judgment, and also with Christ shall judge the world, and so shall be fully possessed of that glory in soul and body, and shall live in the everlasting praise of their Redeemer. Here are many particular benefits, which for brevity I join together. (1.) They are now the heirs of glory, for being the sons of God, they are co-heirs with Christ, though they must follow him in sufferings, before they come to the possession of their inheritance. "The Spirit wit nesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together.". Though now in our minority we differ not from servants, yet "being sons we are heirs of all." When moved with holy fear we prepare the ark, and hide ourselves in Christ by faith, and become the heirs of the righteousness of faith, even then also do we become heirs of the end of that righteousness". When we receive our interest in the promise, that promise makes us heirs *. 0, brethren, that you could but conceive the greatness of this blessedness, which even the poorest beggar in the world may have that is rich in faith; for even they "are heirs of that kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him "." How certainly shall these be partakers of that glory, when they "have finished their course, and fought the good fight." For God hath "laid up a crown of salvation, for all such as love his appearing." And it is conversion that bringeth us into this blessed state, and the unconverted have no part or fellowship in it. See Tit. iii. 4-7. "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour: that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." So that it is conversion that bringeth us into this happy condition: O, therefore, bless God if you find he hath wrought this work upon your souls. Yet be not careless for the time to come, but "let every one of you shew the same diligence to the full assu Rom. viii. 16, 17. * Gal. iii. 29. t Gal. iv. 1.7. y James ii. 5. u Heb. xi. 7. 22 Tim. iv. 7, 8. rance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them that through faith and patience inherit the promise." And then doubt not, for God hath confirmed your salvation by his oath. "For God being willing abundantly to shew to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath;" saith the apostle, "that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that which is within the vail; whither Jesus Christ the forerunner, is for us entered a." (2.) Hereupon it follows that whensoever the righteous die, their souls are conveyed by angels into that glory'. And when they "depart, they are with Christ." And when they are "absent from the body, they are present with the Lord." Of which they may "be confident as walking by faith, and not by sight, and knowing that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens;" and therefore may "groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven." And when we die, we may say with Stephen, "Lord Jesus receive my spirit." And were our death as ignominious as the thieves on the cross, yet that day should we be with Christ in paradise, Luke xxiii. 43. O blessed people that live in such a case, so near the door of a more blessed life! How can you endure to be out of this condition of hope and peace, one day or hour? Oh! that you did but know the blessedness that you neglect. (3.) But yet, this is not all, but the greatest part of the blessedness remains till the day of judgment, and then there are these four benefits to be received. 1. The righteous shall have a blessed resurrection; not the resurrection of damnation, which will be the lot of all the rest; but the resurrection of life, as Christ distinguisheth them, John v. 28, 29. The graves shall be no longer able to detain them, but he that conquered death by his own resurrection, will by the same divine power again overcome it by the resurrection of a Heb. vi. 11, 12. 17-20. b Luke xvi. 22. Phil. i, 23. f Acts vii. 59. his people. And as his natural body hath already triumphed over it, so shall his mystical body at that day: he that made heaven and earth of nothing, will by the same almightiness accomplish this: read 1 Cor. xv. throughout. 2. And being raised and brought to judgment, the next benefit will be their final justification. They have now the justification and pardon of the Gospel, and then they shall have the final justification of the Judge. For he will give to every man according to right, and his promise made this their right through the blood of Christ. For, "there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirits." Whatsoever sin can then be charged on them, they can answer all by shewing the Gospel pardon in the blood of Christ, and if their title be questioned, they can prove it by their faith and sincere obedience. So all that repent and are converted, will then "have their sins blotted out, when that time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." It is not possible that Christ should condemn his own body and condemn those that have believed in him, and sincerely loved him so dear a friend, so tender-hearted a Saviour, that hath bought us so dearly, and sanctified us and cleansed us, and given us a right to that justification by his promise, cannot possibly condemn us after all this. As certainly as Christ himself is justified, and his promise true, and his love unchangeable, so certainly shall all the converted be then absolved. 