612 7he Re. rrarJ of "!Wrlin~ forSJl· VJii011. PraClical Chri~ianity, So truly this is that which mightily delights the Children of God to fee that their Work ~oes forward, that their Graces thrive, _that their Corruptions pine and confume away, that rh.ey are ":luch 1_1earer Salvauon than when they firft believed, that they are pcrfe8tng Ho\lnefs m the fear of God, and every Dav growing nea.rer unto H~aven and Happinefs 1han other: And. though thcfe \Varks of thetrs are now unperfcet, yet they !lull be Jhortly finlfhed and confumm!!.tc in Glory. Weil then, if Pleafurc and Delight do affdt you, here you fee is that which is folid and fubftantial; it fprings from Succefs in your Work, and from that f uitablcncfs that is in your renewed part t~ereunto alfo. And therefore the more Work, the grc~ter Dcii&ht you fin~; becaufe the greater progr.efs you make, and the more fu1table to tt your VV!ll becomes. Nay, ycur Delight is of the , fame Nature with that which you fuall enjoy in Heaven: The Work tbe Blef!Cd are there employ'd ia is of the fame Nature with yours ; only their fuitablenefs to it is \_)Crfeft, and therefore there Delight and Pleafure is perfe8:: And accord~ ingly the more fuitlble your Hearts are to your Work, the mar~ Delight and Pleafurc you will find in it. This is that makes Heaven a place of Happinefs becaufc there is no Corruption, no Body of Sin and Death there ro make thofe Dut ies th:tt arc there required from glorified Saints to be irkfom and grievous to them. (1.) SCC()ndly, Conjidn the e~:cudjng greatnlj! of your Reward. J)oth Job fear God for nought, W::tS the Cavil of Satan, when God app1audcd himfelf that he had fuch a Servant as ']ob was upon the Earth. The DMJil himfelf thought it no wonder that ']ob lbould fear and ferve a reward ing God, a God whofe Hands are as full of Blcffmgs as his Mouth is full of Commands : And yet what were thefe great Somethings that the De'IJil envies ']ob for (and thinks ·every one would have done as much as he, if they had but as great a Recompence for it?) It was Job. 2,10. but Hedging of him ~tbour, but bl~Jfing of the WorkJ of hi1 HaudJ, tmd increajing of hU Sub.fttmce, as it is in ']ob I· Why, alas! thefe are poor mean Reward.J to what God intends to beftow; fuch Rewards they are as that God frill re.ckons himfelfinArrears to his Children , till he hath given them fomething better than he eau beftow Upon them here upon Earth: ThefeThings he cafts but as Crumbs unto Dogs, when he referves a far beuer Portion for his Children. And yet Satan th inks 'Job well paid for his Service in having of thefe lower Enjoyments , in caufing the Works of his Hands to profper; Doth Job fer'Ue God for nought? And therefore if Satan doth not wonder that 1ob fear.J and forw.J God for Tempora l Mercies, will it not be to the great wonder of $atau himfelf that you fuould not fear and ferve God that have infinitely beuer Things promifed to you than Temporal Mercies are? Do you deferve your Breath, in fpending of it fame few Hours in Prayer? Or do you deferve your plentiful Eftate, by laying out fame finall part of it for God? Why, to be able to Think or Speak, tR enjoy Health and Strength, are fuch Mercies, though outward Mercies, as can never be recompenccd to God, although you !hould think of nothing but of his Glory, an<! fpeak of nothing but of his Praife; although you {hould impair your Health and wafte your Strenth, and lan· gu inl away in the performance of Holy Duties: Thefe, tho' they are Obligations to Obedience, yet they are not the Reward of Obedience; no, far higher and mo:e glorious Things are provided~ promifed and fuall be conferred upon you, if you wtll bnt work. For there is Firft, your fet frand ing Wages, and that is eternal Salva· tion; no lefs. Anc! Secondly, be fides this t here arc many incident V ai ls accrew to God's Servants, in the performance of his Service: And is not here Reward and Wages cnou~h? Working (1 .) Firff, Confider there W that eternal weight of Glory that flJtJll be the Reward of fer .r~Jv4. the.Saint.J in Heawn. This now is fo great t hat it is impoffible for you to con~ tionfh~U ceive: It is fuch as Eye harb not fun , £ar bath not heard, nor bath it e'IJer enter'd :;r~7,b4• into, no nor can je e'IJer enter into the Heart of Man to concei'IJe what God bath fre~ Heaven. pared for them that love hjm, as t he Apoftle fpeaks. If St. Paul were novr P.reachtng 1Cor.2.9. and prcffin~ this very Confiderat ion of t he infin ite, g~orious RciYard, 1t would poffibly be expected, that he who fuffered a TranUation, and was.admitt~d as a Spy into the Land of Promife, fhou ld at his ret ur n make fume RelatiOn of tr, and difcovcr fomething of the Riches and Glory of that Place; and would not all flock about him, as Men do about Trawllers, ·tO enquire for a Defcription of the 1 CountrY
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