5 8 The prefent andfuture Advantage Vol. II. SecondThing I propofed, as the great Advantage indeed, Viz. The glorious Reward of a Holy and Virtuous Life in another World, which is here called ever- lafling Life; And the end everlafling Life : by which the Apo(tle intends to ex- prefs to us, both the Happinefs of our future State, and the Way and Means whereby we are preparedand made meet to be made partakers of it and that is by the confiant and fincereEndeavours ofan holy and good Life. For 'tis they only that have their fruit unto holinefs, whole end shall be everlaflingLife. I (hall fpeak briefly to thefe two, and fo conclude my difcourfe upon this Text. I. The Happinefs of our future ftate, which is here expreft by the name of ever- lofting Life 5 in very few words, but fuch as are of wonderful weight and fignifi- cancy : For they import theExcellency of this (fate, and the Eternity of it. And who is fuflicient to fpeakto either ofthefe Arguments? Both ofthem are too big to enter now into the heart of Man, too vaft and boundlefs tobe comprehended by humane uniderftanding, and too unweildy to be manag'd by the Tongue of Men and Ange s, anfwerable to the unfpeakable greatnefs and glory of them. And if I were able to declare them unto you, as they deferv'd, you would not be able tohear me. And therefore I (hall chufe to fay but little upon an Argument, of which I cannever fay enough, and (hall very briefly confider thofe two things which are comprehended in that fhort defcription, which the Text gives usof our future Happinefs, by the name of everlafling Life, viz. The Excellency of this fiate, and theEternity of it. I. TheExcellency ofit, which is here reprefented to us underthe notionofLife, the molt deferable of all other things, becaufe it is the Foundation of all other Enjoyments whatfoever. Barely tobe in being, and to be fenfible that we are fo, is but a dry Notion of Life. The true Notion of Life is tobe well and to be happy, vivere eft bené valere. Theywho are in the moli miferablecondition that can be ima- gin'd, are in being, and fenfible allo that theyare miferable. But this kind of Life is fo far from coming under the true Notion of Life, that the Scripture calls it the fecond death. Revel. 21. 8. it is therefaid, that The wicked (hall have their part in the lake that burneth withfire and brimflone, which is the fecond death. And Chap. 20. ver. 6. Bleffed and holy is he, that'hath part in thefirft Refurre&- on, on fuch the fecond death (hall have no power. So that a {late of meet mifery and torment is not Life but Death ; nay the Scripture will not allow the Life of a wicked Man in this World to be true Life, but fpeaks of him as dead. Ephef. 2. r. fpeaking of the (inners among the Gentiles, 2"0u, faith the Apoftle, bath he quickned who were dead in trefpafes and fins. Andwhich is more yet, the Scripture calls a Life of finful Pleafures (which men efteem the only Happinefs of this world) the Scripture, I fay calls this a Death, i Tim. 5. 6. She that liveth in pleafures, is dead whilfi fhe liveth. A lewd and unprofitable Life, which ferves to no good end andpurpofe, is a Death rather than a Life. Nay, that decaying and dying Life which we now live in this World, and which is allayed by the mixtureof fo many infirmities and pains, of fo much trouble and forrow ; I fay, that evert this fort of Life, for all that we are fo fondly in love with it, does hardly de- ferve the name of Life. But theLife ofthe Wold to come, of which we now fpeak, this is Life indeed; to do thofe things whichwe were made for, to ferve the true Ends of our Being, and to enjoy the Comfort and Reward of fo doing, this is the true notion of Life ; and whatever is lefs than this, is Death, or a de- gree of it, and approach towards it. And therefore very well may Heaven and Happinefsbe defcrib'd by the notion of Life, becaufe truly to live and to be happy are words that fignifie the fame thing. But what kindof Life this is, I cannomore defcribe to you in the particulari- ties of it, than Columbus could have defcribed the particular Manners and Cu- {toms of the people of America, before he or any other perfon in thefe parts of the World had Peen it or been there. But this I can fayof it in general, and that from the infallible teftimony of the great Creator and glorious Inhabitants of that Bleffed place,that it is a (fate ofpurePleafureand unmingled Joys, of Pleafures more manly, more fpirhual, and more refined, than any ofthe Delightsof fence, confuting in the enlargement of our Minds and Knowledge to a greater degree, and
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