SECT. VL3 THE HAPPINESSOP SEPARATE SPIRITS. 451 even your perfection ?" 2 Cor. xiii. 9. and should not saints, in the lower world, take some satisfaction, when a fellow-saint is arrived at the sum of his own wishes, even perfect holiness and joy on high ? But I correct myself here ; nature must have its way and be indulged a little ; let it express its sensible pain at the loss of such endearments. A long separation from those who are so near akin to us in flesh and blood, will touch the heart in a painful place, and awaken the ten- derest springs of sorrow. The sluices must be allowed to be held open a little ; nature seems to demand it as a debt to love, and grace does not uttelry forbid it: When Lazarus died, Jesus " groaned and wept ;" John xi. 33, 35. Yet let not sorrow triumph and reign, and likea flood bre`ak over all its boúnds; rather give the stream of it a little diversion into a better channel. Come, let us take the advice which our blessed Saviour gives to the daugh- ters of Jerusalem, who attended him to his cross with tears ; Luke xxiii. 28. " Weep not for me, but if you must weep, do it for yourselves and your children;" be- cause you are still left in the valley of sin and sorrow, while the saints departed are arrived at the land of peace, and their feet stand upon the mountains of para- dise. Could the voice of those blessed spirits made perfect reach our ears, we should hear them speak in the lan- guage of their Lord, " Weep not for us, but for your- selves; you are still encompassed with temptations and difficulties, we have surmounted them all: You are wrestling with many errors, and entangled in dark and noisy controversies ; we are perfect in knowledge, and see divine mysteries in a divine light : You are labouring in the race ; we are crowned, and have received the prize: You are striving in the field of battle, and we well remember the toilsome and painful conflict ; we pityyou, and call you rather to weep for yourselves than for us ; we have finished all the war through divine grace, and are secure in the city of triumph: You are yet travelling through the valley of tears, we are refreshing ourselves in the gardens of pleasure, and on hills of everlasting glad- ness. Hold on with courage, and faith, and patience : 2 G 2
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