But this, it must be owned, is not the cafe of all God's children. Some fet in a cloud; others with Chrift in their arms, and heaven in their view; and when all are weeping round them, fing with good old Simeon, Lord, now lettest thou thy fervant depart in peace, for mine. eyes have feen thy falvation.

3. The feafon in which the righteous fhall reap their joy fown, to the full, and in perfection, shall be at the last day. Then Chrift

fhall come to be glorified in his faints, and admired in all them that believe; and lead them all in a body, and all of them perfected, into that prefence of God, where there is fulness of joy, and where there are pleafures for ever

more.

Thus we are to say to the righteous, it shall be well with them, everlaftingly well; as it is their Father's good pleasure to give them a kingdom. The upright in heart are born from heaven, and defigned for it. Where God gives grace, he will give glory, and fuch as fadeth not

away.

APPLICATION.

1. Is light fown for the righteous, and gladnefs for the upright in heart? 'Tis hence plain, that in making out our evidences for heaven, we are to begin within: to fee to it that a new heart be given, a heart formed after God's heart, and this proved by a life of devotedness to him ; without which there can be no well grounded hope of being admitted to dwell with him.

2. Is light fown for the righteous, and gladnefs for the upright in heart? It need not seem, ftrange, that darkness and distress may be for a while their lot. The light fown may not prefently fpring up; the gladnefs defigned may be hid; and hence the happy heirs of it may be covered with darkness, and walk in it but in that cafe, they are not to defpond, as if the difconfolate night would never have an end; but, on the the contrary, ought to beg grace to follow the direction given them from heaven, namely, to trust in the name of the Lord, and ftay themselves upon their God, Ijaiah 1. 10. That God, who has faid, That none of them that trust in him, fhall be defolate, Pfalm xxxiv.

22.

3. Is light fown for the righteous, and gladnefs for the upright in heart? This tells them at once their need of patience, and what abundant reafon they have for it.

Their need of patience is obvious; as there must be a space between feed-time and harveft. The light fown will affuredly fpring up, and at last ripen into that fulness of joy, which will make amends for the longest stay, and for whatever storms or blafts may intervene. As in the natural world, fo in the world of grace, God hath refolved, that while the earth remaineth, feed-time and harvest fhall not ceafe, Genefis viii. 22. With reference to this, remember the Apoftle's exhortation, James v. 7. 8. Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and

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bath

hath long patience for it. It is fomething more glorious that you have in view, than the common hufbandman hath: Wherefore be ye alfo patient, ftablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

4. Is light fown for the righteous, and gladnefs for the upright in heart? how certain is it that God's thoughts towards fuch are thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give them a defired end, Jer. xxix. 11. And how difficult foever it may be for a time, to reconcile his conduct in his providence with what in his word he has bid them expect, the end will prove to his glory, and their eternal joy, and shew that he has done all things well.

5. Is light fown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart? Let none conclude,. they are none of the number, because wanting prefent comfort: Their heavenly Father may fee good to withhold this from his children for a while in their waiting ftate, as theirs is while they are in this world. Alas! cries the trembling christian, I have waited long, and taken fome pains. to know my cafe, how matters ftand between God and my foul; but ftill I am full of doubts and fears, having not light enough to difcern, whether I am in the number of those for whom light is fown.

To fuch let me offer a few things that may be of use to them to hold their thoughts to.

1. Though you cannot fay with that evidence you could with, that you are in the number of the upright in heart, for whom light is fown; yet your doubts do not prove you are not. Your

ftate

ftate may be fafe, notwithstanding your fears of the contrary: Grace in the heart, and in the evidence of it, do not always go together. Indeed the fame Spirit that works grace, is to witness it too: But herein the Spirit of God is a free agent, and may do this when, and in whom, and to what degree he pleafeth. Affurance is not the privilege of all God's children, but of fuch ordinarily as are more grown, whilft others are held in a waiting pofture, under the command to make their calling and election fure, as most suitable to the Divine Majefty, and the purpofes he has to ferve by his children of different ftature and ftrength in the houshold of faith.

2. Under all your complaints of darkness and doubts, what is the teftimony of confcience as to your temper and carriage? Is there no fin but what you mourn under, watch and pray and ftrive against, and are refolved always to do fo? Though you cannot fay that you ftand in a special relation to God as fuch as are of his peculiar people, are you at the fame time, careful to please him, and afraid to offend him? Do you cry after him, pray to him, wait upon him, defiring nothing more than to love, and be beloved by him, efteeming his loving-kindness better than life? Whence is it, but from grace within, that his favour is above all things defired and fought? And under this head, let me afk, What is the meaning of your endeavours to bring matters to an iffue, by looking into the world, and into your hearts, and then up to heaven with the earnest cry, Search me, O God, and fee if there be any

.

wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlafting? Pfal. cxxxix. 23, 24.

3. Diftinguish between fupporting hope, and the grounds of it, between faith, and joy and triumph arifing from affurance. The former may

Muft

be in fuch as have not reached the latter. you not own, that you have been made fenfible of the evil of fin, and of your liableness to the wrath to come, and that there was no way of escape but by the mercy of God in Jefus Chrift? In this cafe has not Chrift been fet before you, as the only all-fufficient Saviour? And upon the invitation given to the weary and heavy laden to come to him, and the encouraging promise that he that cometh he will in no wife caft out, Have you not accepted him for yours, and as far as you know your own hearts, refigned yourselves to him, as his? Though you are not without your fears as to your fincerity herein, are there not grounds of hope, that your principles, aims and ends are right, and that your state is not the fame as formerly?

For inftance:

Is it not your defire and endeavour to have the fame mind in you that was alfo in Chrift, and to walk as he alfo walked? Would you not fain love God more, and ferve him better? Is it not your grief and burden that you are no more like him, and that you so often offend him? Do ye not lament and bewail the deadnefs and difaffection of your fpirits to him, and account them the happiest people in the world who love and are beloved of him, and live in the fenfe of his love, and had rather be of that number, than as