Light. Affoon as thou fhalt caft off this miferable Body, thou shalt be furrounded with Celestial Flames, in which thou shalt mount up to Heaven into the Dwelling of Immortality, where thou shalt be like God, who cloathes himself with Light as with a Garment. To this purpose the Words of the Prophet Zachariab, concerning the High-Pricft Joshua, are very Proper; he was arrayed with filthy Garments, but an Angei from Heaven calls to them that waited before him; Take away the filthy Garments from him, and cloath him with change of Raiment, let them fet a fair Mitre upon bis Head: This, O Christian Soul, is the true Image of thy Condition, at thy Departure, and the lively Portraiture of thy future Happinefs. At prefent thou art cloathed with a Body undermined by Sickness and Labour, thou bearest about thee the Relicks of the old Man; but behold, God calls to thee from his Holy Sanctuary, Take away from him this old Garment, pluck off all remains of this old Cloathing befpotted with Sin, where the Devil's Image is yet to be feen, and give him the facred Ornaments of a Royal Priesthood; cloath this Soul with a long Garment whitened in the Blood of the Lamb, gird it about with the Ephod of Righteonfaefs, put upon its Head an incorruptible Crown, and in his Hand a Golden Vial, that it may for ever offer up the heavenly Perfumes in Company of all the Glorified Saints.

If after all this, O Christian! Thou doubteft of the Felicity and Glory of fuch as Die in the Lord Jefus, hear what an Apoftle faith, who was himself ravished up into the third Heaven, where he beheld in this Glorious Palace unfpeakable things; We know, that if ear earthly House of this Tabernacle were diffolved. we have a building of God, a Houfe not made with Hands, eternal in the Heavens. For in this we groan earnestly, defiring to be cloathed upon with our Houfe which is from beaven. If fo be that being cloathed we shall not be found naked; for we that are in this Tabernacle do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be uncloathed but cloathed

upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of Life. And listen to what the Holy Ghost faith, Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, for fo faith the Spirit, for they reft from their Labours, and their Works follow them.

Would to God that we had fome other Word befides that of Death, to exprefs the wonderful and happy Change that we make when we go out of this miferable World. For to fpeak properly, we cannot be faid to die, when we leave a Place full of Mifery, to enter into another blessed with an endless Felicity; when we exchange a laborious State for a peaceable and happy reft; when we come off from a cruel War, to enjoy the Pleasures of ever lafting Joys; when we pafs through Death to an end lefs Life; and forfake a Tomb to mount up upon a Throne. Chriftian Soul, remember thy Beginning and thine end, confider what thou art, from whence thou proceedest, and whither thou goeft. Thou art a living Image of thy Creator, and a Beam of Glory; thou art of a celeftial and immortal Nature. God hath washed and cleanfed thee in the Blood of his Lamb, without Spot or Blemish, and fanctified thee by his holy Spirit. He hath brought thee to a Difpofition fit to enter into his Holy City, and he is ready to admit thee to the Fruition of his Glory; Thou haft fought the good fight, finished thy Course, and kept the Faith, 'tis therefore high time that thou shouldeft receive the Crown of Life. Thou haft this precious Crown already in thy Hands. Thou art at the Gates of Heaven, at the entrance of Paradife.

O therefore, O believing Soul! go with Joy and Gladness to this great God that calls thee, to this merciful Saviour that ftrecheth forth his Hands unto thee, and opens his Bofom to receive thee. Go into the Glorious Company of Angels and bleffed Spirits. Take upon thee thefe beautiful Robes of Light, with which thine heavenly Father will cloath thy Nakednefs, and accept this immortal Crown that he offers to thee. Go, and fatifie thy felf with the Bread of the Kingdom

Kingdom of Heaven, and remove thy Thirst with the Chrystal Waters of that River of Pleafure, which proceeds from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Go and behold the Face of the Father of Lights, be happy with his Divine Refemblance; and be transform'd into his glorious Image.

