Hol/1 t.o die comfortably. are here on earth: They were compaffed wi1h temptations, and clog'd with fltlh, and burdened ~ fin, and perfecured by the world, and they went out of the world by ficknds and death as we n do: and yet now their tears are wip~d away, th~ir p.tins and groans and fears are rurned1 into umu pr<~bk ~J_dfednefs and joy ; And would we not be with them.? Is nor t~eir company dtGrable? ":~ rhea fehc!ty more dcfirable? The glory of the new Jerujjlcm IS not dcfcnbed to us in vain Rf C."" 22· God will be all in all there to us,. ~s the only tun and Glory of that world ; and yet. wevfh:~l have pleafurc, nor only to fee our Glonfied Redeemer, bur alfo tO convcrfe with the Heavenly foci t ~nd w fir down wi1h Abr~b.1m, Jf.zac and Jacob in t~e. Kingdom of God, and to Love and Praife ~i~ 111 conf rt and harmony with all thofe holy bldfed fpmrs. And fhall we be afraid to follow wh the Sainrs_of all Gencr~tions have gone before us? ~nd lhall the company of our bejl and ~oft aer~~ b,tppirjt fncnds, be no mducemcnt ro us? Though 1t mull be our highdl joy to think that we 0Ja!I dwell with Gnd, O.nd ne~t that we{hall fee the Glory of Chrill, yet is ir no frna\l parr of my comfort to confider, that I fha:l follow all thofe holy pcrfons, whom I once convcrfed wirh that a c fl.Onc before me, and rhJt [ flull dwell wirh fitch as HcnociJ and E/illf, and Abraham and Mofu anrd Re., r: he~~ J /)bar.cl DavU, and }lcur and Jolm ~nd PJul and Timothy, and lgn.1tiUf and P f)·carp.e, and Cypri,;n and ;~,~~n/~;:. 1(;1~ NJzi~1·zene :md A:tt.uflinr and CbiJ{uflume and Bern:.~rd, and ~er [on, and Savon.Jrola and Miraxdula, and \ ~I 01, n !u~ Tau!erJU andKempifilu, and !11claltl1hm and ALa[eo, and Calvm and Bucholtzer, and BuUi11gerand M.Jif'm~ 11 mg.: w: en IJJJ, and Z.znchy and Bucer, and Par.eJU and Gr)IUUf, and ChemnitiiH and Gerbard, and Chamier and pte•uh conC<~pellur, and B!ondtl and Rivet, and Rogerr and Bradford, and Haoper and Latimcr, and Hildtrjh.Jm and ten~rrsdo,de- A mcfU!, and Langlcyand NicoUr, and Whit:~kJr and C-.Jrtwrif!,ht and Hool{_tr and B.1yne, and Prcjton and ~~tt;1(rb._aSibber, and PerkJnr and Dod, and Parker and BaU, and Vjh£r and HaU, and GataJter and Bradjhaw dnJ.ew7l\1 tr~- and Viner and Afo, and millions more of the family of God: I oame rhefe for my own dclieht and ccive thor~ comfort; it being pleafant to me to remember what companions 1 flull have in the heavenly" joyes whom fltllcn and praifes of my LIJrd. How fe~v are all the Sa.ints on earth, in compuifon of rhofe that are no\~ :1: 1 .J. ~rouJ do· with Chrifi? And, alas, how weak and ignorant and corrupr, how fclfi01 and contentious and ~~:~d~~~fl frowJrd, 2.re Gods poor infanrs here in fldl1, when above there is nothing bur Holincfs and PufeCl:ion? our,:1nJ vilifie If Knowledge or Goodnefs or any excellency do make the creatures truly amiable, all this is there ;~;rJ;-~J~n~ in the highdl degree ; but /~rr~, alas, how lictle have we? If the Love of God~ or the Love of ur, do make others Lovrly to u~, tt IS tbere and not bere that rhcfc and all perfed:rons flouri01. 0 how much now, do I tind the compJny of· the wife and learned, the godly and fincere, to differ from rhc: corr!pany of the ignorant, bruitijh, the proud and mafitio1u, the J'alfe-heartcd and ungodly 1 ·abble J How fweet is the couverfc of a holy, wift, experienced Chrijlian ? 0 then what a place is the new Jeru{alem l and how pltafant will it be with Saints and ·Angels to See and Love and Praife the Lord. Diretl. 