·A Form of Ex/,ortation to t/,e Godly m SickneJs. And will he fuffer a chofen foul ~o perifh for whom he hath paid fo dear a price? A Chrifi in Hea- JohnJ- 1 ~,~~~ vcn rhac had never been on earth, would have Cccmed a ftranger to us, and o~e that neVer w~s ac- ~~~~\~~~~;· qua.inred with our miferies, nor had tefiifi.ed his Love at fo dear a rate, as mtght ~ave c~nvmced, John 1 s. 9 • :wd encouraged, and won our hearts. And a Chrifi on earth, that had not paffcd tor us Jnt? Hca- John6. 3'9· vrn, would have feerned to us 'but an infuffi~ient couqucred friend ! and were unfit to provide us a M.mfion with the Father, and ro receive our fouls when they are fcparare~ fi-orn the ftelh. But now wr have a gtiat High Prieft tb.tt i.r p<1Jftd into the Heaven!, and wa.r i;t all points tempted lik._e ar we are, J•t't without ji11 ; and therefore c~.m be touched with the fcrling of nttr infirmities: And thErefore we may come boldly to the 1hrone 1{Grace, that we rnsy obtain mercy, and find f!.Tace t~ help in time of ntcd, HLb. 4· 14 1 15 1 16. This is your time of nud: And here is a fupply for all your nce~s. As we may come boldly throu'gh our High Pridt to .the1brom ojGr.1ce, fo may we boldly pafs by fm conduct inro the prefeHcr of God in glory. For he is purpofcly gone .befo.rc .to prep.Jre a pl~ce fot MJ that wlure he i:1 there we may' he alfO. John 14• 1, 2, 3· 0 what a JOY IS 1r' to our deputmg !ouls, that we have our Head and Saviour already in poffdtlon of the Kingdom which we are paffing to ! 'Whac a fupport and joy is ·it to receive this metTage from our Afcending Head, Say to ':ry ~ret~rm, J·a[cwd to my Father and yottr Father, to my God and your God? .John 2.0. 17· What a JOY ts It co read his Promife, John 12· z6. If any manferve me, a11d lct.hml"[oUuw me; and whe.re I am, tb~re jhall alfo nry j(rvaiJt he ? You have fervtd him, and are j1J/Io~m1g IJJm> and now are gomg tobe wub him where be U. There you Oul\ be delivered from the darkmfs of this world: How dimly did we fee through the Lanthorn of the fl..Ch? Ho\V little did we know? and how much were we ignorant of? And what pains did our little knowledge cofi us? But there one fight of the face of God, will put an end w this long~ome night; and will (hew you that which all the reading ancHhtdy of a thoufand years,could never famfa&orily have fuc:wn you. There you 01all undcrf\and the worl.!J of God; the frame of the Creaiion; the the place, a1Jd office, and reo[on of all ;hings, which here you knew not! The myfte· ,·kr of thC Gofpel, whiCh Angels pry into, will be there much more unfolded to you, than the clcarefi Divines w<:re able to explain them. All Science~ there fuall beone Panfophie; ~nd all things .know~ HrS. !:. 2 z; able ~all aJ.pear ro you, in their wondrous perfc:d' harmony! \rVhat welcome Will thofc bidfcd An· Hrb. 1 • r.ot. gels g1ve )'Ou, that here difdaincd not to miniHer for you, and bear you up .in all your waycs, and Pfa!. H· 7 • intcrdEd thcmfdves in your conccrnmcnts, rejoycing before God at your Converfion? Ho•v glad Luke 1 S· To. then will they be oJ your f.de arrival at the promift:d harbour of fdicity with thernfelves? What Joy r'ke 16 2 ;· will it be t9 you to be prcfently entertained and welcbmed into the acquaintance of thofe Blc:ffed rhiJ~;~·_i11;j Spirits, and of all the holy fouls that arc delivered from this flc:fh and world ; and to fee their :d. o1dc:r, and be numbrcd wilh their fociety, and to be employed in thc:ir joyfUl work. 0 hbw much better company is that than the bell