and enchanting, when seen from the distance of a In discoursing from these words, we shall, by the help of God, consider, First, The character of the persons spoken of, as pronounced to be blessed; Second, The connection between doing the commandments of God, and having a right to the tree of life. And, Third, Wherein the blessedness of these persons consists. I. We are to consider the character of the persons here declared to be blessed. They do the commandments of Christ. The commandments of Christ are the revelation of the will of God, made to us either by Christ Jesus himself, or by his servants speaking in his name, and commissioned by his authority. This revelation consists partly of doctrines or truths to be believed, and partly of duties to be performed. All the doctrines that are to be believed, and all the duties that are to be performed, may be considered as summarily comprehended in our believing that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world, and in cultivating at all times, and manifesting, on all occasions, a kind and charitable disposition toward our brethren of mankind; on the one hand, in believing, that the grace of God hath, by the coming of his Son, appeared and been offered to all men, and on the other hand, in being taught by his grace to live soberly, and righteously, and godly, in this present world. Doctrines and duties agree in this, that they are both of them subjects of command, so that we are equally enjoined to believe the one and to discharge the other. Thus the Apostle John says, "whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." The great commandment, then, is to believe in the atonement of Christ, to account it "a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," and having thus believed, it is incumbent on us to cherish, and not merely to cherish, but to express, and to express not in empty words, but in solid actions, feelings of kind affection towards all men. Such are the commandments of Christ. Now the persons mentioned in our text, are not such as have merely acquired a theoretical knowledge of the doctrines of the Gospel, or the duties which it enjoins us to discharge. They are not represented as considering it sufficient to entertain or to profess a speculative belief of the excellence of Christ's commandments, and to admit that they are holy, just, and good; no, they do more than this, they set themselves practically to obey them. While they account it most reasonable to assent to all which Christ reveals, they account it no less reasonable to do all which he requires. Far from being content with saying, Lord, Lord," they strive with all diligence to do his sayings. Their language is not merely, "Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth," but, Command, Lord, for thy servant will obey. They make it the object of their most ardent desire, and the business of their whole lives, to abstain from every thing which their Saviour prohibits, to hate whatever he abhors, and constantly to reduce to practice all his precepts in all things-precepts which his sovereign authority so peremptorily enjoins, and which his own life so brightly exemplifies. They, and they only, who think and act thus, are they who do the commandments of Christ, and they, and they only, are blessed, inasmuch as they shall "have a right to eat of the tree of life, and to enter in through the gates into the city." II. We are now to consider the connection between doing the commandments of Christ, and having a right to eat of the tree of life. And here, at the very first, it is necessary to state, that we must beware of imagining, that by doing the commandments we procure for ourselves a title to eternal life. Were we, indeed, able perfectly to keep all the commandments of God, then we might merit eternal life; and were we, besides being able, also willing perfectly to keep all his commandments, then, unquestionably, we should both merit and possess eternal life; but we are most certainly assured, that in our present circumstances no mere man ever did, or ever can do this. In consequence of the transgression of Adam, our first parent, a moral taint has been communicated to us, his posterity, which has had the fatal effect of estranging our affections from God, and of weakening both our capacity and our inclination to render to him that complete and universal obedience which it is our duty to present, and nothing short of which his holiness and purity can possibly accept. No title to life, therefore, can be established on the footing of our own perfect obedience; the thing is altogether hopeless and impossible. Nor will the plea of partial obedience stand us in any better stead, since it never can be shown, how perfectly fulfilling the law of God in some instances, even granting that to be possible, can make compensation for our breaking it in others,-how a certain number of acts of obedience, in performing which we merely do our duty, and nothing more than our duty, possess not only enough of merit for themselves, but possess, moreover, abundance to spare, as a supply for those deficiencies, and an atonement for those offences, of which every man must be conscious every day of his life. Again: it has been maintained by some, that in consequence of the sufferings and death of Christ, God has been graciously pleased to relax the rigour of his law, as to us; that he has placed us, as it were, under a new and milder covenant; and that he is now willing to accept from us sincere instead of perfect obedience. This scheme, which makes sincerity the condition of acceptance, affords to us sinners no firm foundation on which to build our hopes; it allows our salvation to remain doubtful and uncertain,-it leaves us to ourselves, to our own endeavours, and our own unassisted strength, to work out our redemption as we best can. It