8. §· 8. Diu tl. 8. 11JJt fick..mfi a1td dedtb mtJy be cgmfvrt.Jb/e to you, M your pajfagt to Eternit)•, tak,.e notice of the feal and earnrjf of God even the {pirit of grace which he bath put into yo11r heartJ, That which emboldened P.mt and fuch others to graan after immortality ; and to be moft wiliing to be abfent from the body and pre[ent with the Lord, was becaufe God himfelf had "R!rDIIght er made tbem for it, and given them the earnc{l or pledge of hH Jjirit, 2 Cor. 5· 4, 5, 8. for this is Gods mark;_ upon his chofen and jufiified ones, by whic=h they are fealcd up to the day of their redemptien : Ephcf. 4· 30. Ephcf. r. I3· In wham a/fo tJfter ye believtd, ye wert foaled with that h~Jiy Spirit of promi[c. 2 c~r. 1. 21, 22· God hafh anuointed ur, and fealcd nr, and givm Uf the pledge or earntjt of hM fPirit i1tto our heart!. This is rhe pledge or tarmft of our inherita11ce. Ephef. r. 14· And what a comfort fhould it be to us, when we look towards Heaven to tind fuch a pledge of ~God within us ? {f you fay, 1(ear I have not this earneft of the fPirit: Whence then did your difiru of holinefr arifc? what weamdyou from tbt worl~, and _made you place your bop_u and happi1zejl above ? whence came your e1 tmityto fin, and Oppofitton to tt, and your earnefi defues after 1he Glory of God, the profpcriry of the Gufpel, and the geed of fouls? The very Love of Holillfji and holy per[um, and your defim to ~now God and perfectly Love him, do !hew that heavenly 1tature or [pirit within you, which is your fureH evidence for eternal life: ·For that fpirit was fent from heaven, to draw up your J1earts, and h! you for it: And God dorh not give you fuch natures and defiret and preparatiOJts in vain. Thisalfo is called, 7.'be witm[r of the fpirit, witb (or to) our JPitit, tbat ~re are tht r1 ·ildren ofGod: and if Children then heirs: heirr of God, af!d joint-bcits with Cbrijf, Ram. 8. 15, 6, 17. It wit· mffetb our adoption, by evidencing it ; as a feat or pled1,e dorh witncfs our title to 1.:1at which is fo confirmed ro us. Thenatureof every thing is fuited to its ufe and end: God would not have given us a heavenly nature or defire, if he had not intended us for Heaven. Dire[/. 9 , 9· 9· Dire&. 9· Loo"- alfo eo the trftimOJryof aholy life, fince grace h•tb imple;cd Y'" ;, feekjng afttr So Ht-v~ab. tbt beavenl)' inheritance. Il is unlawful and perillous to look after any works or righrcou{uefs of your own fo as to fet it in whole or in part, infiead of Cbrift, or to afcribe to it any honour rhar is proper to'him; As to imagine that you arc innocent, or have fulfilled the Law, or have made:: God a compcnfation by your merits or fuff.:rings,for the fin you have ~ommitred : But yet you mull judge your[elves on your fick._ hcdi as near as you can, a.s God will Judge you : And he wiU judge every man according to hH work._; and will recompenfe and reward men according to their works: Matt~. 25 39, 40, &c. WrU done good and faithful [ervant! 1bou hafl hem f•itbful over a li1tle ; I wtU mak._e thee ruler over much : Come .Ye bltffed nf my falher, inherit the Kingdam prep.~rcd foryou -for I trM httngry andye [id me, &c.- Htb. 5·9· He it the author of tttnt.Jt (alvation to all them th.at obey him; Matth. 7· 24125. who[oever heareth thefe fayings of mine and dath them, I wiU fik,.en bim to 4 wife man tbat h:~ilt hif boufe upan a rock.._--- Rev. 22· Blrffed are tht;• th$t da bit commandmenu,
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