Chap. $,1 LOSE THE SAINTS' REST. IL exceeds that of an earthly king. God suits men's employ- ment to their natures. Your hearts, sinners, were never set upon God in your lives, never warmed with his love, never longed after the enjoyment of him ; you had no -de light in speaking or hearing of him ; you had rather have continued on earth, if you had known how, than to be in- terested in the glorious praises of God. Is it meet, then, that you should be members of the celestial choir ? 4. They shall be deprived of the blessed societyof angels and glorified saints. Instead of being companions of those happy spirits, and numbered with those triumphant kings,. they must be members of the corporation of hell, where they shall have companions of a far different nature and quality. Scorning and abusing the saints, hating them, and rejoicing at their calamities, was not the way to obtain their blessedness. Now you are shut out of that company, fromwhich you first shut out yourselves; and are sepa rated from them, with whom you would not be joined. You could not endure them in your houses, nor towns, nor scarce in thekingdom. You took them, as Ahab didElijah, for the " troublers of the land ;" and, as the apostles were taken, for " men that turned the world upside down." If any thing fell out amiss, you thought all was owing to them. When they were dead or banished, you were glad they were gone, and thought the country well rid of them. Theymolested you by faithfully reproving your sins. Their holy conversation troubled your consciences, to see them so far excel you. It was a vexation to you to hear them prayor sing praises in their families. And is it any wonder if you be separated from them hereafter ? The day is near when they will trouble you no more. Betwixt them and yon will be a great gulf fixed. Even in this life, while the saints were " mocked, destitute, afflicted, tormented," and while they had their personal imperfections, yet, in the judgment of the Holy Ghost, they were such " of whom the world was not worthy." Much more unworthy will the world be of their fellowship in glory. Secondly. I know many will be ready to think theycould spare these things in this world well enough, and why may they not be without them in the world to come ? There- fore, to show them that this loss of heaven will then be most tormenting, let them now considertheir understand-
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