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chapter, view those mansions, consider their pri- | to a great sinner, Woman, why weepest thou?' vileges, and see whether there be any glory like knows how to raise love and joy, without any unto this glory.

CHAPTER III.

THE EXCELLENCIES OF THE SAINTS' REST.

Sect. 1. The excellencies of the Saints' Rest are enumerated. 2.

(1.) It is the purchased possession. 3, 4. (2.) A free gift. 5. 3.) Peculiar to saints. 6. (4.) An association with saints and angels.

7. (5) It derives its joys immediately from God himself. 8. (6.) It

will be seasonable. 9. (7.) Suitable. 10-12. (8.) Perfect without

sin and suffering. 13. (9.) And everlasting. 14. The chapter concludes with a serious address to the reader.

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2. (1.) It is a most singular honour of the saints' rest, to be called 'the purchased possession.' That is, the fruit of the blood of the Son of God; yea, the chief fruit, the end, and perfection of all the fruits and efficacy of that blood. Greater love than this there is not, to lay down the life of the lover. And to have this our Redeemer ever before our eyes, and the liveliest sense and freshest remembrance of that dying, bleeding love still upon our souls! How will it fill our souls with perpetual joy, to think, that in the streams of this blood we have swam through the violence of the world, the snares of Satan, the seducements of flesh, the curse of the law, the wrath of an offended God, the accusations of a guilty conscience, and the vexing doubts and fears of an unbelieving heart, and are arrived safe at the presence of God! Now, he cries to us, Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow!' and we scarce regard the mournful voice, nor scarce turn aside to view the wounds. But then our perfected souls will feel, and flame in love for love. With what astonishing apprehensions will redeemed saints everlastingly behold their blessed Redeemer! the purchaser, and the price, together with the possession! Neither will the view of his wounds of love, renew our wounds of sorrow. He, whose first words after his resurrection were

cloud of sorrow, or storm of tears. If any thing we enjoy was purchased with the life of our dearest friend, how highly should we value it? If a dying friend deliver us but a token of his love, how carefully do we preserve it! and still remember him when we behold it, as if his own name were written on it! And will not then the death and blood of our Lord everlastingly Sweeten our possessed glory? As we write down the price our goods cost us; so, on our righteousness and glory, write down the price, the precious blood of Christ. His sufferings were to satisfy the justice that required blood, and to bear what was due to sinners, and so to restore them to the life they lost, and the happiness they fell from. The work of Christ's redemption so well pleased the Father, that he gave him power to advance his chosen, and gave them the glory which was given to himself, and all this according to his good pleasure, and the counsel of his own will.'

3. (2.) Another pearl in the saints' diadem is, that it is a free gift. These two, purchased and free, are the chains of gold which make up the wreaths for the tops of the pillars in the temple of God. It was dear to Christ, but free to us. When Christ was to buy, silver and gold were nothing worth; prayers and tears could not suffice, nor any thing below his blood; but our buying is receiving; we have it freely, without money, and without price. A thankful acceptance of a free acquittance, is no paying of the debt. Here is all free: if the Father freely give the Son, and the Son freely pay the debt; and if God freely accepts that way of payment, when he might have required it of the principal; and if both Father and Son freely offer us the purchased life on our cordial acceptance, and if they freely send the Spirit to enable us to accept ; what is here then that is not free? O the everlasting admiration that must needs surprise the saints to think of this freeness! What did the Lord see in me, that he should judge me meet for such a state? That I, who was but a poor, diseased, despised wretch, should be clad in the brightness of this glory! That I, a creeping worm, should be advanced to this high dignity! That I, who was but lately groaning, weeping, dying, should now be as full of joy as my heart can hold! yea, should be taken from the grave, where I was rotting, and from the dust and darkness, where I seemed forgotten, and be here set before his throne! That I should be taken, with Mordecai, from captivity, and be set next unto the king;

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and, with Daniel, from the den, to be made ruler | to no other of all the sons of men.
of princes and provinces! Who can fathom un-
measurable love? If worthiness were our con-
dition for admittance, we might sit down and
weep with St John, Because no man was found
worthy. But the Lion of the tribe of Judah is
worthy, and hath prevailed;' and by that title we
must hold the inheritance. We shall offer there
the offering that David refused, even praise for
that which cost us nothing. Here our commis-,
sion runs, Freely ye have received, freely give;'
but Christ has dearly bought, yet freely gives.

