many things, which to me are either unknown or forgotten, thou haft a perfect Knowledge, and exact Remembrance of. I ought therefore in all Reproofs and Reproaches to fubmit with Patience, even though my Heart condemn me not, because thou, who

I John iii.

permitteft these things, art greater than my Heart, and knoweft all things. Thus Reafon and Religion both convince me I ought to behave my felf; but if at any time Paffion and Frailty have exceeded in too nice and tender a Senfe of these Things, pardon, I beseech thee, what is paft, and enable me to be more resigned for the time to come. Thy Mercy alone will avail me more than all my laboured Excufes; and Pardon is what I rather chufe, than the most confident Testimony of my own Confcience. For though I fhould know nothing by my felf, yet am I not bereby justified; for he that judgeth me is the Lord. The Lord, who will one Day bring to light the hidden things of dishonesty, even thofe which have efcaped the Committer's own obfervation. And therefore if thou, Lord, fhould't be extreme to mark what is done amifs, no Flesh living could be juftified in thy fight.

CHAP. LII.

I Cor. iv.

Pfal.cxxx. 3.
Pfal. cxliii. 2.

Nothing too much to fuffer for Eternal Life.

Chriftings for me and thy Duty, or any other

ET not, my Son, thy Labours or Suffer

fort of Hardship or Tribulation in this World, fo far damp thy Courage, but that my Promife ftill fhould be a fure Anchor-hold of Hope; and this Reflection ever minifter Comfort, that I am able to recompence thee not only beyond what is reasonable to expect,

expect, but even impoffible for thee to wish or imagine. Thy Toils will not continue very long, nor will thy Pain and Trouble always torment thee. Wait but a little longer, and look forward, and fee how glorious a Profpect opens it felf. How swiftly the End of all thy Sufferings approaches; and how fuddenly Sorrow and Tumult vanifh away. Even Time it felf is not of everlafting continuance; but that which is bounded within fo very narrow a Space as this fhort Span of Life, cannot in any fair Computation be counted long, or great. Proceed then in thy Duty with Vigour and undaunted Resolution; ply thy Work hard in my Vineyard, and fill the Station I have appointed thee to; thy Wages are certain and valuable, for I my felf will be thy exGen. xvii. ceeding great Reward.

Perfift in Writing, in Reading, in finging my Praifes, in Lamenting thy own Sins, in filent Meditation, in Devout Prayer, in Fortitude and Patience; for the things prepared for them that love God are richly worth these and greater Conflicts; all thou must do, all thou canft fuffer, are in no degree worthy to be compared with them. The Day is coming, and fix'd in my unalterable Decree, adorn'd with the Triumphs of Joy and Peace; That mighty Revolution, when thefe alternate Succeffions of Day and Night fhall cease; and everlasting uninterrupted Light fhall fhine for ever; there fhall be Luftre infinite, Satisfactions unbroken, unconceivable, Reft eternal, and above the Power of any future danger. There fhall be then no place left for that melancholy Wish; O that thou wouldst deliver me from the Body of this Death; no occafion for that Complaint, Wo is me, that I am constrained to dwell with Melech, and to have my Habitation in this barren Wilderness. For even the laft Enemy fhall be fubdued, 1 Cor. X. and Death it felf deftroyed. Salvation then

Rom. vii.

Pfalm cxx.

and

and Life fhall Reign for ever; Sorrow and Anguifh, Sighs and Tears fhall flee away; a Crown of Rejoycing put upon every Head, and thou shalt be happy in the sweet Society of Saints and Angels, the Heb. xii. Spirits of Fuft Men made perfect, and the Af

Sembly of the First-born.

Oh! could'ft thou now but fee the Heavens open, and with the ken of Mortal Eye behold the bright and everlasting Crowns of my Chofen; were thy Heart large enough to admit a juft Idea of their Trophies and Glories, whom once the World defpised, and thought not worthy to live upon the Earth; thou then would'ft gladly embrace their Sufferings and Reproaches, abandon all thy vain Defires of Worldly Greatnefs; and difdain the perifhing Pleasures of the prefent Life. Humility and Patience would then appear in all their native Beauties; and even Affliction and Ignominy display fuch Charms, as muft attract thy Love, and make thee efteem the Reproaches of Chrift, greater Treasures and Gain, than all the Majefty and Honour,and most celebrated Reputation that a mortal State is capable of.

