Chap. 4.] WHOM THIS REST 1S DESIGNED. 65 creatures, and farther as frail mortals, and farthest as sin- ners. We hear now and then aword of comfort from him, and receive his love-tokens to keep up our hearts and hopes; but this is not our full enjoyment. And can any soul, that hath made God his portion, as every one hath that shall be saved by him, find rest in so vast a distance from him, and so seldom and small enjoyment of him ? Nor are we now capable of rest, as there is a worthiness must go before it. Are we fit for the crown before we have overcome ? or for the prizebefore we have run the race ? or to receive our pennybefore we have wrought in the vine- yard? or to be rulers of ten cities before we have improved our ten talents ? or to enter into the joy of our Lord before we have well done as good and faithful servants? God will not alter the course of justice, to give you rest before you have labored for the crown of glory,till youhave overcome. There is reason enough why our rest should remain till the life to come. Take heed, then, Christian reader, how thou darest to contrive and care for a rest on earth ; or to murmur at God for thy trouble, and toil, and wants in the flesh. Doth thy poverty weary thee ? thy sickness, thy bitter enemies and unkind friends ? It should be so here. Do the abominations of the times, the sins of professors, the hardening of the wicked, all weary thee ? it must be so while thou art absent from thy rest. Do thy sins and thy naughty, distempered heart weary thee ? Be thus wea- ried more and more. But, under all this weariness, art thou willing to go to God, thy rest; and to have thy war- fare accomplished, and thy race and labor ended ? If not, complain more of thy own heart, and get itmore weary, till zest seem more desirable. I have but one thing more to add, for the close of this chapterthat the souls of believers do enjoy inconceiva- ble blessedness and glory, even while they remain separated from their bodies. What can be more plain than those words of Paul " We are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home,' or rather sojourning, "in the body, we are absent from the Lord; for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." Or those, " I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far bet-
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