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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62392	The faithful souldier's reward, or, A glimpse of the saints happiness discovered in two sermons, occasioned by the death of that truly vertuous and religious gentle woman, Mrs. Katherine Disney : the former preached at Kirkstead, the place of her last abode here upon the earth, on the 18th day of May, 1690, being the Lord's Day, and the latter at Swinderly, near Lincoln, where she was interr'd the Tuesday following / by William Scoffin.	Scoffin, William, 1655?-1732.	1692 (1692)	Wing S933; ESTC R11432	41,514	126

see whatever Favours are shewed to Christ's poor Members Mat. 10.40 41 42. whatever Acts of Mercy and Charity are exercis'd towards them Christ takes all as done to himself And on the other hand whatsoever is done against the Members of Christ whatsoever Unmercifulness or Acts of Cruelty are exercis'd towards them Christ takes it all as done against himself When ever they are slighted and neglected he looks upon himself as concerned therein I was an hungred Mat. 25 42 will he say and ye gave me no Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no Drink Ver. 43. I was a Stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye clothed me not sick and in Prison and ye visited me not For in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these my poor Members Ver. 45. ye did it not to me So Act. 9.4 5. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me saith Christ And Saul said Who art thou Lord And the Lord answered him and said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Why the Lord Jesus was in Heaven quite above Saul's reach How the could Saul persecute him It was in his Members For Saul had been persecuting the poor Members of Christ and was now going to Damascus on the same Design and Christ took all those Acts of Cruelty which were exercised towards his Members as if they had been done to his own Person Thus also saith the Prophet to the People of the Lord Zech. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of my Eye This speaks Comfort to the Members of Christ who are hated and persecuted for Righteousness sake but sure it speaks Terrour to their Enemies Isa 34.8 For the Day is coming when the Lord will vindicate his own Cause and will call all such to a Reckoning And then they will assuredly find it hard to have kick'd against the Pricks Act. 9.5 3. We may further observe how very acceptable unto the Lord the Works of Mercy and Charity are These are the only Works which are mentioned in the Description of the Last Judgment The Lord takes delight in nothing more than he doth in shewing of Mercy no wonder then Luk. 6.36 that Acts of Mercy are so very acceptable unto him Jam. 1.27 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the World And on the other hand as God is well pleased with Acts of Mercy so he 's greatly provok'd with Vnmercifulness and Acts of Cruelty As he will say to the Righteous and Merciful Come ye Blessed So he will say to the Wicked and Unmerciful Depart ye Cursed He shall have Judgment without Mercy that hath shewed no Mercy Jam. 2.13 4. Observe the different Tempers of the Righteous and Wicked in Judgment The Righteous who have done many good Works will be asham'd to hear any of them mentioned by Christ so sensible are they of their great Imperfections Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee c. will they say But the Wicked who have done little or no good at all will be ready to excuse and justify themselves saying When saw we thee an hungred Matth. 25.44 or a thirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in Prison and did not minister unto thee But their vain Excuses will do them no good For these shall go into everlasting Punishment Ver. 46. but the Righteous unto Life Eternal And now I come to the Second Thing propounded which is to shew you as the Lord shall enable me wherein the Happiness of Believers in the other World will chiefly consist And I humbly conceive it will chiefly consist in these two Particulars following 1. In a perfect freedom from all that is really Evil. 2. In the full enjoyment of all that is truly Good There is no Tongue indeed can possibly express the greatness of the Saints Happiness Yet so much may we conceive thereof by seriously considering these two Particulars as might fill our Souls with breathing Desires after the Enjoyment of it and with admiration of God's wonderful Love in providing such an Happiness for us Quest What then are those Evils that Believers shall be freed from at Death Why Heb. 12.23 1 Cor. 13.10 Eph. 5.27 1. They 'l be freed from all their Sins Infirmities Weaknesses and Imperfections And O what an Happiness will this be to be perfectly freed from Sin You that groan under the burden of Sin can set your Seal to this Truth that a perfect Freedom from all our Corruptions will make us happy indeed Chear up then believing Soul whose Infirmities and Weaknesses are thy greatest Burden for a time of Refreshment will shortly come Yet a little while and thou shalt sin no more nor sorrow any more Thou art now troubled for thy Unbelief thy hardness of Heart and deadness of Spirit and that thy Affections are so flat and low thy Corruptions so strong and thy Failings