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other mercies by another hand: and it belongs | when you are almost leaving the world yourto him to choose the messenger, who gives the selves, would you not send your treasure before gift. If you will childishly dote upon the first you to the place where you must abide? How messenger, and say you will have all the rest of quickly will you pass from hence to God, where your mercies by his hand, or you will have no you shall find your friends that you lamented as more, your frowardness more deserves correction if they had been lost, and there shall dwell with than compassion: and if you be kept fasting till them for ever? O foolish mourners! would you you can thankfully take your food, from any not have your friends at home? at their home hand that your Father sends it by, it is a cor- and your home, with their Father and your rection very suitable to your sin. Father, their God and your God! Shall you not there enjoy them long enough; can you so much miss them for one day, that must live with them to all eternity; and is not eternity long enough to enjoy your friends in ?

9. Do you so highly value your friends for God, or for them, or for yourselves, in the final consideration? If it was for God, what reason of trouble have you, that God hath disposed of them, according to his wisdom and unerring will? Should you not then be more pleased that God has, and employs them in his highest service, than displeased that you want them?

But if you value, and love them for themselves, they are now more lovely when they are more perfect; and they are now more fit for your content and joy, than they could be in their sin and

sorrows.

But if you valued and loved them but for yourselves only, it is just with God to take them from you, to teach you to value men to proper ends, and upon better considerations: and both to prefer God before yourselves, and better to understand the nature of true friendship, and better to know that your own felicity is not in the hands of any creature, but of God alone.

Object. But I do not know whether ever I shall there have any distinct knowledge of them, or love to them, and whether God shall not there be so far all in all, as that we shall need no comfort from the creature.

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Answ. There is no reason for either of these doubts: for, 1st. You cannot justly think that the knowledge of the glorified shall be more confused or imperfect than the knowledge of natural men on earth. We shall know much more, but not so much less. Heaven exceeds earth in knowledge, as much as it does in joy. 2d. The angels in heaven have now a distinct, particular knowledge of the least believers, rejoicing particularly in their conversion, and being called by Christ himself their angels.' Therefore when we shall be 'equal to the angels,' we shall cer10. Did you improve your friends while you tainly know our nearest friends that there dwell had them? or did you only love them, while you with us, and are employed in the same attendance. made but little use of them for your souls? If 3d. Abraham knew the rich man in hell, and the you used them not, it was just with God, for all rich man knew Abraham and Lazarus: therefore your love, to take them from you. They were we shall have as distinct a knowledge. 4th. The given you as your candle, not only to love it, two disciples knew Moses and Elias in the but to work by the light of it: and as your gar-mount, whom they had never seen before though ments, not only to love them, but to wear them; and as your meat, not only to love it, but to feed upon it. Did you receive their counsel, and hearken to their reproofs, and pray with them and confer with them upon those holy truths that tended to elevate your minds to God, and to inflame your breasts with sacred love? If not, be it now known to you, that God gave you not such helps and mercies only to talk of, or look upon and love, but also to improve for the benefit of our souls.

11. Do you not seem to forget where you are yourselves, and where you must shortly and for ever live? Where would you have your friends, but where you must be yourselves? Do you mourn that they are taken hence? why, if they had staid here a thousand years, how little of that time should you have had their company;

it is possible Christ told them who they were, yet there is no such thing expressed and there. fore it is as probable that they knew them by the communication of their irradiating glory: much more shall we be then illuminated to a clearer knowledge. 5th. It is said expressly, that our present knowledge shall be done away' only in regard of its imperfection; and not of itself, which shall be perfected: when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.' As we put away childish thoughts and speeches, when we become men: the change will be from 'seeing in a glass' to seeing face to face,' and from 'knowing in part' to knowing even as we are known.'

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2. That we shall both know, and love, and rejoice in creatures, even in heaven, notwithstanding that God is all in all, appears further

thus: 1st. Christ in his glorified humanity is a creature and yet there is no doubt but all his members will there know and love him in his glorified humanity, without any derogation from the glory of his deity. 2d. The body of Christ will continue its union, and every member will be so nearly related, even in heaven, that they cannot choose but know and love each other. Shall we be ignorant of the members of our body: and not be concerned in their felicity with whom we are so nearly one? 3d. The state and felicity of the church hereafter, is frequently described in scripture, as consisting in society. It is a kingdom, the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem and it is mentioned as part of our happiness to be of that society. 4th. The saints are called kings themselves: and it is said that they shall judge the world, and the angels. Judging in scripture is frequently put for governing, therefore, whether there will be another world of mortals which they shall govern, as angels now govern men; or whether the misery of damned men and angels will partly consist in as base a subjection to the glorified saints, as dogs now have to men, or wicked reprobates on earth to angels; or whether in respect of both those together, the saints shall then be kings, and rule and judge; or whether it be only the participation of the glory of Christ, that is called a kingdom, I will not here determine; but it is most clear that they will have a distinct particular knowledge of the world, which they themselves must judge; and some concernment in that work. 5th. It is put into the description of the happiness of the saints, that they shall come from the east, and from the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the kingdom of God. Therefore they shall know them, and take some comfort in their presence. 6th. Love, even to the saints, as well as unto God, is one of the graces which shall endure for ever. It is exercised upon an immortal object (the image and children of the most high) and therefore must be one of the immortal graces. For grace, in the nature of it, dies not: and therefore if the object cease not, how should the grace cease, unless you will call its perfecting a ceasing?