6

4. If it were only for nothing, and without our merit, the wonder were great; but it is moreover against our merit, and against our long endeavouring our own ruin. What an astonishing thought it will be, to think of the unmeasurable difference between our deservings and receivings! Between the state we should have been in, and the state we are in! To look down upon hell, and see the vast difference that grace hath made between us and them! To see the inheritance there, which we were born to, so different from that which we are adopted to! What pangs of love will it cause within us to think, Yonder was the place that sin would have brought me to, but this is it that Christ hath brought me to! Yonder death was the wages of my sin, but this eternal life is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ my Lord! Who made me to differ? Had I not now been in those flames, if I had had my own way, and been let alone to my own will? Should I not have lingered in Sodom, till the flames had seized on me, if God had not in mercy brought me out?' Doubtless this will be our everlasting admiration, that so rich a crown should fit the head of so vile a sinner! That such high advancement, and such long unfruitfulness and unkindness, can be the state of the same person! And that such vile rebellions can conclude in such most precious joys! But, no thanks to us, nor to any of our duties and labours, much less to our neglects and laziness: we know to whom the praise is due, and must be given for Indeed to this very end it was, that Infinite Wisdom cast the whole design of man's salvation into this mould of purchase and freeness, that the love and joy of man might be perfected, and the honour of grace most highly advanced; that the thought of merit might neither cloud the one nor obstruct the other; and that on these two hinges the gate of heaven might turn. So, then, let DESERVED be written on the door of hell, but on the door of heaven and life, THE

If all Egypt

had Leen light, the Israelites would not have had the less; but to enjoy that light alone, while their neighbours lived in thick darkness, must make them more sensible of their privilege. Distinguishing mercy affects more than any mercy. If Pharaoh had passed as safely as Israel, the Red Sea would have been less remembered. If the rest of the world had not been drowned, and the rest of Sodom and Gomorrah not burned, the saving of Noah had been no wonder, nor Lot's deliverance so much talked of. When one is enlightened, and another left in darkness; one reformed, and another by his lust enslaved; it makes the saints cry out, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us and not unto the world?" When the prophet is sent to one widow only of all that were in Israel, and to cleanse one Naaman of all the lepers, the mercy is more observable. That will surely be a day of passionate sense on both sides, when there shall be two in one bed, and two in the field, the one taken and the other left. The saints shall look down upon the burning lake, and in the sense of their own happiness, and in the approbation of God's just proceedings, they shall rejoice and sing, Thou art righteous, O Lord, who wast, art, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.'

6. (4.) But though this rest be proper to the saints, yet it is common to all the saints; for it is an association of blessed spirits, both saints and angels; a corporation of perfected saints, whereof Christ is the head; the communion of saints completed. As we have been together in the labour, duty, danger, and distress: so shall we be in the great recompense and deliverance. As we have been scorned and despised, so shall we be owned and honoured together. We, who have gone through the day of sadness, shall enjoy together that day of gladness. Those, who have been with us in persecution and prison, shall be with us also in that palace of consolation. How oft have our groans made, as it were, one sound? our tears one stream? and our desires one prayer? But now all our praises shall make up one melody; all our churches, one church; and all ourselves, one body: for we shall all be one in Christ; even as he and the Father are one. It is true, we must be careful, not to look for that in the saints, which is alone in Christ. if the forethought of sitting down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven, may be our lawful joy; how much more the real sight and actual possession? It cannot choose 5. (3.) This rest is peculiar to saints, belongs but be comfortable to think of that day, when we

ever.

FREE GIFT.

