OUTLINE OF A SERMON BY THE REV. W. PARKS, B.A., "I go to prepare a place for you."-John xiv. 2. IN speaking to you from this text and context on last Sunday morning, you will remember that I suggested that the word possess might have been put in the place of prepare. The sentence gains much by the change, for there is something very comforting and assuring in the idea that our Lord has gone up with authority to take possession of the mansions we are by-and-by to inhabit. Ay, it is by no matter of mere favour Jesus is gone to take possession; He is gone with authority, with power and might. He is there by right. inquire how we may get to know whether we are journeying to such a place. I. In what does the happiness of heaven consist? Ans. 1. In the total absence of all evil; and 2. In the presence of all good. Let us think upon what is involved1. In the absence of all evil. There are three great evils under which we labour here in our passage to our home above: viz., (1.) The evil of sin. (2.) The evil of temptation. It is this that gives us such comfort, Now, in heaven all these will be cast and strength, and confidence. We are out, excluded for ever. Here the most joint heirs with Him-Him who is gone privileged saints lament over their weakto take possession. He is there as our ness, and the violent assaults of their Representative, and unless He lose His spiritual enemies. Which of us is a Godhead, or the Father forfeit His ho- stranger to the sigh, expressing itself in nour, we cannot be kept out. Think of the words of Paul, "O wretched man that, poor children of God, a rightful that I am ?" &c. Which of us knows not heir cannot be cheated out of his pos- what a continual struggle there is besessions. If an attempt is made to tween flesh and spirit? I would not cheat an heir out of his estate, he ap- give anything for that man's hopes of peals to the legal documents: he proves heaven who is a stranger to these expehis birth, and establishes his legitimacy. riences. Which of us knows not that we The opposition is quashed. So it is have continually to keep running to the with regard to our heavenly inheritance. fountain opened for uncleanness, and to Satan and false prophets may try to keep washing and re-washing, purifying swindle us, but our appeal is to the law and re-purifying our souls therein. The and the testimony-the everlasting re-washing of yesterday will not do for tocords; we prove our new birth-we establish the fact that we are no bastards, but true sons, and the opposition is quashed. Objection. Ah, but my sins will exclude me from yonder glorious place! Answer. Nay, they cannot. Your sins are your debts; and Jesus has paid all your debts. When He went up to take possession, He went up as your Surety, Representative, and Bondsman. Nothing can keep you out. Oh, sweet and precious conviction! Lord, ever give us this conviction, and then we shall think nothing of the cares, vicissitudes, and troubles of this life. And now, dear hearers, supposing we are heirs of those mansions, &c., let us reflect awhile upon the beauties and glories of the place; and subsequently day. Ah! what toil, and trouble, and anxiety, and care, and sorrow, are there involved in all this. But in heaven our purity will be complete. The old Adam will be left in the grave. There will be no blindness of the mind, no perverseness of the will, no disorder of the affections, no concupiscence of the members, no rebellion of the flesh. Saints in heaven are saints indeed. Grace weakens sin, but glory abolishes it. But again, (2.) The evil of temptation will be absent. In paradise there was a tempter, but there is none in heaven; no serpent can creep in there. Will not this be a source of happiness? Ah, brethren! what a grief it is to a Christian to be solicited to sin. Why, we cannot set about anything that is good, but Satan tries to dissuade us from it. In the very sanctuary Satan tempts. Hor- weakness, but raised in power; sown a rid solicitations, vile fancies, unbeliev-natural body, but raised a spiritual ing thoughts, often come pouring in like a flood. But in heaven we shall be free. Ay, in heaven we shall have no need to pray, "lead us not into temptation;" for nothing that maketh a lie shall enter there. body; sown in dishonour, but raised in glory. Ay, and not only will our bodies be changed, but our souls too. If the body will be as far surpassing in glory to what it is now, as the glory of the sun surpasses a clod of the valley, shall not our souls be rather glorious? Oh yes; the understanding will be enlarged, the will perfected in holiness, the memory strengthened, the affections purified and inflamed with intensest now Again, (3.) The evil of affliction will be absent. In heaven there is an absolute freedom from all pain, want, and misery. All sorrow, you know, is the fruit of sin; but in heaven, as there can be no sin, there can be no sorrow. There power. Think of that, poor child of are no waves in the haven of eternal God; you whose affections are rest to toss us up and down; no surg- comparatively cold, whose memory is ings to make us sick; no tempests to feeble, whose will is perverse, whose terrify-no persecutions, no divisions, understanding is weak. The hour is no grief, no disease, no envy, no ambi- coming when this wondrous change will tion, no pride, that calls for the afflict- take place; and then will you not gloing rod. Oh, sweet abode ! who that has rify the Lord? then will you not adore had experience of these three terrible Him without fickleness or hypocrisy ? evils, does not long to be there? Hold then will you not crown Him Lord of out a little longer, brethren, and you all? will have full deliverance. But I have spoken only of the negative happiness of heaven; let me say a word or two upon the positine. But listen again. This happiness will be perpetual-eternal. There will be no fear of losing it, or being deprived of it; for there is a way into heaven, but none out. Oh, sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, think of these things; you, too, between whom and others of your species there seems an impassable gulf, in the way of intellect and gifts, think of this. By-and-by you will be as highly gifted, and as gloriously apparalled, and as mighty in soul as any in heaven. The gifts of the most gifted here below will be then as little more than the instinct of the brute in comparison, when you shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. 