[ommzmio11 with ho/y Souls 'Departed. 761 th~t inflead of being terrified by fulferings, you fhould rrjoyct and be txceeding gl.ui. Are_you to lie M:>.t. r. u.,r:. in Prilon, or to burn in rhc Flames? fo did many rhouflnds that are now in Heavc:n : And do you think rh.lt they repent it now ? Ignatit~, Polycarp, Cypri.1n_, and many fuch holy men, were once u[ed as hardly as )'DU arc now, and put to death by cruel men: RBgerJ, Bradford, Hooper, Glovtr and multitudts with thtm, were once in Prifon and bui'nt in the Flames; but where are they now, and what is the rndof all rheir pains ? Now wherher do you rhink rhe cafe of Bonner or Bradford 10 be befi > Now had you nrher be Gardintr or Pbilpotl Now which rhink you doth mofi repent I rhe poor W•ldenfer that were murdered by tl,oufands? or the Popes and Pcrfecutors that murdered them ? 9· 16. Direct. 16. When you are difmaycdunder the burden of your frm, tbe greatmfs of y;mr cor- Virtt1. 16• ruptium, the weoknefs of your ;,r.;cu, the impcrfil1ion 8/ your dutiu, louk.. up to the bit.JJedfou/1 with Chrijt, and rcmemhf!r that aU thofe GJorifiedfpiritJ, were once in flejh a1 ytJu nu:v are, and on:e they l.zy at the feet of God, in tears and groans a;td Cryes as you do: 'Ihey w.ere oitce jtJi~ to cry out of tbe bmdw of tbeir fm, and moHrn u;zder the weaknrfi of their gracu, as you now do. They were once as much dog'd with fldl1 as you are; and once as low in doubts and fears, and brui[cd under the fenfc of Gods diCpleafure: They once were as Violently alTaulced with temptations; and had the fame corruptions to lament and Ihivc: againft as you have: They were once as riluch affiiCted by God and man? Bur is there any of the {marc of this remaining? _ . . _ , 9· '7· Direct. 17· Wben you art dmmd from tbe prt{inct of the dreadful God, and tbinb,. he .wiU not Dm/1. '7· acctpl fuch worms M you, fool{ up to the bltffedfouiJ with Chrijt ; and renum6cr how many miUion1 of your breJbrett are there accepted tu greater familiarity tban. that which JOU here dtfire : Remember that rhofc fouls were once as darkanddifiant ti:omGod, and unworthy of his acceptance as you now areo. A fearful Child reccivethbo1dntfs, to fee his Brethren in his Fathers urns. 9· r8. Direct. r8. Whm you are afraid•] Satan ltjl bejheu:~ prevail ag•i11j1 you and devour you; Dire/1. 18. look.._ up to the hlc.JFd[uH.li with Chrijf ; and foe howmiUions are th~rt fafely l11ndal, th:Jt encl were #~ 1 u J.mgcroiH a}!.1tionas you art. Through many tribulations and temptations they arrived at the Heavenly Refi: Satan once did his worfi againll them: They were rofi on rhe Seas of rhis rempefiuous world: But they were kept by the power of God, through faith unto fAlVJ.tlon, and fo may you. 1 Per.~. r. 9· 19· Direct. 19· IJIJJttt ynu wouldduly value aU your prefen: meam and mercitJ, and fee whither DircfJ, 19• they ttad, look up then tothe foul! with CIJYift, andfit whither the lik.,e mercy hatfJ cQndu!:ud tbfm. The poordt Cottage and rhe hatdell fue are great mercies as they tend to endl.:fs blcffedncfs. ThM now and flc.,ven ofttr, is great; though the thing in it [tlf be never fo fmall. Hea-ven puts the v 3 /ne and fignificatiQHupon all }Our mercies; The wicked make Cyphers of their greatefi bldfings, by fep.uatinP' them in their ejfeem and ufe, fromGod and Heaven, which is the meafurt: of their eftimare. 