But

shall join with Moses in his song, with David in | because they have all more immediately from his psalms of praise, and with all the redeemed God himself. Not that we should cast off hearin the song of the Lamb for ever; when we shalling, reading, and conference, or neglect any orsee Enoch walking with God; Noah enjoying dinance of God; but to live above them, while the end of his singularity; Joseph of his integ- we use them, is the way of a Christian. There rity; Job of his patience; Hezekiah of his up- is joy in these remote receivings; but the fulness rightness; and all the saints the end of their faith. of joy is in God's immediate presence. We shall Not only our old acquaintance, but all the saints, then have light without a candle, and perpetual of all ages, whose faces in the flesh we never day without the sun; for 'the city has no need saw, we shall there both know and comfortably of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; enjoy. Yea, angels as well as saints, will be our for the glory of God lightens it, and the Lamb blessed acquaintance. Those who now are will- is the light thereof: there shall be no night there, ingly our ministering spirits, will willingly then and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; be our companions in joy. They, who had such and they shall reign for ever and ever.' We joy in heaven for our conversion, will gladly re- shall then have enlightened understandings withjoice with us in our glorification. Then we out Scripture, and be governed without a written shall truly say, as David, 'I am a companion of law; for the Lord will perfect his law in our all them that fear thee;' when we are come hearts, and we shall be all perfectly taught of unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God. We shall have joy, which we drew not God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innum- from the promises, nor fetched home by faith or erable company of angels: to the general assem- hope. We shall have communion without sacrably, and church of the first-born, who are written ments, without this fruit of the vine, when Christ in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to shall drink it new with us in his Father's kingdom, spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the and refresh us with the comforting wine of immeMediator of the new covenant.' It is a singular diate enjoyment. To have necessities, but no excellence of heavenly rest, that we are fellow-supply, is the case of them in hell. To have citizens with the saints, and of the household of necessity supplied by means of the creatures, is God.'

7. (5.) As another property of our rest, we shall derive its joys immediately from God. Now we have nothing at all immediately, but at the second or third hand, or how many, who knows? From the earth, from man, from sun and moon, from the ministration of angels, and from the Spirit, and Christ. Though in the hand of angels, the streams savour not of the imperfection of sinners, yet it does of the imperfection of creatures; and as it comes from man, it savours of both. How quick and piercing is the word in itself! Yet many times it never enters, being managed by a feeble arm. What weight and worth is there in every passage of the blessed gospel! Enough, one would think, to enter and pierce the dullest soul, and wholly possess its thoughts and affections; and yet how oft does it fall as water upon a stone! The things of God, which we handle, are divine; but our manner of

handling is human. There is little we touch, but we leave the print of our fingers behind. If God speak the word himself, it will be a piercing, melting word indeed. The Christian now knows by experience, that his most immediate joys are his sweetest joys; which have least of man, and are most directly from the Spirit; Christians, who are much in secret prayer and contemplation, are men of greatest life and joy,

the case of us on earth. To have necessity supplied immediately from God, is the case of the saints in heaven. To have no necessity at all, is the prerogative of God himself.

8. (6.) A farther excellence of this rest is, that it will be seasonable. He that expects the fruit of his vineyard at the season, and makes his people 'like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season,' will also give them the crown in his season. He that will have a word of joy spoken in season, to him that is weary, will surely cause the time of joy to appear in the fittest season. They who are not weary in well-doing, shall, if they faint not, reap in due season. If God giveth rain even to his enemies, both the former and the latter in his season, and reserveth the appointed weeks of harvest, and covenants that there shall be day and night in their season; then surely the glorious harvest of the saints shall not miss its season. Doubtless he that would not stay a day longer than his promise, but brought Israel out of Egypt on the self-same day, when the four hundred and thirty years were expired; neither will he fail of one day or hour of the fittest season for his people's glory. When we have had in this world a long night of darkness, will not the day-breaking and the rising of the Sun of Righteousness, be then seasonable? When we have passed a long

