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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-
.ings
that,
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,
and
walk
not
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