Book VI. 1!.-colltng unto jJefttS'. Chap. 2. Sect. 7· 637 -------- 3. Chrifl's fenrence is the Chriflian's acquittance; (I may call it his general acquittance from the beginning of the worl.d to the end thereof. ) Hence fome call rhis the day of rhe believers full jtill:ification; they were before made jufl, and elle<med jufl, but now by a lively fenrence rhey f},.ll be pronoune<d juft by Chri(! himfelf; now is the com~ pleat acquittance, or the full abfolurion from all fin; now will Chi-if! pardon, and fpeak out his pardon once for all; now will he tak!' his book ( wherein all our fins, as fo many debts or trefpafTes are wrirren) and he will cancel all; Yom· jim [hall be blotted Mt Acts 3 , 19 , (faith Peter) when tbe time of refrejhing foal! cowe from the prefence•f the Lord. And is nor rhis enough ro caufe our joy? when the Spirit witnelling withour fpirirs dorh but in part afTure us of Iins pardon, is it nor ex~eoding fweet? oh bur how fweet will be that fenrence, which will fully refolve the quelhon, and leave no room of doubting any more forever? conlrder 0 my foul, the day is acoming, when the Judge of Heaven and Earth will acquit thee of all thy fins before all the World; it is a parr of his bufinefs at that day ro gloritie his jultice and free grace in thy abfolution. 0 Chriflians I how may we comfort one another with thefe words? · 4. Chrift in the iiTue will lead us into glGry. As rhr Bridegroom if<er nuptials , leads his Bride to his own home, that there they may live together, and dwell to– gether; fo Chrifl our royal Bridegroom will lead us into the Palace of his glory. And is not this joy of our Lord enough to caufe our joy? Oh what embraces of love, what lhaking of hands, whai welcomes /hall we ,have into this City? there /hall we fee Chriit in his garden, there lhlll we be fet as a feal on Chrill's arme, and as afeal upon his heart; there f!Jall we be fiiled with his love , enlightned with his light , encircled in hi• armes, following his !leps, and praifing his Name, and admiring his glory; there J!lali we joy indeed, For in thy pnfence there u fulnefs of j•y, •nd at thy Pfal. r6. tr. righe hand there arc pleafures evermore. There is joy, and full joy , and fulnefs of joy ; there are ple.afures, and pleafures evermore, ~nd pleafures evermore ar God's right hand. 0 .the mufick of the SanCluary! 0 rhe hnlefs and well tuned Pf1lms! 0 the fongs of rhe high Temple, without either Temple or Ordinances, as we have them here ! can we choofe to joy at rhe thought of this joy above ? if God would fo difpenfe , tha~ even now we might ftand at the urmoft dore of Heaven , and that God would ftrik.e up a window,_and give us a fpirirual eye, . ~nd an heavenly heart, fo that we could look in, and behold the Throne, and the Lamb, and the troops of glorified ones doathed in white ; would nor this ehear up·our beans, and fill rhem with joy unfpeakable, and full of glory? certainly this day will come, when Chrift will bring us nor onely to the dore, but through the gates iNto ihe City. and rhen we lhall fee all rhefe fights, and ~ear all the mufiek inade in Heaven, how then lhould we bur joy in the hope cf the glory of God? 0 methinks raifed thoughts of our manfion in glory, flrould m•ke us fwim through the deepeft Sea of troubles, and afflictions, and never fear. Come rben, 0 my drowzyfoul, and hearken to thefe motives, if yet rhou feeft nor the Sun ir fdf appear, methinks rhe twilight of a promife fl10uld revive thee ; it is but a little while, And he rhat jhall come, will come, and he will not r•rry. It may be thou art re¥iled, and perfecured here on Earth, a!Id what rhen? bath nor Chrifi bid thee to rejoyce in ajflicl:ionJ? is it nor his·word, rhat in this very cafe thou lhouldeft rejoyce, Matth. 5., 2 • and be exmding glad?, - is it not his command, Think_. it noc flr•nge concerning the 1 Pet. 4· '3· fiery try11ls~ bM Yatber reJ·o)'Ce, in M much Mye ltY'e partak.!rs of Chrifl-"s fujferings, that · when hu glory {h.1ll be ·revealed, ye may be glad aifo with exwding joy. We mufl rejoyce now, that we tmy rejoyce then; indeed our prefenr joy is a ralte of our furure joy, and God woulJ have us ro begin our Heaven here on Earrh. Come then, come fonh, 0 '?Y dull congealed heart! rhou that fpenddl: thy days in forrow, and thy breath m J,ghing, that minglel1: rhy bread wir/1 rears, and drinkeft rhe tears which rhou weepeft ; thou rhar prayeft for joy, and waiteft for joy, and longe!l for joy, and complame!l for want of joy; 0 the time's a co'ming, when rhou illllt have fulnefs of joy; the rime's a coming when the Angels /hall bring thee to Chri!l, and when Chrift IJJall rake thee by the lnnd, and lead thee into his purchafed joy, .and prefent thee unfporred befor~ hi; Father •. and give rhee_thy _place about his Throne; and doft thou nor rejoyce in this : arr thou not exceedi~gly raifed in fuch aMeditation as this? furely if on~ drop of lively faith were bur mixed with-rhefe motives, rhou mlghteft carry an Heaven within thee, an.! go on ever finging to thy grave; fay then, doft thou belteve? or d'Qft. thou nor believe? if thy. faith be firm, how llrould'ft thou bur rejoyce? i~ thourolleil:thyfelfon Chrifl,~n~on that pwmi~e, I will fee you again, and •, JOI'r
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