and tedious journey, through no small dangers, | full satisfaction. Christian, this is a rest after is not home then seasonable? When we have thy own heart; it contains all thy heart can wish; had a long and perilous war, and received many that which thou longest, prayest, labourest for, a wound, would not a peace with victory be there thou shalt find it all. Thou hadst rather seasonable? Men live in a continual weariness; have God in Christ, than all the world: there thou especially the saints, who are most weary of that shalt have him. What wouldest thou not give which the world cannot feel: some weary of a for assurance of his love? There thou shalt have blind mind; some of a hard heart; some of their assurance without suspicion. Desire what thou daily doubts and fears; some of the want of canst, and ask what thou wilt, as a Christian, and spirit al joys; and some of the sense of God's it shall be given thee, not only to half of the king. wrath. And when a poor Christian hath desired dom, but to the enjoyment both of kingdom and and prayed, and waited for deliverance many King. This is a life of desire and prayer, but years, is it not then seasonable? We grudge that is a life of satisfaction and enjoyment. This that we do not find a Canaan in the wilderness, rest is very suitable to the saints' necessities also, or the songs of Zion in a strange land; that we as well as to their natures and desires. It conhave not a harbour in the main ocean, nor our tains whatsoever they truly wanted; not supplyrest in the heat of the day, nor heaven before ing them with gross created comforts, which like we leave the earth; and would not all this be Saul's armour on David, are more burden than very unseasonable? benefit. It was Christ and perfect holiness which they most needed, and with these shall they be supplied.

9. (7.) As this rest will be seasonable, so it will be suitable. The new nature of the saints doth suit their spirits to this rest. Indeed their holiness is nothing else but a spark taken from this element, and by the Spirit of Christ kindled in their hearts; the flame whereof, mindful of its own divine original, ever tends to the place from whence it comes. Temporal crowns and kingdoms could not make a rest for saints. As they were not redeemed with so low a price, neither are they endued with so low a nature. As God will have from them a spiritual worship, suited to his own spiritual being, he will provide them a spiritual rest, suitable to their spiritual nature. The knowledge of God and his Christ, a delightful complacency in that mutual love, an everlasting rejoicing in the enjoyment of our God, with a perpetual singing of his high praises: this is a heaven for a saint. Then we shall live in our own element. We are now as the fish in a vessel of water, only so much as will keep them alive; but what is that to the ocean? We have a little air let into us, to afford us breathing; but what is that to the sweet and fresh gales upon Mount Sion? We have a beam of the sun to lighten our darkness, and a warm ray to keep us from freezing; but then we shall live in its light, and be revived by its heat for ever.—As the natures of saints are, such are their desires; and it is the desires of our renewed nature which this rest is suited to. Whilst our desires remain corrupted and misguided, it is a far greater mercy to deny them, yea, to destroy them, than to satisfy them; but those which are spiritual are of his own planting, and he will surely water them, and give the increase. He quickened our hunger and thirst for righteousness, that he might make us happy in a

10. (8.) Still more, this rest will be absolutely perfect. We shall then have joy without sorrow, and rest without weariness. There is no mixture of corruption with our graces, nor of suffering with our comfort. There are none of those waves in that harbour, which now so toss us up and down. To-day we are well, to-morrow sick; today in esteem, to-morrow in disgrace; to-day we have friends, to-morrow none; nay, we have wine and vinegar in the same cup. If revelation raise us to the third heaven, the messenger of Satan must presently buffet us, and the thorn in the flesh fetch us down. But there is none of this inconstancy in heaven. If perfect love casteth out fear, then perfect joy must needs cast out sorrow, and perfect happiness exclude all the relics of misery. We shall there rest from all the evil of sin, and of suffering. 11. Heaven excludes nothing more directly than sin, whether of nature or of conversation. 'There shall in nowise enter any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie.' What need Christ at all to have died, if heaven could have contained imperfect souls? For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.' His blood and Spirit have not done all this, to leave us after all defiled. 'What communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? Christian, if thou be once in heaven, thou shalt sin no more. Is not this glad news to thee, who hast prayed, and watched against it so long? I know, if it were offered to thy choice, thou wouldst rather choose to be freed from sin, than have all the world. Thou shalt have thy de

