490 . The Nature a~d Necejjity _o[ Regeneration: Jy tliefe Graces /hall then be exalted·above all imperfeCtions ~es, this k t;c Glory of Heaven. The Glory of God himfelf confifls efpecially in his infinite hor Exod . 1 5. n~fs, and. therefore iJ.l that moft triumphant Song: of Mofos in Exod. I 5· 1 1. God :; ihledglo~io1u ~n holif!tfs, fearful in praife.s; butglorioUJ in holinefi , why now the glory of the Satnts m ~eav:en ~s but a r~fle~1on ~aft ~pon them from the glory ofGod, and therefore as he IS efpectally glonous m his hohnefs, fo are they alfo glorious in their holinefs. Why now if Gr~ce and Glory be th~ very f:.ul?e thing, can!l: thm1, 0 Sin~ ner,' ev:er hope for Glory without Grace? ; Or ts not thts the Heaven that thou daft defirc and hope for? Is it a place oLEafe and Plcafure only that thou wilhcll: where thou maieft lie free froni Cares and FCars, -fiom Sorrows and fad Hours~ \Vhy this is impoffible; fuch a ~eiven God n:ever made, nor can!t thou in reafo~ ex peer; for God hath fo linked Sin and the Curfc together, that Heaven it feli woul~ be no Santtuary to thee from th~ r~grets~ancJ.!tingings ofConfcicnce,nor from the horor and ghaltly fear ofWrath, tfSm and Gmlt fhould enter there with thee. ,., Secondly, Vnregenerate Men are utterly unfuitable to this ftate ofglory, ttnd therefore Buauji un- there muft nece{{arily inteNJene thi&great cbange of RegeneYatiotf. All true pleafure and der-tgmrr-"1' light fprings from the fuitablenefs of the f?bje£1 to the power or faculty that receives M~. "';i it. Thus Solomon tell us, It is a pleafant thing for the eye to behold the Sun or the Light. ':'J ~:~~ ; it is ,pleafant alfo fot the Ear to hear Melody, becaufc. thefc Obje[b are attempered. ·' lf'IJ ·and proportioned to the Sences; why now as Light brings no pleafure to a Blind Man, nor Mufick to a Deaf Man ; why fo there would be nothing pleafing in Heaven to us, but that God doth beforehand by his Grace temper and proportion our Souls to that Glory that he will then reveal upon us. Hence it is that the .Apoftle in 01. 1 • I 2. Gives rhanks unto God th~t hath made m meet to be partakers of the inher_itance 0 [ the Saiuts in light. But now wtcked unregenerate Men are altogether unfmtable both to the Work, and alfo to the Reward of Heaven. 1 , Firft, They are tm[uitable to the work ofHeaven. And what is the work o,f Heaven unrtgnw but the adonng, admiring, bleffing, prailing, loving, and ferving of God for ever and ratt Mm ever? This is that work wherein Saints and Angels fpend an Eternity; and doft thou; "": 1 unfu~· 0 proph'anc Wretch, think to croud ih among that blelfed Company, and join with ~~rk':J e them in this blefiOO Work? \'V hat muft that Heart of that which here on.Earth H,,..,11 ,, was ufed only as the Dt11il's Pot to feeth and ftew wicked thoughts in, be now on a fuddcn filled with the fpiritual praifes of the great God, is this thinkelt thou fit or likely? Is it fit that that Tongue of thine whtch bath even been bliftered again with horrid Oaths, eurfod Revilings, and Reproaches of God and Godlinefs, fhm(ld fir(l: in Heaven begin to fct forth the high Praifes of God? There are none admitted ro be free Citiuns of the New 1erufalem, but only fuch who have firft ferved out their time of holinefs, fame more, fame fewer years here on. Earth; the work of Heaven mn!t be learned in the time of our .Apprenticejhip' on Earth. And tell me now what delight do you take in Holinefs? Is it not a task and burden to you (I will not fay always to keep alive in your thoughts conftant Meditations of holy Things, and.vigorons AffeCtions towards them) but is it ilot a task and burden to you to be fometimes drawn to the external performance of holy Duties? Why elfe do you tngage fo feldom, and fo nightly in tfiem? What makes it thus your task, but an unholy and an unchanged Heart? . And what think you would it be, a Heaven, or a· Hell, a Happinefs, or a Torment to you, to fpend an Eternity in the moft fixed Contemplations, and in a moft ardenu Love of God? You who cannot bear the imperfect Holinefs Of God's Children; but rail at it as unneceffary, and a punifh precifenefs, how will you be able to bear the moft confummate Holinefs of Heaven? Now wicked Men, tho' they vex at the Purity of the Saints, and laugh at it at once, yet,is it to fame; tho' it is a devili!h co'n'tentment to them, that they can reproach their defed:s; Jhould thefe Men enter into·Heaven with unchanged Hearts, Heaven wou}d:be·a place of exaCt Torture-to tliem, to fin_d D<?thing there but that Purity which they hate, and that perfeCt .Purity which hath no defeCts for them to abufe. Behold then the Certain and unavoidable Mifery of unregenerate Men, that even Heaven· it felf cannot make them happy, nor is it fcatce in the power of the AI~ mighty to blefs them: Tell me, thou that in holy Duties grudgefl at ever Word· th:tt .is fpoken, . and at every Sand that runs, that thinkc!l: every Summons to t~e Pnblick Wotfhip as unplcafant as the [ol!)ld of thy Paffing-JMI, that fay'lt when wtll i:he Salibath be gOne,_ and the OrdiMnces be over; what wilt thou. do in Heaven? What !hall fuch an unholy Heart do there, where a &bb4th !hall be as loRg as Et:r- ~ltY
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