in his heart," Coll. iii. 15. But the temporary believer derives be joy from superficial matters, the contemplation of the lovely myste ries of God tickles him, and excites an agreeable emotion of his blood and spirits; but the word never penetrates into his heart, so as to captivate and possess it: "he receives the word indeed anon with joy; yet hath he not root in himself." Matt. xiii. 20, 21.

3. The beginning of eternal joy is wrought in the true believer by the Spirit of God: "His hope doth not make him ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost, who is given unto him." Rom. v. 5. He knows not how to enlighten, or to enliven himself, but he seeks, calls, and waits for the Spirit, like David, Psalm li. 8, 12. "Make me to hear joy and gladness; restore unto me the joy of thy salvation." It must be just the fire of God's altar that kindles him, and causeth him to flame forth with joy. On the contrary, the joy of the temporary believer is a work of his own, he imagines this and that precious frame of the people of God, he urges and forces his passions thither, and so a certain selfwrought joy, or rather imagination of joy ariseth in him; or he imagines without foundation that he is a believer, a favourite of God, and a partaker of heaven, with which he is wonderfully tickled and pleased. And so " he kindles a fire himself, compasses himself about with sparks, walks in the light of his fire, and in the sparks which he hath kindled:" but "this he shall have of the Lord's hand," and a judicial blindness," he shall lie down in sorrow," Jer. 1. 11.

4. The beginning of this joy of the true believer is in God, and in his favour: "My soul shall rejoice in the Lord," said David, Psalm xxxv. 9. It wafts his soul to God, unites it to him, it finds its rest, quiet and satisfaction in him, and in his love, and in nought else: "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever," said Asaph, Psalm 1xxiii. 25, 26. We see this also, Heb. iii. 17, 18. But the temporary believer rejoices in himself, because he is so wise, virtuous and accomplished, and all his exercises are without God; he wonders at himself, like Balaam, Numb. xxiv. 3, 4. "He took up his parable and said, Balaam the son of Beor, hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said; he hath said, who heard the words of God, who saw the visions of the Almighty, falling into a trance but having his eyes open."

5. Finally, this joy renders the true believer also holy; he sees nothing now but holiness in God, and he will be holy, as the Lord is holy; the discovery which God makes of himself to him, pro

duceth a likeness to God in his soul: ""he is changed into the same image," 2 Cor. iii. 18. Because he knows that indulging himself in sin would cause God to hide his countenance from him, therefore he is exceedingly careful of defiling himself. Yea, this deligh, and this feeling of the beginning of eternal joy detaches him from sin, and transports his soul into heaven, that he may have his conversation there only, Philip. iii. 19. Observe the temporary believer, he is sinful and vain in proportion to his joy; he can now do any thing, though ever so sinful, without any anxiety, if others do not see it, and reproach him for it: doth his conscience fly in his face, he stifles it, and endeavours to silence it, he will not allow himself to suspect his state of grace, but thinks, once a gracious person, always a gracious person. And so he is brought, though not immediately, to the greatest and vilest sins in publick, waxing worse, and becoming more impenitent than before. See this, Heb. vi. 6, 7, 8..x. 26—29. 2 Peter ii. 20, 21, 22.

Alas! ye who hear this, and have not yet a true, but only a fanci.. ed foretaste of heaven, a shadow, a waking dream, see, we pray you, how dreadfully ye deceive yourselves; and "recover yourselves yet. out of the snare of the devil, in which ye are taken captive by him at his will;" for if ye remain as ye are, ye" will awake to shame and everlasting contempt," Dan. xii. 2. How grievous will it be for you to fall short of that blessed life, for which ye had hoped, though in vain! friends, what a dreadful mistake will it be, to expect to go to heaven, and to be sent to that bottomless gulph of perdition, with a Balaam, a Judas, and all the hypocrites! how intolerable will it be! Therefore return, we beseech you; "let him who thinketh that he is wise become a fool, that he may be wise," 1 Cor. iii. 18.

But shall not these wise, enlightened, and apparently virtuous persons be raised up to salvation, how then, think ye, will it fare with you, who are ignorant, worldly-minded, ungodly, and at best only civil, and outwardly religious can ye think that God will raise you up to salvation, if he should deal with you according to his word, as he will deal with you? do ye hope that he will? have ye any ground for your hope? are ye born again, and converted? do ye believe, and are ye holy? for such, and no others, shall, according to the word of God, see his kingdom. Therefore be solicitous to know how ye may be saved, be more concerned, we pray you, about your salvation and damnation, and labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life," John vi. 27. Surely, everlasting life is worthy, that ye should do more for

it, and think more of it than ye have hitherto done: therefore r cover from your carelessness: "Awake, thou that sleepɩst, and aris from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light," Eph. v. 14.

But, true believers, who have this great expectation of a blessed resurrection to an everlasting life with God, manifest it in your conversation. And therefore.

1. Believe that there will indeed be such a resurrection and everlasting life for those who seek the Lord. It is not enough to suppose this as a truth: no, we must with elevated minds assure ourselves of it, and obtain a clear apprehension of it from the testimony of God, so that these two great benefits, which are yet afar off, may beam, in a lively manner, and as if present, in our eyes: for "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Heb. xi. 1. So" Moses had by faith respect to the recompence of the reward," Heb. xi. 8. Because we attend so little to this, therefore all our exertions, with respect to this great future salvation are so languid, slothful, and sluggish, so that they have no influence upon the exercises of the soul.

