Serm. XXV. The J3le/fedneff ofGood Men nfterve2th. z 8 5 Pain and Trouble. Buttlro' Happinefs do not confrft in this alone; yet itcannot be denied to be a great part of it For tin' fome have been fo phantaftically ob- ítinate, as, againfl the Reafon and Common Senfe of Mankind, to maintain this Paradox, that a wifeMan may be as happy upon the Rack, or in Phalaris his Bull, as in thegreateff eafe and freedomfrom Pain that can he imagined; Yet Nature cries Ihame of this Hypocrifie ; and there are noneOf thofe wife Men they fpeak of, were ever fach Fools as to try the Experiment, and toThewby their A&ions, that it was indifferent to them, whether they lay'd themfelves down upon their Beds everyNight, or were ftretcht upon a Rack ; which yet ought to have been indifferent to them, hadthey believed themfelves, and really efteemed that, which others account Pain, to be as happy a Condition, as that which iscommonly cal- led Eafe. But we need not trouble our felves to confute fo ítupid a Principle, -which is confutedby Nature, and by every Man's Senfe and Experience.. I think we may take it for granted, that freedom from Mifery is a very confiderable part of Hap- pinefs ; otherwife Heaven and Hell, if we confider only the Torment ofit, would be all one. But certainly it is no fmall endearment of Religion, to the common Senfeof Mankind, that it promifeth'tous in the next Life, a freedom from all the Evils and Troubles of this. And by this the Happinefs of Heaven is frequently defcribed to us in Scripture, Efai. 57. 2. fpeaking of the Righteous Man; be/hall enter into Peace : they 'ha ref in their Beds. 2 Thef. i. 7. where the Apoftle fpeaking of theReward of thofe, who fhouldfuller Perfecution for Religion, It is a righteous thing withGod, (fays he) to recompenfe toyou, who are troubled, Refl with us, when the Lòrdplus _hall be revealed from Heaven with bis mighty An- gels. And the Apoftle to the Hebrews, frequently defcribes the Happinefs of Chriftìans by entring into Re/f. And Rev. 21. 4. the State of the New ferufa- lem is fet forth to us, by Deliverance from thofe Troubles and Sorrows, which Men are fubje& to in this World ; andGod(hall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes; and there pallbe no more Death, neither Sorrow, nor Crying, neither(hall there be any more Pain, for the former things are paf away. Thus it is with us in this World, we are liable to Sorrowand Pain and Death : But when we are once got to Heaven, none of thefe things shall approach us. The firmer things are pafs'd away, that is, the Evilswe formerly endured, are paft and over, and !hall never return to alid us any more. And is not this a great Comfort, when we are labouring under the Evils of this Life, and conflilling forely with the Miferies of it; that we (hall one Day be paft all thefe, and find a fafe Refuge and Retreat from all thefe Storms and Tempefts : When we are loaded with Affli&ions, and even tired with the Bùrden of them, and ready to faint and fink under it; to think that there remains a ref for us, in- to which we 'hall shortly enter' ? How can it choofe but be a mighty Confölation . to us, whilst we are in this vale of tears and troubles, to be affured that the Time is coining, when God 'hall wipe away all tears from our Eyes, and there (hall be no more furrownor crying? There are none of us, but are obnoxious to any of the Evils of this Life; we feel force of them, and we fear more : Our outward Condition, it may be, is uncomfortable, we are poor and perfecuted; we are deftitute of Friends, or have many Enemies; we are defpoiled of many of thofe Comforts and Enjoyments whichwe once had : Our Bodies perhaps are in Pain, or our Spirits troubled; or though we have no real Caufe of outward Trouble, yet our Souls are ill lodg'd, in the dark Dungeon of a Body; over-power'd with a Melancholly Humour, which keeps out all Light and Comfort from our Minds. And is it no reviving to us, to think of that Happy Hour, when we (hall find a Remedy and Redrefs of all thefe Evils at once ; Of that bleffed Place, where we (hall take Sanétuary, frein all thofe Aflli&ions and Troubles which purfued us in this World ? Where, Sorrow and Mifery, and Death are perfect Strangers, and in- to which nothing that can render Men in the leaft unhappy, can ever enter ? Where our Souls (hall be in perfed Reif and Contentment, and our Bodies after a while [hall be reftored and reunited to our Souls; not to Cloud and clog them as B b they
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