them that die i11 the Lord. mcnt where we fua\l have none of the Aj]l:fl:ions nor Troubles of this Life to in· tcrruPr us. A nd the Soul heing regardlefs of the poor Conccrm"lunts here in its paflage to Heaven, fhakes oft~ from it_s VVir~:gs that Mire a~d Di:r wh_ere:\'ith it was clogged hBre in converfing wJth Earthly thwgs, and arfociates Jt felt with a whole Ring of Angels, PnrriaYchs, Saints, and the Spirits of juff Men made perfrU, and rhefc keeps an Eternal Feftival. .2. 'J'he1 reft from all the Sorrows t!nd Sujferings of this Liji, What is our Life, but ~ Bnbble? Onr Sighs are tbe Air, and our Tears rh_e Water that ~akc it._ The firft poJfeffion which we take of the World 1s by crywg; and there IS no thu1g we hold by a fur er Tenure than our Grief. Tears are the_ Inheritance of onr Eye'; either om Suflerings or our S im cafl for them: And nothmg can dry them up but the Dull: of the Grave. Sometimes we lofe our dear Friends and Relations, the Tribute · we owe to ihcir .Atlemorics mufr be paid down by Tears. Sometimes their ungodly Pradices torment us, when by their Debaucheries they halte their own lntc_reft in our Hopes. Sometimes compaffion to other Mens Sufferings calls for our Sorrow, as if we had not Grief enough in our own Bowels, but we muft call for Foreiun Succours to augment them. Our many Difeafes wal1.:e us, and our grinding Pa~s break us, and. indeed they were more intc;>le~·able, but that they haltcn on that Death that will put a period to all our Miferus. We fhall not then concern our felves in our groaru for the lofs of our dear Friends nor for the evil coutfes or calami ties of others. It concerns us nothing than what jlinking Bre~tth blafl:s our good Name, nor what unworthy Foot treads upon our Grave: Here a little Pain mol efts us, There whole Limbs fometimes fall down and crumble into Dufl:, without difturbing that quiet Reft that buries all the Sorrows of this Life in a profound oblivion; and our Souls fhall afcend to that place of perfeCt Joy, where n~ither Sorrow nor Suffering durft yet appear. 3· They {ball rrft from the L:1bours that a corrupt and finful Heart put them to. And this is that which indeed nukcs it fuch a bleffed Reft, where our Corruptions fl1a1J at once ceafe to act:, and ceafe to be. The only thing that makes God's Commands aud Services fo difticult and grievous, is the Remainder of Sin that fbll cleaves to us, that both deadens our Heart; to what is good, and makes us avcrfe to it. But DMth will lhortly give us Reft from thcfe. Firft, We jhall rtft from all the LabiJu,·s that we take with a heavy and dull Heart in the ways of God. We fl:and in need now of much !J.!!icluning Grace to aCt and excite thefe lumps of Lead that lie in our Breafrs: We are cominually tugg ing a t them to get t.hem a little. fur~her, and raife t~em up a little higher towards Heaven. And it ts the g;reat dtfqutctment ·of our Ltves that we find thefe Beans of ours fo heartlefs and liftlefs to what is Holy and Spiritual: But it will not be long e're we lhall reft from this Labour. \Ve are now like Birds of heavy bodies , that arc too weighty for their Wings, that when they would be fearing towards He~t7.un, can but run fluttering up and down upon the fu:face of the Earth : Yet thefe Earthly Cloggs fball fhortly drop off, we fhall be all Wmg, free from that dulncjj, diftraflion, and wearinejj that now afHiC\:s us: When your AjfeCfiom Jha\l be always intent, and not languiJhing, always burning and not wafting; and every motion of your Souls fhall fhoot themfelves to God as quick as Lightning, and yet as confl:ant as the Sun-hMms. You that arc cut-ftript by the weakeft Chriftian here, Jhall there be able to keep pace with the Augels themfelves. Secondly, Wt ]hall rcjl from the Labours we take with an averfe and oppofire Heart . There is that relne\'ancy in the Car nal Part to what is Holy and Spiriruai, that we cannot bring our felves to the performance of Duty without much G'n'ef and Cor:- fli&, the FlcfiJ l uft ing againft the Spirit, and the Spirit againfl: the Ficflt: And when God calls for Spiritual Thoughts and Holy AffeCtions, the corruptions of our ftdhly Hearts fend up noifome Vapours that corrupt and infeCt the Good we do : This is that which makes the Work toylfome, but it Jhall not be long e're. that which hinders !hall be removed ; and, though we are now under a fad neceffity of finning : So then we fhall be under a bleffed ne,eility of ferviJ1g God, a11d find no more trouble therein than we do in thofe ACtions that we cannot but do. This is that Reft which we lhaU lhortly enjoy from the Turmoils and Vexations of th is Life; a Reft from the Sorrows and Sufferings of this Life ;aReft from the Labours chat a corrupt Heart puts us to. Now , that this Reft might not feem only to be a mccr negative thing, a mecr indolency
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