is, besides, derogatory to the honour of the Son of God, by lowering him to a level with us, and by exalting us to an equality with him, in finishing the great work of our salvation. It says, indeed, that our sincere obedience requires the merit of Christ's satisfaction to go along with it; but what is this but declaring, that both our sincerity and Christ's merit are necessary, and that, consequently, each of these is singly insufficient; so that, as Christ's satisfaction is requisite to render our sincere endeavour meritorious and effectual, in like manner, these sincere endeavours are in their turn requisite to give avail to his satisfaction: and thus does this scheme represent weak and sinful man as co-operating with God in the plan of redemption, and as sharing with him in the glory of completing it. Nothing can be more at variance with the Word of God than such a view of the matter. It stands directly opposed alike to various passages in the Sacred Volume, and to the whole scope and tenor of the plan of redemption as delineated there. If our good works and obedience, however sincere, can invest us with a right to the favour of God, then how are we to explain such passages as the following: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy hath he saved us ;"."-"The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord;"-"By grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." In this last passage the language is very remarkable; not only are we said to be saved by faith, but even this faith itself is declared to be not ours, but the gift of God; so that here we see even the act of faith, which is ours, inasmuch as our own minds must exert it, entirely excluded from having any meritorious influence in procuring our salvation. But besides these detached passages, the whole tenor of the Gospel, if it has any tenor at all, goes to overthrow such a scheme. In the Gospel, all mankind, without exception, on the one hand, are represented as a race of transgressors against God, --as having contracted most aggravated guilt, as suffering, in consequence, misery here, and as doomed to still more dreadful misery hereafter; and, on the other hand, Jesus Christ is represented as having interposed in our behalf, and by his incarnation, and suffering, and death, redeemed us from the awful condition in which we were placed, and restored us to the favour and love of God. The whole of the Gospel, from beginning to end, is nothing else but an announcement that Christ has obtained for us pardon and eternal life; with a declaration of the particular manner in which we may become partakers of inestimable blessings. And what is the inference which obviously, and palpably, and irresistibly follows from this? Who can be at a loss at once to perceive it? Why did the Son of God come down from heaven to earth to deliver us from misery, but because we could not have delivered ourselves? Why did he give himself a ransom for us, but because we ourselves could never have extinguished the debt which we owed to divine justice? Why did he make reconciliation for our iniquities, but because we had nothing to present as an adequate atonement ? Why did he bring in everlasting righteousness, but because we were altogether unholy of ourselves, and needed the righteousness of another? Why did he purchase for us an inheritance in heaven, and lay down his own life as the mighty price, but because all which we could do never could have obtained it, and all which we could give never could have bought it? Why did he, by yielding a constant and unsinning compliance with his Father's will, fulfil for us the law of God, throughout the infinite extent of its requirements why, but because, from the total want of moral inclination, and of moral strength, we were utterly incapable of perfectly yielding it? Why are all spiritual blessings said to reside in Christ in unmeasured fulness; wisdom to enlighten, and power to help us, and holiness, to fit us for heaven,-why, but because we are ignorant, and weak, and depraved? Why are all the benefits which redemption comprehends within its wide embrace,-remission of sins, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, the renewing of our will, the regeneration of our natures, growth in grace, perseverance in holiness, security and repose amidst the dangers and disquietudes by which life is continually assailed, hope in death, and happiness for ever beyond it,-why are all these represented and declared to be conferred upon us as free gifts, why, but for this reason, that we had nothing whatever to offer in exchange, and could not have otherwise received them. The work of our salvation is, in the Word of God, ascribed to Christ, from its commencement to its close. He it was who, in the counsels of eternity, undertook the great work; he it was who began it, who carried it on, and who finished it. As he suffered in our stead the whole of the wrath due to our offences, and left us none of it to endure, so he fulfilled for us all righteousness, and left us nothing to perform,-nothing, I say, to perform in the way of recommending ourselves to the favour of God; although we have unquestionably much to perform on other grounds. It is at the same time perfectly true, for it is asserted repeatedly in the Bible, that the good works of the saints are rewarded by God, but then, this is entirely owing to their union with Christ by faith. Previously to this union we stand guilty and condemned before God, with our persons polluted, our hearts corrupted and depraved, and all our actions sinful and offensive in his sight. But in consequence of that relation to Christ in which we are placed by our believing in him our sentence of condemnation is blotted out, our guilt is cancelled, God henceforth beholds us not as we are in ourselves, but as clothed with the unspotted righteousness