so many and that thou walk'st on so heavily in the Ways of God and canst not do the good thou wouldst but Death will knock off all these Fetters and set thee free within a while O that I might never sin more against my good and gracious God! Rom. 7.24 says a poor gracious Soul Why I tell thee poor Soul and take it for thy comfort that it is but a little while and thou shalt sin no more nor sorrow any more nor dishonour thy gracious God any more which is now the chief cause of thy greatest Sorrow There is no Comfort ariseth from hence to such as are in Love and in League with Sin but to those whose Sin is their great Grief and Burden it affordeth matter of very great Comfort 2. Believers shall likewise be freed from all their Temptations and Enemies 2 Cor 7.5 Now they are troubled on every side and molested with many Temptations but Death within a while will set them free For if the time will come when God's People here on Earth shall obtain Freedom from their Enemies in a very great measure how much more when they come to Heaven See Isa 11.9 and chap. 65.17 25. Rev. 20.1 2 3. Chear up then Believing Soul who art here surrounded with many Temptations for there is no Tempter in Heaven either to entice thee to Sin or to trouble and molest thee there are no Snares there to entangle thee no Enemy there that shall in any-wise hurt thee No no thou 'lt have none but Friends in Heaven and the best of Friends There Triumph over Sin is won The Devil and Death defac'd The Kingdom of the Just begun And there in Glory plac'd There Tyrants nothing have to do Nor Rack nor Rope is known Tormentors all and Satan too Are fully overthrown As one thus expresseth it in Metre 3. Believers shall be perfectly freed from all their Sicknesses Pains and Sorrows Rev. 7.16 17. They shall hunger no

the Apostle there from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his Glorious Body according to the Working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself O blessed Change indeed They shall be fashioned like unto his glorious Body Now the Bodies of the Saints are vile but then they shall be glorious For Christ's Body now glorified in Heaven is surely a glorious Body indeed * Rev. 1 13 16. Mat. 17.1 2. And the Bodies of the Saints shall be like his O how joyfully will the Soul reunite with the Body when this glorious Change is passed upon it And what a blessed Union will this be nevermore to be broken O then will the Saints be in a Capacity of enjoying the highest Felicity 3. Their Bodies and Souls thus re-united shall be received into Mansions of Bliss and Glory where they shall for ever be with the Lord and be perfectly happy to all Eternity And O how should the Thoughts of this chear our Hearts and fortify us under all our Trials Let not your Hearts be troubled Joh. 14.1 2 3. saith Christ ye believe in God believe also in me In my Father's House are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a Place for you And if I go and prepare a Place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also O comfortable Words indeed Yea and Christ has left them for our Comfort Wherefore comfort one another with these Words 1 Thess 4.18 saith the Apostle With what words Why that Jesus Christ will come in the Clouds Ver. 16 17. and meet Believers in the Air and they shall for ever be with the Lord. O blessed and glorious Day when Christ shall pronounce that blessed Sentence to such as have been his faithful Followers Mat. 25.34 Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World The Members of Christ are now look'd upon by the World as a Company of Hypocrites and vile Miscreants even such as are unfit to live in a Common-wealth but Christ pronounceth them Blessed The World saith Act. 22.22 Away with such Fellows from the Earth for it is not fit that they should live but Christ saith Mat. 25.34 Come ye Blessed And Christ calls them the Blessed of his Father shewing thereby the Orignal Cause and Fountain of all our Happiness The beginning of our Salvation was from an higher Cause than our own Holiness yea than Christ's Merit even from the free Grace and Favour of God the Father He is the principal efficient Cause of the Saints Blessedness Christ as Mediator is but the way to the Father Joh. 14.6 It is the Father that appointed Christ and gave him to Sinners Joh. 3.16 And in time brings them to close with him Joh. 6.44 It is the Father that prepared this Kingdom for them before the Foundation of the World They are not less beloved and blessed by the Father than by the Son who redeemed them but whosoever is dear unto the Son is dear also unto the Father O what Soul-enravishing Joys will the Saints be filled with when Christ shall pronounce this blessed Sentence Come ye Blessed of my Father To the Wicked he will say Depart but to the Saints Come as the Quintessence of all Misery lieth in the one so the Consummation of all Blessedness lieth in the other We see here what the Sentence will be at the Grat Day the reason of this Sentence followeth For I was an hungred and ye gave me Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me Drink I was a Stranger and ye took me in Naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in Prison and ye came unto me Mat. 25.35 36. These good Works are mentioned by Christ and