Serm. CXII. of an H®dy andVirtuolo,s Life. è It is fufficient for us to know this in the general, and totruft the infinite Pow- er and Wifdom and Goodnefs of God, for the particular manner and circumflan- cesof our Happinefs; not doubting but that he, who is the eternal and inexhau- flible Spring and Fountain of all Happinefs, can and will derive and convey fuch a (hare of it to every one of us as he thinks fir, and in fuch ways as he, who bell nnderflands it, is beft able to find out. In a word, the Happinefs of the next Life (hall be fuch as is worthy of the great Kingof the World to bellow upon his faithful Servants, and filch as is infinitely beyond the júlt Reward of their bell Services ; it is to fie God, i.'e. to contem- plate and love the heft andmolt perfe& of Beings, and to be for ever with the Lord, in mhofeprefence is Pine's of joy, and at whole right hand there arepleafirres for e- vermore. I will fay no more upon this Argument, left I fhould fay lefs, and besaufe who- ever ventures to wade far into it, will loon find himfelf out of his depth, and in danger to be (wallowed up and loft in that great Abyfs, which is not to be fa- thom'd by the (hallow Faculties of Mortal men. I fhall therefore only mention the 2. Thing I propofed to (peak to, viz. The Eternity of this Happinefs; And the end everlafting Life : by which the Apoflle intends to exprefs the utmo(l Per- fe&ion, but not the final Period of the Happinefs of good men in another World. For to a perfe& Itate of Happinefs thefe two Conditions are requifite, that it be immutable, and that it be interminable, that it can neither admit of a change nor ofan end. And this is all that I (hail fay of it, it being impoffible to fay any thing that is more intelligible and plain, concerning that which is infinite, than that it is fo. I fhould now have proceeded to the IL Thing I propoled, viz. By what Way and Means we may be prepared, and made meet to be made partakers of this Happinefs ; and that is (as 1 have told you all along) by the confiant and fincere endeavour of an holy and good Life; for the Text fuppofeth that they only who are made free from Sin, and be- come the Servants ofGod, and who have their Fruit unto Holinefs, are theywhole end (hall be everlafiing Life. But this is an Argument which I have had fo fre- quent occafron to fpeak to, that I (hall not now meddlewith it. All that I (halt domore at prefent (hall be to make an Inference or two fromwhat hath been faid upon this Argument. I. The Confiderationof the Happy State of good men in another World, can- notbut be a great comfort and fupport to good men under all the Evils and Suf- ferings of this prefent Life. Hope is a great Cordial to the Minds ofmen, efpe- cially when the thing hoped for does fo vafily outweigh the prefent grievance and trouble. The Holy Scriptures, which reveal to us the Happinefs of our fu- ture(late, do likewife allure us that there is no comparifon between the Affli&ions and Sufferings ofgood men in this World, and the Reward of them in the other. I reckon (faith St. Paul) Rom. 8. 8. that the fuferings of this prefent time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory that fhali be revealed in us. Particularly the Confideration of that glorious change which (hall be made in our Bodies at the Refurre&ion, ought to be a great comfort to us under all the Pains and Difeafes which they are now liable to, and even againfl Death it felf; One of the greatefl burdens of Humane Nature, is the frailty and infirmity of our Bodies, the neceffities which they are frequently prefi withal, the Difeafes and Pains to which they are liable, and the fear of death, by reafon whereof a great part of Mankind are fubjeél to bondage ; again[( all which this is an everlafting Springof Confolation to us, that the, time is coming when we (hall have other fort of Bodies, freed from that burden of Corruption which we now groan un- der, and from all thole Miferies and Inconveniences which Fle(h and Blood are now fubje& to. For the time will come, when thefe vile Bodies, which we now wear, (hall be changed, and fafhioned like to the glorious Body ofthe Son of God; and when they (hall be railed at the la(l day, they (hall not be railed fuch as we laid them down, Vile and Corruptible, but Immortal and Incorruptible : for the fame Power which hath railed them up to Life, (hall likewife change them, and put
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