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I
s
THE
RIGtiT
6VEMENT
OF
LII
E.
[SEi2
Gt.
XZXt7C;
souls
when
we
are
in
heaven
?
And what
if
the rich
an
overflowing .grace
of
God should
reward
us on this
ac-
count
with growing glories
?
And
"
those who
turn
ma-
ny to righteousness in this manner, should
shine
as
stars
with increasing lustre
?"
Some divines have supposed,
that
the
mischievous
in-
fluence
of
the
works
and lives
of
the wicked
shall increase
their torment
:
And perhaps,
Jeroboam,
who
set up the
calves
at
Dan
and Beth
-el,
and
who
made the land
of
Israel
to
practise idolatry for
some
hundreds
of
years
lifter
his own
death, might
feel
yearly more intense
ago-
nies
of
conscience,
and his
hell grows seven times
hotter,
This
is
a
dreadful
thought,
and
should
terribly
awaken
and
impress those
sinners
who
have
diffused
their iniqui-
ties far and
wide;
who
have
corrupted
whole
families,
and
cities,
and nations,
And
spread their
poison through
succeeding
ages.
And
why may
not
the
joy
and
crown
of
St.
Paul
increase and
brighten
by
the conversion
of
sinners, through sixteen
hundred
years,
by
the influence
of
his
holy writings
amongst
all
the christian nations
?
And thus
not
the
Thessalonians
alone, but the
inhabit-
ants of
Great
Britain
shall be
the matter
of
his glory
and
his
joy
?
O
it
is
a
blessed
thing to multiply good instruc-
tions, and
counsels,
and exemplary practises
of
holiness
:
and
to
hear of
them
after
we
have gone
to
heaven, either
by
ministering
angels,
or
by
souls newly
arriving
there,
that
they
still
yield
on
earth
a
further
crop and harvest
of
honour
to Christ, and
profit to
men. Such
tidings
as
these
cannot but
raise
and advance
our
own
joy:
As
your
zeal
and
labour
in active service
shall
find
a
retribution
every
way,
answerable,
so
your
patience un-
der
sufferings shall
meet with
a
proportionable
reward.
2
Coy.
iv.-
17.
"
1ór
our light
afflictions,
which
are but
for a moment,
are working
.for
us
a
far more exceeding
and
eternal
weight
of
glory." Life
is
the
only
seasons as
I
shall shew
afterwards, for this
sort
of
exercise
;
and
the
longer
we
endure
sorrows here honourably,
the
richer
shall
our reward
be
hereafter, though the reward
is
not
of
merit
but
of
free
grace.
How many
saints are there
in
heaven exalted
to
emt
rent
stations
in
that upper
world,
And
sonic who
wear,
perhaps,
the crown
of
martyrdom, and
enjoy
the
prizes
of
victory over
a
thousand temptations. after
they have