360 THE WATCHFUL CHRISTIAN DYING IN PEACE. [DISC. TI. criminal, but as a person approved, and accepted, and righteous in thy sight: I shall awake, from this world of dreams and shadows,, into thy complete image, and per- fect holiness ; or I shall awake from the dust of death; and shall be fully satisfied; and rejoice to find myself made so like my God, and to dwell for ever in his pre- sence." Consideration IV. It is' the Lord Jesus Christ that lets the soul out of thebody, for "he hath the keys of death, and of the unseen world," and Messed is the watchful christian, who waits for the coming of his Lord, for he can meet him gladly when fulfilling this part of his glori- ous office. He shall be introduced by him into the pre- sence of God his Father, and shall receive most conde- scending instances of mercy fromChrist himself. See the text, Luke xii. 36, 37. " Be ye yourselves likemen, that wait for the Lord, that, when he cometh, and .knocketh, ye mayopen to him immediately. Blessed are those ser- vants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watch- ing: Verily, I say to you, he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and come forth, and serve them." He shall condescend, as it were, even below the office of a steward, he shall bring out the heavenly' provisions of his Father's house, and make them sit down in his kingdom,. and give them divine refreshments after their labours: he shall feed them as a shepherd, shall lead them to living fountains of water, and afford them his presence for -ever. The watchful christian is blessed, indeed, when he shall be. absent from the body, and be at once present with the Lord, 2 Cor. v. 8. The Lord Jesus, whom he bath seen by faith in his gospel; whose voice he bath heard in his word, and obeyed it; Jesus, whom he bath touched, and tasted in the appointed emblems of his supper on earth, in whom he- bath believed through the word of grace, and whom he bath loved before he saw him, shall now receive him into his presence, and the disciple shall rejoice for ever to meet his Lord with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Consideration V. At the hour of deathwe areseat at once into an invisibleworld, we shall find ourselves in the midst of holy or of unclean spirits ; borne away at once into an unknown region, and into the midst of unknown
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