It is a state too high for such as we, and I think for any mere creature, to live so immediately and only upon God, as to have no use for any fellow creature, nor no comfort in them. God can make use of glorified creatures, in such subserviency and subordination to himself, as shall be no diminution to his all-sufficiency and honour, nor to our glory and felicity. We must

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take heed of fancying such a heaven itself, as is above the capacity of a creature; as some very wise divines think they have done, that tell us we shall immediately see God's essence, his glory being that which is provided for our intuition and felicity, and is distinct from his essence; being not every where, as his essence is. As those do that tell us because that God will be all in all, therefore we shall there have none of our comfort by any creature. Though flesh and blood shall not enter into that kingdom, but our bodies will then be spiritual bodies; yet will they be really the same as now, and distinct from our souls; and therefore must have a felicity suitable to a body glorified: if the soul did immediately see God's essence, yet as no reason can conclude that it can see nothing else, or that it can see even created good, and not love it, so the body however must have objects and felicity fit for a body.

Object. But it is said, if we knew Christ after the flesh, henceforth know we him no more.

Answ. No doubt but all the carnality in principles, matter, manner and ends of our knowledge, will then cease, as its imperfection: but that a carnal knowledge be turned into a spiritual, is no more a diminution to it, than it is to the glory of our bodies, to be made like the stars in the firmament of our Father.

Object. But then I shall have no more comfort in my present friends than in any other.

Answ. First, If you had none in them, it is no diminution to our happiness, if indeed we should have all in God immediately and alone. Second, But if you have as much in others that you never knew before, that will not diminish any of your comfort in your ancient friends. Third, But it is most probable to us, that as there is a two-fold object for our love in the glorified saints; one is their holiness, and the other is the relation which they stood in between God and us, being made his instruments for our conversion and salvation, so that we shall love saints in heaven in both respects: in the first respect, which is the chief, we shall love those most that have most of God, and the greatest glory, though such as we never knew on earth. In the second respect we shall love those most, that were employed by God for our greatest good.

That we shall not there lay by so much respect to ourselves, as to forget or disregard our benefactors, is manifest. 1. In that we shall for ever remember Christ, love him, and praise him, as one that formerly redeemed us, and washed us in his blood, and hath made us kings and priests to God:' therefore we may

also in just subordination to Christ, remember | from all the world, and to converse with God them with love and thankfulness, that were his instruments for the collation of these benefits. 2. This kind of self-love, to be sensible of good and evil, to ourselves, is none of the sinful or imperfect selfishness to be renounced or laid by, but part of our very natures, and as inseparable from us as we are from ourselves.

Much more, were it not digressive, might be said on this subject: but I shall only add, that as God doth draw us to every holy duty by showing us the excellency of that duty; and as perpetuity is not the smallest excellency, so he hath purposely mentioned that love endureth for ever, when he hath described the love of one another, as a principal motive to kindle and increase this love. Therefore those that think they shall have no personal knowledge of one another, nor personal love to one another,-for we cannot love personally, if we know not personally, take a most effectual course to destroy in their souls all holy special love to saints, by casting away that principal or very great motive given them by the Holy Ghost. I am not able to love much where I foreknow that I shall not love long. I cannot love a comely inn, so well as a nearer dwelling of my own, because I must be gone tomorrow. Therefore must I love my Bible better than my law-books, or physic books, &c. because it leads to eternity. Therefore I must love holiness in myself and others, better than meat and drink, wealth and honour, beauty and pleasure, because it must be loved for ever, when the love of these must needs be transitory, as they are transitory. I must profess, from the very experience of my soul, that it is the belief that I shall love my friends in heaven, that principally kindles my love to them on earth. If I thought I should never know them after death, and consequently never love them more when this life is ended, I should, in reason, number them with temporal things, and love them comparatively but a little: even as I love other transitory things, allowing for the excellency in the nature of grace. But now I converse with some delight with my godly friends, as believing I shall converse with them for ever, and take comfort in the very dead and absent, as believing we shall shortly meet in heaven I love them, I hope, with a love that is of a heavenly nature, while I love them as the heirs of heaven, with a love which I expect shall there be perfected, and more fully and for ever exercised.

