LXXVIII,

If under the dark and imperfect difpenfation of SERM. the law, good men fhewed fo much courage and conftancy for God and religion, as we read in that long catalogue of heroes, Heb. xi. How much more fhould Chriftians, whofe faith is fupported much more strongly than theirs was, by a much clearer evidence of another life, and a bleffed immortality, than they had by more exprefs promises of divine comfort and affiftance under fufferings, than were made to them; and by the most divine and encouraging example, of the greatest patience under the greatest fufferings, that the world ever had, in the death and paffion of the Son of GoD, "who for the joy that "was fet before him, endured the crofs, and despised the shame, and is fet down at the right hand

"of the throne of GOD!" When we confider this glorious example of fuffering, and the glorious reward of it; how can we "be weary and faint in our "minds!" If the faints and apostles of the old teftament did fuch great things, by virtue of a faith, which relied chiefly upon the attributes and providence of GOD; what should not we do, who have the fecurity of God's exprefs promife for our comfort and encouragement! We certainly have much greater reafon to take up our crofs more chearfully, and to bear it more patiently, than they did.

Secondly, We should always be prepared in the refolutions of our minds, to fuffer for the teftimony of God's truth and a good conscience, if it should please GOD at any time to call us to it. This our SAVIOUR hath made a neceffary condition of his religion, and a qualification of a true difciple. "If any man will "be my difciple; let him take up his cross and fol"low me." So that we are to reckon upon it, and to prepare for it; that if it comes, we may not be furprized,

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1

LXXVIII.

SERM. furprized," as if fome ftrange thing had happened "to us," and may not be unrefolved what to do in fuch a cafe. And God knows when we may be called to it however it is wife, to forecast it in our minds, and to be always in a preparation and readiness to entertain the worst that may happen; that if it come, we may be able to stand out in an evil

day;" and if it does not come, GoD will accept the refolution of our minds, and reward it according to the fincerity of it: he that knows what we would have done, will confider it, as if we had done it.

Thirdly, The lefs we are called to fuffer for GOD, the more we should think ourselves obliged to do for him; the lefs GOD is pleafed to exercife our patience, we fhould abound fo much the more in the active virtues of a good life; and our obedience to GOD fhould be fo much the more chearful, and we more "fruitful in every good work." If there be no need of fealing the truth with our blood; we should be fure to adorn and recommend it by our lives.

Fourthly and laftly, if the hopes of immortality will bear men up under the extremity of suffering and torments, and give men courage and refolution against all the terrors of the world; they ought much more to make us victorious over the temptations and allurements of it. For certainly it is in reafon much cafier to forego pleasure, than to endure pain; to refufe or lay down a good place, for the teftimony of a good confcience, than to lay down our lives upon that account. And in vain does any man pretend that he will be a martyr for his religion, when he will not rule an appetite, nor reftrain a luft, nor fubdue a paffion, nor cross his covetoufnefs and ambition, for the fake of it," and in hope of that

eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, hath pro"mised."

"mifed." He that refufeth to do the lefs, is not like to do the greater. It is very improbable, that a man will die for his religion, when he cannot be perfuaded to live according to it. So that by this we may try the fincerity of our refolution concerning martyrdom. For what profeffion foever men make, he that will not deny himself the pleasures of fin, and the advantages of this world, for CHRIST; when it comes to the push, will never have the heart" to take up his crofs, and follow him." He that cannot take up a refolution to live a faint, hath a demonftration within himself, that he is never like to die a martyr.

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SERMON LXXIX.

The bleffedness of good men after death.

Preached

on All faints day.

R E V. XIV. 13.

And I heard a voice from heaven, faying unto me, Write, Bleffed are the dead which die in the LORD, from benceforth: Yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their labours; and their works do follow them,

I

Will not trouble you with any nice difpute SERM. about the author of this book of the Revelation, LXXIX. or the authority of it; though both these were fometimes controverted; because it is now many ages fince this book was received into the canon of the fcriptures,

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LXXIX.

SERM. fcriptures, as of divine authority, and as written by St. John. Nor fhall I at this time enquire into the particular meaning of the feveral vifions and predictions contained in it. It is confeffedly, in feveral parts of it, a very obfcure book; and there needs no other argument to fatisfy us that it is fo, than that fo many learned and inquifitive perfons, have given fuch different interpretations of feveral remarkable paffages in it; as particularly concerning "the flaying of the "two witneffes, and the number of the beaft."

The words which I have read to you, though there be fome difficulty about the interpretation of fome particular expreffions in them; yet in the general fenfe and intendment of them, they are very plain, being a folemn declaration of the blessed state of good men after this life.

And that we may take the more notice of them, they are brought in with a great deal of folemn preparation and addrefs, as it were on purpose to befpeak our attention to them: "I heard a voice from

heaven, faying unto me, Write, Bleffed are the "dead which die in the LORD, from henceforth." And for the greater confirmation of them, the fpecial teftimony of the Spirit is added to "the voice "from heaven," declaring the reason why they "that die in the LORD," are pronounced to be in fo happy a condition: "Yea, faith the Spirit, that "they may reft from their labours; and their works "do follow them.",

In the handling of thefe words, I fhall firft enquire into the particular fenfe and meaning of them.

Secondly, Profecute the general intendment of them, which I told you is to declare to us, the blessed ftate of those that die in the LORD, (that is) of faints and good men, after they are departed this life.

10.

LXXIX.

First, I fhall enquire into the particular fenfe and SER M. meaning of the words. To the clearing of which, nothing will conduce more, than to confider the occafion of them, which was briefly this. In the vifions of this and the foregoing chapter, is reprefented to St. John, the great ftraits that the Chriftians, the true worshippers of the true GOD, fhould be reduced to. On the one hand, they are threatned with death; or if they be fuffered to live, they are interdicted all commerce with human fociety, chap. xiii. 15. "And he had power to cause, that as many as "would not worship the image of the beaft, fhould “be killed:” and verse 17. " that no man may buy 66 or fell, fave he that had the mark of the beast." And on the other hand, they that do worship the beaft are threatned with damnation, chap. xiv. 9, "If any man do worship the beaft, the fame "fhall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, and "fhall be tormented with fire and brimstone. So that whenever this fhould happen, it would be a time of great trial to the fincere Chriftians, being threatned with extreme perfecution on the one hand, and eternal damnation on the other; and therefore it is added in the 12th verfe, "here is the patience of "the faints: here are they that keep the command"ments of GOD, and the faith of JESUS." This is reprefented in St. John's vifions, at the laft and extremeft perfecution of the true worshippers of GOD, and which should precede the final downfal of Babylon. And when this fhould happen, then he tells us, the patience of the faints would be tried to purpose, and then it would be feen, who are faithful to God, and constant to his truth; and upon this immediately follows the voice from heaven in the text; " and "I heard a voice from heaven, faying unto me,

"Write,