Page:Sermons on the Lord's Prayer.djvu/62

 and more purified from evils and falses; his natural mind is coming more into a state of agreement and conjunction with his spiritual mind, and both with the Lord. The Lord's will with him is constantly more and more perfectly done "on earth as in heaven." The good and truth that he internally thinks and wills, he is enabled to bring more and more into life and act, into look, word, and deed. Thus, the kingdom of heaven is becoming established within him; the laws of heaven, which are the Divine commandments, are becoming the laws of his life; the truths of heaven are more and more enlightening his understanding, and the loves of heaven filling and warming his heart. Thus, he is becoming prepared for the heavenly state; and when at length the Lord sees that it is the full time, the purified spirit is withdrawn from the material body, and enters into a state of spiritual and celestial blessedness; it comes into association with the spirits of just men made perfect, who have done their work and gone before; it is among beatified spirits, itself a beatified spirit. The battle has been fought and the victory won, and now he receives the crown: the hours of labor and struggle are over,—the hour of reward and glory has arrived. And who can tell that reward,—who can conceive that glory? Thousands of years and of ages of peace, delight, and joy are before that blessed spirit. He has reached the happy land and the blissful fountains. Earth and its cares are left below and behind him:—heaven and its everlasting joys are before him, to be more and more deeply enjoyed for ever. He hears the joyous salutation,