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12. The last reason that I give you, to move you to bear the loss or absence of your friends, is, that it gives you the loudest call to retire

himself, and to long for heaven, where you shall be separated from your friends no more. Your forsaken state will somewhat assist you to that solitary converse with God, which it calls you to: but this brings us up to the third part of the text.

III. How the loss is supplemented.

'Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with

me.'

Doct. When all forsake us, and leave us (as to them) alone, we are far from being simply alone; because God is with us.

He is not without company that is with the king, though twenty others have turned him off. He is not without light that hath the shining sun, though all his candles be put out. If God be our God, he is our all, and is enough for us: if he be our all, we shall not much find the want of creatures while he is with us.

For, 1. He is with us who is every where, and therefore is never from us: and knows all the ways and projects of our enemies; being with them in wrath, as he is with us in mercy.

2. He is with us who is almighty, sufficient to preserve us, conquerable by none; and there fore while he is with us, we need not fear what man can do unto us: for they can do nothing but what he will: no danger, no sickness, no trouble or want, can be so great as to make it any difficulty to God to deliver us, when and how he pleases.

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3. He is with us who is infinitely wise, and therefore we need not fear the subtilty of enemies; nor shall any of his undertaken works for his church or us miscarry for want of foresight, or through any oversight. We shall be preserved even from our own folly, as well as from our enemies' subtilty for it is not our own wisdom that our greatest concerns do principally rest upon, nor that our safety and peace are chiefly secured by; but it is the wisdom of our great Preserver. He knows what to do with us, and what paths to lead us in, and what is best for us in all conditions. And he hath promised to teach us, and will be our sure, infallible guide. 4. He is with us who is infinitely good, and therefore is only fit to be a continual delight and satisfaction to our souls; that hath nothing in him to disaffect us, or discourage us: whom we may love without fear of over-loving; and need not set any bounds to our love, the object of it being infinite.

5. He is with us who is most nearly related to us, and most dearly loves us; and therefore will never be wanting to us in any thing that is

and therefore we may well say that we are not alone. Of this I shall say more in the applica

tion.

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Quest. But how is he with us? Answ. 1. He is with us not only in his essential presence, as he is every where, but by his gracious Fatherly presence we are in his family, attending on him even as the eye of a servant is to the hand of his master: we are always with him, and, as he phrases it himself in the parable, all that he hath is ours,' that is, all that is fit to be communicated to us, and all the provisions of his bounty for his children. When we awake, we should be still with him when we go abroad, we should be always as before him our life and works should be a walking with God.

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fit for us to have. This is he that is with us, ! Though all friends turn enemies, and would when all have left us, and as to man we are alone; destroy us, or turn false accusers, as Job's friends, in their ignorance or passion; though all of them should add affliction to our affliction, yet is our Redeemer and justifier still with us, and will lay his restraining hand upon our enemies, and say to their proudest fury, 'hitherto, and no further shalt thou go.' He is angry with Job's accusing friends, notwithstanding their friendship and good meaning, and though they seemed to plead for God and godliness against Job's sin. Who shall be against us while God is for us? or who shall condemn us when it is he that justifies us? Though we be put to say as David, 'I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul;' yet we may say with him, I cried unto thee, O Lord; I said, Thou 2. He is always with us sufficiently to do us art my refuge and my portion in the land of the good; though we have none else that cares for living: bring my soul out of prison, that I may us, yet will he never cast us out of his care, but praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me bids us cast our care on him, as promising that about: for thou shalt deal bountifully with me. he will care for us. Though we have none else I poured out my complaint before him; I showed to provide for us, he is always with us, and our before him my trouble: when my spirit was overFather knows what we want, and will make the whelmed within me, then thou knewest my path: best provision for us. Though we have none in the way wherein I walked have they privily else to defend us against the power of our ene- laid a snare for me.' Thus God is our refuge mies, he is always with us to be our sure de- and strength; a very present help in trouble: fence: he is the rock to which we fly, and upon therefore should we not fear though the earth which we are surely built. He gathers us to were removed, and though the mountains were himself as the hen gathers her chickens under carried into the midst of the sea; though the her wings. And surely while love is thus protect-waters thereof roar and be troubled,' &c. Though ing us, we may well say that the Father himself as David saith, 'mine enemies speak evil of me: is with us. Though in all our wants we have when shall he die, and his name perish? And if no other to supply us, yet he is still with us to he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart perform his promise, that no good thing shall be gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad wanting to them that fear him. Though we may he telleth it all that hate me whisper together have none else to strengthen and help us, and against me: against me do they devise my hurt: support us in our weakness, yet he is always with an evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him; us, whose grace is sufficient for us, to manifest and now that he lieth, he shall rise up no more: his strength in weakness. Though we have no yea, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, other to teach us, and to resolve our doubts, yet that did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel he is with us that is our chief master, and hath against me.' Yet we may add as he, 'and as taken us to be his disciples, and will be our light for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and and guide, and will lead us into the truth. settest me before thy face for ever.' Though as Though we have none else to be our comforter, Psal. xxxv. 7. &c. Without cause they have hid in our agony, darkness or distress; but all for- for me their net in a pit, which without cause they sake us, or are taken from us, and we are exposed have digged for my soul: 11. and false witnesses as Hagar with Ishmael in a wilderness, yet still did rise up, they laid to my charge things that I the Father of all consolations is with us; his knew not: they rewarded me evil for good: 15, Spirit, who is the Comforter, is in us: and he that 16. In my adversity they rejoiced, and gathered so often speaks the words of comfort to us in his themselves together; the abjects gathered themgospel, and says, 'be of good cheer; let not your selves together against me, and I knew it not; hearts be troubled, neither be afraid,' &c., will they did tear and ceased not; with hypocritical speak them, in the season and measure which is mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with fittest for us, unto our hearts. their teeth: 20. For they speak not peace, but