of his own Son, he regards our persons with acceptance, and our services as fit to be rewarded. But nothing of this can we ascribe to ourselves, it is not owing to any moral qualities, any inherent holiness which we possess of ourselves, and which we impart to our actions, that we and our performances are thus viewed and thus treated, it is solely because the saints are accepted in the beloved, and that God accepts of their services now, and beholds their persons with a pleasing countenance, and shall finally honour them with the approving sentence of "well done good and faithful servants," and graciously reward them with a weight of glory for all that they have given in his name, and for all that they have done and have suffered for his sake. Since, then, from the general scope and tenor of he Gospel, and the explicit declaration contained in articular passages, we perceive most distinctly that t is impossible for us, by any thing which we can o, to acquire a title to eternal life, it occurs, as a atural question, How are we to explain the words f our text?" Blessed are they that do his comhandments, that they may have right to the tree f life, and may enter in through the gates into he city." Now, not to dwell on the fact, that in he very book whence our text is taken, the postle declares that they only shall be admitted ito heaven whose names shall be found written 1 the Lamb's book of life; and not to mention, hat the word translated "right," literally and trictly, yea, frequently and commonly, denotes ot absolute right, but privilege, or conceded ght, not to insist on these things, although hey are certainly of great importance, or rather ould be considered as finally deciding the queson, we hasten to observe, that though it must e admitted that there subsists a connection beween doing the commandments of Christ and ur entrance into heaven, we must not, how ver, suppose that it is the relation of equivalence, r that it is such a connection as subsists between he two sides of a reciprocal covenant or conact in which something is given, and someing gotten by both the parties. For, whatever e receive from God we can render him no equi- God may also be said to confer rewards upon us ilent. Our goodness extendeth not to him. for our holy and benevolent actions, inasmuch as Ve cannot enrich him by our services, or increase these actions are signs and evidences of our union s glory by the homage of our obedience. Who with Christ, and in so doing, we may consider him ith first given to him, and it shall be recompensed as promising the reward, not on account of signs or him again? And we must not understand the evidences themselves, but solely on account of the ersons spoken of in our text as having the right thing which they signify. A familiar example may ecause of their doing the commandments, in the serve to illustrate this. Take the example of an me manner and on the same grounds as doing estate which has failed of heirs, so that nobody for ork gives a man a right to receive wages. The many years has laid claim to it, suppose a person ersons in the text have the right, because God at last to appear, and claim to be put in possession is declared and promised in his word, which of the property, by producing documents which ever can be broken, that they who possess that completely proved, by an unbroken chain of eviaracter which manifests itself in aiming at a dence, that he was lineally descended from the last ly and constant obedience to his law, shall have proprietor; in these circumstances the law of the e right, or more properly the privilege of eating land would unquestionably invest him with the the tree of life, and of entering in hereafter property, not, however, on account of the docurough the gates into the city. To the fulfilment ments considered in themselves, but on account of this promise it is by no means necessary that the fact which the documents establish, viz., his edience and right should be connected together descent from the original rightful owner. For cause and effect. And this promise is com- although he had previously given or sold the etely fulfilled, if obedience to the commandments documents to another, this would have merely the nd eternal happiness are connected together, in effect of hindering the person himself from rect, if all they who do the commandments of covering the property, but could not convey the hrist shall enter into heaven, and if every one right of possession to that other person. And se shall be excluded. The meaning, therefore, although God has no need of signs to enable him the words of our text is, blessed are they who to discover our true character, because he knoweth > the commandments of Christ, because God has all that is in man, and needeth not that any should ronounced those to be blessed that obey him, testify to him of man, yet signs of genuine faith ecause by their doing the commandments of are highly valuable to us whose ignorance is so hrist they prove and make it clear that they great, and whose judgments are so frequently elong to the number of those who shall enter in fallacious. What can be more important, more rough the gates into the city, because by doing useful, more necessary for us, than to have an he commandments of Christ they ascertain their infallible test laid down to us, by a reference to ight to the promise of eternal life. which we may discover whether we have accept thought should at any time be unexpectedly called up in their minds, it forthwith casts a damp over their gayest moments, and fills their hearts with sadness and with fear. But how still more dreadful is the event itself. How alarming is death in anticipation,-how awful when it actually comes, Since death, then, is the cause of so much fear, and pain, and sorrow, and alarm, how great shall be the happiness of those, who dwell