100 ISAXTEn'S DYING THOUGHT;. God cause saints to growvp unto ripeness, only to perish and drop, down unto useless rottenness? It is not credible. Though our bodies become but like our filthiest excrements, our souls return to God that gave them : and though he need them not, he useth them in their separated state; and that to such heavenly uses as the heavenly maturity and mellowness bath disposed them to. Seeing, then, love hath ripened me for itself, shall I not will- ingly drop into its hand ? 9. That is like to be the best which the wisest and holiest; in all ages of the world, have preferred before all, and have most de- sired; and which also almost all mankind do acknowledge tobe best at last.. It is not like that 4l1 thebest men, in the world should; be most deceived, and be put upon fruitless labors and sufferings by this deceit, and be undone by their duty ; and that God should; by such deceits, rule all .(or almost all) mankind; and 'also that the common notices of human nature, and conscience's last and closet documents, should, be all in vain. But-it is past all doubt,. that no men usually are worse than those that have no belief or hopes of any life but this; and that .none are so holy, just, and sober, so charitable to others, and so useful to mankind, as those that firmliest believe and hope for the state of immortality : and shall I fear that state which all that were wise and holy, in . all ages, have preferred and desired ? 10. And it is not unlike that My best state is that which'tny greatest enemies are most against: and how muchSatan doth to keep me and other men from heaven ; and how much worldly honor, and pleasure, and wealth, he mould afford us to accomplish it, I need not here again be copious in reciting, having- said so much of it in the ' Treatise of Infidelity.' And shall I be, towards myself, so much of Satan's mind? He would not have me come to heaven; and shall I also be unwilling? All these things tell me that it is best to be with Christ. tI 'The Final Reasons. 1. Is it not far better to dwell with Gea in glory, than with sinful men, in such a world as this? Though he be every where, his glory, which we must behold to our felicity, and the perfecting operations and communications of his love, are in the glorious world, and not on earth. As the eye is made to see the light, and then to see other things by the light, so is man's mind made to see God, and to love him; and other things, as in, by, and for him. He that- is our beginning is our end; and our end is the first motive- of all moral action, and for it, it is all that means are used; and the end attained is the rest of souls: How oft hath niy
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