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vens; but the praises above, as high a ftrain as they are in, reach not hither, to this our native earth.

3. They are praifes raised by the way to the heavenly kingdom, which the dead have no more accefs to join in. The living are upon the road, the dead are at their journey's end. There is a fong of praise raised in the houfe of our pilgrimage, Pfal. cxix. 54.; but there is a deep filence in the grave. The wilderness-fong is peculiar to the living.

4. They are praifes of faith, not of fight: 2 Cor. v. 7. For we walk by faith, not by fight. The faints in glory raife a fong of praise to God, upon their feeing and enjoying; the living faints, upon their believing what their eye hath not feen, 1 Pet. i. 8. Praifing of God on what one fees of him, is more comfortable to the party himself: but praifing him, upon what one believes of him, if other. circumftances be alike, is more to the honour of God: John xx. 29. Jefus faith unto him, Thomas, becaufe thou haft feen me, thou haft believed: bleffed are they that have not feen, and yet have believed. Rom. iv. 20. 21. Abraham ftaggered not at the promife of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God: and being fully perfuaded, that what he had promifed, he was able alfo to perform.

5. laftly, They are praises to God amidft a deal of difhonours done to him. David takes notice of God's covering a table to him in the midst of his enemies, Pfal. xxiii. 5.; and God will take notice of praifes given him in the midst of thofe that dif honour him: Rev. i. 13. I know thy works, [writing to the angel of the church in Pergamos], and ·

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where thou dwelleft, even where Satan's feat is: and thou holdeft faft my name, and haft not denied my faith, even in thofe days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was flain among you, where Satan dwelleth. The faints in glory praise him, there being none to open a mouth to his dishonour: but living faints praise him, in the face of contradiction by a wicked world: Prov. xxviii. 4. -Such as keep the law, contend with the wicked.

II. The fecond general head is, to fhew, How it is a valuable mercy and privilege of the living, that they have access to praise God in the world. The living fhould value this as their privilege,

1. In regard they might juftly ere now have been put beyond all poffibility of praising God at all; but might have been blafpheming in hell, through extreme anguifh and defpair: Lam. iii. 22. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not confumed, becaufe his compaffions fail not. The rich man in hell, tormented in the flame, had no access to praise God: the burden of wrath lying on the damned there, will hold down for ever their praifes, and change them to howlings.

2. In regard of the honour thereby to be brought to God in the world; which in itfelf is most valuable, and therefore is man's chief end: 1 Cor. x. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatfoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Compared with Pfal. 1. 23. Whofo offereth praise, glorifieth me. He lives to good purpose, that lives to the honour of God: and he that doth not fo live, doth at best but trifle away a life, never reaching the main end of it. Nothing fhould be fo dear to us as God's honour; and therefore our all must be

laid out on it as he calls for it, Luke xiv. 26. And it is the mercy of life, that we have accefs to honour him in the world.

3. In regard of the good to be thereby done to others. The view of this made Paul content to abide out of heaven for fome time as you may fee, Philip. i. 23. 24. I am in a frait betwixt two, having a defire to depart, and to be with Chrift; which is far better: nevertheless, to abide in the flesh, is more needful for you. O what a fatisfying thought muft it be, to be inftrumental towards the faving of a foul from hell, and bringing it to acquaintance with Chrift! No body knows what a good word, or a good example, at a time may do: and to this the living have accefs only; but once dead, men can be no more serviceable to the world of mankind: Eccl. ix. 10. For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest.

4. It is an honour to serve and honour God in the world. This makes a man truly worthy and honourable. The dignity of the mafter, and the work, reflects an honour on the fervant that does it. Therefore fays the Pfalmift, Pfal. lxxxiv. 10. A day in thy courts is better than a thousand: I had rather be a door-keeper in the houfe of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. And fince no master is so honourable as God is, it must be then a peculiar honour to be ferviceable to him, Heb. xi.

5. This is the only true balance of that meannefs, mifery, and trouble that attends this life. Confidering the fpiritual original, make, and vaft capacity of the foul of man; it will appear but a

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very mean thing to be taken up in eating, drinking, decking; yea, in building, planting, working, &c. on this curfed earth. From the feat of the bleffed could we take our profpect, men fo employed here would appear but as a company of emmets bufy in a hillock. The troubles that

attend this life are innumerable; and they fly about us, as the midges do in a hot fummer-day. All which viewed by the foul, are apt to make a noble mind fick of this life, in its beft appearances; as a bird would be of the cage. The only balance for all this is, that in it there is accefs to praife God in the world. Hereby the meanest things are ennobled, and the hardest things foftened, that God is to be honoured in these.

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6. As men have access to praise God in this world, they have access to raife their reward in another world. Men think it a great matter to have access to raise an estate for themselves and theirs but we have accefs, by our honouring of God in this world, to raise our reward in the other. For though the Lord doth not give eternal glory for our works, he gives it according to them: 2 Cor. ix. 6. He which foweth Sparingly, Shall reap alfo Sparingly: and he which foweth bountifully, hall reap alfo bountifully. And they that have fhined here in usefulness moft, will fhine there in glory moft: Dan. xii. 3. They that be wife, fhall fhine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the ftars for ever and ever. Compared with 1 Cor. xv. 41. There is one glory of the fun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the ·Stars; for one far differeth from another Jiar in glory.

7. lastly,

7. laftly, The praifing of God carries a reward in its bofom, to be enjoyed in time: Pfal. xix. 11.

In keeping of them [the judgments of the Lord] there is great reward. It is good, pleafant, and comely, Pfal. cxlvii. 1. There is a secret fatiffaction in one's having done his duty, endeavouring to live to the honour of God, 2 Cor. i. 12. And particularly it makes a pleasant reflection, when one is come to the end of his courfe: as in the cafe of Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Compared with what our Lord fays, John xvii. 4. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And he that praifeth God to others, is himself partaker of the fruits.

III. The third general head is, to fhew, Hot this access to praise God in the world, is and will be the peculiar mercy of the living.

1. It is the peculiar mercy of us who are now living on the face of the earth; it is peculiar, I say, to us at this time. They who are yet unborn, can do nothing, fince as yet they are not: they who are now dead, though yet they are in being, have no access more to praise God in this world, Pfal. cxv. 17. There have been many generations on earth before us; and millions of men and women are gone by death from hence into another world, who fometimes had their turn of access to this praise but now, though they are, yet not one of them all has accefs to join us in praifing God.

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2. In all time to come, to the end of the world, this privilege will be confined to those who for

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