)10 Of HEAVEN. Chap. X. Communio~ of Saints here, that they are an exclufive Bar_ from rbc Kingdom of Heaven Btlt I h11ve n:witten to yott, not to k~ep CompAny, if any that ts c~lled a _Brotlier be a Fornicator. :,:;;~;~o::~: o; c::.~~~;~e~, ;~d fn::;,~_:;/,"~::::~=~i;~:e~r~fo:~;~~;e;;h:;::~itJch a ;:i of God? Be not decewed: nnther Form~ators, nor Idolaters, nor .Adtt_ nor Covetcus, nor Drunkards, nor Revtlers, nor Extortioners foal! t God, 1 Cor. 6 .. 9, to. If one that is truly a Child of God fall into any of thefe 1 by an extraorchnary Repen.tan~e he is prepared for Pardon, he cannot. ob_tain it, nor, have a comfortable hope of entnng mto Heaven, For only thofe JVho are 1ujfijied, are glorified. Indeed it is not imaginable where the Seed of Godremams, the vital Principle of Grace as it. does in tt!l tbat are born of God, but that notorious Sins that cannot be concealed f;om the:view of Confcience, will caufe flings and farrows pmportionable to their malignity a.nd confequently a hatred and forfakingof them.. NowPerfeverance l'rincipally refpel}; the End ot our Comfe: There may be mterrupuons m the way for a lime; but if with renewed Zeal and Diligence we profecute our bleffed End, we ihall not fall ihort of it. fev~:~;:~~ ,1e~0 ~~~~~~~va:l0th~~~~~ ~~~af~~~~,.~~!U:~p~~d?t~~hTs,h"r~~~~0he~h~n~~t ty may be difcovered by conflancy in Obedience under all Trials. Bleffed is the Manthdt mdureJ Te'!'pt11t ion, for when he. is tried, he /ball receive the Crown of Life, which the Lard lwh promifidto themthat!O'Vehim. The Law required unfinning Obedience as the Con. dition of Life, the Gofpel accepts of Sincerity; but if that be wanting, there is no Promife that gives right to the Reward. Now Sincerity implies fuch an entire Love of God as makes a l'erfon fubmir to all Duties commanded in his Law, and all Trials appointed by his Providence. A high Example we have of this in Abraham, when he was commanded to oflh up his only Son lfoac, and by his own Hands, for a Burnt-of!ering. Th1s was to kdl a d?uble Sacnfice at oneBlow ; for the L1fe of Abrabam was bound up in I{aac: he hved m lum more dearly than m h1mfelf; all ills Joy, all Ills Poflerity by Sarah had died in lfoac. What refentments, what refifiance of Nature did he fuf!er? yet prefently he addrefs'd himfelf to perform his Duty. Who ever faw a more glorious Villory over all the tender and powerful Paffions of humane Nature? 0 unexamp]ed Obedi. ~~~d lt.bei~~t:~ t~j;~:~:! ~i;a~f;bl:te~~~~;n~fo~i~i~f~~~ri;y~ ~~~~~~~e~ ~~Ir'~of:~~ Heayen, Now I know that thou fearejl .God, Jeetng thou haft not wtthheld tfJy Son, thine only Son from me. And 'tis fa id concermng the followersof the Lamb, that they lcved not their Lives unto the pwb. The Love ol Chrifi that am mated them in all their Sufferings, was fweeter than Ltfe, and fironger than Death. Indeed there was a wonderful difference in th< behaviour of tbe Martyrs under Sufferings, but in, all the fame Perfevering Grace was evident, tho working varioufly. Some in the mofi beautiful Flower of their Age encounter'd Fire and Sword, Tormenters and Torments, with that fenfible Joy, with thofe Songs of Praife to Chrilt, as if they faw the Heavens open with St. Stephen, and their Saviour ready tO receive and crown them~· ~~~irr:~r.dc ~~~~:"~,i~~~~1r:~;~p~:?tff:e7o:e:~~~~-s, ~~~tn ~~a~·1i~g ~h~b'~.~~~:5Be~~stl;~a~11t~~;c~~e~~· firuck with horror; at the fight of the Executioners and the Infl:rum~ms ofTorment, they were pale and trembling. The Flefl1 feem'd to cry out, 0 let tlm Ct~p pafs from me; yet weak and faint, it fo!Iowed the Spirit, that correB:ed the natural delire, with not my JtVi/1, but thine be done. As the Moon in Eclipfe, tho obfcure, yet goes on in a regular courfe, as when 'tis full of Light by the reBellion of the Sun: fo thofe defolate Martyrs, tho as it were for fa ken, and deprived of the bright Beams of Comfort, yet perfever'd in their Profeffion of the Truth. When one Word to renounce Chrifiianity would have faved them, no Torments could force it from them, bur they patiently endured all. Now in thcfc the Combat of Nature was vifible, and the admirable Power of Grace. ~~~ie~~~i~~~fic~~k ~~c:;;~~o~d:r~~~~~·;~'~,~a.~~bl~~ ~~a~;~:' aP~J';h~~ci~,~~r~!ft; ~~- their Pcrfecutors. In them was verified the Teftimony of the Spirit, Here iJ the p4tience of tl" Saints: Here are they that keep tbe Command of God and the Faith of 'Jefees. But how many appear faithful while tl1eir Faith is notto be fl1ewed by difficult Works, and proved by Suft'erings? The Seed that fell on the fiony Ground, fprang up as hopeful as the Seed in the good Ground at firfl; but when Tribulation came, it w•ther'd a way, want m~
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