sire. That hard heart, those vile thoughts, which | his waves. But that blessed day shall convince accompanied thee to every duty, shall now be us, that though God hid his face from us for a left behind for ever. Thy understanding shall moment, yet with everlasting kindness will he never more be troubled with darkness. All dark have mercy on us. We shall rest from all the Scriptures shall be made plain; all seeming con- temptations of Satan. What a grief is it to a tradictions reconciled. The poorest Christian Christian, though he yield not to the temptation, is presently there a more perfect divine than any yet to be solicited to deny his Lord! What a here. O that happy day, when error shall vanish torment, to have such horrid motions made to his for ever! When our understanding shall be filled soul! such blasphemous ideas presented to his with God himself, whose light will leave no dark- imagination! Sometimes cruel thoughts of God, ness in us! His face shall be the Scripture, undervaluing thoughts of Christ, unbelieving where we shall read the truth. Many a godly thoughts of Scripture, or injurious thoughts of man hath here, in his mistaken zeal, been a Providence! To be tempted sometimes to turn means to deceive and pervert his brethren, and to present things, to play with the baits of sin, when he sees his own error, cannot again tell and venture on the delights of flesh, and somehow to undeceive them. But there we shall con- times to atheism itself! Especially, when we spire in one truth, as being one in him who is know the treachery of our own hearts, ready, as the truth. We shall also rest from all the sin tinder, to take fire, as soon as one of those sparks of our will, affection, and conversation. We shall fall upon them! Satan hath power here to shall no more retain this rebelling principle, tempt us in the wilderness, but he entereth not which is still drawing us from God: no more be the holy city: he may set us on a pinnacle of oppressed with the power of our corruptions, nor the temple in the earthly Jerusalem, but the new vexed with their presence: no pride, passion, Jerusalem he may not approach; he may take slothfulness, insensibility, shall enter with us; us up into an exceeding high mountain, but the no strangeness to God, and the things of God; Mount Sion he cannot ascend; and if he could, no coldness of affections, nor imperfection in all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of our love; no uneven walking, nor grieving of them, would be a despised bait to a soul possessed the Spirit ; no scandalous action, nor unholy con- of the kingdom of our Lord. No, it is in vain versation: we shall rest from all these for ever. for Satan to offer a temptation more. All our Then shall our will correspond to the divine will, temptations from the world and the flesh shall as face answers face in a glass, and from which, also cease. O the hourly dangers that we here as our law and rule, we shall never swerve. For walk in! Every sense and member is a snare; he that is entered into his rest, he also hath every creature, every mercy, and every duty is ceased from his own works, as God did from a snare to us. We can scarce open our eyes, but his.' we are in danger of envying those above us, or despising those below us; of coveting the honours and riches of some, or beholding the rags and beggary of others with pride and unmercifulness. If we see beauty, it is a bait to lust; if deformity, to loathing and disdain. How soon do slanderous reports, vain jests, wanton speeches, creep into the heart! How constant and strong a watch does our appetite require! Have we comeliness and beauty? What fuel What an occa

12. Our sufferings were but the consequences of our sinning, and in heaven they both shall cease together. We shall rest from all our doubts of God's love. It shall no more be said, that 'Doubts are like the thistle, a bad weed, but growing in good ground.' They shall now be weeded out, and trouble the gracious soul no more. We shall hear that kind of language no more, 'What shall I do to know my state? How shall I know that God is my Father? that my for pride! Are we deformed? heart is upright? that my conversion is true?sion of repining! Have we strength of reason, that faith is sincere? I am afraid my sins are and gifts of learning? O how prone to be unpardoned; that all I do is hypocrisy; that puffed up, hunt after applause, and despise our God will reject me; that he does not hear my brethren! Are we unlearned? How apt then prayers.' All this is there turned into praise. to despise what we have not! Are we in places We shall rest from all sense of God's displea- of authority? How strong is the temptation to Hell shall not be mixed with heaven. At abuse our trust, make our will our law, and cut times the gracious soul remembered God, and out all the enjoyments of others by the rules and was troubled; complained, and was overwhelmed, model of our own interest and policy! Are we and refused to be comforted; divine wrath lay inferiors? How prone to grudge at other's prehard upon him, and God afflicted him with all eminence, and bring their actions to the bar of

sure.

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