812 DEATH A BLESSING TO THE SAINTS. perfect, we shall meet with no affront, no reproach, no injury toprovoke our anger, or kindle an uneasy passion. Most per- fect friendship is ever practised there ; it is a regionof peace, a world of immortalamity. Nor shall we find any temptation to envy, in that happy state; for though there are different ranks of glorified creatures, yet each is filled with a holy satisfaction, and bath an inward re- lish of his own felicity suited to his own capacity and state, and they have all a general relish of the common joy, and a mutual satisfaction in each othershappiness. Envy, that fretful passion, is no more. In heaven there are no provocations to those un- ruly appetites, which break in upon our temperance, and pollute our souls. Pride and haughtiness of spirit have no room in that bles- sedworld : The superior order of saints, which are nearest the throne, shall not despise the meanest; for the nearer they ap- proach to the perfect image of Christ, the more intense and dif- fusive is their love. Besides, every saint in glory shall see himself in his own nothingness,'and infinitely indebted to di- vine gracefor 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 Iong wrestling with your indwelling sins, and maintaining 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 fetters, and release him from the prison ; it may smite and °surprize you, and it has indeed a dark and unlovely aspect ; but its message is light and peace, holiness and salvation. IV. Death is ours, for it takes us away from under, all the threatenings of God in his word, and places us in the actualpos- session of the greatest part of the blessings, that Godhas pro- mised us. The saints that are dead are thus described ; they are those, who through faith andpatience, 'inherit the promises; Heb. vi. 12. Whilst we are in this life, there aremany threatenings in the bible that belong to the saints aswell as to sinners. I shall mention that great and general one that is annexed to the covenant of grace; Ps. lxxxix. 30. Ifthe children of Christfor- sake my law, and walk not in myjudgments ; then will I visit their transgression with à rod, and their iniquitywithstripes; but when,
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