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they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.' Yet, verse 9. My soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in his salvation: 10. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him.' Though friends be far off, the Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit: many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.''The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants; and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.' Therefore, I will be glad and rejoice in his mercy, for he hath considered my trouble, and hath known,' and owned, 'my soul in adversity and hath not shut me in the hand of the enemy. When my life was spent with grief, and my years with sighing, my strength failed because of mine iniquity, and my bones were consumed; I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance; they that did see me without, fled from me: I was forgotten, and as a dead man out of mind; I was like a broken vessel: I heard the slander of many fear was on every side, while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life: but I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, thou art my God my times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hands of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me: make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake. O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of man! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.' Thus God is with us when men are far from us, or against us; his people find, by happy experience, that they are not alone. Because he is nigh them, evil shall not come nigh them unless as it works for their good. He is their 'hiding place to preserve them from trouble: the great water-floods shall not come nigh them he will compass them about with songs of deliverance.'

3. As God is with us thus relatively and efficiently, so also objectively, for our holy converse. Wherever our friends are, God is still at hand to be the most profitable, honourable, and delightful object of our thoughts. There is enough in him to take up all the faculties of my soul. He that is but in a well-furnished library, may find great and excellent employment for his

thoughts many years together: and so may he that lives in the open world, and hath all the visible works of God to meditate upon but all this were nothing if God were not the sense of books and creatures, and the matter of all these noble studies: he that is alone, and hath only God himself to study, hath the matter and sense of all the books and creatures in the world, to employ his thoughts upon. He never needs to want matter for his meditation, that hath God to meditate on. He need not want matter of discourse, whether mental or vocal, that hath God to talk of, though he have not the name of any other friend to mention. All our affections may have in him the highest and most pleasant work. The soul of man cannot have a more sweet and excellent work than to love him: he wants neither work nor pleasure, that in his solitude is taken up in the believing contemplations of eternal love, and of all his blessed attributes and works. O then what happy and delightful converse may a believer have with God alone! He is always present, and always at leisure to be spoken with; and always willing of our access and audience: he hath no interest opposed to our felicity, which should move him to reject us, as worldly great ones often have. He never misunderstands us, nor charges that upon us which we were never guilty of: if we converse with men, their mistakes, interests, passions, and insufficiencies, makes the trouble so great, and the benefit so small, that many have become thereby weary of the world, or of human society, and have spent the rest of their days alone in desert places. Indeed the more of God that appears in men, the more is their converse excellent and delightful: and theirs is the best that have most of God: but there is so much of vanity, and self, and flesh, and sin in the most, or all of us, as very much darkens our light, damps the pleasure, and blasts the fruit of our societies and converse. O how often have I been solaced in God, when I found nothing but deceit and darkness in the world! How often hath he comforted me, when it was past the power of man! How often hath he relieved and delivered me, when all the help of man was vain! It hath been my stay and rest, to look to him, when the creature hath been a broken staff, and deceitful friends have been but as a broken tooth, or a foot that is out of joint, as Solomon speaks of confidence in an unfaithful man in the time of trouble. Verily, as the world were but an horrid dungeon without the sun, so it were a howling wilderness, a place of no considerable employment or delight, were it not that in it we may live to God and do him

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