O blessed state that my Lord hath translated me into! O happy change that he hath made! I was a stranger, and he took me in, and made me an heir; and preferred me from the dunghill to the throne; and from a hewer of wood, and drawer of water, to attend his court, and know his councils, and do his pleasure. Happy am I that ever I was born to partake of this endless dignity. O my Lord, it is no little thing that thou hast given me in hand. I am already come to mount Zion, and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, and to God the Judge of all, and unto the spirits of just men made perfect, and unto Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and unto the blood of sprinkling. My heart reviveth, as Jacob's, when I behold the tokens which thou hast sent me; the Spirit of adoption, the pardon of my sins; my patent for heaven, the chain of thy graces, the Son of thy bosom, and the new testament in his blood, and the letters of his love. My Lord hath said, that he will love me, and manifest himself unto me; and that the Father will love me, and both will come unto me, and make their abode in me. But is it true? Will he indeed come with all his train of graces, and live and walk in me? How can these things a Hcb. xii. 22, 23, 24. b Gal. iv. 6. c Luko v. 20 be? But he hath said it; and I do, and I will believe it.a Yet all this is but the earnest of what is to come. O how great is thy goodness, laid up for them that fear thee! Yet a little while, and my warfare shall be accomplished, and the heavens must receive me, till the time of the restitution of all things. It is but for a short term that I shall dwell in the flesh, in an earthen tabernacle. My Lord hath showed me, that where he is, there shall his servant be. Now the living is tied to the dead; and my soul is a stage of strife, and a field of war. But it is but a little moment, and that which is perfect shall come;e perfect holiness, and perfect peace; eternal serenity, and a serene eternity. Omy sins, I am going where you cannot come; where no unclean thing shall enter, or any thing that defileth. Methinks I see all my afflictions and temptations, all mine infirmities and corruptions falling off me, as Elijah's mantle, at his translation. O my soul, dost thou not see the chariots of fire, and the horses of fire, come to take thee up? Be thou as poor as Lazarus, yet God will not disdain to send a party of angels to conduct thee home. How canst thou doubt of ready recep a 1 Cor. xi. 25. Luke xii. 32. Cant. i. 10. John iii. 16. John xiv. 21, 23. b Psalm xxxi. 19. c 2 Pet. i. 14. d John xii. 26. e 1 Cor. xiii. 10. f Rev. xxi. 4. g Luke xvi, 22. tion, who hast such a friend in court, who will lead thee with boldness into his Father's presence? If there were joy in Pharaoh's court, when it was said "Joseph's brethren are come;" surely it will be welcome news in heaven, when it is told "Jesus his brethren are come." : My soul, fear not to enter though the Lord be clothed with terror and majesty for thy Redeemer will procure thee favor, and plead thy right. I am sure of welcome, for the Father himself loveth me. I have tasted and tried his love; and when I had played the wicked prodigal, yet he despised not my rags, but fell on my neck, and kissed me; and heaven itself made merry over me. Much more will he receive me gladly, and let out his love upon me, when presented to him by his Son, in his perfect likeness, as a fit object for his everlasting delight. Fear not, O my soul, as if thou wert going to a strange place. Why, heaven is thy country, and thy home. Wilt thou doubt of leave, or fear of welcome, when it is thine own home? Why, my soul, thou wast born from above, and there is thy kindred, and thy Father's house; and therefore thou shalt surely be admitted, And then I shall see the glorious preparations of eternal love, and the blissful mansions of the heavenly inhabitants. Doubtless it shall be thus. These are not dreams, or children's hopes. The living God cannot deceive me. And may not I certainly a Gen. xlv. 16. b John xvi. 27. c Luke xv. promise myself what the Lord hath promised me? I will sooner think that all my senses are deluded, and what I see, and feel, and taste, is but a fancy; than think that the living God will deceive me, or that his unchangeable covenant will fail. Now I am a son of God, but it doth not yet appear what I shall be: but this I know, I shall be like him, and see him as he is.a I know it shall be thus. Why, what security should I ask of God? He hath given me all the assurance in the world. And though the word of God be enough; yet he, willing to show more abundantly, to the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath ; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, I might have strong consolation. O unreasonable unbelief! What! shall not the oath of a God put an end to thy strife? O my God, I am satisfied; it is enough? Now I may be bold without presumption, and boast without pride; and will no more call my duty "arrogance," nor my faith "a fancy." O my soul, there is but a short life betwixt thee and glory; where holy angels, and glorified saints, shall be my associates; and love and praise my only employment. Methinks I hear already how the morning-stars sing together, and all the sons of God shout for joy. O that a 1 John iii. 2. b Heb. vi. 17, 18. ç Job xxxviii. 7, i could come in for one! but it was said unto me, I should rest yet for a little season, but I shall stand in the lot at the end of the days.a It is well, Lord,-thy word is enough; thy bond is as good as ready payment. The Holy Ghost tells me, that life and glory abide me; that look what day I loose from the body, the same day I shall be landed in paradise. Amen.h It is as I would have it. But this is not all: when my body hath slept a short time in the dust, Christ will call to it,"Come up hither." Ah true yoke fellow! it will be hard parting, but welcome meeting. I could not leave thee, but to live with Christ. But he will raise thee to a glorious temple; and when he shall appear, will bring me with himself in glory, and then I shall re-enter thee as a royal mansion, wherein I shall abide with the Lord for ever. For as we have served our Redeemer together, so we must be glorified together with him. And when the Lord hath married us both together again, then will he marry us both unto himself. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the last day upon the earth and though, after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God; whom I snall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me, My Lord hath already told a Dan. xii. 13. b Luke xxiii. 43. c Col. iii. 4. |