2. By commanding us to follow them, 2 Thef.3.7, 9. For your elves know how ye ought to follow To make our felves an us --example for you to follow us, Phil. 3. 17. Be followers together of me, and mark them that fo walk, as ye bave us for an infample, 1 Cor. 4. 16. Ibefouch you be followers of me, 1 Thef. 1. 6. Te became followers of us, and of the Lord: So well are both examples confiftent.

2. The likeness of other mens cafes to ours, is greatly useful to our direction and encouragement. If we are to travel in dangerous waies, we will be glad to hear how others have fped before us; and if we were to deal with a crafty deceiver, we would willingly advise with others that have dealt with him. If we be to learn any Trade or Artifice, we would learn it of them who with belt fuccefs have practifed it before us. If we are fick of any difeafe, we are glad to talk with them that have had the fame, and have been cured of it; to hear what means they used for their cure. In all fuch cafes reafon teacheth us, both to obferve how others were affected; whether their cafe and ours were the fame; what course they took; and how they fped especially if they were perfons known to us, and the likenefs of their cafe well known; and if they were fuch as for wisdom and fidelity we could truft: So is it in this great bufinefs of our falvation. We have nothing to do, but what many thoufands have done before us; nothing to fuffer but what they have fuffered; no temptation to refift, but what they have been affaulted with, and overcame, 1 Cor. 10.13. and we want no grace, no help or comfort, but what they did attain And the glory which we feek and hope for, they poffcfs. To Lak to them therefore, mußt needs be ufeful to us in this our wilderness ftate.

3. And as experience is a powerful Teacher; fo to be the Matter of other mens experiences, and so many, and so wife, and in fuch varius cafes, and in fo many ages, muft needs be very ufeful to us. We that are born in the laft ages of the world, have the benefit of the experience of all the world that have gone before us: Therefore is the Scripture written, so much hiftorically, that all who are there mentioned, may ftill be our inftructors. Even the first brethren that were born into the world, were fo plain a difcovery of the nature of fin and Дава 3.

grace,,

grace, and of the difference of the womans and the Serpents feed, that their history is useful to all generations. And Abel by his faith, and facrifice, and righteoufnefs, being dead (by malignant cruelty) yet fpeaketh, Heb. 11. 4. He that will but foberly look back to all the worlds experience, may quickly be refolved, whether wifdom or folly, labour or idleness, godlinefs or ungodliness, temperance or fenfuality, furthering the Gospel of Chrift, or perfecuting it, have sped better at the lali, and hath proved beft to the actors upon full experience.

I fhall therefore here give you fome directions how you may believingly follow the Saints. And firft obferve that the duty hath these parts, which you must diftin&ly mind; 1. To take them for your examples under Ghrift, and fo to fix your eyes upon them, and look at them, and mind them as examples, muft be minded: 2. To improve these examples which you look upon: And that is, 1. For your direction in duty, and for your warning againft fin: 2. To your encouragement and con

folation.

Direct. 1. Look after them to their end, and confider 1. Whither they are gone: We fee nothing of them after death, but the corpfe which we leave in duft and darkness: But Faith can attend their fouls to glory, and fee where they now are; even with Chrift, according to his promife, John 12. 26. Phil. 1.23. John 17.24. with Angels, and with one another, in the heavenly fociety, the City of God.

2. What they are doing And Faith can fee that they are bebolding God, and their glorified Redeemer, Matth. 5.8. Heb. 12. 14. 1 John 3.2. They are loving God with perfect Love, 1 Cor. 12. & 13. 1, 2, &c. They are praifing him with perfect alacrity and joy; faying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, &c. Rev. 4. 8. They are fo far minding the ftate of the world, as to cry, How long, O Lord, boly and true, deft thou wet judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth: And they are waiting in white Robes, till their fellow fervants alfo, and their brethren that fhall be killed as they were, fhall be fulfilled, Rev. 6.10,11. They are rejoycing when the enemies of Christ and bis Church are fubdued, Rev. 18: 20. And they fhall judge the mlignant Angels and the world, 1 Cor.4.2,3. And this feemeth

not to be only an approbation of Cbriff's final Judgment: For 1. Judging is very often put in Scripture for governing: As in the book of the Fudges, it is faid, fuch and fuch a one judged Ifrael; that is, ruled them according to the Laws of God. 2. And a Kingdom and Reign is often promifed to the Saints: To bim that overcometh will I grant to fit with me in my Throne even as I also overenme, and am fet down with my Father in his Throne, Rev. 3. 21. Which muft needs fignific fome participation in power of Government, and not only in fplendor of Glory. And fo Chrift expoundeth, Matth. 19. 28. Luke 12. 30. Te which have followed me, in the regeneration shall &t en twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Ifrael. (And of God it is faid, Pfal.9. 4.Thou fateft in the Thrones judging right.) It is too jejune and forced an expofition of them that fay this is spoken only of the power which the Apostles had in their miniftration on earth: And as abfurd is the other, that it is spoken only of Apoftles, Paftors, and Saints, and Martyrs in fpecie that their fucceffors fhall be Popes and Prelates, and great men in the world, and the Saints be uppermost after Conftantines converfion. As if the promife meant only to reward one man, because another fuffered for Chrift, and God had promised thefe great things, not to the perfons mentioned, but to others that should be their fucceffors; yea as if that Venom then poured into the Church, were all the benediction. And though I know not what changes are yet to come before the final Judgment, yet the Millenaries opinion, who restrain all this to an earthly temporal reign of fome Saints for a thousand years, doth feem as unfatisfactory on many accounts. It is moft likely therefore that as the wicked (who are now very like them) must be hereafter of the fame Region and Society with the Deviland his Angels, (Mattb.25.41.) And as the godly fhall be like and equal to the Angels, Luke 20. 36. fo we thall be of the fame Society with the Angels; and confequently shall have their employment. And as the Angels have a Minifterial Stewardship or Superintendency over men and their affairs (as many Scriptures fully fhew) fo alfo fhall the Saints: And it is not likely that this is wholly deferred till the refurrection ; but as they have a Glory before that with Chrift and his Angels; fo they have now their part in this Superintendency

