S;rm. XXV. the BleJ'dnefs ofGoodMen after Death. t 87 (hall confift ; yet we may truft him that made us,, to findout ways to make ushap- py ; and may believe, that hewho, made us without our Knowledge or Deliire, is able to make us Happy beyondthem both. Only for the greater Encouragement of our Holinefs.-and Obedience, tho_ he hath promifed to Reward every Good Man, far beyond the Proportion of any Good he hath or can do; yet he bath declared, that thefe Rewards fhall be pro- portionably greater or lefs, according to the degree of every Man's Piety and Virtue. So our Saviour tells us, that they who are perfecuted for righteoufnef fake, great fhall be their reward in heaven, Matt. q. 12. That there: will be a difference between the Reward of a righteous Man, and a Prophet; that is,;ofone who is more publickly and eminently ufeful for the Salvation of others. And a- mong thofe who are Teachers of others, they that are more induftrious, and con- fequently more likely to be fuccefsful in this Work, fhall have amore Glorious Reward ; as we are told by the Angel, Dan. 12. 3. And they that be Wife, (or as it is in the Margin rendred, they that be Teachers) fhall Thine as the bri htnef of the Firmament, and they that turn mary.to righteouf, aefs, as the liars for ever and ever. So likewife we find in the Parable of the Talents, that he that im- prov'd his Talent to Ten, was made Ruler over Ten Cities. And St. Paul, a. Car. 9. 6. fpeaking of the Degrees of Mens Charity,and Liberality towards the Poor, fays exprefly, He that foweth fparingly, fhall reap fparingly ; but he that foweth bountifully, fall reap bountifully ; which by proportion of Reafon may be exten- ded to the Exercifeof all other Graces and Virtues. s Cor. 1.5. 41, 42. The A- poftle there reprefents the different Degrees of Glory, which Good Men fhall be invefled with at the Refurreflion, by the different Glory and Splendor of the Heavenly Luminaries. There is one glory of the Sun, another of the Moon, and another glory of the Stars ; for one Star differeth from another Star in glory : So afo is the RefarreSionof the dead. So that the more any Man fuffers for God, and the more patiently he fuffers, the more Holily and Virtuoufly, the more Charitably and Ufefully he lives in this World ; the more good Works will ac- company him into the next, and the Greater and more Glorious Reward he may hope to receive there ; which as the Apoftle reafons (in the conclufion of that Chapter, concerning the Doctrine of the Refurreftion) ought to be a mighty En- , couragement to every one of us, not only to be ftedfafl and unmoveable (that is, fix'd and refolute in the Profeffion and Pracìice of our Religion) but abounding likewife in thework of the Lord ; forafmuch as we know, that our labour is not in vain in the Lord. Every degreeof Diligenceand Induftry, in the Work and Service of God, will moft certainlyone day turn toa happy Account. Having therefore flab Promifes, dearly Beloved, let us cleanfe our felves from all filthinefs of Flef and Spirit, perfelling holinefs in the fear of God. The more perfealy holy we are her on Earth, the more perfeilly happy we (hall be in Heaven, and continue fo to all Eternity. I have now done with the Two Reafons, which are here given in the Text, of the Happiness that Good Men, fuch as die in the Lord, fhall be made Partakers of in another Life; becaufe they ref!from their labours, and their works accompany them ; they are freed from all the Evils which they fuffer'd, and (hall receive the Reward of all the Good they have done in this Life. I should now have proceeded to make fume Inferences from this Difcourfe; But thofe I will referve for another Difcourfe on this Subject. All that I (hall add at prefent, as the Application of, what I have already faid, is, That this Ihould ftir us up to a careful and zealous Imitation of thofe Bleffed Perfons defcribed in the Text, who are dead in the Lord, and are at ref! from their Labours, and whole works do accompany them. Let us imitate them, intheir Faith and Patience, in their Piety and Good Works, and in their Conftáncy to God, and his Truth, which was dearer to them than their Lives. Thus their Virtues and Sufferings are defcribed in the ttifìons of this Book,Chap, 13. to. Here is thePatience and the Faith of the Saints; and Chap. i4. 12. Here is the Patience of the Saints : Here are they that keep the Commandments of God, B b 2 and
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