72 THE WORLD TO COME. and see, what a glorious society it is ; Heb. xii. 22, 23. To the 'innumerable company of angels, the general assembly and church of the first -born, who are written iu heaven, to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant. The apostle says, we are come to them already, that is, by the covenant of grace, as ad- ministered under the gospel, we are brought into a blessed union with them, in spirit and in temper, even in . this life, we are members of the same body, we are united to the same head, and made parts of the same household, though we are not yet brought home : But at death we are actually present with them, and dwell and converse among them with holy familiarity, as citizens of the same heavenly Jerusalem, as parts of the same sacred family, and at home, as children of the same God, and in their Father's house. The watchful christian is at once car- ried into the midst of the blessed world by - ministering angels, the world where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwell, and made a speedy partaker of their blessedness : Luke xvi. 22. VI. Death brings with it a most amazing and inconceivable change of all our present circumstances and thoughts, our actions and pursuits, our sensations and enjoyments, I mean, all those that relate to this life only, such as eating, drinking, buying, selling, &c. It dislodges us from these bodies; and thereby finishes all those affections, concerns and troubles which belong to the body, and sends us into another sort of world, whose affairs and concerns are such only as belong to spirits, whether sinful or holy : A most delightful, or a most dreadful change! A world of unknown happiness ! Luke xxiii. 43. This day shalt thou .be with me in, paradise. Luke xvi. 22. The rich man died, -and in hell he lift up his eyes. And indeed, the . change is so vast, that comparatively speaking, we know not what sor- row or happiness is till this 'lay comes. Now it is a very foolish and dangerous thing, at best, . to pass imo such an extreme change of states infinitely worse, or infinitely better, while we are asleep and at all uncertainties : What if it should be the mi- serable state, and we should awake in hell? But the watchful christian is blessed, for he is ready for this amazing. change. He bath long lived upon it by faith and hope, though he, knows . not so well what the particular enjoyments.of heaven are ; and he is well satisfied, that he is prepared for that happy world by God himself. 2. Cor. v. 5. He that hatk wrought us for the self =same . thing is God : He is well- pleased to have his faith changed into , sight, and his hope into fruition : He bath been lóug pained and burdened, in this sinful world, with the vain trifles, the poor low cares and amusements of it ; the sins, and sorrows, and tempta- tiens that surround him in it, give him continual disquietudes, and he hath been training up,in the school of Christ, by devo-
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