in regions into which it shall never enter, and where not even the name of it shall be known, where our friends shall never be torn from our ance with God, or still stand exposed to his wrath, that thus we may either feel salutary alarm from a sense of our danger, and be led to seek for safety while safety may be found, or have our consciences tranquillized, our doubts removed, and our hearts filled with a hope which casteth out fear and maketh not ashamed, by our perceiving that of a truth we possess the essential and distinguishing features of followers of Christ. And how thankful should we be that it is declared to us in the word of Him that cannot lie, and the declaration while it furnishes us with a test, contains also a promise, Blessed are they who do the command-embrace, nor we be ever separated from them, ments of Christ, that they may thus, by bringing forth the fruits of their faith in holy obedience, ascertain that they belong to the number of those who have a right to the tree of life, and may finally enter in through the gates into the city. III. We come now, in the third and last place, to consider wherein consists the happiness of those who, by doing the commandments of Christ, ascertain their right to eat of the tree of life, and to enter in through the gates into the city. How full of meaning are these words! In what the happiness of heaven consists, we do not in our present state exactly know. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man so much as to conceive the great and good things which God hath laid up for those that love and serve him. But though the knowledge of the future happiness of the saints is too high for us, so that our present imperfect faculties cannot completely attain to it, yet, from various intimations in the Word of God, we are enabled to catch a glimpse of its glories, and to see it in part as it were through a glass darkly. The words of our text, in particular, represent to us this happiness under one most important and essential aspect. The expression, tree of life, you must recollect, contains an allusion to that tree from which Adam was debarred access after his fall, the fruit of which, if he had tasted it, would have counteracted the baneful effects produced by his eating of the forbidden tree, and would have imparted to him the capacity and the power of living for ever. The expression "tree of life" is most probably figurative; but figurative though it be, it unquestionably intimates that the heavenly happiness shall be of perpetual duration, and it conveys to us this truth in a most significant and forcible manner. We shall eat of the tree of life. Think only of how much alarm and misery death is the cause in this world, and then you will be enabled, in some measure, to conceive the felicity of that other and better world in which there shall be no more death. To what a degree is the lot of man embittered by this calamitous, and inevitable event! The very name, if it does not strike us with terror, at least impresses us with awe. Men studiously avoid the mention of every circumstance that is in the least degree associated with the thought of death, and shut their eyes against the sight of every symbol that is emblematical of its effects, or ominous of its approach. And if the where our pure and glorious enjoyment shall never change, and never end! There death shall have no more power over us. Inseparably united to Him who is the resurrection and the life, having our names written in the book of life, drinking continually of the water of the river of life, and eating of the fruit of the tree of life, we ourselves shall never die, the glorious objects around us shall never decay, neither our felicity, nor fitness and power to enjoy it, shall ever come to a close. Were the happiness of heaven capable of ending, or were it possible that this should ever take place; -were there a period to arrive after the lapse of revolving ages, however distant it might be, when the new heavens in which we are to dwell should fade as doth a garment, and the mansions in our Father's house moulder into decay, and the kingdom appointed for us on high should perish and pass away, or when we ourselves should no more be able to contemplate all the glories, to celebrate the worship, or to enjoy the happiness of heaven, and the night of annihilation should cover us with its shades, O how much would such a consideration diminish our joy, and diffuse a gloom over all the regions of bliss! In such circumstances, and with such prospects, our state in heaven would lose the better half of its excellence, our souls would often be filled with heaviness during its continuance, while we looked forward to its close, and unutterably sad, and awful, and overwhelming, would be its concluding hour! But in that rest which remains for the people of God this cannot take place. There nothing shall have power to destroy, or to diminish, or to change, there the existence of the saints shall never terminate, nor the sources of their happiness either be exhausted or impaired. There they shall receive an inheritance which is incorruptible, palms of victory which shall never wither, harps of praise which shall never be untuned, a crown of glory whose splendours shall never fade, a kingdom neither to be overthrown by violence nor to be consumed by time,-a kingdom immortal, immoveable, imperishable, eternal in the heavens. There they shall live and there they shall reign for ever and ever. Because their Redeemer lives they shall live also. "I give," says Christ, "unto my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." But further, they who do the commandments of Christ shall enter in through the gates into the city, they shall be openly received and welcomed into the city of the heavenly Jerusalem, through the regular and lawful entrance, as citizens of