616 Praflical Cbriftianity, ------------------------- they did, becaufe no Manhathhire~us l for. God hath hired you, and that at no Iefsa rate than aB thefe gt~eat and glonous Thtug:. that hayc been pr?pounded to you do amount unto: A glonousHeaven, a ble!fed \\fork that IS accompatned withCommnnion with God, .Peace ot C~nfcience, Alfurance of di~ine Favour and joy in the Holy Ghoft; and tf all thrs wt\1 not perfuad~ you, certamly you fet a mighty price upon your own Sloth; only let me fay thts, beware that thefe Souls of yours thlt you will not part with to God for Salvation, beware you do not fell them to the Devil for nothing. Thertis (3) Thirdly, Confider.your Incouragements after your Work is done, there is •tnJt'"nal an eternal Reft that watts you. I have already contidcr'd Heaven as a Rew<~rd Re /1rer for worl~ing, let us now confider it as a Reft aft~r working. And fo the Apu· ;';;b,1 ~~·9. ftle tells us, there rtmaius a. Rejf for the People of God. And in Re-r:. 1 4 . we read, Blef{ed are the dead that d~e m the Lord, from henceforth, yea /4tth the Spirit for they reft from their Labours ~tnd their Works do follow rhrm. They reft from their Labours. N1 Affii- ( 1.) Firfl:, 71uy ufl from their Labour in working under AJfliEfiorr. Sometimes Af· ~::x!~. .fliCl:ions are Spurs and Incentives, and fometimes they are Burthens and Di[con• ragements to Obedience. But when we arrive at Heaven we fhall no longer need the Spur. to quicken us, nor )hall we any longer bear that Burthen t~ oppref!> us, but caft It down at Heaven's Gate, where never Sorrow nor Suffenng durft yet appear. And, NoDeftr· (1.) Secondly, In Heaven you Jl~a!l reft from your Labour in working under Defortion. rionin Now though you do work, yet it may be you apprehend God frowning upon you Beavm. and finding fault with all that you do. Now it may be though God doth caufc th~ clear Light of his Precepts and Spirit to fhine before you to direCt you what your Work is_ that you. fhould do, yet he makes it difmal Darknefs behind ~ou, and fhuts up the Ltght of has Comfort that you cannot fee what Work you have done; and this is your great Trouble, you work and labour, and yet you know not whether you fhall be accepted. Obedience were caGe and pleafant Work, Jays rhe Soul, if I knew that God did regard me; but alas! I pray, and he fhuts out my Prayer from him; I lay hold upon him, but he ]hakes me off in difpieafure; I obey, b11t he rejeEfs all my Serv;ces; and thiJ is the Angui/h and Torture of my L1jt. This indeed is Matter of great Grief and Trouble. But know, Oh Soul! thou fhalt not long work thus in the dark, fhortly thou fhalt be above thefe Clouds, and then thou fhalt fee that thofe Prayers that thou thought'ft were vainly fcatter'd and loft in the Air, are become a Cloud of fweet Incenfe hovering before the Throne of God. And thofc Tears that thou thought'ft were dropt in vain upon the Earth, are all gathered up and preferved in God's Bottle. And thofe poor Duties of thine, that for their own rneannefs and vilcnefs thou thought'ft God would fcorn, .'{et through that wonh that is put upon them by the Interceffion of Chrift, are ranked in the fame degree of Acceptation as the moft perfeCt Services of the Angels themfelves arc. Have but patience a while and continue working and thou fhalt fee a happy lffue, when the Clouds of Darknefs and Defertion, that now lie upon thy Spirit, fhall be all fcattered and blown away. In He«vm (3.) Thirdly, Tou /haU alfo reft from ywr Labour in working againft the conrinu4l tbere is Workings of your own C6rruptiom; which fhall then at once both ceafc to a8: and Refi from ceafe to be : And this indeed is the great Thing that makes it fuch a bleffcd Reft I in, to the People of God. Indeed God cuts you out your Work in his Commands, but it is the old Man within you that makes it to be tedious, irkfome and difficult unto you; God makes it not fo, but your Corruption makes it fo ; and this it doth two ways: Firft, By deadning your Heart to it : And Secondly, By turning your. Heart againft it. Dcadnefs and dulne(s to and .averfi1e~s from the ways of holy. Obedience, are the greateft caufe of all that T01l and Pains that moft take m the Work and Service of God, if ever they will bring it to a good lffue. Now botft In He~vrn thcfe lball fhortly ceafe and be removed, if you but wait and continue 'itriving a· rltere is gainft them. Rrfl f~6m ( 1.) Firft, Tou /hall reft from all that Labou: that you ~ake with ~ dead and heavy liJ?oun;g d Heart jn the waJs of God. Now you arc conunually callmg upon Jt, .Awakt, awak: ~:~/;:4 my Glory,,now you ar~ co~tinual~y tugging of it to get it a little more forward, rite ways lifting of It up to get tt a little htgher cowards God and Heaven. Now you fl:and •{God. in need of continual quickening Grace to actuate and excite thofe Lumps of~~~:~
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