946 Tl;E RESURRECTION-DAY A MAN's REAPING-DAY. Bookiv:· ,4· The Godly lhall have 'fweet and heavenly Company about them, in the Morn– ;ng, when they awake from Sleep; nay, more than all, they 01all enjoy the glorious Prefence of Jefus Chrill: himfelf: But rhe Ungodly, when they awake, lhall be in the midll:ofDevils, and damned Spirits; they muft be their Companions for ever. 5· The Godly lhall, when they awake, have glorious Attendants in the Day of the Refurreftion, viz. the holy Angels of Heaven: Bur the Wicked lhall have no other llttenclants, than the block Retinue of the bottomlefs Pit. 6. The Godly, when they awake, are led into the King's Palace, to be married to the Bridegroom ot their Souls, and ro receive every one of them a Crown of Glory: But ,the Ungodly awake, as condemned Malefaftors, robe led to the P!,,ce of Execution. 7· In a Word, the Godly lhall awake with Songs of J oy in their Mouths; but the ·Wicked Oull awake with Tears and difmal Cries: The one to receive the Sentence, Come, ye Bleffid of my Father; the other to receive the Sentence, Go ye curfed, &c. Some awake to ever!afling Life; mid fome to S.bame and evcrlafling Cont&mpt, Dan. xi. 2. THE RESURRECTION-DAY A MAN's REAPING-DAY, 'They that Jow in 'Tears, jhall mzp in ]oy, Pfal. cxxvi. 5· I'! due Seafon we jhall re.1p if we faint not, Gal. vi. .f. .The RefurreCI:ion-day is a Man's Reaping-day. P A R A L L E L S. 'I. MEN fow before thev reap: So Men in this World may be faid to fow; ·either they · fow to the Fle01, or to the Spirit, and in the Refurrecl:ion-tlay they lhall reap. l!. That which Men fow, that alb they reap; they do not fow Beans, and reap Barley; nor fow Tares, and re•p Wheat: So the very f.1me that all Men in a fpiritual Senfe {ow, they 01all reap; they that fow to the Fle01, !hall of thr Flelh re;.p Corrup– tion; and they that low to the Spirit, ·lhall of the Spirit reap Life everlafting, Gal. vi. Ill. According to the Q,tantity that every Man lows, fo t~ey reap; he that fows fparingly, or but a little Seed, muft expeCt to reap fparingly, or have bm a fmall Crop: So they who do much Service for God, or fcatter liberally Abroad ro his People in rhis vVorld, !ball receive much from the Hands of God at the r.nd of the V\or!a; and he that cloth but little for God, though he doth it in Sincerity, muft expeft to reap ac– cordingly in that Day. He that improves two Talents, fhall receive the Improvement of two; and he that improves five, the Improvements of five. There will be Degrees of Glory, no dou bt, in the Day of the Refurreftion. But this, I Jay, Ile whirb Joweth [pdring!y, jha/1 reap dfo Jparingly; aiid be which .joweth b'untiful!y, jha/1 reap aljo bountiful!)•, 2 Cor. ix. 6. · 'There is one Glory of the Srm, and anotber Glory of the Moon, and another Glory of the Stars; for one Star differeth froli' another Star in Cl?!)': So alfo is the Refurreflion of the Dead, &c. t Cor. xv. 4i, 42. And, Tbey that b.: wife jhalljhine as the Brightnefs of the Firmament; and they t.bat turn many to Righteoufnefs, as the Stars for evermore, Dan. xii. 3· IV. A Man's Reaping-time is his rejoicing Time. With what Joy and Gbdnefs doth the Hulbandman gather in the Fruits of the Earth: So the Saims fpiritual Reaping– day will be their Rejoicing-day. . He that fows in Tears, !hall reaF in Joy. · . V. When the Reaping-time is come, a Man gathers in the Fruit or Harvell: of di– vers Sorts of Seed, &c. So in the Day of the Refurreehon, the Godly fhall reap or gather in the Comfort and lncreafe of divers Sorts of Seed by them fawn. They fhall then reap the Fruit of all the good Sermons they have heard, and reap rhe !all: Fruit of all, the fpiritual Prayers they have made, the Fruit of all the Tears of godly Con– trition they have lhed; and all the Sighs and Groans they have uttered. They fl1all reap the Fruit of all the good Thoughts they have had, and of all the good Words they have fpoken, and all the good Works they have done; as alfo the Fruit of all the Evfl, which for Chrift's fake they have undergone. Objefl. Is not a Saint's Dying-day his Reaping-day ? .A;ifw. A Saint at Death gathers the firll: ripe Fruits, a• it were, but his Harvell: ,is not till the lal1 Day.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=