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SERM. XXX1X:3
THE RIGHT IMPROVEMENT'
OP'
'APE.
157
tested,
that
there
may
be no
tremblings
about your heart
in that
solemn
and
important
hour;
no doubtful flutter-
ings or frights on a
death
-bed,
but that
you
may
lind the
gates of
glory open before
you,
that
you may
see
your
way
clear through the dark
valley,
and have
a
rich and
abundant entrance into the kingdom
of
your
God
on
I. Life
is
yours,
that
by
a due improvement
of
it
your
crown
of
glory may be
enlarged, and
your seat ad-
vanced
in
heaven.
That
there are
different degrees
of honour
and
joy
conferred
on the
saints
above,
according
to
their
differ-
ent
characters
and capacities,
is
a doctrine
that hath
SQ
much countenance
and evidence
from
scripture,
that
we
can
no
longer
justly doubt of
it:
And,
I
think,
I
have
made
this
appear
by
incontested proofs
in
another
place.*
If
you
are
zealous
for the cause
of
Christ,
and
active
in his service
through
all
the
stages
of
life,
and
your
old age
be
crowned
with
abundant
fruits
of
righte-
ousness,
your
reward
in
glory shall bear
a proportion to
these labours,
and
the
length of your
time on
earth
shall
give a glorious addition
to
your recompence in the hea-
venly
world,;
1
Goy.
xv.
58.
"
Be ye
stedfast,
unmoea-
ble,
always
abounding
in
the
work
of
the
Lord
:
for
as
much
as ye know
that your labour
is
not
in vain in
the
Lord."
What
a
shame and pity
is
it,
that
you
or,I should
have a
long
life
on earth,'
and
but
a
low
rank
or
a
little
portion
of
reward
in
heaven
!
But
to
animate your
zeal,
I
would humbly
propose yet
a
more surprising
advancement
in
glory, to
the diligent
improvers
of
life
and grace.
What if
the services
you
do
for
God
on
earth
should still bring forth
new
fruit among
-men
long
after
your death
?'
add
what
if
your
happi-
ness
should
be
ever increasing
in
this
proportion
?
When
the
great
Judge
comes, he
will
surely "
reward every
one according
to
their
works."
But
in
Jer.
xvii.
10.
it
is
said,
",God
will
not
only
give to every
man
according
to
his
ways,
but
also
according to the
fruit of
his
do-
ings
?"
What
if
our
labours,
our
prayers,
our
pious
works
and
words,
or our
examples
on
earth
should
go
on
to
produce this
divine fruit, even the conversion
of
*Treatise
of Death
and Heaven,
Dicoutse
IT.
Sect. 2.