O bleffed Soul! Seeft thou not already the Heavens open, and Jefus Chrift at the Right-Hand of God the Father, holding out his Hand to thee, offering to receive thee into his glorious reft? Seeft thou not the Angels of Heaven (cloathed in white Raiment) coming to transport thee out of this miferable State? Seeft thou not how thou art already encompassed about with light and celeftial Flames? Doft thou not relish the sweetnefs of Paradife? Is not there a Heaven already in thine Heart? Heareft thou not the Hymns of the glorified Spirits? Hath not the Lord caufed thee to understand that fweet and comfortable Voice founding in thine Ear, Verily, I say unto thee, thou shalt be this Day with me in Paradife; Come, good and faithful Servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord? Feeleft thou not thy felf lifted up above all earthly and perishing things? Doft thou not fly upon the Wings of Faith and Repentance to the Throne of God's Glory? Doft thou not caft thy felf into Paradife, into the Arms of Almighty God, into the Bofom of the Lord Jefus, to reft there for ever; and to be fatisfy'd with the good things which Eye bath not feen, Ear bath not heard, and which are not entred into the Heart of Man, but which God hath prepared for them that love him?

The

À Prayer and Meditation of a Christian Soul, who prepares to depart out of its Body, and comforts its felf in the Contemplation of the Glory and Happiness of Paradife.

God the Author of my being, and the Sovereign Lord of my Life, thou feeft all the Motions and Difpofitions of my Soul, thou knowest that I have wholly refigned my felf into thy Hands, and defire nothing else but to depend upon thy good Pleasure; Speak, Lord, for thy Servant heareth; here I am to do thy Will, O God. As the Ifraelites waited for thý Motion and Order to remove their Camp, fo I am as ready at thy Command to leave this earthly Tabernacle. And as the Golden Cherubims were always upon their Feet, their Wings Stretched out, and their Faces towards the Mercy-Seat; in like manner, I defire to be in a Pofture to take my Flight up to thy Mercy-Seat, to my Lord Jefus, the Propitiation for my Sins, affoon as thou fhalt ftretch forth thine Hand unto me, to take me out of this troubled Sea, and out of this dark Night of Affliction. I am as willing to go to thee, bleffed Saviour, and to leave my ragged Garments behind, as blind Bartimeus or as Elijah, caft off this Mantle of the Flesh, that I may afcend unto thee in a bright Charriot of Fire. I am not grieved to quit this earthy Tabernacle, for thou hast prepared for me a more lafting Dwelling in Heaven. Let my Body return to the Duft from whence it proceeds, fo that mine immortal Being, a Beam of thy Glory, may be admitted into thy Favour, Mercy, and Prefence, unto which it defires to return. I doubt not of thy gracious Reception of it, fince thou haft promised to give the Crown of Life to all fuch as perfevere in thy Faith and Fear, and the Rewards of Immortality, to fuch as fight under thy Banner, and overcome Satan, Sin and the World. By thy Grace and Power, I have vanquish'd these Enemies of my Salvation, and have no other to contend with but Death. d Strengthen me with thy Holy Spirit, that I may conquer this

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laft Enemy; that I may find by it a Passage to thine Eternal Glory and Happiness. I trust upon thy Fatherly Goodnefs and unchangeable Affection, upon that intimate Relation with which I am honour'd, and am confident thou wilt not forfake me in my urgent Neceffity and Agony. Send to me thy Good Angels, that they may carry me upon their Wings, and introduce me into thy Heavenly Kingdom, and fee thy Salvation compleat. I long to be with thee in thy Celestial Jerufalem, and enter into thine Holy Sanctuary, into the Society of the glorified Saints, and immortal Spirits, that Minister before thy Throne. I am fenfible of thy Saving-Grace beftowed upon me, and mine Affections are already feparated from the World; at prefent all my Thoughts and Expectations are with thee, my good God. Receive me into thy Magnificent Palace, that I may fee thy Face in Glory, and embrace my bleffed Redeemer. And before I go bence, Speak to my Soul in a Language anfwerable to its vebement Longings, and let me bear this Comfortable Saying, This Day fhalt thou be with me in Paradife. I am already fenfible of that Joy, that expects me in thy Prefence, where it fhall be full and compleat, of that Peace and Happiness, into which I am going apace. I have already the Fore-taft of the Heavenly Pleajures which muft needs exceed all that we can fay or think. I fee the Heavens open, and my Lord Jefus ready to receive me. Into thy Hands I commit my Spirit, for thou haft Redeemed it. Amen.

CHA P. XXIII.

The Eleventh Confolation. The glorious Refurrection of our Bodies.

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Hen God created Angels, he gave them a Spiritual, and altogether Celestial Nature, that had no Affinity with Matter. I confefs, that fome of thefe Heavenly Spirits have often appear'd in human