186 SEKMONSupon Serm.XXVI. U S E, Now I tnun (hew you the ufe of thisDo&rine, I. Certainly 'tit nfefi4 for the aftlidedin any fort, whatever their trouper and afiiliona be. Fitti, for common evils. i. Are you pained with ficknef, and role to and fro in your bed, like a door on the hinges, for the wearinefs of your flefh? in Heaven you (hall have everlalling cafe, for that is a (rate of reft, Heb, 4.9. We are apprehenfive of prefent pain, but not of the greatnefs of "the cafe, peace and glory that (hall fucceed ; thó the pains be acute, the rick- nee lingring,and hangeth long upon you, yet prefent time is quickly pall, but eternity (hall have no end. 2. Mull you dye, and the gueft be turned out of the old houle ? You have a buildirg with God, eternal in the Heavens, a Cor. 5. I. You do but leave a flied to live in a Palace; and forfake an unquiet world, for a place of everlaning repofe. 2. Tia efpecially to be applied to theft that fnffer for rigbteonfnef fake. Shall we (brink at fufferings for ChriR , when we (hall be in glory with him for evermore ? HoW Short is the Coffering? How long the reward ? For a greater good, we (could endure a teller evil : A Traveller endureth all the difficulties of the way, for the fake of the place, where he is going unto; fo fhould we : What is the evil threatned ? Are you call out by man, as unworthy to live in any civil fociety ? You (hall be received. by the Lord, into an everlafting abode with him, r TheC 5. 17. And fo 'hall we be ever with the Lord. Have you loft the love of all men, for your fincerity and faithfulnefs ? You thall everlaflingly enjoy the love of God, Rom.B. 39. Are you reproached, calumniated in the world? Then you (tall be ju(ified by Chrift, and your faith found to honour, pralle, and glory, 2 Pet. 1. 7. Are you cart into Prifon? you (hall fhortly be in your Fathers. Houle, where there are many manfions, John 14. a. Are you reduced to fordid poverty ? You may read in the Scripture of the riches of the glory of the inheritance of the faints, Eph. t. 18. In (port, are you tempted, oppofed, perfecuted ? confider, much of your journey is pall away, you are nearer eternity,,than you were when y ou firft believed, Rom. 13. I I. They that both tempt and perfecute, cannot give fo much to you, or take fo much from you, as is worthy to be compared with your great hopes : Immortal happinefs is moli clearable, and endlefs raillery moll terrible ; therefore be you faithful to the death, and you (hall have the Crown of Life, Rev. 2. M. Is life its fell likely to be forced out by the violence of man ; the fword is but the key to open Heaven Door for you ; furely, this hope will make the greaten fufferings to become light, turn pain into plea- fare, yea, and death its felf into life. 2. Tis nfefnl for all, if only for the afitled : None is exempted, and >au mutt hear for the time to come ; but every good Chri(ian fhould be of this temper and fpirit, and wholly fetch his folaces from the world to come, elfe he is not poffeffed with a true fpirit of Chrinianity, which warneth us all to prepare for fufferings, and calleth for Celt denyal ; betides this is a great means to mortifie worldly affe &ions, which are the great impediment of the heavenly life; when we once learn to defpife the aftli &ions of the world, our affe&ions to the delights thereof, die by content, both are rooted in the fame difpofition and frame of heart, Each a dead and mortified temper, as hath learn- ed to contemn earthly things; and they are both fed and miantained by the fame coati- -elevations, a looking to the end of things, which maketh us wife, Dent. 32. 29. If our hearts be often in Heaven, it will lei en all worldly things in our eyes, and it will make us not only patient and contented in fufferings, but diligent in holy duties, fearful of finning; for all thofe pleafures which tempt us tonegle& duty, or to make bold with fin, are no more worthy to be compared with the glory which (hall be revealed in us, than our fufferings are; yea, the argument holdeth fironger agaihn them ; if the greater fufferings fhould not deter us from our duty, certainly vain pleafures fhould not ; they that calf off theprofefíion and pra&iccof Godlinefs "out of indulgence to carnal delights or fome worldly hope,aré lefs to be pitied, becaufe they involve themlelves in a more hai- nous fin, than they that Ihrink from ir out of force great fears for torment and death, which are the chiefeft things we fear, are de(ruEtive of our nature; therefore we have a natural fhunning and abhorrence of them; but thofe other things are fuch things as nature may eaaly, and without greater inconveniency, want , fuch as Preferment, Splen- dor of life, fotti(h pleafures; they are inticed by their meer !utt, which is not fo preffing as fear. SER,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=