given as a Reason of the Sentence not as if Heaven was merited by them but as the undoubted Evidences and Fruits of a true and saving Faith And that a true Faith is implied in the Works here mentioned is very clear and evident 1. From the Expression it self For I was an hungred and ye gave me Meat saith Christ 't was Christ they respected in his Members Now it requireth Faith to see Christ in a poor needy Person or Prisoner to love Christ in them above our worldly Goods and to part with our Wealth for their Relief because they belong to Christ This is a great Piece of Self-denial and doubbless the Fruit of a saving Faith for 't is not meerly the relieving the Poor but the doing of it as in and to Christ 2. Faith and good Works are very nearly linked together for Faith is not sound and saving unless it produce these good Works and these Works are not acceptable unless they proceed from Faith and are done in Faith Heb. 11.6 1 Tim. 1.5 Where there is true Faith there will also be good Works as the genuine Effects and Fruits of it yet certain it is that the best of those Works do no ways deserve Heaven Luk. 17.10 Ephes 2.8 9. And the Saints will be so far from pleading their Works in a way of Desert or Merit that they will rather altogether disown them being sensible of their many and great Imperfections and how far short they came of their Duty Then shall the Righteous answer him saying Mat. 25.37 Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee Drink Ver. 38. When saw we thee a Stranger and took thee in or naked and clothed thee Or when saw we thee sick Ver. 39. or in Prison and came unto thee And the King shall answer and say unto them Ver. 40. Verily I say unto you in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me By the way we may observe these three or four Particulars 1. The wonderful Love and Humility of the Lord Jesus Christ the King of Glory in owning the poorest Joh. 20.17 Heb. 2.11 12. and least of his Members for his Brethren In as much as ye have done it saith he unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me O wonderful condescending Love that the great God should take such poor Worms as we into so near a Relation unto himself 2. Observe that Christ takes that which is done to his Members as done to himself I was an hugred saith he and ye gave me Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me Drink I was a Stranger and ye took me in Naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in Prison and ye came unto me For in as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me So that we

Cor. 6.14 which is the Blessedness of Heaven It is the Holy Spirit must make us meet to be Partakers of the Heavenly Inheritance Col. 1.12 Except a Man be born from above he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Joh. 3.3 5. It is God by his Spirit that draws Sinners unto Christ Joh. 6.44 and powerfully worketh true Faith in their Souls giving them thereby a Title to Heaven Joh. 1.12 13. and then by renewing and sanctifying their Natures doth fit and prepare them for the enjoyment of it It is certainly therefore of God's Free Grace that any of us are prepared for Heaven as well as that Heaven is prepared for us Ephes 2.8 By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Faith as well as Salvation is God's Free Gift Rom. 9.23 Believers are said to be Vessels of Mercy which God hath aforehand prepared unto Glory And again He that hath wrought us for the self-same Thing is God who also hath given to us the earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 It is not therefore on the account of any thing that the Saints have done or can do that Heaven is prepared for them or that they are prepared for Heaven but all is of Free Grace Tit. 3.5 6 7. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour That being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life Objection But doth not God command us to work out our own Salvation and promise to reward us according to our Works Phil. 2.12 Mat. 16.27 Rev. 22.12 chap. 20.12 Answer Yes he doth so But yet these Scriptures do no ways imply that the best of our Works are meritorious And as to the First where we are commanded to work out our own Salvation it presently follows that it's God which works in us both to will and to do of his good Pleasure Phil. 2.13 We must indeed be diligent and serious in the Work and Service of the Lord and must yield sincere and constant Obedience to all his Holy Commands striving to put forth that Power to the utmost that he hath already given us and must wait upon him in the use of means that we may obtain more And without thus doing we cannot be saved Heb. 5.9 neither for thus doing shall any be saved There is a great difference between our being rewarded according to our Works and our being rewarded for our good Works 'T is true there are none can obtain Heaven without Regeneration and Holiness Joh. 3.3 Heb. 12.14 And 't is also as true that none shall obtain it upon the account of their Holiness Good Works are therefore necessary to Salvation but they are not meritorious No if we could do all those Things which are commanded us we must say Luk. 17.10 we are unprofitable Servants 1. Because we shall have done no more than what was our Duty to do Luke 17.10 We are many ways bound to obey God's Commands though the Heavenly Happiness had never been promised God has an absolute Right to all that we are or have or can do First By Creation Prov. 16.4 and as he is the Supream Soveraign of the World Secondly By Preservation Lev. 22.31 Act. 17.24 28. or as he is our Maintainer and Upholder on whose Goodness and Bounty we daily live Thirdly By Redemption 1 Cor. 6.19 20. 