who do not only profess to believe in Him, but really do it, and manifest they do so by following Him as their Leader, by obeying Him as their Lord and Master, and trusting on Him as their only Saviour, Mediator and Advocate with the Father to make their peace with Him, and what they do acceptable in His sight, to guide, direct, and assist them in serving and honouring Him through the whole course of their life on earth, and then to bring them to the Kingdom which He hath purchased and prepared for them in Heaven.

And certainly it is your interest, as well as duty, to make this the chief care and study of your whole lives; for remember it is not a little money or land you labour for, but a kingdom; not such a kingdom as those upon earth, which

have more trouble than pleasure in them, but the Kingdom of Heaven, which is all pleasure without any trouble at all; and never fear that your labour shall be in vain; be but of that little flock, that set themselves in good earnest upon doing what God hath commanded, and you cannot miss of the Kingdom that He hath promised; for remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, "Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom."