REjoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your Reward in Heaven: for fo perfecuted they the Prophets which were before you, Matt. v. 12.

Is there any Thing greater, than by Means of Perfecution, to enter into Fellowship with the Prophets and Apoftles, even in this Life, and to expect God for our Reward in the other: This is a Subject not only of Joy, but of an Excefs of Joy and of Rapture. A Joy, not of Senfe, but of Faith and Hope, which does not ftifle the Perception of Pain, but feeds upon it, and causes us to embrace it; which does not distract the Heart, but unites it to God. How precious and valuable is this Communion, by which we are admitted to a Fellowship in Sufferings, not only with the Prophets and Apoftles, but with CHRIST himself; and which is to us a Pledge of his Love and of his Spirit.

Arm'd with thy Strength alone,
We still our All refign;
OurLives, which once we call'd our own,
Are not our own but Thine :

Ready we always ftand

In thine Almighty Power,
To yield them up at thy Command, ·
And meet the fiery Hour.

ENTER ye in at the ftrait Gate; for wide is the Gate, and broad is the Way that leadeth to Deftruction, and many there be which go in thereat, Matt. vii. 13.

Unhappy thofe, who either flatter, or fuffer themselves to be flattered on this Subject. There are four Things which thew that a Man is in the Way to Heaven: The firft, When he loves the Gospel, which confines Nature, reduces it to what is ftrictly neceffary, obliges it even not to be too intent on that, and separates it from every Thing which flatters or corrupts it. The fecond, When he does envy thofe, who enjoy all the Comforts, and all the good Things of this present Life, which they defire. The Third, When he declines the Way, which every one is too apt to like, the broad Way that leadeth to Deftruction. The fourth, When he earneftly endeavours to enter in at the ftrait Gate. Broad is the Road that leads to Death, Deny thyfelf, and take thy Cross, And Thousands walk together there; But Wisdom fhews a narrower Path, With here and there a Traveller.

Is the Redeemer's great Command! Nature mult count her Gold but Drofs, If she would gain this heav'nly Land.

W ATCH ye therefore and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to efcape all thefe Things that fhall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man, Luke xxi. 36.

Watchfulness and Prayer are abfolutely neceffary to prepare us to appear with Confidence at the laft Day: The one is infeparable from the other, and both are fo from good Works, fince we cannot be attentive to our Duty, but through a Defire of performing it, and fince we pray only in order to obtain the Grace of being faithful thereto. We must watch and pray always, and at all Times, because at all Times we may be fummoned before the Tribunal of God. If our Tongues cannot always pray, yet our Hearts can; for this prays to God, when it defires God and his Will, and when it hungers and thirfts after his Righteoufnefs and eternal Happiness.

Then let us wait to hear

Watching let us be found

The Trumpet's welcome Sound, When JESUS doth the Heav'ns bow,

To fee our Lord appear,

Befound-as, Lord,Thou find'ft us now. • Watching.

IN

N Hell he (the rich Man) lift up his Eyes being in Torments, and feeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his Bofom, Luke xvi. 23.

Hell is to the damned not only a Prifon and a Place of Death, but likewife a Place of Torment, which makes them feel that there is a God. His Juftice forces them to open and lift up their Eyes toward him, which they had always kept shut against his Law, or turned down toward the Earth. That fmall Glimmering of Light which is left them, whereby they perceive the Happinefs of the Children of God, ferves only to augment their Rage and Despair - Lord, open now the Eyes of the Rich, that they may fee the Deceitfulness of their Riches, and lift up their Eyes towards the Treasures which are invifible.

Why is he doom'd to endless Pain?
Did he by Fraud his Wealth obtain?
No, but the Bleffings given,

On his rich Neighbours he bestow'd,
Enjoy'd himself instead of God,
And fought no other Heaven

SEARCH the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal Life, and they are they which teftify of me. John v. 39.

All the Scriptures, which are full of Jefus Chrift, are Mines of Gold; we must fearch, and as it were dig very deep in them, by Means of Study, and Prayer, and Meditation, in order to find Jefus Chrift. The ill Ufe which thefe People made of the Scriptures hinders not our bleffed Lord from incouraging and preffing them all to read them with Care. They do indeed contain eternal Life, not for thofe, who like the Jews, mind only the Letter, are intent on carnal Promifes, and put their whole Confidence in them, knowing nothing of their Spirit and Defign; But for thofe who by a deep Search difcover Chrift in them, and place all their Hopes of Salvation in him alone. Teach me thyself, O Lord, to feek, to find, and to relish thee in these divine Books.

Faithful and true, we now receive

The Promife ratified by Thee,

In Time and in Eternity,
We only hang upon thy Word,

To Thee the when and how we leave "The Servant fhall be as his Lord."