0 9· 20. Diw5t. 20. When you fee Divifwns among believerJ, antl hear one for t/;i-1 party, a;zd anothet Diu{J. 20 • fur that, and bear them bitterlycenfuring each other, loo"- up then to 'he SaintJ rvitb Cbrijt, -and tbi~tl{ what perfitJ Love and Peace and Concord i-f ilmong them. Confider how unlike our falliont and Scbi{m1 are to their fervent Love and Unity? And how how unlike our jarring firifes and qLtarrels are to their harmonious Praife of God. Remember in what worlt it is that they are fo happily ztnittd, even Loveand Praife uncelfant to J~hovah : And then think, whether it would not unite the Saints on earth, to lay by their contendings for the prehemiNeHce ill k,_no'lf'ledge, ( covered wirh the guilded name of Zeal for tht 'trHtb of God), and to employ themft!ves in Love and Praije, and ro !hew their cmula~ion here, in firiving who fhall LoveGodand each other with the more pure heart and fervent Love 1 Per. I· 22· and who !hall Praife him with rhe mofi heavenly alacrity and delight. Confider whc~ ther rhis work of hltffed foulr be not like to be more defirable and excellenr, rhan the work of felf. conceited wrangling Sophifiers? And whether there be ~ny danger of falling into Sects and Factions or falling out by emulations or contentions, while we make this work of Lo-ve and Pr.~ifo the matrer of our religious converfe ' And confider whether almofi all the Schifms rhat ever vexr rhe Church of God, did not arife, eirher by the Pafiors {\riving who ]110•/d be the grwefl, ( Luk. 2'2. 24, 26.) or by· the 11ijng up of fome Sc10l1fl or Gnofi1ck, proudly pretendmg to Jtnew more than others, and to vin· dicate or bring to light, fame excellent Truth which orhers know nor, or oppofe? And when you fee the hot contendings ~f each parry, about their pretended Ortbodoxnefs or wifdom (which Jam. 3· is purpnfely wntt<n agamfi) remember how rhe concord of rho{e b\df,d fouls, doth !hame this work and lhould make it odious to the heirs of Heaven. , ~. 2 f, Direct. 2 l· When y•u are afraid of Death, or "'ould fi11d mJre wiUing>iefi to dye, look_ up 10 Direll. :i r; 1he blcffid fouls with Chrijf, and think,. that you are but tu pafs that way, which aU thofe j(mli have gone ljefort you_; and togo from aworld ofenmity and vanity,.'o tbe c~mpany gf aU .thofe bhffed {piritl: And 15 not thetr blclT~d !h.re mort: defirabk, than fuch a vam vexauous life as thlS ? There is no malice nor flandering, ~or cruel perfecuting, no uncharitab~c cenfures, coment~ons, or divifions; no igno~ ranee, nor unb~ltef, norfl:rangenefs unto God: nothtng bur Holy, Amtible and Delightful. Joyn your felves datly ro that Ccrldtial Society: fuppofe yoUr fdves fpeChtors of their Order, Purity and G!ory, and Auditors of thea· harmonious Praift:s of Jchovah : Live by faith in a daily familiarity Wtth them: fay not that you wane company or arc alone> when you may walk in the Srreets of the Heavenly Jeru{alem, and there ~onverfc: ~ith the P~ophets a_nd ~pof\:les, and a\l the glorious Hoils of H-;avcn. Convcrfc rh~J.s w1rh rhrm tn your Ltie, and tt wtll overcome the fear of death and make Y?u Ion~ to be there with th~.:m; Like one that Hands by the River fide, and fceth his f;icnds on the funhtr fide, in a place of plc:Jfun.:, while his enemies are purfuing him at his back, how gladly would he be over with them ? And ir will c:rnbolden him to venture on the palTage which all rhey have [,tdy pa!t before him. Thos D<ath will be to us as the Red Sea, to pa[s us fafe' ro rhc Eeeec 2 band
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