3. And not only so, but also with Christ they shall judge the world: for so is the plain word of promise, 1 Cor. vi. 2. Yea, they shall judge the angels themselves. (4.) And lastly, they shall take possession of their glory; and enter into the joy of their Lord'. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, when the wicked are cast into that furnace of fire, where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." "He that hath ears to hear let him hear," saith Christ, when he had spoken these words: and he that will not hear such things as these, and regard them, will one day wish that he never had ears, and never had a heart in his breast, or else that it had been better. 66 Oh! dear friends! that I were but able to make you g Rom. viii. 1. h Acts iii. 19. i Matt. xxv. 21. 23. * Matt. xiii. 42, 43. know the difference between the righteous and the wicked at that day. Surely I should not need then to say any more to you to make you apprehensive of the necessity of conversion, and to make haste to entertain that grace that is offered you. If the crown of glory be worth seeking, then must converting grace be sought: if an everlasting blessedness with Christ and his holy angels be worth the having, renewing grace is worth the having. Lift up your heads then Christians, and rejoice in the hope that is set before you. O bless the Lord that ever he brought you into the kingdom of grace, which is but the beginning of the kingdom of glory. As sure as your natural birth was your entrance into this natural world, so sure was your new birth the entrance into a better world. For your life eternal was begun when you began to have the saving knowledge of God, and his Son Jesus Christ. He that hath given you the earnest of his Spirit, and who "hath sealed us with the holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, till the redemption of the purchased possession," will doubtless give us the inheritance itself. Fear not, Christian, the Lord that hath promised will not deceive thee, for he never yet deceived any. But as sure as the sun doth shine in the firmament, so sure shalt thou live in the heavenly Jerusalem, and be joined with the holy angels of God in his everlasting praises, and then thou wilt better know than now thou canst do, what God did for thee that day that he did convert thee. I know it is the business of the enemy of thy salvation, if it might be, to draw thee back into thy former state of death and darkness; and when he cannot do that, to rob thee at least of the comfort of thy felicity, that thou mightest doubt, and fear, and live in perplexity, as if thou wert not the heir of glory. Because as he is loath to be tormented before the time, so is he loath that thou shouldst be comforted before the time; but do not thou believe him; suffer him not to hide thy blessedness from thine eyes; O, remember it cannot be loved, if it be not believed; thou wilt lose thy joy and God his praise, if the tempter prevail with thee to deny thy mercy. Believe then, and give God the glory by believing. 16. Another of the blessings of a converted man, is, That new life which he hath begun, is a life of health, and peace, and comfort, and the very beginning of his everlasting peace and life; and the more he hath of it, the more happy will his life be. It is not only our suffering that is the way to reigning, and our tribulation by which we must enter into the kingdom of God; but we have also peace the way to peace, and life the way to life, and joy the way to joy and glory. Our tribulation and sufferings are but some accidental attendants of this our militant state; but the life itself consists of other kind of matter. How blessed a life is it to live in so near a relation to God, as is above mentioned! And how pleasant a thing is the believing exercise of his graces ! O how sweet is it to live here in any lively beginnings of the love of God! How pleasant is it to know that we are beloved of him! How sweet is it to draw near to him, and plead our cause with him in faith, and to call him Father in confidence through Christ! How sweet is it to live under the power of his ordinances, when by his Spirit he blesseth them to our souls! What a joy is it believingly to think beforehand of their eternal blessedness! And what comfortable communion have the people of God together, and what good doth it do them to hear and speak of the glory that they shall possess! O poor deceived sinners, that think the way of the Lord to be so grievous, and fly from it, as if it were an insufferable toil. Did you but know the safety and the comfort which the life of godliness doth afford, you would be of another mind, and take another course than you do. I do profess to you all in the name of the Lord, that you will never have a safe, nor truly peaceable and comfortable life, till you are converted, and live a spiritual and heavenly life. The joy of the world is sorrow in comparison of that which you might have from Christ. The laughter of a fool doth not so much differ from the highest content of the greatest prince on earth, as your carnal mirth and peace doth differ from that which is fetched by true faith from the face of God, and the life to come. You fly from godliness for fear of sorrow and trouble, and I tell you it is joy and peace that you fly from, and sorrow and trouble that you continue in, and that you are preparing for. Believe the Lord Jesus himself, if you will not believe those that have tried. "Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy-laden, and I will |