Chap. 3.] THE SAINTS' REST. 41 in that palace of consolation. How oft have our groans made, as it were, one sound ! our tears one stream ! and our desires one prayer ! But now all our praises shall make up one melody ; all our churches, one church ; and all our- selves, one body ; for we shall be all one in Christ, even as he and the Father are one. It is true, we must be care- ful, not to look for that in the saints which is alone in Christ. But if the forethought of sitting down with Abra- ham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdomof heaven, may be our lawful joy ; how much more the real sight and ac- tual possession ! It cannot but be comfortable to think of that day when we shall join with Moses in his song, with David in his psalms of praise, and with all the redeemed in the song of the Lamb for ever; when we shall see Enoch walking with God ; Noah enjoying the end of his sirgularitÿ; Joseph of his integrity ; Job of his patience; Hezekiah of his uprightness; and all the saints the end of their faith. Not only our old acquaintance, but all the saints of all ages, whose faces in the flesh we never saw, we shall there both know and comfortably enjoy. Yea, angels, as well as saints, will be our blessed acquaintance. Those, who now are willingly our ministering spirits, will willingly then be our companions in joy. They, who had such joy in heaven for our conversion, will gladly rejoice with us in our glorification. Then we shall truly say, as David, I am a companion of all them that fear thee; when " we are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumera- ble companyof angels; to the general assembly and church of the first-born, who are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made per- fect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant." It is a singular excellence of heavenly rest, that a we are fellow- citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." 5. As another propertyof our rest, we shall derive its Joys immediatelyfrom cod. Nowwe have nothing at all immediately, but at the second or third hand; or how many, who knows ? From the earth, from man, from sun and moon, from the ministration of angels, and from the Spirit, and Christ. Though, in the hand of angels, the stream savors not of the imperfection of sinners, yet it does of the imperfection of cr tures; and as it comes
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