270 The Refurreîuíonof ourSaviour confider'd, &c, Vol. II. VIM in the Lord. The Beliefof a future Stateafter this Life, fhould put us upon the moo earneft and vigorous Endeavours to fecure this happy Condition to our felves ; Ifby any Means, as the Apoffle exprefleth it, we may attain the Refarreaion of the Dead. It should raife us above theWorld and the Loftsof it, above all the Terrors and Temptations of it. As on the one Hand, the ferious Thoughts of our Mortality Ihould check our eager Parfait of this World : So on the other Hand, the Belief of aLife to come (hould quicken our Endeavours for the obtaining of it ; feeing we hope for fo happy a State, we should prepare our felves for it by Purity, and Holinefs of Heart and Life, by Perfeverance, and a patient Continuance in Well-doing. What manner ofPerfons ought we to be, in all holyConverfation and Godlinef , who have fuch Hopes and Expeftations? Every Man that hath thisHope in himpurifiethhimfelf, even as he is pure. Now that Life andImmortality are brought to Light by the Gofpel, what greater, what other Defign can any Man propofe to himfelf, than to be happy for ever ? For fuch aPrize, who would not ftrive, and run, and take anyPains? Who would not deny himfelf the Pleafures of Sin, which arebut for aSeafon refift Temptations, and confli&withDifficulties, andglory in TribulationsandSufferings, and be conftant and faithful to the Death, in hope of that eternal Life, which God that cannot lie, bath promifed? In our Purfuit of the Things of this World, we ufually prevent Enjoyment, by Expe&ation; we anticipate our own Happinefs, and eat out the HeartandSweet- nefs of WorldlyPleafures, by delightful Fore-thoughtsof them ; fo that when we come to pofhefsthem, theydo not anfwer the Expedtation, nor fatisfy the Defires which were raifed about them, and they vanifh into nothing : But the Things which are above, are fo great, fo folid, fo durable, foglorious, that we cannot raife our Thoughts to an equal Height with them ; we cannot enlarge ourDefires beyond aPoffibilityof Satisfa&ion. Our Hearts are greater than theWorld : but God is greater than our Hearts; and the Happinefs which he hath laid up for us, is like himfelf, incomprehenfibly great and glorious. Let the Thoughts of this raife us above this World, and infpire us with greater Thoughts and Defigns, than the Care and Concernmentsof this prefent Life. We all profefs molt firmly to believe, that after a few Days, we (hall leave this World, andall the Enjoymentsof it, andgo to thePlace fromwhence we (hall not return ; that we (hall enter upon an unchangeable State of Happinefsor Mifery, according as we have demeand our felves in this prefent Life ; that great Care andDiligence is neceflary to work, out our ownSalvation; that there muff be a great Preparation of our felves by unfpotted Purity of Heart and Life, to make our felves meet for an Inheritance with them that arefanIl¿ed ; that we mull labour, and firive, and run, and fight, and give all Diligence tomake our Calling and Elellionfore ; that we had need to watchandpray always, that we may be accounted worthy toefcape the judgment of theGreat Day,.and to Randbefore the Son ofMan. SuchThoughtsas there Mould continually poofefs ourSouls, and Heaven (hould be always in our Eye, as if, withSt. Stephen, Wefaro the Heavens opened, and yefesHandingat the Right Handof God; to fee howwe behave our felves here below ; and whenwe have fought a good Fight, and fsnifh'd our Courfe, and kept the Faith, to receive or to himfelf, that where he is, there we may be alfo. To whom, with theFather, and the HolyGhofli be all Honour and Glory now and for evermore. Amen. SER-
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