io8 SERMONS upon the SERM.XIIL' are fóme chiefeff and higheft places of Glory and Preferment in his Kingdom, and he hath prepared tiefe places for perfons of the greateft worth and eminency in his fervice ;, for thefe the greateft Hoftours of the World to come are referved. Reafons of the Point. (1.) From the Nature of that Glory and Bleffednefs we expet: It ftandeth in, Com- munion with God, and Conformity to him, or the Vifion and full fruition of God; P /al. 17.15. 1 yob. ;. a. Now the more holy, the more fuited to this happinefs, and therefore have larger meafures of it ; Mat. 5. 8. Bleffed are the pure (id heart, for they lbaQ fee God. Heb. 12. 14. Without &linefs no man /hall fee the Lord. We behold his face in reghteoufnefs. Now we are more capacitated, Veffels of a larger bore : 'Tis unreafonable CO imagine that clarified Souls have no more fruition of God than thofe that only have Grace enoúgh to make an hard fhift to get to Heaven : Sicut fe habet fimpliciter ad frmpliciter, ita magas ad magic. Holinefs fingly fits to fee God, and Without it we cannot fee him : So a little Holinefs fits us to take in a little of God ; the-more Holinefs, the more of God. (z.) From the pleafure God taketh in his own Image: So much of the Image of God as his Creature bath, fo far more amiable in the fight of God : The Lord de- lighteth in the `Upright, Prov. s I. 20. If God delighteth in them, he delighteth more in one that is more holy and upright: Thus from Gods Holinefs we may ar- gue', he Both not delight in the impure, Pfd. 5. 4. Thor( art not a God that haft plea - fare in wickednefs. He cannot fa fully delight in the lets pure ; Pfal. 18. 25, 26. With the upright man thou wilt /hew thy ¡elf upright, troth the pure thou wilt Pew thy fell pure. (s.) From the Tuftice of God, and the Quality of that Happinef which we ex- pert : Though it be an a& of free Grace and bounty in God to bellow it on us, . yet 'cis a Reward ; and Reward is confiderable with refpe& to the work : The Re- ward is not of Merit, but Grace ; but yet Gods merciful Juffice refpeð the de- gree of our Service ; Heb.6. io. God is not unrighteous to forget your work of Faith, and labour of Love. 'Tis an a& of remunerative Jufrice, according to the New - Covenant : The higher Service hash an ordinability to the greateft Reward. (4.) God doth in this world give the greateft Bl fngs to thole that do moll cmi- neatly glorifie him; therefore fignal Faithfulnefs is eminently rewarded in the World to come ; as God promifeth to make a Covenant with Pianos, becaufe he was zealous for God, to make an atonement for the People, Numb. 25. I;. This the ra- ther holdeth good, becaufe the Rewards of the Old Teftament were a,Iiind of Fi- gure of Eternity. (5.) In the Punifhment there are degrees, therefore in the Reward God will pu- nifh men differently, more or lets according to the rate of their fins : we read of ze....reo, more tolerable : So- he will reward men more or lets according to the dif- ferent degrees of their faithfulnefs : So Mat. r r. 21, 22. It fhall be more toQlerable for Tire and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. So Luk. 12. 47, 48. we read of many Stripes, and few Stripes. 'Tis true, the Reward is not of debt ; yet there is an Equity obferved in his Bounty. (6.) The Glorified State of the Saints in all probability fuiteth with all the ref/ of the Creation. There is a difierenee and difparity in every thing elfe : Among men in the World, in Wifdom, and Rank, and Q2ality, and Riches ; In the Church, fome have meaner, fome larger Gifts. There are degrees among the Devils ;'we read of Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils : Among Angels, there are Arch -An- gels, Principalities, Powers, Thrones, Dominions. So 'cis likely among the Saints. (7.) The Profit : It encouraoeth to Godlinefe : This inequality of Rewards, giving greater things to thofe that do more, and tie more faithful, than to imagine that they who fow more fparingly, (hall reap as plentifully as thofe that lbw liberally. It is a great damp to all worthy dealing, and fignal excellency, that all (hall fare alike ; but it quickneth us to our utmoft a &ivity, to remember that as. our work is, our Reward will be. , U SE, Is to quicken us to be more faithful to God, for thefe Confderations. I. Heaven being the perfection of Holinefs, if you do not defire more degrees of Holinefs, you do not defire Heaven it fel f r yob. 3. 2, ;. Behold now ye are the fns of God, and it.doth not appear what we ¡hall be : But we know, that when he ¡ball ap -_ pear, we ¡hall be like him ; for we /hall fee him as he is. And every man that hash this
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