2 Cor. 5.15 he having laid down a Price of inestimable value for us Now on all these accounts the best that we can do is absolutely due unto God And a Servant that hath done no more than his Duty yea that cometh very far short of his Duty can plead nothing of Merit 2. Because the best of our Works can add nothing at all unto God Psal 16.2 Thou art my Lord saith David my Goodness extendeth not to thee So Job 22.2 Can a Man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself If thou be Righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thine Hands Chap. 35.7 8. The more we abound in Works of Righteousness the better it will be for our selves But no Profit or Advantage will accrue unto God by any thing that we can do And therefore we can merit nothing at his Hands 3. Because It is God that works in us Eph. 2.10 Luk. 19.16 18. both to will and to do of his good Pleasure Phil. 2.13 By the Grace of God we are what we are as to any Good that is in us and by his Grace it is that we do what we do 2 Cor. 3.5 as to any Good that is done by us 1 Cor. 15.10 Heb. 13.20 21. I can do all Things saith the Apostle but how why through Christ which strengthneth me Phil. 4.13 Yea and without me saith Christ ye can do nothing John 15.5 i. e. Nothing in a way of Fruitfulness Yea further nothing that is truly good and acceptable in the Sight of God Now can we do nothing that is truly Good but what would have been our Duty to do though no Reward had been promised Can we do nothing that is any ways profitable or advantageous to God Yea Can we do nothing that he will accept of but what we do by the help of his Grace Then surely when we shall have done our best we may say we are unprofitable Servants Nay I may further add that the best Works of the Saints are so full of Imperfections that they rather need a Pardon than deserve the least Reward It is not therefore upon the account of any good Works which the Saints have done that the Heavenly Glory is conferred upon them Rom 6.23 Heb. 9.12 15. but it is freely given unto them of God Christ having by his Death obtained it for them We must therefore take heed as we love our own Souls of thinking to merit Heaven by our Works Rom. 9.30 33. Chap. 10. 1 2 3. It 's a Popish Principle yea and that indeed which all Men naturally are inclined to And for certain it is a most dangerous Principle and has been the undoing of many A Saving Faith will produce good Works Jam. 2.26 as the genuine Effects and Fruits of it Such Persons therefore as are destitute thereof 1 Joh. 3.3 can have no ground to hope for Salvation We must press after Holiness with all our Might 2 Cor. 7.1 and endeavour to be Fruitful in every good Work but yet we must beware that we do not think of meriting Heaven thereby We may indeed assure our selves Rev. 22.12 1 Cor. 15.58 and that upon good Grounds that in doing well we shall fare well for so hath God promised for our Encouragement Isa 3.10 11. Say ye to the Righteous that

thou art Known and Love as thou art Beloved of Him O Blessed Condition indeed With what raised Affections will the Faithful serve God when once they arrive to this State of Perfection How will they contemplate his incomparable Excellencies And how joyfully then will they sing forth his Praises They 'l never cease to love and admire and therefore never cease to praise their God Their Hearts will be there eternally enflamed and their Mouths eternally opened to glorify him But with the highest Veneration they 'l adore his Goodness and sing aloud of his Mercy Psal 59.16 I will sing of thy Power O Lord saith David yea I will sing aloud of thy Mercy And again saith he in another Place I will sing of the Mercies of the Lord for ever Psal 89.1 'T is certain that the glorify'd Saints in Heaven will have such a Sense of God's Mercy and Love as shall fill their Mouths with Eternal Praises Ezek. 16.6 8. Joh. 3.16 chap. 6.44 Jer. 31.3 O how will they admire and adore that Love that pitied them in their lost Estate when no Eye pitied them That Love that provided a Redeemer for them and in time brought them to close with him That Love that in such an admirable manner conducted them through the World and ordered all things here below to their Spiritual and Eternal Advantage Yea and they 'l always be under the Beams of his Love which will be vigorously reflected in their joyful Praises It will there be the highest Felicity to contemplate his most excellent Perfections their greatest Pleasure to love and please him and their highest Honour to glorify him They 'l there be employed in the noblest Work and excited by the highest Motives I will speak of the glorious Honour of thy Majesty and of thy wondrous Works saith David Psal 145.5 And again They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great Goodness and shall sing of thy Righteousness Ver. 7. Now if the Saints while here on Earth do thus love and praise and adore the Lord how much more when they come into Heaven Their affectionate Praises will there be renewed without any let or intermission because the Divine Favours are there renewed every Moment O Blessed and Glorious Employment indeed Who would not strive to be thus employed All thy Works shall praise thee Psal 145.10 11. O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee They shall speak of the Glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy Power Ver. 13. Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and thy Dominion endureth throughout all Generations O help us to love and praise thee now that we may be more fitted for Eternal Praises 2. The glorify'd Saints and Angels will be a Believer's everlasting Companions And what a blessed Society will this be and how much will it add to our Happiness 'T is comfortable to meet with the Saints of God now though it be but in a Mourning-Duty but most sure it is their Communion there will be quite another thing For then they 'l be perfectly and eternally freed from all their Infirmities and Weaknesses Heb. 12.23 Now alas their many Infirmities do much hinder the pleasure of their Society but most delightful then will their Company be Here their Affections are flat and low and they are often dull and out of frame but in Heaven it will be otherwise There we shall have the most raised Affections and shall always be in a serious Frame And this will indear us to one another and will make our Communion most pleasing and delightful David esteemed the Saints of God the most excellent Persons upon Earth Psal 16.3 119.63 Psal 15.4 1 Joh. 3.14 and declared that in the Society of them he took the greatest Delight And this indeed is the true Character of a Heaven-born Citizen of Zion He is one that greatly loves and delights in the Company and Society of the Saints The Wicked desire not their Society and shall therefore be eternally separated from it but the Faithful do greatly love and value it and therefore shall eternally enjoy it 3. The Faithful shall then see the Face and enjoy the Presence of their Glorious Redeemer Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the Foundation of the World Phil. 1.23 The Souls of the Faithful shall be with Christ immediately after Death and both Body and Soul shall be with him at the General Resurrection Joh. 14.2 3. In my Father's House are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also At Death Luk. 16.22 Christ sends his Angels to conduct the Soul to Heaven But at the general Resurrection he will come himself in Person and will fetch us thither in State which will make our Access to Heaven the more glorious He will then come to lead his Flock to their everlasting Fold to present his Bride unto God Eph. 5.27 decked and apparelled with Glory And O what a glorious Sight will it be to see Christ and his Followers with Crowns on their Heads To see their triumphant Entrance into those everlasting Mansions and the Angels welcoming them with Shouts of Joy And then to see Christ on his Throne of Glory and they themselves placed round about him beholding him there with open Face in his greatest Splendour and Dignity What a Soul-enravishing Sight will this be Happy are thy Men 2 Chron. 9.7 and happy are these thy Servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy Wisdom said the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon But O how much more happy will they be who shall stand before Christ and see his Glory Why thus shall his Faithful Servants do Joh. 12.26 If any Man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be if any Man serve me him will my Father honour It will be an Honour and Happiness indeed to be ever in the Presence of their glorious Redeemer and there to be glorified with him What Comfort and Encouragement doth this afford to the Faithful Souldiers of Christ To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne Rev. 3.21 O how should this animate and encourage us against the Spiritual Enemies of our Souls If we now fight couragiously under Christ's Banner we shall one Day be crowned with Glory and Honour And this assuredly will make amends for all that we can do or suffer for him Moses was well assured of it and therefore esteemed Reproaches for Christ Heb. 11.26 above all the Treasures in Egypt for he had respect

banish you therefore that Presence which you never loved I deny you that Vision which you did always shun Joh. 3.19 20. and the Impressions of my Likeness which you did ever hate I eternally abandon you to the grossest Darkness seeing Darkness was so grateful to you Depart from Me Luk. 13.27 28. and from the Happiness you slighted into endless and easeless Miseries and Torments O! what will impenitent Sinners have to say when the Righteous Judge shall plead the Case with them and shall pass the irrevocable Sentence upon them All Mouths assuredly will then be stopped and their Conscience will tell them that the Sentence is just Think of this therefore Heb. 3.15 18. and consider it seriously while a Door of Hope is yet open unto you And if the Heavenly Happiness will not invite you 2 Cor. 5.11 let the Terrours of Hell affright you from your Sins For it 's certain if you slight the Glory that 's offered you will bring upon your selves Everlasting Confusion Flee therefore unto Christ as your only Refuge Josh 20. with Heb. 6.18 that he may deliver you from avenging Justice and from the wrathful Displeasure of a provoked God Psal 2.12 And O! let him not still have fresh cause to complain Joh. 