HEAVENLY LIFE UPON EARTH. 211 day when Christ shall give us rest, and therein rejoice. I beseech thee, Christian, for the honour of the gospel, and for thy soul's comfort, be not to learn this heavenly art, when in thy greatest extre- mity thou hast most need to use it. He that with Stephen, sees the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, will comfortably bear the shower of stones. The joy of the Lord is our strength, and that joy must be fetched from the place of our joy : and if we walk without our strength, how long are we like to endure? 12. (7) He that bath his conversation in ,heaven, is the profitable Christian to all about him. When a man is in a strange country, how glad is he of the com- pany of one of his own nation ! How delightful is it to talk of their own country, their acquaintance, and af- fairs at home! With what pleasure did Joseph talk with his brethren; and inquire after his father, and his bro- -ther Benjamin ! Is it not so to a Christian, to talk with his brethren._ that have been ' above, and inquire after his Father, and Christ his Lord? When a worldly man will talk of nothing but the world, and a politician of state affairs, and a mere scholar of human learning, and a common professor of his duties ; the heavenly man will be speaking of heaven, and the strange glory his faith hath seen, and our speedy and blessed meeting there. O how refreshing and useful are his expressions! How his words pierce and melt the heart, and transform the hearers into other men ! How doth his doctrine drop as the rain, and his speech distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass, while his lips publish the name of the Lord, and ascribe greatness unto his God ! Is not his sweet discourse of heaven like the box of precious "ointment, which being poured upon the head of Christ filled the house with odour? All that are near may be refreshed by it. Happy the people that have a hea- venly minister ! Happy the children and servants that have a heavenly father or master! Happy the man that bath a heavenly companion, who will watch over thy ways, strengthen thee when thou art weak, cheer thee
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