2. Believe for yourselves, O believers, that ye yourselves will be raised up, in order to enjoy everlasting life. So Job and Paul acted, Job xix. 25, 26, 27. 2 Tim. i. 12. Ye cannot otherwise rejoice, or praise the Lord, or conduct worthily of that glory which shall be revealed in you. Do ye think that it is safest for you to doubt, that ye may not become careless, nor deceive yourselves in a matter of such great importance, let the Papists say that such an assurance would render a person careless, but do not ye, who profess a different doctrine according to the word of God; for this assurance would stir you up to love and serve God, and would render you fervent in spirit. It is true, we ought not to assure ourselves of our blessed resurrection, and everlasting life upon slender foundations, that we may not deceive ourselves with vain imaginations: but when we have truly, heartily and frequently received Christ for sanctification, as well as for glorification, then there is no danger; but ye say, I have never had a foretaste of everlasting life. Consider well, is this indeed true? is it not a prejudice proceeding from unbelief that the consolations of God are small with you? do ye know nothing at all of the discovery of grace in your souls, that ye do truly hate, and oppose whatever is sinful, that ye do earnestly call on and seek the Lord, so that this manifestation enlivened you, and gave you hope? are ye utter strangers to that calm and agreeable peace of soul? and though ye have not obtained such a measure of grace, as fills the heart, this is no evidence that ye are not interested in the

divine favour. Many heirs of everlasting life have not that measure, It is indeed a sure evidence of a blessed hope to those who enjoy, or have enjoyed it, because the Lord doth not grant it to any except his favourites; but it is no evidence, that others have no right to this blessed expectation, if they have not experienced such a power of the divine favour; for then other true believers, like Heman in the eighty eighth psalm, would have been without hope; and who can think this? Therefore, believers, inquire only whether your sins excite sorrow in you, whether Jesus be not truly and actually precious to you, and whether ye do not love the brethren, and thus manifest, that ye have passed from death to life.

3. Wonder, triumph and rejoice now in this hope and expectation of such a future glory. So David acted, when he said to the Lord, Psalm xxxi. 19. "O how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee !" Paul speaking in the name of all the saints, saith, Rom. v. 2. "We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." Peter said to the believers of his time," In whom," namely Jesus Christ," though now ye see him not, yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls," 1 Peter i. 8, 9. Is not the blessed resurrection and everlasting life worthy of our wonder, triumph, and joy? Consider only what such unworthy beings as ye are shall enjoy, and will it not ravish you, and transport you so that ye will shout and give thanks to God in the most exalted strains?

4. Let this great expectation also render you courageous in your duty. It becomes you to deny yourselves, your inclinations, all that is earthly, and selfish. It is no more than proper that ye should bear willingly every cross and affliction, which the Lord layeth upon you; and it is your duty to conduct yourselves in all things according to the will of God. And is not this glory, which we expect, worthy of our utmost doing and suffering? must an heir of such a salvation have his own will also, that which is earthly, his ease, and his sins? No, Moses was wiser than this? Heb. xi 24, 25, 26. "He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward." This glory ought surely to encourage you in every condition; "for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal;

but the things that are not seen are eternal," 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. "Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear;" so I speak with Paul, Heb. xii. 28.

5. Long for that blessed resurrection, and that everlasting life: "My reins," cried Job, "long exceedingly within me," chap. xix. 27. "He who testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly, Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus," Rev. xxii. 20. The apostle saith of himself, and of believers, 2 Cor. v. 3. "In this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven." Why should a Christian cling to aught that is here? this country shall not be his rest; his goods, his life is not here: let the worldling, who hath no hope in futurity, settle himself herë; but citizens of heaven, saints of the high places, "ye have no continuing city here, but must seek one to come," Heb. xiii. 14. There, even there will ye be delivered from whatever afflicts you now, and enjoy the only satisfying good. This loadstone should draw your desires and longings toward it: therefore "look for and hasten to the coming of the day of God," 2 Peter iii. 12, Let your longing nevertheless be accompanied with, and moderated by patience: your longing ought not to be a peevish fretfulness on account of your adversities, but an earnest desire, arising from the greatness of the goodness, which the Lord hath laid up for them who fear him, and submit themselves to him, who hath the times and seasons in his own hands. Be willing therefore "to serve the counsel of God," with David, "before ye fall asleep," in hope of a resurrection to everlasting life, Acts xiii. 36...

6. In the mean time endeavour to obtain a foretaste, and a feeling of the beginning of eternal joy, and to enjoy it often, and more and more. This was the petition of the church, Psalm cvi. 4, 5. “ Re-member me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation, that I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation; that I may glory with thine inheritance." There cannot be a sadder case, than that the heirs of that fruitful country dwell, like the rebellious, in a barren land. Let then your "souls thirst for God, for the living God," as the soul of David did, Psalm xlii. 1, 2. Believe in, and improve your title to the exceeding great and precious promises of the covenant of grace, suck from them, and breathe in him, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of grace; yea, live and feast on all the blessings which he hath purchased and promised you, that your "souls may be satisfied with marrow and fatness, and your mouths may