Serm. CLXII. the troubles of life. have clearer apprehenfions of a Refurreftions to another and better life it being natural to Men when they are deftitute of prefent comfort, to cherìfh and make much of the future hopes of a better condition. And therefore we find that thePeople of the yews, when they had been long exercifedwith great atliftions, began to comfort and fupport themfelves with the . hopes of a bleffed refúrre&ion to a better life; as is evident from the Hiftory of the levenBrethren in the Maccabees, who with great patience and courage bore up under the molt exquifite torments, in confidence of being raifed again to a bleffed Rate in another world. And of thefe it is that the Apoftle certainly fpeaks, Heb. 41.35. when he fays, that force weretortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better refurreflion. But the Apoftle tells us exprefly, 2 Tim. a. to. that the clear and certain difco- very of a futureftate is owing to the Chriftian Religion, and made manifeflby the appearing of our Saviour Yefits Chri/l ; whó bath abolifhed death, andbrought life, and immortality to light by the Gofpel. Not only Natural Light, but all the Reve- lations which God had made to the worldbefore, had this weaknefs and impede-. lion in them, that they did not give Men the clear difcovery and full affurance of another life; and confequently had but little efficacy in comparifon to engageMen to their Duty, or to fupport and comfort them under fufferings : And therefore the Apoftle to the Hebrews, calls the Gofpel, in oppofition to the Law,- the power of an endlefs Lifè Heb. 7. 16. intimating to us, how great a force and influence the clear apprehenfions of another life are apt to have upon the minds of Men. For which reafon the fame Apoftle tells us, ver..18, 59. that the Law was too weak to raife Men to the perfe&ion of Virtue and Goodnefs, becaufe it did not work ftrongly enough upon the hopes of Men, by the greatnefs and clearnefs ofits promifes ; and that for this weaknefs it was removed, and a more powerful and a- wakening Difpenfation brought in the place of it : For verily, fays he, there is an annulling of the Commandment going before, meaning the Law of Mofes, which by the Gofpel was abrogated and made void, for the weaknefs and unprofitahlenefr of it ; for the Law made nothing perfeft, but the bringing in of a better hope did. For which reafon, Chap. 8.6. he calls the Covenant of the Gofpel, a better Covenant, becaufe it was eflahlifhed upon better promifes, viz. the promife of an eternal Inheri- tance, as the fame Apoftle fpeaks, Chap. 9.15. All the exprefs Promifes of the. Law were only of temporal good things, but the Promifes of the Gofpel are of eternal life and happinefs : This is the promife which he loath promifed us; even eter- nal life, fays St.,7ohn, r ohn 2.25. Now the firm perfuafion of another life, does not only anfwer that great diffi- culty and obje&ion againft the Providence of God, from the Reining injuftice and inequality of his dealings with good and bad Men in this world, becaufe thee- ternal rewards and punifnments of another world will fet all things ftraight, and snake abundant amends to good Men, for all their fufferings and afeli&ions here and will render the paft profperity of badMen one of the greateft aggravations of their mifery: As it is faid of Babylon, Rev. 18. 7. How muchthe bath glorified her felf and lived delicioufly, fo much torment and farrow give her. In like manner God will-deal withwickedMen in another world; their tormentsthall rife in pro- portion to the pleafure and profperity they have enjoyed and abufed itithis world. This remarkable change ofcondition which fhall befal good and bad Meri in ano- ther world, is fet forth to us in a very lively and affeCing manner in the Parable of the rich Man and Lazarus, Luke 16. 25'. where Abraham is reprefented fpeak- ing thus to the rich Man, Son, remember that thou in thy life time received/l thy good things, and likewife Lazarus evil things : but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. He is comfortedin proportion to his fufferings in this world: and thou art tormented in proportion to the fenfual pleafures and luxuries of thy for - mer life. Men under great want and fufferings, are apt to think their lot in this worldvery hard: and yet upon the whole matter, and taking all things into confi- deration, who would not much rather chufe tobe Lazarus with his hard fortune in this World,and everlaftingConfolation in the other 5 than the richMan drown'd in 407.
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