2. The presence of all good. Some foolish speculators have ventured to describe in what the happiness of heaven consists, without adhering to the Scriptures; and consequently have plunged into carnality and absurdity. Thus one class will tell you that your happiness will consist in studying the sciences; and another will assure you that it will consist in wonderful powers of locomotion; whilst a third ventures to say that we shall all follow the avocations in heaven that we have pursued here. But all this is pure nonsense and carnal speculation. Now I come to my Bible, and I read such words as these, "Be loved, 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 " (1 John iii. 2). That II. Are we journeying to that place? satisfies me; it must satisfy you. Our First of all, do we desire to go to such a vile bodies will be changed into the like-place? are we seeking such a place? If ness of Christ's body (Phil. iii. 20-21), we neither desire nor seek, I fear there and we shall have the power and the is not much hope of apparent interest. privilege to behold our Redeemer in But if we are seekers, ah, there is much His humanity. We shall be like Him, hope. My eye lighted on an expression and see Him as He is. The poor body the other day that struck me forcibly; here is sown in corruption, but it will it was this" We too often make too be raised in incorruption; sown in broad a distinction between believers and Is not this place worth going to? I go to possess a place for you," said the Lord Jesus, 1800 years ago. He has been in possession ever since, and been busied in preparing the future inheritors for that glorious abode. Lord Jesus, come quickly! seekers; seekers must be as decidedly in- | cause He first loved you, and if He has ever loved you, He will for ever. Dear children of God, be not cast down by reason of the difficulty of the way. Sometimes mists will ascend to obscure the path; at other times you will feel returns of your original disease But again. Answer me this-Sup.sin: but the Lord will comfort you. pose you were given your choice, the Nothing can keep you out of the place whole world or freedom from sin, which that He is gone to possess. Your very would you take? If the latter, you difficulties, temptations, and afflictions, evidently hate sin; and if you hate sin, are proofs that you are hated by Satan you must love holiness-you must love and beloved of the Lord. the Lord and if you love Him it is be DAVID AND ISAIAH; OR, VISITS TO AND FROM THE LORD. BELOVED, we were lately much struck with the idea of the important distinction there is between the Psalms of David and the prophecies of Isaiah, in one particular. In the former you will find the language is, for most part, that of David, addressing the Lord; in the latter it is the Lord addressing His people. The former is very blessed, the latter additionally so. In the one it is sweet and beautiful to approach the Lord in the spirit and very words of the Psalmist; yea, of the Psalmist's Lord, as the High-priest, and Daysman, and Forerunner (even as Man) of His people; in the other, it is so blessed, and comforting, and encouraging to listen to what the Lord says to His people, whereby He speaks home to their hearts, rebukes their unbelief, and encourages them to look to and trust in Him. See an example of this distinction, beloved, as annexed : ISAIAH. "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isa. xli. 10). "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isa. xliii. 25). "I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass ?" (Isa. li. 12). D. A FRAGMENT. GOD can give us no greater gift than me to receive." "But it is not too great himself. We may say, as one said to Cæsar, This is too great a gift for for me to give," answered Cæsar.Dyer. A VOICE TO THE PEOPLE. THE Word of God is a light shining in a dark place. That dark place is the world of fallen humanity-that Word is a divine revelation given to man. It is published to all; there are none who can justly say they are excluded from its addresses. It concerns men under two characters, the living and the dead. There are, nevertheless, three descriptions of persons to whom the Word of God is addressed; namely, the avowed enemy of God and goodness, the professed worshipper of God, and the sincere believer in Jesus Christ. To the first, properly speaking, the Word of God exhibits threatenings of speedy judgments; to the second, solemn warnings; and to the third, instruction, consolation, and encouragement. Thus the world may be described under the idea of a threefold circle, of which God is the centre, where He sits enthroned in majesty and holiness, clothed with almighty power to save, and armed with vengeance to destroy, in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. Oh, solemn thought! by the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the Church is saved; by the wrath of the Lamb, the world lying in wickedness, and dying in their sins, will be destroyed for ever. Within the inner circle stand the bloodbought host, redeemed from among men, called, chosen, and faithful. These stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion, sealed to the day of redemption; these sing the new song, sung by Miriam, by Deborah, by Hannah, by David, by Isaiah, by Mary, and by glorified saints. These, as victors, bear the palm and wear the crown; these, as priests of the Most High God, worship Him day and night in His temple. Even during their earthly sojourn, while absent from the Lord, having the earnest of the Spirit, they are singing the praises of God with heart and mouth, while they go forth in the wars of the Lamb with the two-edged sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, in their hands. Even now are they more than conquerors through Him that loveth them; even now they draw near to their Father in secret, and worship Him in spirit and in truth. These are the living, to be joined 66 to whom is better than to be found among the rich, the noble, the regal ones of this world. These are they of whom it is said, "I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God." Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thine help, and who is the sword of thine excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places" (Deut. xxxiii. 29). But, alas! these are not the only people to be found in the world; there are those who declare their sin as Sodom, while they say to God," Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways;" their works prove that they are enemies-to every good work reprobate; the whole tenor of their life is minding earthly things; while, as to the knowledge of God and of His Christ, the understanding is in utter darkness. These are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches, the world is evidently the place for them, and they are willing to make the best of it. They increase in riches; this is no marvel, seeing God hath set the world in their hearts, and it is their portion, and all their portion. It is, moreover, their choice; they desire no other, and hence they seek no other. Unhappy souls! wretched choice! miserable portion! So says the man who has tasted that the Lord is gracious, and who is seeking after a more enduring substance, knowing he has such in heaven. But the ungodly are not so; they have no such gloomy thoughts of this world as to reckon it a waste howling wilderness: it is not such to them-by no means. They have all that heart can wish; and have they not a sort of immortality n their sons and daughters? To be great in the earth, to found a family, to exercise authority over their fellows, or to gratify the sensual appetites, this is the heaven of the ungodly. Here is an outer circle. But we must describe a third. There are those who have a name to live while they are dead. There are those who, as to the external mode, are followers of Christ, disciples of Jesus, and wor- dignation-ready to burst upon the shippers of God; but, alas! it is only world-is overpast. This is the Word a garb, a cloak of covetousness, be- of the Lord unto you, O men; the unneath there lies ignorance of God, alien- godly, who prosper in the world, who ation from the life of God, a heart increase in riches, "Flee from the unchanged, a will unrenewed, con- wrath to come." This is the Word of science uncleansed, a spirit unhumbled; the Lord to you, professor, whoever in fact, death itself reigns there. That thou art, destitute of Christ, without soul is the very charnel-house of sin, God, without hope in the world, "Bethe abode of every unclean and hateful hold, all ye that kindle a fire, that comthing. Is the picture too gloomy? Is pass yourselves about with sparks: it not too true? Can words pourtray walk in the light of your fire, and in the the real state of that soul that comes sparks that ye have kindled. This shall habitually into the presence of God, ye have at mine hand: ye shall lie sits there eating and drinking in His down in sorrow." Hear the Word of presence as His people sit, forward- the Lord, ye that fear the Lord; it is perhaps the most forward of all-in all the voice of instruction: "Come out things pertaining to the outworks of from among them, and be ye separate; Zion? It may be, a deacon, an elder, a touch not the unclean thing." It is the visitor, or even a minister, in God's voice of consolation: "And I will be house, serving about holy things, and a Father unto you, and ye shall be my yet destitute of the true knowledge of sons and daughters, saith the Lord of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ, by hosts." It is a word of encouragement: His Spirit, which is-and is only-life" Who is among you that feareth the eternal. Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay himself on his God." God is jealous; He is a revenger; He will revenge the wickedness of the wicked, dying in his wickedness, on his own head. He will punish those who are settled upon their lees; the professor will not escape, for his life is among the unclean. And will He not correct thee, O Zion? Will He not judge thee, O people of the Lord? Will He not cleanse thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? Assuredly He will, with the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning. It is scarcely to be said which of these last two characters are farthest from God, which occupies the outer circle. But I fear some who seem to be the nearest the first, will be proved to be the farthest off-the last. And yet, strange to say, while the publican and harlot are left out, forgotten, as though they existed not, in the preaching of some, the professor, with the gold ring, and goodly apparel, and large contribution, is received almost unquestioned, courted, flattered. Oh for a tongue of flame, to scorch and wither this dreadful bane of the Church! Thine is the Word, most holy God, that shall tear the veil from deluded minds; and in While thousands are whispering sweet the light of thy truth no flesh shall words of peace, let one voice of warning stand. Thou seest this land-the men, reach thine ears. The time is at hand; its professors, its preachers, and its ex- the day draweth nigh; a day not of cellent ones of the earth. Come forth, light, but of darkness; not of joy and O arm of the Lord, and scatter the gladness, but of sorrow; not of triumph, enemies of Zion. Go forth, O thou but of sadness. Men may have perlamp of God, and enlighten the earth suaded thee into a sleep, men may have with thy bright shining, that men may deluded thee into a stupor, so that with no more call good evil, and evil good. the false Church-the foolish virginsCall up the attention, fire the hearts of thou mayest be slumbering. Hear what thy saints on that flaming Word, "That God saith: "Awake, thou that sleepest, which is born of the flesh is flesh, and and arise from the dead, and Christ that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." ." shall give thee light." Canst thou not Call away thy people from the harlotries discern this time? Cast the eye abroad; of Rome; call them to thy bosom, to what dost thou see? Is the beast makthy shadow, to thy rest, to thy house, ing no advances on the earth? or, otherto thy temple, to thyself, until the in-wise, are not his strides rapid? Are |