, Of DE AT H. Chap. IV. We fhall be in the glorious Prefence of God and Chrifl:, where is fulnefs of Joy, and infinite Pleafurufor ever. 'Tis fa id of Abraham, he rejoic'd tofee the. Day of Chrijl, two thoufand Years before his co.ming: When by Faith he faw the Incarnation of the Son of God, in order totheredernpuon of Men, tt put !urn mto an extafy. Yet then our Saviour was born to Sorrows and Miferies. But how ravifhing is the fight of our Redeemer, Jet down on the right H.nd of the Majejly on high, having purged our Sins by himfelf, and accomplifh'd our Salvation? Now we are abfentfrom God, yet in believing his infalhble Promifes, we rejoice with a Joy unJPe.kable and t,lortotts: But how much more )Oyful is the fruition of them ? ~~~e;t~~~I~v~:a~;~~~:~~n1~!~~i~~st~fu~,~h~~.~~~rr~~~n!:~ ;:~:~di1;~~[;J;:~~ ~is~~: mediate Excellencies are made known. ' This Bleffednefs exceeds all our Thoughts and explicite Defires, and requires the elofe~e~~dafndh~~~~~~~~fo~,"~ fa~~el~oc!~~-I! /o~~\he~~ll:b;~~FetaS~~~!:~ :i'r:,~i~g~~eo~~~ Glory (hall transform us into his Likenefs; weJhall be like him, for we jhaO fee him as he is. 1 Job. l· This fhall produce in us the moll: pure and ardent Love; and Love fhall be attended with inexpreffible Joy, and that with the highe/1: Praifes of the bleffed God, whofe influxive Prefence is the Heaven of Heavens. And that which crowns all is, that the Life above is Eternal. This fatisfies all our Defires, a~d excludes all our Fears.= for Unchangeablenefs is an infeparable Attribute of perfeCt FeliCity.. The Bleffed are mfull Com':"umon With God, the Fountam of Life, and Chrijl the Prmce of Life. Becaufe I /we, faith our SaviOur, ye jhall live alfo. What can interrupt, much lefs put an end to the Happinefs of the Saints? The Love of God is immutably fix'd upon _them, and their Love upon him. Here their Love is fubjea to decays and gradual ahenauons; as the Needle m,the Compafs; though It always has a tendency to the North·Pole, yet fometimes it declines and has its variations. But in Heaven the Love of the Saints is direaJy and conll:antly fet upon God. The Light of his Co11ntenance governs all their AffeCtions. 'Tis as impoffible to divert their Defires from hi!,ll, as to caufe one that is inflam'd with Thir/1:, to leave a clear flowing Spring for a noifom Puddle. In !~~t~r~~~;h :h~;~e~ ::ri~~~~~:l:e·~~~~~,'d; ~~dt~~r:h~~ ~~ J."J:~~~~e p~~.Sls?d ~~ ~~ Saints : the Circle of their Employment is to enjoy and praife the Divine Goodnefs fo= ever. Now is not the blelfed Exchange a Chriflian makes of the prefent Life, for that whicb is infinitely better, fuf!icient to make Death not fearful, nay defirable to him? The regular wellgrounded hope of this will compofe the thoughts in the neare/1: approach and apprehenfion of Death : No other Principles or Refolutions are able to vanquifh the Terrors of our ]aft Enemy. And this Happinefs was purchas'd for us by theevedall:ing Treafure ~f our Saviour's Blood. The Sausfuetwn of hiS Suffenngs was meutonous, as the Ment of hiS aCtive Obedience was fatisfying. CHAP. IV. T/,e I'J{_eafom·wiry 'Believen dye, and are in the ftate ofDeat/, for~ time, llotwit/,fiandi>~ the fling of Death is tak.m away• . Sin is abolijht by Death. Their Graces are eminently exercifed in the encounter wrth the lajl Enemy. .Tbe Natural 'Body ts 110t capable of the Celejlial Life. The fJI..ejrtrreCiton of the Satnts 11 delayed tr/1 tbe coming of [/!rift. The rR.!furreEiion pro'Ved from fJ/..!l>elatioll ; and t/,e pojjibilrty of it by I'J{_eafon. How the fll..!furreEfion of Cbrift is an ajfttrance of tf,e happy rf?..efur: reElion of the Saints. BEfore I proceed to the third Head, I fhall refolve a Qgell:ion, H?w it comes_topafs, fince Believers are freed from the Sting of Death, that they die, and remam mthe !late of Death for a time. ~~rt~~;s~~~~·, :ll0t~~v~~r~f;:~?r~~s that cleave to the Saints in this Life, a:e abolilli'd. The Body is dead becaufeof Sm: Rom. 8. And what 15 more becommg the wife and holy Providence of God, than that as by Sin Man was at fir/1: made fub)ect to Death, fo by * - Death
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