190 S E RM O ,N S upon Serm. XX VII. our happinefs will befeen in this world, yet our holinefs fhould be apparent and vifible, 2 Thef. 1. 11,12.W &refine a fo we pray always for yort,that our God would count yon worthy of this calling, and full all the good ph5afure of his goodnefs, and the workoffaith with pow - er. That the name of our Lord Jeffs Chrifi may be glorified in you, and ye in him, accord- ing to the grace of our 9od, and the Lord fetus Chrift. If your condition be obfcured and darkned by atfli &ions, it fhould not be obfcured and darkned by fins; a perpetual tenor of happinefs we cannot expect in a changeable world;yet by a conftant court of holinefs,we fhould plainly diftinguith our felves from thole that will perith in the common apoftacy and defe&ion of mankind : But alas ! Gods children are notfo cautious, but that they border too near the world ; and tho there fhould be fuch a broad difference, that the children of God may be manifcftly diftinguithed from the children of the Devil, I John 3. t o. Yet too much of the influence of the evil fpirit remaineth with us, and is bewrayedby us upon all occafions ; yet there is a generation of men, that rowagaintt the fiream of fleth and blood, I Pet. 4. 4. Wherein they think it firange, that you run not with them into the fame excefs of riot. 3. Hidden as to their priviledges, and the glory of their eftate. Many of Gods children being mean,and low, and indigent, oppreffed by the world, harraffed with fundry cala- mities and affli &ions; it Both not appear, that we have fuch a great and glorious Father : Now we are (hided with fin, blackned with fufferings, there is no vifible appearance of our great dignity and prerogative : There mutt be a di(tin &ion between Earth and Flea - ven;our filiation in the world to come is another thing to what it is in this world ; for then their glory (hill be manifeft, Col. 3.4. When Chrifi who is our life, ¡hall appear, then (hall ye alfa appear with him in glory. For the prefent, our glory is fpiritual and future : I. 'Tisfpiritual, and maketh no fair (hew in the fle(h,as the Image of God is an internal thing ; as the Kings Daughter is glorious within, PJa1. 45. 13, Itlyeth not in great Re- venues, and pomp of living, but a plentiful participation of gifts and Graces; their com- forts are fpiritual, known by feeling, rathet than by report, Phil 4.7. The peace of God, which paffeth all underftanding. Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcomeih, willlgive to eat of the hiddenmanna, and willgive him a white ¡tone, and in.the ftone a new name written, which no man knoweth, Paving he that receiveth it. Gods children are not utterly abandoned and left to the will of men : The prole &ion of Gods Providence is a Myfleryand Rid- dle to the world, that muff have all things under the view of fenfe, Pial. 31. 2o. Thew (halt hide them in thefeeret of thy prefenee from the pride of man, thou ¡halt keep them fecret - ly in a pavilion from the firife of tongues; and Pfal. 9 I. i. He that dwelleth in the fecret place of the mofi high, (hall abide under the fbadow of the Almighty ; Job 29. 4. As l was in the days of my youtb, when the fecret of God was upon my tabernacle. God keepeth them, and maintaineth them,no body knoweth how ; there is a fecret and invifible bleffing goes along with them ; as others are blafted by an invifible eurfe : And 2- 'Tis future; The time of our perle &ion and bleffednefs is not yet come, and we cannot for the prefent judg of it, nor the world imagine what it (hall be; they do not .confider the end of things, but look all to the prefent; for the prefent they find the Saints miferable, and thofe that are dead, the world taketh them for loft, I Cor. 15:19. If in this life only we have hope in Chrift, we are of all men moll miferable. They that are worfe ufed by other men, have little advantage by Chrifi now their Sonthip entitleth them to a miferable portion in the worlds eftimation, who know not, confider not things to come. 2. From whom they are hidden : Not from God, who knoweth thofe that are his,2 Tim. 2. 19. Not from Chrift, who died for them, and bath their Names graven upon his Breath and Shoulders, and is mindful of them upon every turn, John so. 14. 1 am the geodfhepherd, who know my fheep, and am known of mine. Chrift baths particulur and ex. ahI knowledg of all the Elect, their individual Perlons, who they are, where they are, and what they are that (hall be Paved : He taketh fpecial notice of them, that he may fuitably apply himfelf to them; they are not altogether unknown to the good Angels, for they are their charge, Heb. I. 14. Are they not all miniftring fpirits, fent forth to mini - fter for them, who ¡hall be heirs of falvation? And they (hall gather them from the four winds at the laft day,Mattb.24.31. From whom then are they hidden? s. From the world : The world knoweth us not, as they knew him not; they are hid from the world, as colours from a blind man g they have no eyes to fee, they are blind- ed by the delufions of the fletti, and cannot judg of fpiritual things, becaufe they are to be fpiritually difcerned, 1 Cor. 2. 14. As a beaft cannot judg of the affairs of a man 'cis a life above them, thefe things are out of their fphear, for they value all things ac- cording
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