drink here below cups full of bitterness and sorrow, would be the most miserable of all creatures. The condition of the beasts would appear more happy than theirs: for they enjoy in quiet and peace all the pleasures that their animal nature is able to relish. They are not tormented by so many diseases as vex our bodies; neither do they know the cares and displeasures that consume and fret our minds. They grieve not for the time past, nor trouble themselves with any apprehensions of the time to come. They never feel the fierce assaults of lust. They are ignorant of many of those passions that torment and domineer over our souls. All their pains and sufferings vanish with their breath; so that when they are dead, their sufferings have an end. If we make our eyes the judges of these things, we may say, "The accident that happens to men and beasts is the same accident; as is the death of the one, so is the death of the other." But if we search and examine farther, we shall find more difference than between heaven and earth, between light and darkness: for it is true, that the death of beasts delivers them from the sense of all evils, but doth not introduce them into any real happiness. When it puts an end to their misery, it puts a period to their being, and to all that pleasure and content which they formerly enjoyed; for they die without any hopes of living again.

If we look to the wicked and unbelievers, we shall find, that death deprives them not only of their honours, riches, and of all their pleasures and carnal enjoyments, but puts out their taper in the blackest darkness, and all their greatest delights are lost in a vast sea of bitterness. If Death looseth them from the chain of misery, unto which all the children of Adam are tied, if it frees their bodies from the pain of any temporal evils, it casts their souls into eternal torments. But for the virtuous and believing Christians, if Death is so great a friend to them, because it delivers them from

many

many evils and miseries, it is a greater friend, in regard it opens to them the gate that leads to an endless glory and happiness.

The Son of God had a design to persuade us of this truth, in that remarkable parable of the xvith of St. Luke's Gospel. For at one hand he shews a rich miser clothed in purple and fine linen, feeding upon dainties, and living in much splendour and magnificence; and at the other he discovers to us a poor wretch, named Lazarus, all covered with sores, lying at the rich man's gate, entreating that he might share with the dogs in the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. The dogs had compassion on him, and licked his sores. At last, the poor man died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. O wonderful change! He that was lately a companion scarce good enough for dogs, now solaces himself in the angels' embraces. He that was lying at the gate of a proud and unmerciful wretch, is admitted into the glorious palace of immortality, and reposes himself in the bosom of a charitable and rich Abraham, where he is satisfied with the bread of the living God, and drinks of the rivers of his pleasures. The rich man died also; but whilst his body was laid in the earth with state and honour, the devils dragged his soul into hell, and cast it into a fire that burns continually, and that nothing is able to extinguish. Therefore our Saviour represents this damned soul crying out of hell-fire, "Father Abraham, have pity upon me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in these flames." In the next verse our Lord shews, how all the complaints of the damned are fruitless, and their tortures remediless. He makes Abraham return an answer to this wretched son, "My son, remember, that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented."

The

The Heathens have looked upon Death as the end of all their afflictions and sufferings; but they have never tasted of the powers of the life to come, they have never had any assurance of future glory and happiness. The spiritual joys, and celestial comforts, God keeps for them that fear him, and worship him in spirit and in truth. These precious riches, and divine excellencies, are only discoverable to the faithful chiefly since the time in which Christ our Saviour hath brought life and immortality to light, through the gospel. Hitherto I have given you a short survey of the calamities that attend upon us in this mortal state; I have essayed to present to you all the comforts that we may gather from thence, to strengthen a believing soul, and enable it to withstand and endure all the encounters with which it is assaulted in this valley of tears. At present I intend to describe its future happiness, when it is separated from the body and introduced into heaven. I shall, as far as I am able, discover to you that glory and bliss which our soulsenjoy, in expectation of the great morn of the resurrection. You must not think to see here any perfect image of our celestial paradise, or any magnificent draught of the advantages reserved for us there. It would be as difficult a task as to paint the sun in its splendour, or to measure the waters of the sea. I cannot find words to express my thoughts; all my conceptions are far below an happiness so perfect, and a glory so sublime. I shall think that I have done enough, if I can but represent to you some few beams of so great a light, if I can but shew some drops of that ocean of heavenly pleasures, in which we shall swim to all eternity.

