through thy life, and compare them with the mercies thou shalt have above. Look over the mercies of thy youth and riper age, of thy prosperity and adversity, of thy several places and relations: are they not excellent and innumerable, rich and engaging? How sweet was it to thee, when God resolved thy doubts; scattered thy fears; prevented the inconveniences into which thy own counsel would have cast thee; eased thy pains; healed thy sickness; and raised thee up as from death and the grave! Think then," Are all these so sweet and precious, that without them my life would have been a perpetual misery? Hath his providence on earth lifted me high, and his gentleness made me so great? How sweet then will his glorious presence be! How high will his eternal love exalt me! And how great shall I be made in communion with his greatness! If my pilgrimage and warfare have such mercies, what shall I find in my home, and in my triumph? If God communicates so much to me, while I remain a sinner, what will he bestow when I am a perfected saint? If I have had so much at such a distance from him, what shall I have in his immediate presence, where I shall ever stand before his throne?"

§ 7. Compare the joys above, with the comforts thou hast here received in ordinances. Hath not the Bible been to thee as an open fountain, flowing with comforts day and night? What suitable promises have come into thy mind; so that, with David, thou mayest say, Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction? Think then," If his word be so full of consolations, what overflowing springs shall we find in God himself! If his letters are so comfortable, what will the glories of his presence be! If the promise is so sweet, what will the performance be! If the testament of our Lord, and our charter for the kingdom, be so comfortable, what will be our possession of the kingdom itself!" Think farther," What delights have I also found in the word preached? When I have sat under a heavenly heart-searching teacher, how hath my heart been warmed! Methinks I have felt myself.

almost in heaven. How often have I gone to the congregation troubled in spirit, and returned joyful! How often have I gone doubting, and God hath sent me home persuaded of his love in Christ! What cordials have I met with to animate me in every conflict! If but the face of Moses shine so gloriously, what glory is there in the face of God! If the feet of them that publish peace, that bring good tidings of salvation, be beautiful, how beautiful is the face of the Prince of peace! If this treasure be so precious in earthen vessels, what is that treasure laid up in heaven! Blessed are the eyes that see what is seen there,, and the ears that hear the things that are heard there. There shall I hear Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah,, John, Peter, Paul, not preaching to gainsayers, in imprisonment, persecution, and reproach; but triumphing in the praises of him that hath raised them to honour and glory."-Think also, "What joy is it to have access and acceptance in prayer; that I may always go to God, and open my case, and unbosom my soul to him, as to my most faithful friend! But it will be amore unspeakable joy when I shall receive all blessings without asking, and all my necessities and miseries will be removed, and when God himself will be the portion and inheritance of my soul. As for the Lord's supper, what a privilege is it to be admitted to sit at his table! to have his covenant sealed to me there! But all the life and comfort there, is to assure me of the comforts bereafter. O the difference between the last supper of Christ on earth, and the marriage supper of the Lamb at the great day! Then his room will be the glorious heavens; his attendants, all the hosts of angels and saints; no Judas, no unfurnished guest, comes there, but the humble believers must sit down by him, and their feast will be their mutual loving and rejoicing."Concerning the communion of saints, think with thyself, "What a pleasure is it to live with intelligent and heavenly Christians! David says of such, they were all his delight. O what a delightful society then shall I have above! Had I but seen Job on the dunghill, what a mirror of patience! and what will it be to see him

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in glory! How delightful to have heard Paul and Silas singing in the stocks! How much more to hear them sing praises in heaven! What melody did David make on his harp! But how much more melodious to hear that sweet singer in the heavenly choir! What would I have given for an hour's free converse with Paul when he was just come down from the third heaven! But I must shortly see those things myself, and possess what I see."-Once more, think of praising God, in concert with his saints: "What if I had been in the place of those shepherds, who saw, and heard the heavenly hosts singing, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men! But I shall see and hear more glorious things. How blessed should I have thought myself, had I heard Christ in his thanksgivings to his Father! How much more, when I shall hear him pronounce me blessed! If there was such a joy at bringing back the ark, or at rebuilding the temple, what will there be in the New Jerusalem! If the earth rent, when the people rejoiced at Solomon's coronation, what a joyful shout will there be at the appearing of the King of the church! If, when the foundations of the earth were laid, the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy, what a joyful song will there be, when the world of glory is both founded and finished, when the top-stone is laid, and when the holy city is adorned as the bride, the Lamb's wife!

§ 8. Compare the joys thou shalt have in heaven, with what the saints have found in the way to it, and in the foretastes of it. When did God ever reveal the least of himself to any of his saints, but the joy of their heart was answerable to the revelation? In what an ecstacy was Peter on the mount of transfiguration !-Master, says he, it is good for us to be here: let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. As if he had said, "O let us not go down again to yonder persecuting rabble; let us not return to our mean and suffering state. Is it not better to stay here now we are here? Is not here better company, and sweeter pleasure?" How was Paul lifted up with

what he saw! How did the face of Moses shine, when he had been talking with God! These were all extraordinary foretastes; but little to the full beatifical vision. How often have we read and heard of dying saints, who have been as full of joy as their hearts could hold, and when their bodies have felt the extremity of sickness and pain, have had so much of heaven in their spirits, that their joy hath far exceeded their sorrows?

a spark of this fire be so glorious, even amidst the sea of adversity, what then is glory itself? O the joy that the martyrs have felt in the flames! They were flesh and blood as well as we: it must therefore be some excellent thing that filled their spirits with joy, while their bodies were burning. Think, Reader, in thy meditations, "Sure it must be some wonderful foretaste of glory, that made the flames of fire easy, and the king of terrors welcome. What then is glory itself? What a blessed rest, when the thoughts of it made Paul desire to depart and be with Christ; and makes the saints never think themselves well, till they are dead! Shall Saunders embrace the stake, and cry, Welcome cross? And shall not I more delightfully embrace my blessedness, and cry, Welcome crown? Shall Bradford kiss the faggot; and shall not I kiss the Saviour? Shall another poor martyr rejoice to have her foot in the same hole of the stocks in which Mr. Philpot's had been before her? And shall not I rejoice, that my soul shall live in the same place of glory, where Christ and his apostles are gone before me? Shall fire and faggot, prisons and banishment, cruel mockings and scourgings, be more welcome to others than Christ and glory to me? God forbid."

9. Compare the glory of the heavenly kingdom, with the glory of the church on earth, and of Christ in his state of humiliation. If Christ's suffering in the room of sinners had such excellency, what is Christ at his Father's right hand? If the church under her sins and enemies have so much beauty, what will she have at the marriage of the Lamb? How wonderful was the Son of God in the form of a servant! When he is born

a new star must appear, and conduct the strangers to worship him in a manger; heavenly hosts with their songs must celebrate his nativity; while a child, he must dispute with doctors; when he enters upon his office, he turns water into wine; feeds thousands with a few loaves and fishes; cleanses the lepers, heals the sick, restores the lame, gives sight to the blind, and raises the dead. How wonderful then is his celestial glory! If there be such cutting down of boughs, and spreading of garments, and crying, Hosanna, for one that comes into Jerusalem riding on an ass; what will there be when he comes with his angels in his glory? If they that heard him preach the gospel of the kingdom confess, Never man spake like this man; they then, that behold his majesty in his kingdom, will say, There was never glory like this glory. If, when his enemies came to apprehend him, they fell to the ground; if, when he is dying, the earth quakes, the vail of the temple is rent, the sun is eclipsed, the dead bodies of the saints arise, and the standers by acknowledge, Verily this was the Son of God; O what a day will it be, when the dead must all arise and stand before him; when he will once more shake, not the earth only, but the heavens also; when this sun shall be taken out of the firmament, and be everlastingly darkened with his glory, and when every tongue shall confess him to be Lord and King! If, when he rose again, death and the grave lost their power; if angels must roll away the stone, terrify the keepers till they are as dead men, and send the tidings to his disciples; if he ascend to heaven in their sight; what power, dominion, and glory, is he now possessed of, and which we must for ever possess with him! When he is gone, can a few poor fishermen and tent-makers cure the lame, blind, and sick, open prisons, destroy the disobedient, raise the dead, and astonish their adversaries? What a world will that be where every one can do greater works than these! If the preaching of the gospel be accompanied with such power as to discover the secrets of the heart, humble the proud sinner, and make the most obdurate tremble;