Mat. I L• 18. Rev. n 17. Sic &terlia fine fucc~f]ione, di– ftriburafille dimmurio11e, comm~nis fine jnvidta~ beata Ji.neo,nnimife· rw. Luke 12 32· Vfe. .m>oom~£>· bap. Imagine what a blcffed day will this be to the godly, when ll:anding on the right h d of the Judge, they fhall hear the heavenly mufick of their happy fentence, Come~n, blej[ed ofmy Father, mhmt the Kmgdom p~epared for yoa from the beginning ofthe worlt In which grac1ous fpeech we may_ obferve four gradations. Firll:, a gentle invitation' Come. Secondly, a fwcct bcned1Chon, yeble(Jed of my father. Thirdly, heavens pof. fetlion, znhmt the_ Kmgdom. Fourthly, a glortous ordmat1on to felicity, preparedfor youfrom the begmmng of the world, . Firft you have Come.] It IS the fweet VOICe of Chrift inviting the Saints before a d now giving their welcome to his heavenlyCanaan: he hath called often, Come, all th:t labot~r: Come, all that trav<l: The Spirit and the Bride fay, Come, and let him that hear. eth,ft~y, Com<, and let h•m that u ath~rft come, Thus he calls all men to-his grace but only the elect to h1s glory: Now he defires every man to come, but the righteous ~lone fhall havethisWel-<ome. 0 how leaps that foul with joy, that hears this voice of her fwe~t Sav1our ! all the mufick of Angels cannot fo ravifh the minde, as this voice of our Sav10ur glads the foul; now are the gates of Heaven open, an'd the Judge, who is Ma– il:er of the fcall:, bids thcgucfrs Come and Welcome. But who a~e they, IebtefJed •fmy Father.] Aword able to make them ble!Ted, when pronounced. Down on your knees rebelltous fons; and fo long as yoo live on earth beg, pray, fue for the bletling of your Father in heaven. They that are Gods fervancs' are no leffc his fons ;_ therefore every morn, night and noon, ask bletling boldly, agd God w1ll bellow 1t ltberally. The firll: Sermon that ever Chrifr prGached was full of blctlings, Matth. 5. Bldfed are the poor i11fpirit, Bl•fJed are they that moun. Blejfed aro the meek., Blej[edare the mmiful. And as he begun, fo he concludes, Come ye blejfed, ye blcj[ed of my Father. · Mull: they come? For what? To inherit the Kingdom.] Of all tenures inheritance is bell:, of all inheritances a Kingdom is moll: excellent; but that alllhall inherit, and that .there is no fcantling, this is Heavens wonder, and the Angels bliffe. An heavenly in- . heritancc fure, ·that is cantintted witht~ntflu.:cejfion, divided without diminution .. com111J)!J without envie, for ever happy, and withom all mifery. This is the inheritance of thejuft, the poffctlion whereof makes every Saint no leffc glorious than aKing. Kings are they indeed, whofe dominions are not limited, nor their borders bounded, nor their people numbred, nor the time of their reignc prefcrtbcd. Such glorious tbings~re fpci(:n ofther, 0 thou City of God, Is this their inheritance? but upon what right? It is preparedfur yoJt from the begin– fling •f che world.] Had the Lord fuch care to provide for his children before they were? how may his fons triumph born to fuch dignity? God will fo certain their falvation, · that hehath prepared it for them from before the foundation of the world. 0 bletTed fools, if you be Gods fcrvants ! though a while you fuffer forrow and tribul acion, yet here is the hope ofSaints, le isJot<r Fathersgood pleafim to give;ou the Kingdome. Hea– ven is prepared of old, there is the place of Gods majefty, and there the S•ints of God fhall receive the crown, the rewardof victory. I cannot exprcffc what thi3 joy affords to the one halfe of it. Come, bleffed fouls bathed in repenting tears: here is a fentence able to revive the dead, much more the af– fliC1:cd. Arc you now forrowing for your fins? Leave it a while, and meditate with me on this enfuing melody. Hear )'ond<r a q~tire of Angels, afong •f Sion, an hcaunly con fort ,foundmg to the Judge whileft he is pronouneing •fthyfemence. Blcffed fouls! how pant you dances at the uttering of each fyllable? Come] faith our Swiour, and if he but fay Come; joy, happineffe, glory, felicity, all come on heaps into the endeared fouL T• blej[cd] faith our Saviour, a~d ~the but fay BltfJed; the Angcls,Archangcls,Ch,erublms, Scraphims, all joy at the cn1oytng of th1s bleffed company. J;;hmt the Kmgacm] f.11th our Saviour,and it he but fay mhnu;crowns, fcepters, garlands,d1adcms,all thcfc nrc the inheritance of Gods adoptfd children. Preparedfor ;ou,] faith our Saviour, ond if he but fay Prepared· the love,mercy,elci:tion,compatlion ofour Lord will fhine forth to the foul ,to her evcrl;ll:ing comfort.O ravifhing voice!/ chargeyott.O dmt<~htcrs of']'emfalcm,ifym jinde my well-beloved, that you tell h•m I am.fck_oflove. \Vhat elfe? you t_hat arC(,ods fervants arc no leffe his fpoufe; your foul1sthc brtde, and when the day IS come (thiS day of doom) God givey.u joy, the joy ofheavertfor ever and ever. But I muft turn to the left hand, and fhew you another crew prepared for another fentcnce. . . . , And what a terrible fentencc will that be,whteh at firft hearmg"V11ll make all ears g.ow and
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