is to the heart of a Christian as the putting a rudder to a ship, which without it is exposed to the fury of the winds, and in continual dangers, but by its guidance makes use of every wind to convey it to its port. Hope produces not only acquiescence, but joy in the sharpest tribulations. For every true Christian being ordained to a glorious and supernatural blessedness hereafter; all things that befall them here below as means, are regulated and transformed into the nature of the end to which they carry them. Accordingly the apostle assures us, that Our light afflictions which are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. To consider this life as the passage to another that is as durable as eternity, and as blessed as the enjoyment of God can make it; that the present miseries have a final respect to future happiness, will change our opinion about them, and render them not only tolerable, but so far amiable as they are instrumental and preparatory for it. If the bloody as well as the milky way leads to God's throne, a Christian willingly walks in it. In short, a lively hope accompanies a Christian to his last expiring breath, till it is consummated in celestial fruition. So that death itself, the universal terror of mankind, is made desirable, as an entrance into immortality, and the first day of our triumph. Our Saviour, to encourage our hopes, offers to us a reward infinitely valuable: for as God is infinite, such is the happiness he bestows on his favourites. It is described to us in scripture by the most enamouring representations, as a state of peace and love, of joy and glory. And since all true joy and sweetness springs from love, it is impossible but they must feel unspeakable complacency, in the reciprocal exercise of so holy and pure an affection. But principally, their joy arises from the possession of God himself; by the clearest knowledge and purest love of his excellences. They see him as he is. Sight is the most spiritual and noble sense, that gives the most distinct and evident discovery of its objects. The soul in its exalted state, sees the king in his beauty, all the perfections of that infinitely glorious and blessed nature in their brightness and purity. And this sight causes the most ardent love, by which there is an intimate and vital union between the soul and its happiness, and from hence springs perfect delight. In thy presence is fulness of joy. It expels all evil that would embitter and lessen our felicity. And this is an admirable privilege for the human nature, that is so sensible of trouble. All complaints and cries, all sighings and sorrows are for ever banished from heaven. If the light of the sun be so pleasant, that every morning revives the world, and renders it new to us which was buried in the darkness of the night: how infinitely pleasant will the light of glory be, that discovers the absolute and universal excellences of the deity: the beauty of his holiness, the perfection of his wisdom, the greatness of his power, and the riches of his mercy? How inexpressibly great is the happiness that proceeds from the illumination of a purified soul, when such is the amiableness of God, that his infinite and eternal felicity arises from the fruition of himself' The joy of heaven is so full and satisfying, that a thousand years there are but as one day. Inferior earthly goods presently lose the flower of novelty, and languish in our enjoyment of them. Variety is necessary to put an edge upon our appetites, and quicken our delights: because they are imperfect, and fall short of our expectation. But the object of our blessedness is infinitely great, and produces the same pure and perfect joy for ever. After the longest fruition it never cloys or satiates, but is as fresh and new as the first moment. Now can there be a more powerful motive to obe dience than infinite and eternal blessedness? what can pretend to our affections in competition with it? Carnal pleasures only gratify our viler part the body, in its vilest state; but the joys of heaven are spiritual and sublime, and proportioned to our noblest and most capacious faculties. Earthly delights cannot satisfy our senses, but the peace of God passes understanding. One hour's enjoyment of it is better than an eternity spent in the pleasures of sin. What inexcusable madness is it to prefer painted trifles before that inestimable treasure? Who can truly believe there is such an excellent glory, but he must love it and vigorously endeavour to obtain it? Who would not go to the celestial Canaan, though the way lies through a wilderness where no flower or fruit grows? All temporal evils are not only to be endured, but cheerfully embraced in order to the possessing of it. The apostle tells us, I reckon that the sufferings of the present time, are not comparable with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Holiness is the chiefest excellency of man, his highest advantage above inferior beings. It is the supreme beauty of the soul, the resemblance of angels, the image of God himself. In this the perfection of the reasonable nature truly consists, and glory naturally results from it. As a diamond, when its earthy and colourless parts are taken away, shines forth in its lustre; so when the soul is freed from its impurities, and all terene affections, it will appear with a divine brightness. The church shall then be glorious, when cleansed from every spot, and made complete in holiness. THE POWER OF GOD IN THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL. The great sudden and lasting change that was made in the world by the preaching of the gospel, is a certain argument of the divine power that animated those mean appearances, and that no instrument is weak in God's hands. The greatness of the change is such that it was only possible to divine power. It is a great miracle to render sight to the blind, but it is more miraculous to enlighten the dark mind, to see the truth and beauty of supernatural mystery, when they are disguised under reproach and sad representations, and effectually to believe them; especially when the inferior appetite is so contrary to faith. It is a prodigy to raise the dead, but it is more admirable to sanctify an habituated sinner. For in comparing the quality of those miracles, that is the greatest, in the performing whereof God is discovered to be the absolute Lord of the greater nature: now the intellectual nature is superior to the corporeal. Add to this the excellent reformation in the hearts and lives of men. As their understandings, so their wills and affections, the sources of action, were miraculously altered. What the sages of the world could not effect in a few select persons, the gospel hath done in great numbers; nay, raised them above all their feigned ideas, above the highest pitch of their proud philosophy. Those strong and furious passions, which natural reason was as unable to restrain, as a thread of silk is to govern a fierce beast, the gospel hath tamed and brought into order: it hath executed what philosophy durst never enterprise, despairing of success. The gospel overcame all those carnal reluctancies that seemed insupera ble; it made the wise men of the world resign their reason to faith; it persuaded carnal men to mortify the flesh, the ambitious to despise secular honours, the voluptuous to renounce their pleasures, the covetous to distribute their goods to the poor, the injured and incensed to forgive their enemies, and all this for love to God, an affection unknown to all other laws and institutions. No religion in the world ever exposed its followers to such sufferings, nor inspired them with such resolution to sustain them. All other religions were productions of the flesh, and being allied together, if any time jealousy caused a discord between them, yet an open persecution was unusual. But when Christianity first appeared, they all turned their hatred and violence against it, as a foreigner of a different extraction: How many living martyrs were exiles for the faith, and deprived of all human consolation? yet they esteemed themselves more blessed in their miseries than others in their pleasures. How many thousands were put to death for the honour of our Redeemer? yet the least thing is the number, in comparison of the manner of their sufferings. If they had suffered a mild martyrdom, an easy and sudden death, wherein the combat and victory had been finished at a blow, their love and courage had not been so admirable: but they endured torments so various and terrible, that had they not been practised upon them by their enemies, it were incredible that ever malice should be so ingenious to invent, or cruelty so hardened to inflict them. If all the furies of hell had come forth to suggest new tortures, they could not have devised worse. Neither was their mere suffering such torments so astonishing, as their readiness to encounter them, and their behaviour under them. They maintained their faith in the presence of the most formidable princes. Some who might by favour, were afraid to escape the common |