Chap. 10.] Is NOT ON EARTH. 159 to rest in him, we should be left to an eternal restless se- paration. In a word, as you are sensible of the sinfulness of your earthly discontents, so be you also of your irregu- lar satisfaction, and pray God to pardon them much more. And, above all the plagues on this side hell, see that you watch and pray against settling any where short of heaven, or reposing your souls on any thing below God. Thirdly. The next thing to be considered, is our unrea- sonable unwillingness to die, that we may possess the saints' rest. We linger, like Lot in Sodom, till " the Lord, being merciful unto us," doth pluck us away against our will. I confess that death of itself is not desirable; but the soul's rest with God is, to which death is the common passage. Because we are apt to make light of this sin, let me set be- fore you its nature and remedy, in a variety of considera- tions; as, for instance, it has in it much infidelity. If we did but verily believe that the promise of this glory is the word of God, and that God Both truly mean as he speaks, and is fully resolved to make it good; if we did verily be- lieve that there is indeed such blessedness prepared for believers, surely we should be as impatient of living as we are now fearful of dying, and should think every day a year till our last day should come. Is it possible that we can truly believe that death will remove us from misery to such glory, and yet be loath to die ? If the doubts of our own interest in that glory make us fear, yet a true belief of the certainty and excellency of this rest would make us rest- less till our title to it be cleared. Though there is much faith and Christianity in our mouths, yet there is much in- fidelity and paganism in our hearts, which is the chief cause that we are so loath to die. It is also much owing to the coldness of our love. If we love our friend, we love his company; his presence is comfortable, his absence is painful; when he comes to us, we entertain himwith glad- ness; when he dies, we mourn, and usually overmourn. To be separated from a faithful friend, is like the rending a member from our body. And would not our desires after God be such, if we really loved him ? Nay, should it not be much more than such, as he is, above all friends,most lovely? May the Lord teach us to look closely to our hearts, and take heed of self-deceit in this point ! Whatever we pretend, if we love either father, mother, husband, wife,
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