the soul, and blemishes the image of God in us, suffering ill doth none of this; doing ill hinders communion with God, suffering ill doth not, for God is more immediately acquainted with the soul in suffering ill.

Let this teach us thus much, that in all the changes and alterations which the faith of man is subject to, he is sure of one thing, all the troubles and all the enemies in the world shall not hinder his salvation. If it be possible the elect should be deceived, Matt. xxiv. 24; but it is not possible. O what a comfort is this, that in the midst of all the oppositions and plottings of men and devils, we have something that is not in the power of any enemy to take from us—not in our own power to lose, namely—our salvation! Set this against any evil whatsoever, and it swallows up all. Set this, I shall be saved, against any misery you can imagine, and it will unspeakably comfort and revive the soul.

XLIX. This life is like a troublesome dream; but blessed are they, who, when once the dream is out, and when once they come to awake, shall be satisfied with realities of true peace and comfort in the fountain of freedom and goodness. We find our comfort and expectation here little better than a bed of thorns, because this is not the rest that is designed for the people of God; and it will be some help to us under this disquieting exercise and condition, to remember, that while we are passing through, we are held in the hand of Him who has a fellow-feeling of our case-who did once pass through the difficulties, and drank of the brook in the way, but now lifts up his head, and so is become the foundation of our hope that such poor wretches as we are, shall one day through faith and patience, arrive where our Forerunner is entered. Only now let us cling

to Him, till we become transformed into his likeness, and be completely dressed with the white robe of his righteousness: that in Him, and only in Him, we may be found without spot. In the mean space, let us pray and abound therein, for ourselves and one another—to our gracious God, who will at length perfect that which concerneth us.

L. How vain is all beneath the skies,
How transient every earthly bliss!
How slender all the fondest ties,
That bind us to a world like this.

The evening cloud, the morning dew,
The with'ring grass, the fading flower,
Of earthly hopes are emblems true,
The glory of a passing hour!

But tho' earth's fairest blossoms die,
And all beneath the skies is vain,
There is a land whose confines lie
Beyond the reach of care and pain.

Then let the hope of joys to come
Dispel our cares and chase our fears;
If God be ours, we're trav'lling home,
Tho' passing thro' a vale of tears.

LI. Sometimes afflictions are spurs and incentives, and sometimes they are burdens and discouragements to obedience but when we arrive at heaven, we shall no longer need the spur to quicken us; nor shall we bear any burden to oppress us; but shall cast it down at heaven's gate, where never sorrow or suffering yet entered. In heaven we shall rest from our labour in working under desertion. Now we apprehend God frowning

on us, and finding fault with all we do. Now, it may be, though God doth cause the clear light of his precepts and Spirit to shine before us; yet he makes it dismal darkness behind us, and shuts up the light of his comfort from us; and this is our great trouble. Obedience were easy and pleasant, says the soul, did but the light of God's countenance shine upon us; but, alas! I pray, and he shuts out my prayer from him; I lay hold upon him, but he shakes me off in displeasure; I endeavour to obey, but he rejects all my services, and this is the great anguish and torment of my life. This, indeed, is matter of great grief and trouble. But, know, O soul, thou shalt not long work thus in the dark: shortly thou shalt be above these clouds, and then thou shalt see, that those prayers which thou thoughtest were vainly scattered and lost in the air, are become a cloud of sweet incense hovering before the throne of God,—and that those tears which thou thoughtest were dropped in vain on the earth, are all gathered up and preserved in God's bottle, and that those poor duties of thine, which, for their meanness and vileness, thou thoughtest God would scorn, yet, through that worth that is put upon them by the intercession of Christ, are ranked in the same degree of acceptance as the most perfect services of the angels. themselves. Have but patience awhile, continue working, Psalm xxxvii. 3, 4, 5, and thou shalt surely see a happy issue; when the clouds of darkness and desertion that now lie so heavy on thy spirit, shall be scattered and blown away. You shall rest from your labour in working against the continual workings of your own corruptions, which shall then at once cease to act, and cease to be. And this is the great thing that makes it such a blessed rest for the people of God. Indeed, God cuts you out your work in his commands; but it is the old

man that makes it to be tedious-irksome, and difficult to you, by deadening your heart to it, and by turning your heart against it. Now both these shall shortly cease and be removed, if you but patiently wait and continue striving against them.

1. You shall rest from all that labour that you take with a deceitful, dead, and heavy heart, in the ways of God. Now, you are continually calling upon it, Awake, awake! Now, you are continually urging it to get forward; lifting it up, to get a little higher towards God and heaven. Now, you stand in need of continual quickening, and grace to actuate and excite you; and it is the great misery of your lives that you find your hearts so heartless and listless to what is holy and spiritual. Have but patience for a short time; continue still to struggle against this sad indisposition, and it shall not be long before you shall rest from this labour also. Soon shall your affections be always intent, and not languish; always burning, and yet shall never waste or consume. Every motion of your soul shall then shoot itself up to God as quick as the lightning, and yet as constant as the sunbeams. And those who are now outstripped by weak christians, shall then be able to keep pace in their obedience, even with the holy angels themselves.

And then,

2. In heaven there shall be a resting from all that labour that the people of God take in the ways of holy obedience, through the averseness of their hearts against them.

There is that contradiction in the carnal part against what is holy and spiritual, that the godly cannot bring themselves to the performance of it without much conflict; "the flesh lusteth against the spirit ;" and, when the spiritual part calleth for holy thoughts and heavenly

affections, the corrupt and fleshly part sends forth noisome and foul vapours, obstructing the good we do, and infecting that little good that we do perform, Rom. vii. -So that, as if working were not a sufficient employment, a christian must fight that he may work: and this it is, that makes "working out our own salvation" so laborious, because we must fight and work at the same time. But it shall not be long before that which hinders shall be removed; and, then, as you are no longer under a sad necessity of offending God, so also you shall be under a most blessed necessity of serving God; and shall find no more trouble in that service, than in those actions which you now cannot but do. And thus shall you have a happy rest from all that labour and pains that your corruptions here made you take. And therefore, be encouraged to perseverance in well-doing; perfect the work you have undertaken, in spite of all opposition from your own corrupt hearts; for, assure yourselves, this troublesome inmate shall not long disquiet you. You shall rest too from your labour, in working against Satan's temptations; who is now buffetting you while here on earth; but, in heaven, the evil one shall not approach near to touch you. You shall then stand no more on your guard, and keep watch over your own soul; but shall for ever triumph in victories and conquests over them.

This is that blessed rest that you shall shortly possess, if only now you wait in patience. And what is it that comforts the wearied traveller, but this, every step of his long way brings him nearer to his home, when he shall enjoy a longer rest? And shall not the same encourage you in your way? It will not be long ere you lie down in the bed of the grave-sweetly wait the short period that is between this and the resurrection: your tried and weary souls shall then repose in the bosom of God