188 The Blejfednefs of Good Men, after Death. V ol. L TheSe2onel Sermon on i$eText. and the Faith of Yefu; and Chap. 12. t I. And they overcame'by the Bloodof the Lamb, and by the Word of their Teflimony i and they loved not their Lives unto the Death. In this Way, and by thefe Steps, all the Saints and Martyrs of all Ages, have afcended up to Heaven, and attained to that BleIfed State, which they are now poffeffed of, after all the 'Evils which they fuffered in this World. Theyare now at refl from their labours, and all the good Works which they have done, aregone along with them, and they are now, and (hall for ever be, receiving the Comfort and Reward of them. And if we tread in their Steps, by a zealous imitation of the Piety and Holinefs of their Lives, and of the Conflancy and Patience of their Sufferings; we fhall one Day be tranflated into their Bleffed Society, and made Partakers with them of the fame Glorious Reward. If we have our Fruit unto Moline' i our end fhall be everlafing life. If we be faithful unto death; we fhall receive a Crown ofLife. Let us then, as the Apoftle to the Hebrews exhorts, Chap. 6. is, s a. Every one of us 'hew the fame Diligence, to the full a/furance of hope, unto the end and let us not be flothful i but followers of them, who throughfaithand patience inherit thepromifes. Now the God of Peace, who brought againfromthe Dead our Lordyefus Chri/f, the great Shepherdofthe Sheep, through the Blood of the Everlafling Covenant, make you Perfecrl in everygood wordandwork, working inyou that which is well- pleafeng in his fight. SERMON XXVI. The Bleffednefs of Good Men, after Death. REV. XIV, I 3. And I heard a voice from heaven faying unto me, Write, Bleffed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth : lea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their labours ; and their works do follow them. N my Explicationof thefe Words .I told you, that they are in the general Senfe and Meaning of them, a folemn Declaration of the Bleffed E/tate of Good Men after this Life; but deliver'd upon a Special Occafion, as as figni- fied by that Expreflion, from henceforth ; that is, from the time of that Vifi- on, in which was reprefented to St. John, the left and extremePerfcutionof the faithful Servants of Chrift, and which thould precede the fatal downfal of Baby- lon; from that time, bleffed are the deadwhich die in the Lord; that is, confider- ing the Extremity, and the cruel Circumftances of this la/t and feverefl Perfects- tion, we may, from that time forward, reckon thofe who are already dead (fup- pofrng that they died in the Lord,) to be very Happy; in that they do not live to fee and fuffer thofe grievous things, which then will befall the Faithful Servants ofGod. In my former Difcourfe, I confider'd the Words according to the general inten- tion of them, abftraâing from the particular occafion, upon which they were fpoken, endeavouring to fet forth the HaplyElate of Good Men after this Life, from the Two Reafons and Grounds mention'd in the Text, namely, becaufe they s'efl from their labours, and becaufe their works do follow, or accompay and go along with
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