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SER M. frequent and ferious meditation, they fo XVI. behold the things invifible, as to bring them to make proportionably as ftrong an impreffion upon the Mind, as Earthly Objects do upon the Senfes. Many men, like the Brute Creatures which have No Understanding, seem hardly to think at all upon any thing, but what is present and fenfual. But Reafon in general, and ChriStianity in particular, teaches us, and requires of us, to judge of things according to their true and real Value; and to be more concerned about things at present invifible, if they be really of greater and more lafting importance to us, than about things which do Now more immediately affect our Senfes. St Paul, the great Bufinefs of whofe Life was the Care of the Churches; thus writes to the Corinthians, when at a distance from them; I verily, fays he, as abfent in Body, but present in Spirit, 1 Cor. v. 3; and to the Coloffians, ch. ii. 5. Though I be absent in the Flesh, yet am I with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding your Order, and the Stedfaftness of your Faith in Chrift. The Defcription

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the Apostle here gives of himself, with SER M. XVI. regard to the imployment of his Thoughts upon his main Concern in This life; is what every fincere Christian ought to make good, with regard to his Expectations in the Life to come. Though he be in his Body an Inhabitant upon Earth; and, so fo long as he continues fo, ought not, after a Monkish, Superftitious and Enthufiaftic manner, to neglect the Affairs of HimSelf, his Family, his Friends, or his Country; yet at the fame time in Spirit, in the bent and habitual difpofition of his Mind, in the direction of the ultimate View and Aim of all his Actions, he may properly be faid to converse, and to Be, in Heaven. Whoever fears God and works righteousness, and lives with a conftant Senfe of Religion upon his Mind; how little Time, or how small Abilities foever he has for abstract Meditation, may yet, even in the midst of his worldly affairs, be truly faid, in This fenfe, to have his Converfation in Heaven: Because he lives according to the Laws of Heaven; has in his Mind the Temper of Heaven; and, : VOL. V. B b

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SERM. by the Love of Truth, and Practice of XVI. Virtue, is in a continual Preparation for

the State of Heaven. Nevertheless, though the Practice of Virtue and Goodness is indeed the End of all religion, yet frequent and ferious Meditation is valuable as a Means to promote That End, and to incourage That Practice.

THE proper Subjects in particular to be meditated upon, as being most likely to have an immediate Influence upon the Course of our Lives, and to cause our Converfation on Earth to be effectually preparative for that in Heaven; are, in the first place, the Nature of God, and of his Relation to Us: the confideration of his being himself a Perfon infinitely Holy; a Lover of Virtue and all Goodness; a Hater of Iniquity, of Debauchery, and of every Corrupt Practice; a Juft and Righteous Governour of all things; and a bountiful Rewarder of them who ferve and obey him; in whofe Prefence there will finally be fulness of Joy, and at his right hand Pleafures for evermore.

IN the next place is the Confideration S ER M. of Christ our Great High-Prieft, the Me- XVI.

diator of the New Covenant; who gave himfelf for us, that by the Doctrine and Example of his Life, and by the Merit and Influence of his Death, he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to bimfelf a peculiar People zealous of good works: Who is now fat down on the right hand of the Throne of God in the heavenly places, to intercede for all those that truly and effectually repent: And who, at the end of the World, unto all them who with patient continuance in well-doing look for bim, fhall appear the fecond time, without Sin, unto Salvation.

THE next part of this Contemplation, tending to make us hunger and thirst after Righteousness, by having at present our Converfation in Heaven; is the confideration of the Company, by whom that region of Happiness is poffefs'd. The Society of Good Angels, who never departed from their firft eftate; and of Good Men, who by true Repentance are returned unto it. The Society of Holy Angels, who, VOL. V. Bb 2 going

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SERM. going in and out before the Throne of God, do always behold the Face of our Father; even the Father, of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named: And the Society of Holy Men, who, having washed their Robes in the Blood of the Lamb, are by Him prefented faultless before the Prefence of his Father's Glory with exceeding Joy.

THE last part of this Contemplation, is the confideration of the Happiness of this State itself, with regard to Ourselves. And in This refpect indeed, it doth not yet appear what we shall be: But we know, that when he fhall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall fee him as he is. At prefent we fee only, as through a glass, darkly; For Eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive, the things that God has prepared for them that love him: But Then, we fall fee face to face; and know, even as we are known, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. In general only, This we are Now affured of, and a fufficient employment it is for our Meditations upon This Head; that the

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