after Immortaldory. I we may cxpeet the Euge of the good fervent, welldonegeed ;ndfaithFulfervant,i enter into thejoy ofthy'Mailer. . Again, when wá are called to be Holocàn{fr, or facrifices, oblations of fwcet favours, the Frankincenfeof theChurch to perfume others, to .deliver up our lives untoGod,to dal his Truth with our blood to encourageothers ; then we ought to run unto death with all alacrity, relating that we are counted Worthy to /'offerfor íóíà Name, to triumph, to boaftin this out of there cafes, to have fach a tape of God, fuch a retitle of the joyes of heaven, fuch a longing after the prefenée of Chrift, as not to be ready, but to be,willing ; not to be prepared for theftroakof death, but tobe defirous of it, to efteem of death asthe funeral of fin, the inter- ringofvice, the period ofmiferies, the Charter of freedom, the Patient ofexemp- tion from evil of fin, from evil ofpunifhment, the dayof our birth, the feafonof harveft, the feal ofourvi &ory, the heaven ofour happinefs, our introdu&ion in- to heaven, our inauguration into a kingdom ; theChariot of our triunph,,the dayof our return to our proper houle, toour Parents, to our heft friends. This is the affection which is required in us,, at which we ought toaim.: Let thisbout of clay be refolvcd into the principles of the fame, what wonder if that which is built be throwndown; and that whichiscompounded,bc rcfolycd ; and that which was borrowed of the Elements, berepayed again ; andthat which was taken from the earth, be committed to the cuftodyof the earth. Nay, let me triumphin the refolution of this piece of clay into the exiled atome, and admire the counfel óf God , that this Carkafs is crumbled into the fmalleft duft , and lifted into the courfeftbran, even toduft andalbea ; . were not this body relolved intoduff, who would believehis original tobe from the earth ? what pride, what elevation would follow ? what rackingand caring for this earthly Tabernacle ? if now when we fee it to be but a fpawnofworms, and the food ofEmmits, there.is fuck immode- rateexcels ; what would there be if the body were exempted from putrifa&ion what defolations would follow in Cities, in Towns ? how many would dwell in monuments with thofe whom they have honoured,oraffededintheirlives? ifnta ny now be fo impotent, that though the body be putrified, they cannot forbear embracing of it, and to folate themfelves, make Pi&ures of their dead friends, and dote upon there ; what would they not do if their bodies were immortal? What neglect would there be of the foul, the better part of a man ? who would know the vertue of it, that it is not only fait to .the body to keep it fweet, brit the life, the beauty, the comlinefs of the body ) Who would believe the, confummation, the period ofthe world, ifour bodieswere immortal ? who would mind heavenly things? who leek thofe things that are above? what deifyingof the body would follow ? what Idolatries? what fuperftitions? what Temples built ? what Altars ereeted ? what variety ofCeremonies inftituted to the body? All which Godbath plucks up by the roots, by this putrifaetion, and incineration of our bodies, by this, teaching us to contemn earthly things, tohave our cogitations on heaven, to think upon this (cale, to attendup to this Mount, to afpire to this intention, which that we may, let me add fuel to the fire, and oyle unto the flame, the expreffìon of this affe&ion, to the intention of it, earned groaning, to eager dcfi- ring. In this wegroan earneftly. That is, for this we fig', out, not our breath, but our fpirits : we groan out, not fuliginous vapours, but our very hearts, we weep not tears but blood ; for this we immolate the fufferings ofour bodies, we mace- rate them withwatchings and facings, we rout them in daft and allies ; we exer- cife them in all humiliationand repentance. And this is togroan earneflly, in my Text. This is the negotiation of the outward man whereby it treadsfor heaven, this is the converfationof a piece ofclay intoa pile offrankincence ; this adds wings un-, to our Prayers; this. openeth the ears of God ; this difiipateth the clouds of his countenance; this inclinethhim to clemency towards us ; thismaketh theWiddow continent, and the Virgin unfpotted ; this lifts up the voluntary Eunuch to the kingdome of heaven ; this perfeEts the grace that is in the foul.; this.wafheth away . íhe' ..__._
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