22¢ DEATH A BLESSING TO THE SAINTS. [SEEM. ELIII. nearest the throne, shall not . despise the meanest ; for Ilia nearer they approach to the perfect image-of Christ, the more intense and diffusive is their love. Besides, every saint in glory shall see himself in his own nothing- ness, and infinitely indebted to divine grace for all things This shall for ever forbid all vanity and conceit of merit. In heaven we shall see God in the fulness of his glory, and shall have so penetrating a sense of his saving grace, that a creature rescued from hell cannot be proud there. Rejoice then, ye poor feeble christians, that have been long wrestling with your indwelling sins, and main- taining a holy and daily fight, with strong and restless corruptions in your nature : Lift up your heads at the thoughts of death, for the day of your redemption draws nigh, Luke xxi. 28. Death is your deliverer. It is like the angel That Christ sent to Peter, to knock off his fet- ters, and release him from the prison ; it may smite and surprise you, and'it has indeed a dark and unlovely as- pect; but its message is light and peace, holiness ,and salvation. IV. Death is ours, for it takes us away irom under all the threatenings of God in his word, and places us in the actual possession of the greatest part of the bless- .ingsthat, God has promised us. The saints that are dead are thus described ; they are those, 'who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises, Hob. vi. 12. Whilst we are in this life, there are many threatenings in the bible, that belong to the saints as well as to sin- ners. . I shall mention that great and general one that is annexed to the covenant, of grace. Ps. lxxxix. 30. -32. "If the children of Christ forsake my law, andwalknot in my judgments, then I will visit their transgresion with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes ;" but when -death has conveyed them into the presence of their heavenly Father, they shall forsake his law no more; there are no more transgressions for the rod to correct, the stripes of ,chastisement cease for ever; and their Father and their God, shall be angry no more. The best'part of the promises are fulfilled when a soul arrives at heaven. The promise of the resurrection of the body yet remains unaccomplished indeed; but every separate spirit in heaven waits for it with full assurance of accomplishment. " I have found," : says the holy
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=