RIGHT REJOICING. 361 meant here by the "writing of their names in heaven." In a word, the meaning is, that they are "fellow citizens of the saints, and of the householdof God; " and, having a room among the saints on earth, have a title to the celestial glory. As, in some well-ordered cities, there were rolls kept of the names of all the citizens, or freemen, as distinct from all the inferior, more servile sort of subjects; and as muster-rolls are kept of the listed sol- diers of the army, so all that are saints are enrolled citizens of heaven; that is, are the heirs of the heavenly felicity. We are decreed to this state before tl!ie foundations of theworld ; we are redeemed to it by the death of Christ; but we are not actually entered into it till we are sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and heartily engaged to God the Father, Son, and Spirit, in the holy covenant. The doctrine of the text is contained in this proposition To have our names written in heaven, is the greatest mercy, and first, and chiefly, and only for itself to be rejoiced in; which so puts the estimate on all inferior mercies that, further than they refer to this, they are not to be the matter of our joy. Though we had seen the devils subjected to our ministration, departingfrom the possessed, when we command them in the name of Christ, and the bodies of the afflicted miraculously relieved, yet all this were not, comparatively to be rejoiced in, nor as separated fromour title to the heavenly glory. When I have, first, given you the reasons of the prohibition "Rejoice not in this ;" and then of the command " But rather rejoice," &c.,,you may, by fuller satisfaction about the sense and truth of the proposition, be better prepared for the further ap- plication. 1. " Rejoice not," though the devils themselves were subject to you, further than as this refers to heaven ; 1. Because all these common mercies may possibly consist with the present misery of the persons that receive them. A man may be the slave of the devil, as to his soul, when he is casting himout of another man's body. He may be conquered by his own concupiscence, that bath,. triumphed over many an enemy. These times have showed it, to our grief, that heresy, and pride, and ambition, and self-conceit, may conquer those that have been famous for their conquests. He may be a slave to himself that is the master of another. And what I say of the instance in my text, you may, upon a parity or superiority of reason, all along give me leave to apply to the great occasion of the day ; it being a matter of much greater glory to conquer infernal powers than mortal enemies, and to.have the devils subject to us than men. To be such a conqueror of men, or devils, is no sure proof of the pardon of sin, the favor of VOL. II. 46
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=