250 THE NATURE OF HEAVENLY our souls with the believing thoughts of another life, than when we find that this is almost ended? No men have greater need of supporting joys, than dying men ; and those joys must be ,fetched from our eternal joy. As heavenly delights are sweetest, when nothing earth- ly is joinedwith them ; so the delights of dying Chris- tians are oftentimes the sweetest they ever had. What a prophetic blessing had dying Isaac, and Jacob, for their sons With what a heavenly song, and divine be- nediction, did Moses conclude his life ! What heavenly advice and prayer had the disciples from their Lord, when he was about to leave them ! When Paul was ready to be offered up, what heavenly exhortation and advice did he give the Philippians, Timothy, and the elders of Ephesus ! How near to heaven was John in Patmos, but a little before his translation thither ! It is the general temper of the saints, to be then most heavenly when they are nearest to heaven. If it be thy case, Reader, to perceive thy dying time draw on, O where should thy heart now be but with Christ? Me- thinks thou shouldst even behold him standing by thee, and shouldst bespeak him as thy Miler, thy husband, thv physician, thy friend. Methinks thou shouldst, as it were, see the angels about thee, waiting to perform their last office to thy soul ; even those angels which disdained not to carry into Abraham's bosom the soul of Lazarus, nor will think much to conduct thee thi- ther. Look upon thy pain and sickness, as Jacob did on Joseph's chariots, and let thy spirit revive within thee, and say, `' It is enough, Christ is yet alive ; because he liveth, .I shall live also.(') Dost thou need the choicest cordials ? Here are choicer than the world can afford ; here are all the joys of heaven, even the vision of God and Christ, and whatsoever the blessed here possess ; these dainties are offered thee by the hand of Christ; he hath written the receipt in the promises of the gos- pel ; he bath prepared the ingredients in heaven : only put forth the hand of faith, and feed upon them, and rejoice and live. The Lord saith to thee, as to Elijah, 'Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for (f) John xiv. 19.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=