I shall not deliver any thing from my own fancy, nor offer to speak of that which I have never learned from the great Doctor of our souls. I shall not engage myself in vain speculations, more fit to please and puff up the curious wits, than fo comfort and rejoice the devout souls, or satisfy such as hunger and thirst after righteousness. One word from the

mouth

mouth of the Lord is better, and far more worth, than all the reasonings of human wisdom, than all the subtleties of philosophy, than all the arguings and conclusions of the most refined and eloquent ages. In this description I shall not seek mine own glory, nor the applauses of the world, but the glory of my God, and the instruction of souls which he hath purchased with his blood. I desire to be understood of the weakest capacities, as well as of the learned. I hope that such as know the language of Canaan, such as have tasted of the good word of God, and of the powers of the life to come, will not mistake me. For others who have not been accustomed to the relish of spiritual things, to whom the language of God's holy Spirit is insipid and unsufferable; if they are not moved nor benefited by this treatise, I dare say it is none of my fault, but theirs. Therefore, as the wise men, when they travelled to Bethlehem, where Jesus Christ was lying in a manger, took the star of the east to their guide; so we, who are marching to our true Bethlehem, where our great God and Saviour is sitting upon the throne of his glory, will follow no other guidance, but that divine light which comes down from heaAnd as it is impossible to number all the stars that shine in the heavens, we are wont to reduce them to certain figures and constellations; thus we will not undertake to shew you every particular of our private meditations, upon this rich and divine subject; but we will discourse to you of the chief heads, leaving the rest to your pious thoughts, and the information of God's holy Spirit.

Whosoever thou art that hast embraced Christ, dead and crucified, by faith and repentance, and knowest thyself united to him, and incorporated into his mystical body, remember to praise this merciful Lord, and rejoice in his salvation. Learn to admire the superexcellent riches of the treasures of his grace, and seriously consider how magnificent and liberal he is to thee. For he intends not only to deliver thee from

all the sufferings and calamities that afflict thee, but he will also raise thee up to the highest and most transcendent felicity. He will not only draw thee out of the deep abyss of death, and eternal damnation, but he will take thee up to the enjoyment of the most blessed life, and an immortal glory, He will not only remove thee from this wretched wilderness, where thou are tormented with hunger and thirst, and exposed to the scorching heat of a burning sun, in poisonous bitings of the fiery serpents, but he will introduce thee into the celestial Canaan, where the milk and honey of the purest joys, and most solid comforts, flow in abundance, and where thou shalt for ever repose thyself, under the refreshing sha+ dow of the tree of life. He will not only deliver thee from the captivity of this miserable world, which is a true Babylon, full of all manner of abominations; but he will lead thee into his holy Jerusalem, and carry thee thither upon his arms; not with an intent that thou shouldst build and repair it with cost and labour, but that thou shouldst behold the glorious and magnificent structures, reared up by him alone from the creation of the world, and that thou mayest be eternally satisfied with his overflowing plenty. He will not only pluck off from thee the filthy rags of sin and corruption, but he will clothe thee with a garment of light, of perfect righteousness and holiness. He will not only wipe away all tears from thine eyes, but he will put into thy mouth songs of praise and thanksgiving. He will not only break the fetters from thy feet, but he will place upon thy head a crown of pure gold.. He will not only draw thee out of a black and noisome dungeon, but he will place thee upon a throne of glory and magnificence. He will not only extinguish all the carnal lusts that war against thee, and put an end to all thy troublesome combats, but he calls thee to the fruition of eternal peace and celestial triumph. In short, God will not only separate thee from the acquaintance of sinful and debauched men, but he will cause thee to enter in amongst the thousands of angels, and admit thee to the vision of his glorious face.