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life 2. It should also excite Believers to greater Diligence in the Service of God 2 Pet. 1.5 11. For so an entrance shall be ministred unto us into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ If the Hopes and Fore thoughts of the Happiness above will not excite and quicken us to our Duty what will Let us then be convinced that there is such an Happiness and when we believe let us look for it and long for it and live in the hopeful expectation of it Looking for that Blessed Hope and the Glorious Appearing of the Great God 1 Pet. 1.13 Tit. 2.13 14. Now this Hope should put us upon serious Diligence and earnest Pursuit after such a Blessedness Phil. 3.20 Let us therefore endeavour to live Heavenly Lives as we hope to partake of the Heavenly Blessedness There is nothing should influence our Hearts below but that which doth suit Christ's Heart above 1 Joh. 3.2 All must be like the Lord that are to live with him And if we do hope to be like him hereafter then sure we should strive to resemble him here Ver. 3. Yea And every Man saith the Apostle that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure i. e. as Christ is pure Yea certain it is if we do not desire further degrees of Holiness we cannot be said to desire Heaven for Heaven is the persection of Holiness A lively Hope therefore of our Conformity to Christ in Glory and Blessedness hereafter will assuredly put us upon a vigorous pursuit of Conformity to him in Holiness here O! were but our Hopes more strong and lively they would give us a Taste of the Blessedness above and this Taste would set us upon earnest longing after the Enjoyment of it Rom. 5.2 Chap. 8.19 23. 2 Cor. 5.2 For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our House which is from Heaven So ver 8. We are willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him ver 9. Let us labour then Heb. 11.1 by a lively Faith to realize the Happiness of Heaven to our Souls as also to get a well-grounded Hope of our Interest in this Happiness That so our most frequent and serious Thoughts and delightful Meditations may be of it For 't is impossible a Man can hope for any Thing but he will be thinking of it And the more we think of the Happiness Above the more we shall long for it And where there are longing Desires and Breathings after the Enjoyment of such an Happiness Heb. 4.1 there will also be a heedful and cautelous Fear lest we should miscarry or fall short of it and this accompanied with a diligent Care and most earnest Endeavour to make sure 1 Cor. 9. 24 27. Well then Phil. 3. 10 14. Ver. 17 20 Mat. 11.12 Rom. 8.25 Heb. 10.32 36. Let us make it appear that our Faith is true and our Hopes lively by a more Holy Activity Vigour and Diligence in the Ways and Service of God 1 Tim. 6.12 And let us wait with Patience for the expected Happiness against all Oppositions and Discouragements For in due season we shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 I shall conclude this Use with the Apostle's Exhortation 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my Beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. Now Vse III. For Consolation The Last Vse may be for Consolation to Believers against Wants Troubles and Death it self And 1. It administers Comfort to Believers against all their Wants and Necessities It may be now you are very poor Prov. 8.18 21.1 Pet. 1.4 but there 's durable Riches provided for you even a full incorruptible and glorious Inheritance Let the Fore-Thoughts of this support and comfort you under all your Straits and Necessities Luk. 16.25 for your best Days are yet to come Consider It is but a very little while that we shall have need of these outward Enjoyments And while we do need them Psal 34.9 10. Psal 8.11 we have good ground to hope for such a measure thereof as is convenient for us Whosoever he be that doth seek God's Kingdom and Righteousness above all other Things Mat. 6.31 33. and that waits upon God in a diligent use of those Means that he hath appointed shall certainly enjoy so much of these Things as the All-wise God sees requisite for him Rom. 8.32 And what can we desire more How soon alas should we ruine our selves Deut. 32.15 if God should leave us to be our own Carvers or should give us whatsoever we desire in the World Psal 37.3 9. Ver. 16. Rom. 8.28 But it 's well for us that we are under the care of so Wise and Gracious a Father who will give us nothing but what 's really good for us nor deny us any thing here in the World but that which he sees would be hurtful to us We are often desirous of several Things which are good in themselves and good for some Persons and which we apprehend may be good for us also and yet God doth in Mercy deny us such Things as knowing them not for our good And shall we not trust his infinite Wisdom before our own shallow and dark Understandings Pro. 3.5 6. Yes surely We need not therefore to trouble our selves with distracting Thoughts and with carking Cares Phil. 4.6 who have such a wise Father