a place have the right and privilege of admission. A city conveys the idea of security, and comfort, and society. By its walls, it protects from the assaults of enemies; by its gates, it excludes whatever might hurt, or offend, or incommode; and by the number of those who live within it, united together by sameness of interests, laws, language, religion, and manners, it puts us in possession of all the gratifications which flow from society and friendly intercourse. As the happiness of the redeemed shall be endless in duration, so also shall it be uninterrupted and without diminution. Inhabiting a city which hath its foundation fixed on the Rock of Ages, which has salvation for its walls and bulwarks, and which has the Lord of hosts himself dwelling in the midst of it as its glory and its defence, they shall be kept in perfect peace; no weapon formed against them shall ever prosper, or be able for a moment to disquiet or alarm. And their security shall not be like that which was their portion on earth, consisting merely in being guarded by vigilance which never slumbers; and in being kept by the power of God, which nothing can resist; and in having Him to be for them, who is mightier by far than all that can be against them, but rather in this, that their Redeemer shall have conquered all their enemies, and crushed their pride, and destroyed their power, and bruised them for ever under his feet. If, while they sojourned here, in the days of their warfare, none of the enemies by which they were beset, neither life with its trials, nor death with its terrors, nor Satan with his snares, nor the great tribulation through which they had to pass before they entered into the heavenly kingdom, if none of these, nor all of these combined, were able to separate them from the love of Christ, how is it possible, how is it conceivable that they shall ever be separated from his love and from his favour, or be deprived of the light of his countenance, or the joys of his presence, in those habitations of glory which he has prepared for their abode; into which nothing which defileth, and none who is defiled, shall be allowed to enter; where they shall have no fightings without, nor fears within; where there shall be nothing to hurt or to offend,—no unhallowed pleasures to allure with their enticements, and no unhallowed appetites to seduce by their importunity; where the people shall be all righteous, and shall not only be made, but shall be kept, "perfect in holiness," "perfect in holiness," and so shall be "for ever with the Lord." CHRISTIAN ONENESS. ONE spirit dwells in thee and me, The Spirit of the Lord! We're brethren of one family, Guided by God's own Word. Amid this world of pain and woe, By sin and sorrow crost, Oh! it is ours in faith to know That we shall not be lost. We're one in Christ! then what beside Can ever harm us more? With fearless heart, and heavenward look, We're one in Christ, our coming Lord; Then what have we to dread? HABERSHON. CHRISTIAN TREASURY. religious principle cannot be better known, than by the Do you love to think of God?-The sincerity of a true readiness with which the thoughts advert to God, and the pleasure with which they are employed in devout exercises. And though a person may not always be so well pleased with hearing religious things talked of by others, whose different taste, sentiments, or manner of have little inclination to think of them himself, or conexpression, may have something disagreeable; yet, if he verse with himself about them, he hath great reason to suspect that his heart is not right with God. But, if he frequently and delightfully exercise his mind in divine contemplations, it will not only be a good mark of his sincerity, but will habitually dispose it for the reception of the best and most useful thoughts, and fit it for the noblest entertainments.-MASON. Affliction needful to all.-The justice and righteousness of God is ground of submission under trials. Surely it is meet to be said unto God, "I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more." If sin sits heavy, all afflictions will soon appear light. By-ends insensibleness under providential rebukes, worldly disand aims in duty, pride, vain-glory, carnal confidence, positions, lifeless forms, creature-love, hopes and expec tations, where is the man wholly free from these things? Where a Christian is in a right frame his heart always goes with Ezra's words, "After all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespasses, thou, our God, hast punished us less than our iniquities The wisdom of God is farther deserve." Ezra ix. 13. nity he saw what we should need in time, and our supground of submission. He is God only wise. From eterplies were all wisely adjusted, settled, and proportioned in the everlasting covenant, and therefore, nothing can be wrong that we meet with in time, it is all the way to rest. The way lies through briars, thorns, crosses, and snares, the wisdom of God hath so ordered it for the best. There is no getting any other way to glory. What was said of Israel of old is true of us now, "And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation." Psal. cvii. 7. We know it was not the shortest way, nor was it the smoothest, but it was the right way. It was the way which God's wisdom had appointed as best suiting with their froward tempers, and the ends of his own glory. Alas, till we get to see this we will never from the heart speak the words of my text," It is well." If we do not see God's wisdom in our trials, we shall never be thoroughly brought to submission under them. Look at them afresh, see, inquire, it may be you have passed over some circumstance attending them too lightly, whatever your burden be, it is suited to your back, it is the proper trial of your faith. "By these things," says Hezekiah, “men live, and in all these |