CONFIRMED CHRISTIAN. 573 the Father;" Phil. ii. 9-11. Then sin will fully appear in its malignity, and holiness in its lustre unto all. The proud will then be abased, and the mouths of all the wicked stopped; when they shall see, to their confusion, the glory of that Christ whom they despised, and of those holy ones whom they made their scorn. In vain will they then "knock when the door is shut, and cry, Lord, Lord, open unto us;." Matt. xxv. 1012. And in vain will they then wish, ' O that wehad known the'day of our visitation, that we might have died the death of the righteous, and Mir latter end might have been as his;' Numb. xxüi. 10. Rom. iii. 19. Job v. 16. Psal. cvii. 42. xxxi. 23. xiii. 6. 8. The day of death is to true believers a day of happiness and joy ; but it is much easier for them to think with joy on the coming of Christ, and the day of judgment, because it is a day of fuller joy, and soul and body shall be conjoined in the blessedness ; and there is nothing in it to be so great a stop. to our desires as death is, which naturally is an enemy. God bath put a love of life, and fear of death, into the nature of every sensible creature, as necessary for the preservation of themselves and others, and the orderly government of the world. But.what is there in the blessed day of judgment, which a justified child of God should be averse to? O, if he were but sure that this would be the day, or week, or year, of the coming of his Lord, how glad would the confirmed Christian be ! And with what longings would he be looking 'up, to see that most desired sight'! 2. And the weak Christian is, so far of the same mind, that he had rather come to God by death and judgment,"than not at all ; (except when temptations make him fear that he shall be con- demned.) He bath fixedly madechoice of that felicity, which till then he cannot attain. He would not take all the pleasures of this' world for his hopes of the happiness of, that day: but yet he thinketh not of it with so strong a faith and great consolation, nor with such boldness and desire, as the confirmed Christian Both ; but either with much more dull,secuiity, ör more perplexity and fear. His thoughts of God, and of the world to come, are much more dark and doubtful, and his fears of that day are usually so great, as to make his desires and joys scarcely felt; only he think - eth not of it with that contempt or stupidity as the infidel or har- dened sinner, nor with the terrors of those that have no God, no Christ, no hope; (except when temptation bringeth him near to the borders of despair.) Hisdeath, indeed, is unspeakably safer than the death of the ungodly,; and the joys which he is entering into will quickly end the terror but yet he bath no great comfort at the present, but only so much trust in Christ; as keepeth his heart from sinking into despair.
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