before;

before, though both will be greater at the Refurrection. If any fay, what ufe will there be of our fuperiority, after the world is deftroyed? I anfwer, 1. The Apostle Peter plainly telleth us (though fome would force his words into the dark) that we according to his promife, exped a new Heaven and a new Earth, in which dwelleth righteousness. And the Creation groaneth to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, Rom. 8. 21. And the Heavens muft contain Chrift, till the times of Reftitution of all things, which God barb fpoken by the mouth of all bis holy Prophets, fince the world began, As3. 21. 2. And he that faid, the Saints fhall » judge the Angels, feemeth to intimate, that the Devils with the wicked will be in a state of fubjection or fervitude to them hereafter. Certain it is, that Michael and his Angels fhall be the conquerours of the Dragon, and his Angels, Rev. 12.7, 9. And that the Serpents bead shall be bruised by all the womans feed, though chiefly by the Captain of our falvation. But this fhall now suffice concerning their employment.

3. Behold alfo by Faith what the departed Saints are now enjoying. And what is faid of their place and work will tell you that. They enjoy the fight of their glorified Head, Joh. 17.24. They are with him in Paradife, and therefore alfo enjoy the fight of the Glory of God: Being abfent from the body, they are prefent with the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.8. They fee not as in a glass, as here they did, but with open face. They enjoy the pleasures of a more perfect knowledge of God and all his wondrous works, than this world affords. They are happy in their works, in the perfect Love and Praises of God; and they are hiied with the pleafures of his Love to them. This is their fruition.

4. Let Faith alfo behold what evils they are delivered from. 1. From a heavy droffy body which fince the fall hath been an enemy, a prifon and fetters to the foul: and therefore they here groaned to be better cloatbed, 2 Cor. 5.4, 5. Rom. 8. 21. 2. From the worlds temptations: 3. From wicked mens malice and perfecutions: 4. From fickness, pain, neceffities,labours, weariness, and all the troublefome effects of fin: 5. From all troublefame paffions, defires, anger, difcontent, difappointments, griefs, and cares, and fears of evil. 6. Specially from the fears of Hell, and the doubts of their own fincerity

and

and falvation; and from the defertions of God, and the terrible fenfe of his difpleasure. 7. From the troubles and errours of ignorance, and all our natural imperfection, 8. From the fears of death, which now is more painful than death it felf. 9. From the fuggeftions of Satan, and his malicious vexing difquieting temptations, and from his flattering allure. ments, which are much worfe. 10. From the company, and the tempting or grieving examples of ungodly men. 11. From all fin it felf, and all our moral imperfections and defects. 12. And finally from all danger, and fear of ever lofing the felicity they poffefs. These are the immunities of the bleffed.

2. When Faith hath feen the Saints in Glary, look back and think next what they were lately bere on earth, that it may help you to compare your ftate and theirs. And here you will fee 1. That they were lately in flesh, as we now are. They had bodies as droffic, as vile, as frail, as burdenfome as ours arc. It cost them as dear (not as it doth the fenfual, but) as it doth the temperate perfon now to keep them up a while for the fervice to which they were appointed. 2. They had pains and fickneffes as we have. The fouls in Heaven have efcaped thither from bodies which have lain as long tormented with the Stone, with Stranguries, Collicks, Gripes, Convulfions, Confumptions, Feavers, and other the moft tedious, painful and lothfome difeafes, as fober men on earth now feel. 3. Satan was as malicious to them, as he is to us; and to many of them as troublesome: he haunted them with as ugly temptations, to the greatest fins, to unbelief, and pride, and defpair, and felf-murder, and horrid blafphemy, as he doth any of us. (Yea he did fo by Chrift himself, Matth. 4.) 4. They met with as many allurements to worldlinefs, fenfuality, pride and luft in the worlds deceiving baits, and flatteries, as now we do; and were fain to proceed every step towards Heaven, by conflict and conqueft as we muft do. 5. They were in as many wants and ftraits; in as poor, and low, and defpifed à ftate, as we are now: They were tempted to cares, and murmurings, and difcontents, through their wants and croffs, as well as we. 6. They have been in dangers, and in fears, and many a time at the brink of death, before it came and put to cry to God Bbbb

for