having a desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, a thing by far the better; but to abide still in the flesh is needful for you," Philip. i. 21. This needs no application; it speaks to the point itself. He is straitened whether he shall choose to live a while longer, and labour for the good of souls, or to be dissolved, and go to enjoy Christ, which is by far the better. Moreover, St. John actually saw great multitudes of saints and martyrs in heaven, in company with the Lamb, adoring him, and saying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us to our God a kingdom, and priests," Rev. v. 9.; and of the holy virgins he also saw great numbers" who follow the Lamb wherever he goes, and have his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads; and "these," says he, "were purchased from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb," Rev. xiv. 1. (2.) From the constant belief and tradition of the Church of Christ. (8.) From this reason, founded on what Christ himself declared, to wit, God is certainly much more inclined and desirous to do good to his creatures, than to afflict them. To do good to his creatures is his first and principal desire; to afflict them, is a force upon his goodness, which their sins demand from his justice. Now Christ assures us, that, when the wicked die, their souls are immediately condemned to hell, as we see in the rich glutton in the gospel. If, therefore, the justice of God alone immediately inflicts punishment upon sinners at their death, much more will his goodness and justice, combined together, immediately reward his holy saints, when they leave this world, by admitting their souls into eternal happiness.

Q. 4. What is meant by the prerogatives of the saints?

A. Their exalted dignity, their happiness, and their employments.

Q. 5. What description does the Scripture give us of the exaltation and dignity of the saints in heaven?

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A. That "they stand before the throne, and in the sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands," Rev. vii. 9.; that “ they shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father," Matth. xi. ii. 43.; that they "are like the angels. of God in heaven," Matth. xii. 30.; that they are so highly exalted as to become even like God himself; for "we know," says the beloved disciple, that, when he shall appear, we shall be like to him, because we shall see him as he is," 1 John iii. 2.; that the blessed company of the inhabitants of heaven is composed of an immense multitude of cherubim and seraphim, and holy angels, all on fire with divine love; thus, "thousands of thousands minister to him, and ten hundred times a hundred thousand stand before him," Dan. vii, 10.; of an inconceivable number of holy martyrs, who having come out of great tribulation, have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and serve him day and night in his temple," Rev. vii. 14.; of numbers without numbers of other blessed souls, the patriarchs and prophets, the apostles of the Lamb, and his holy confessors, who, "having overcome, are clothed in white, and walk with him, because they are worthy," Rev. iii. 4.; of the chaste spouses of Jesus Christ, "who have not defiled their souls, but are virgins; in whose mouth there was found no lie, but are without spot before the throne of God," Rev. xiv.; and, above all, the blessed Virgin, Mother of

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God, the Queen of saints and angels, " clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars," Rev. xii. 1, the the symbol of her supereminent dignity above all the rest. Such is the splendour, magnificence, and beauty of these heavenly inhabitants; they are all advanced to the highest dignity that can be conceived, even to a fellowship with the living God, and a partnership with Jesus Christ in his throne; for," to him that shall overcome," says he, "I will give to sit with me in my throne." Rev. iii. 21.

Q. 6. What account does the Scripture give us of their happiness?

A. That the place itself where they dwell is a most delightful place, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem; that in it the throne of God and the Lamb is placed, and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads, and night shall be no more, and they shall not need the light of the lamp, nor the light of the sun, for the Lord. God shall enlighten them, and they shall reign for ever and ever," Rev. xxi. 22.; that “ they shall no more hunger nor thirst, neither shall the sun fall on them, nor any heat, for the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall lead them to the living fountains of water, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes," Rev. vii. 16.: that they are his people, and God himself with them shall be their God....and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away, Rev. xxi. 3. And they rest in him, for grace and peace is to his elect," Wisd. iii. 9.; that "the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come to Sion with praise; and everlasting joy shall be upon their

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heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and mourning shall fly away," Is. xxxv.9.: that all the riches of heaven shall be their own, those inestimable riches which, "neither rust nor moth doth consume, nor thieves break through to steal," Matth. vi. 20.; for, "he that shall overcome, shall possess these things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son," Rev. xxi. 7.; "I am alpha and omega," says God himself, "the beginning and the end; to him that thirsteth, I will give them of the fountain of the waters of life, cost free," Rev. xxi. 6.; hence the royal prophet says, "O! how hast thou multiplied thy mercy, O God .They shall be inebriated with the plenty of thy house, and thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of thy pleasure; for in thee is the fountain of life, and in thy light we shall see light," Psal. xxxv. 8. But what, above every thing else, will fill their heart with joy unutterable, is the clear vision and enjoyment of God himself, "Blessed," indeed "are the clean of heart, for they shall see God," Matth. v. 8.; "they shall see him face to face," 1 Cor. xiii. 12.; and "God will be gracious to them, and they shall see his face with joy," Job xxxiii. 26.; and "beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, they are transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, by the spirit of the Lord," 2 Cor. iii. 18. By this they are intimately united with Jesus Christ, and partakers of his glory; for, "the glory which thou hast given me," says he to his eternal Father, "I have given them, that they may be one as we also are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one .... Father, I will that where I am, they also, whom thou hast given me, may be, that they may see my glory, which thou hast given me," John xvii. 22.

And the immense happiness and joy which will result from this sight and union with God is thus expressed: "Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt fill me with joy with thy countenance, at thy right hand are delights even to the end," Psal. xv. 11.; "O! how great is the multitude of thy sweetness, O Lord! which thou hast hidden for them that fear thee!" Psal. xxx. 20. ; "As the hart panteth after the fountains of waters, so my soul panteth after thee, my God: my soul hath thirsted after the strong, the living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?" Psal. xli. 1.

Q. 9. What accounts have we in Scripture of their employments?

A. Their employments are perfectly consonant to the blissful state in which they dwell. Immersed in an ocean of inexhaustible delight, they are continually engaged in adoring and praising the author of their happiness, their hearts overflowing with joy unutterable, can never be satisfied in extolling and magnifying his holy name; for still they feel that "he exceeds all their praise, and that his glory and magnificence is wonderful," Ecclus. xliii, 32. But their employments in particular are represented under these heads: (1.) As còntemplating his infinite majesty, his almighty power, magnificence, and grandeur, and rendering him the most profound homage and adoration on that account: "And behold there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne one sitting; and he that sat was, to the sight, like the jasper and the sardine stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald... and from the throne there proceeded lightnings, and voices, and thunderings; and there were seven lamps burning before the throne, which are the seven