Attend then seriously to thefe important Truths, for they, if considered and believed in good earnest will stop thy Mouth, and effectually filence all thy Complaints. For fure the Sufferings of a Moment cannot be thought too dear a price for eternal Happinefs in exchange. Surely the Kingdom of God is no trifling Concern; and when the lofing or attaining this lies before thee; nothing can be too much to prevent that lofs; nothing a hard Bargain for that infinite Advantage. Grovel then upon the Earth no longer, but ftand Erect, and lift thy Eyes and Heart to Heaven. See there the bleffed Effects, the mighty Succefs of all those sharp Conflicts, which my Saints, while in the Body underwent; the End of all their Tryals, and Adverfities, their painful Severities and pious La

bours

bours.

I Cor. iv.

These mortify'd afflicted Men, once reputed the Filth of the World, and the Off-fcouring of allThings, the common Mark of Infolence and Malice, are now in perfect Joy; their Sorrows fwallow'd up in Tranfporting Blifs and Comfort, their Dangers changed into fecure Peace; their Labours into Eafe and Sweet Repofe; their Perfecutions and wrongful Accufations before the Bar of Men, into Thrones of Glory, where they fit and judge the World, and live, and rejoice, and reign with me for

ever.

CHA P. XLIII.

The Joys of Eternity, and Miseries of this prefent Life.

Difciple.]ty! O bright and glorious Day of Eternal Light and Blifs! A Day that never declines; a Sun that never fets, nor is obfcured by any fucceeding Night; but a State always chearful, always fixed, and fecured from Change and Sorrow, from Danger and Decay. How do I pant and thirft after that happy Hour, when this Bleffed Morning fhall dawn and fhed its Beams, and with a wondrous Luftre put an end to all the Darknefs and Miseries of Mortality? It does indeed already fhine in the Hearts and Hopes of those Good Men,whofe Converfation is even now in Heaven: But even theirs is but a distant Prospect, and fuch as, while they fojourn here, prefents things only in a Glafs. The Citizens and Inhabitants of thofe Bleffed Regions fee it with their naked Eye, they feel and enjoy its sweetness, and are all enlightned with its Rays; while the diftreffed Sons of

Bleffed Manfions of the Heavenly Ci

Eve endure and groan under their Exile, and cannot but lament the bitterness of this imperfect gloomy Day, which Men on Earth call Evil. A Day but short, and, which is worse, difmal and uncomfortable. For who can worthily exprefs the Pains, the Perplexities of Body and Soul, which are the neceffary, the infeparable Incumbrances of Man's prefent Condition? A Condition wherein he is polluted with fo many Sins, entangled in fo many Difficulties, befet with fo many Misfortunes, opprefs d with fo many Fears, diftracted with fo many Cares, difturbed and diverted from his main Concern by fo many Impertinencies, deluded with fo many Vanities, confounded with fo many Errors, wafted and worn out with fo much Labour and Trouble; affaulted by Temptations, emafculated by Pleasures, and tormented with great variety of Neceffities and Wants ?

4

O! When will there be an end of this fo complicated Misery? When may I hope to be enlarged and releafed from this Bondage of Sin? When fhall my Thoughts and Defires center, and be for ever fixed in Thee, my God, alone? When may I hope to attain true Joy in Thee, without any allay of bodily Suffering, without any diftraction of Mind? When fhall I reft in firm untroubled Peace? Peace from Accidents and Temptations without, Peace from Guilt and Mifguiding, from the Solicitations of Luft, and the Violence of Paffion within? When fhall I fee my Jefus Face to Face, and contemplate the Beauties of his Kingdom and Glorious Godhead? When will my deareft Saviour be my All in All, and receive me to those blissful Habitations, prepared for them that love him, and that are loved by him, before the Foundation of the World.

Behold! I am here defolate and poor, a Stranger and alone in an Enemy's Country; where Wars rage. and never cease, and terrible Diftreffes come thick

and