Faith, and Piety, and Self-denial, and to finish the Work that was given him to do here on Earth, as they had finished theirs. If he defired earnestly to enjoy the Benefit of their happy Society, and to behold and fhare in their Glory and Felicity, the proper Way was not to defire that they should be brought from their celeftial Abodes to our Earth, but to live and act fo here, and to perform the Duties required of him in this State of Trial, as to be fitted for going, in the appointed Seafon, to that happy and glorious World where Mofes and Elias now dwell. But in the Extafy he was in he did not confider what he was Taying.

I would remark upon this, what improper Judges we are of Things, and how unfit to be left to our own Choice. Peter faid, It is good for us to be here: And therefore he was for contriving to keep that glorious Company together. But Divine Wisdom thought otherwife. It was really better and more proper for Peter, and the other Apoftles, to return to the World again, and to the Employments and Duties to which Divine Providence had called them, than to have continued and dwelt in the Mountain with Mofes and Elias in all that Glory, if it had been poffible for them to have done fo. They were not yet fitted for Heaven:

They

They had many Duties to perform, many Trials and Difficulties to undergo. By being continued longer in this State of Trial till they had finifhed the Work that was affigned them, they became eminent Inftruments of promoting the Glory of God, and the Good of Mankind, and the Caufe of pure Religion, Truth, and Righteoufnefs in the World; their Graces and Virtues were exercised, ftrengthened, enlarged; and they were thereby qualified for higher Degrees of Glory, and a more ilJuftrious Dignity in the heavenly State. And now with ineffable Joy the Apoftles of the Lamb join with Mofes and Elias in facred Society, and are fitted for enjoying the Pleasures of their Converfation in a quite different and incomparably more perfect Manner than they could poffibly have expected here on Earth.

We are apt to judge of what is good and proper for us by what for the prefent pleaseth and delighteth us. But this is not

a true Way of judging. It is not that State of Things which feemeth to give us most present Pleasure, but that which is fittest and propereft upon the Whole, and most agreeable to the Order of Things, and to the wife Appointment of Divine Providence, that is really best for us. There is a stated Order of Things founded in Nature and Reason, and fixed by the Will of the fu

preme

preme Difpofer. We muft fow, before we reap: We must fuffer with Chrift, in order to our Reigning with him; and must go through the appointed Courfe of Trial and Duty which God hath seen fit to affign us, before we can expect the promiled Reward. It would be wrong to expect to fhare in the Joys and Glories of Heaven, whilft we are here on Earth. It is true that God may, and fometimes doth, favour his faithful Servants with extraordinary Manifestations of his gracious Presence and Love, and give them fome present Glimpfe and Foretafte of Heaven, which may fill their Souls with Joy unfpeakable and full of Glory; and, whenever this happeneth to be the Cafe of the truly pious Soul, it is then ready to fay, Verily, it is good to be here; it could wish to be always thus engaged. But it must foon return again to the Employments and Duties of it's earthly Station and Relations; it must meet with manifold Temptations and Trials, and must have many a wearifome Struggle and Conflict, before it reacheth to Glory. If we were to chufe for ourselves, we would probably defire to be always rejoicing. But, perhaps, God feeth Suffering to be fitter for us. Our proper Business is to go on in the Way of Duty, in the Way of Faith, and HoVOL. IV, linefs,

I

linefs, and Obedience; and then we are certainly in a Way of Safety, and fhall in due Time be put in Poffeffion of that perfect Joy and Glory, which is in God's immediate Prefence and Kingdom above. A good Man may expect a Tranquillity and Peace of Mind in the ordinary Practice of his Duty; but fuch extraordinary feraphic Joys as good Men have fometimes felt are not to be commonly expected, and feldom are of a long Continuance. And, perhaps, it is not proper they fhould be fo, nor well fuited to the Nature of this prefent State of Trial and Difcipline.

The Evangelift Matthew, after having informed us what Peter faid in the Extafy of his Joy and Aftonishment, immediately addeth, that, while he yet fpake, behold, a bright Cloud overshadowed them. Ver 5. And St. Luke obferves concerning the Dif ciples, that they feared, as they entered into the Cloud. Luke ix. 34. And when the Voice came out of the Cloud, faying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed; hear ye him; we are told that, when the Difciples heard it, they fell on their Face, and were fore afraid. Ver. 6. What a fudden Change was here! Just before Peter was ready to fay, It is good for us to be here; and now his Joy and Extafy were turned into Terror and Amazement.

He

He and the other Difciples were not able to bear the Glory that furrounded them, but were quite overwhelmed with it. Such is our present Weakness and Frailty, whilst we are in the Body, that the Visions of the Divine Glory would overwhelm and confound, instead of refreshing us. If God fhould difcover himself to us here on Earth, as he doth to the Saints and Angels above, our frail mortal Nature would fink under it: And in defiring fuch a Thing at prefent we might in Effect defire our Diffolution. Daniel, giving an Account of the Divine Vifion which he faw, faith concerning himself: There remained no Strength in me: For my Comeliness was turned in me into Corruption, and I retained no Strength. Dan. x. 8, And, when the beloved Apoftle John beheld that Reprefentation of the Son of Man in the Ile of Patmos, of which we have an Account in the first Chapter of the Book of the Revelation, we are told that he fell as dead at the Feet of the glorious Appearance. Ver. 17. So here Peter, and the Apostles that were with him, when they faw the Cloud of Glory, and heard the majestic heavenly Voice, fell on their Face, and were fore afraid. If this had continued long, they could not have fupported it; but their Terror was but of a short Continuance. We are told,