below? There ir no ig1~rance, and therefore no error; no want of lo11e, and no contemioH ; 11or narrow private interefts to contend for, burall made happy in perfect love in him that is their u;tiverpl tnd and bappinefi: There is no diffcntion, nor perver{e dlfputes: no igitoram zeal, nor blindi~tg p.Jj[ions: no proud or covctoM dejign1, and therefore no burtfitL meanr to profccurc them: no fceming nutffity to burt our brethren to advance, or enrich, Or fave our feJVes: No Jl.andercrJ there c?ndc::mn the fouls whom ~hri~ .doth jutlifie, ~or take away the !ighteo~fncfs of Heh. 11 • 35 , the r1ghteous from h1m: No cruel mock,ingJ, tmprifonmmts or btmijhments, no wandrmg deftttute, af 36, ;,·, 3 s. fiWed or tormented : no more {uffering for. the fake ofrigbuoufne[s; but b.1ving {uffered with Cbrijl, M2nh. z4. 6. they are now reigning with him : and thofe of whom tbe world was nOt worthy, are taken to God from Pfa!. 46. 9• an unworthy world. There are no troubldome mutations or confulions: no war1, nor rum 3 rr of ].mm 4• 1 • : . wau : b(caufe no luflJ ttl war in tbtir mcmberJ : .But united fouls in the harmony of love, do without any difCord praife the Lord. The Church is not there divided into SeCts and F<iC:tions, either through the p)·ide or pievijhnefi of its members: None fcruplcth communion with the rell: None .filencc others horn fpcakin~; the prai(cs of their Redeemer? nor drive away orhers from their brotherhood and.communion ! There is neither unrighteous LawJ nor difobedicnt {i:tbje6t, nor unpeace~ able neighbour, 110r unfaithfUl friend, nor hurtful or rnalitious enemy! There is no affliCted friend to mourn for ; nor no difconfolate foul to grieve:: with l No ignorant perfon to intlr~ct, nor obfiinate heilrt to perfwadcor pray for: No fearful doubting Chrittian to be comforred: nor weak and wavering foul tO be confirmed: No imprudent, fcandalous actions of the:: godly to be lamenred: No temnants of Pride, felf-concc:itcdnefs, or any delufion to keep out the lighr! Noblemifues in them for the enemies to reproach ; nor no malignant enemies to reproach them. No mifreprefentations ofthings or perfons; no taifing or receiving falfe reports: no fin of our own to gric:vc:: for, or to Hrivc again!\ ; and no fin ofothers to trouble the fociety, or be larntnted: There we thall have no futfering f:icncl to fuff~r with ! None labouring of want while you have plenty : nor any groaning in .p1in and bckne.f~, wh1l~ r.ou are well• .As no want or pain of your own wi\l a,'RiCl: you, fo no futfcring z~ph.3 . 1 7,ts. of your fuc:nds w11l mterrupt your joy : Your comforts !hall not be turned imo lamentations, for the hek. 9· 4· madnc:fs and obHinacc wickedm:fs of a Sodomirical generation about you! nor your righteous foul be ::.Pet.:.. 7, S; vexed wirh their filthy and fottifh converfation! You fhall not dwell in a world where the moll pare is dro~ned in He3:rhenifrn and li!fidelity, nor in a Church defiled with Papal tyranny, cruelty, covctoufnc!s or prophanen~fs. The whole Society will Chine in Light, and flame in Love, and none through any wcakncfs or corruption, will be a clog or hindcnnce to anothc:r ! . You !hall above all this, behold the perfon of your Glorifitd Redeemtr ! You !hall fee that Body, in Jts Glorious Change, which once was humbled to the Virgins Womb, and to a life of poverry, and to the fcorns of linners; to be fpit upon, and buffc:tecl and crowned with thorns, and tirft made a Q_q q q laughing
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