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[SERM. of other found Interpretations, tho' the Happiness of Heaven fhould not be in them exprefly promifed. For the Phrase of the Kingdom of Heaven, that theirs is that Kingdom, most commonly fignifies no more, but that fuch and fuch Perfons are fitteft for the evangelical State, or to be Christ's Difciples, or to be Members of his Kingdom, without as yet determining what the Nature of that Kingdom was. And all the other Expreffions are very capable of being interpreted in a found Senfe of Mercies fpiritual and temporal, bestow'd in this Life, without excluding the other of heavenly Happinefs: But this Promise of a Great Reward in Heaven is fo home and exprefs, that it muft fignify the heavenly Felicity, and that only.

2. Let it be confider'd, that Man being made up of a mortal Body, and an immortal Soul, it is not poffible that he could ever be compleatly happy by all the Bleffings of this Life, were they ever fo great, without an Happiness of eternal Duration. What would it profit a Man, if he fhould gain the whole World, and lofe his own Soul? Mark viii. 36. The Bleffings of the future State, if they were no greater in Degree, (as they moft certainly are) yet would be infinitely more valuable, upon account of their eternal Duration.

3. Let it be confider'd, that there is no fuch perfect Enjoyment of God in this World, but that we are still capable of much higher Degrees of that Enjoyment, than the Neceffities, and Cares, and Troubles, and Pains, and Sickneffes incident to Body and Mind, will permit us to be capable of here.

4. Let it be confider'd, that the Distribution of Rewards and Punishments in this World is very unequal, and therefore that it is highly neceffary that there be another State of Rewards and Punishments appointed after this Life, in which God's Providence fhall be vindicated, and good Men rewarded, and wicked Men punished.

5. Let it be confider'd, that the great Principle our Saviour recommended, was that of Faith, and that Faith is the Subftance of Things hoped for, the Evidence of Things not feen, Heb. xi. 1. It would then have been very prepofterous in our Lord, and very unfuitable to this Principle of Faith, to have bestow'd upon us only prefent Bleffings.

6. Let it be confider'd, that the great Aim and Defign of the Chriftian Religion, is to wean our Hearts from the World, and to raise them to Heaven. Now nothing could have been more inconfiftent with this Defign, than to propofe to us only temporal Promifes; for as our Hopes and Aims are, fo will be our Endeavours and Perfor

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7. Let it be confider'd, that as the Difficulties of Obedience and Patience are very great, it requires a ftrong Confolation of an eternal Happinefs to wade through them, that fo for the foy fet before us, we may endure the Cross, and defpife the Shame, Heb. xii. 2.

8. Lastly, As to the Question, Whether Virtue is not a fufficient Reward to itself in this World? Suppose it were, This Reward is but fecret; Vice often triumphs in Publick, and it would be too great an Encouragement to it, if there were not a more publick, as well as a more real State of Retri

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[SERM. Retribution. The prefent Contentment which attends good Actions, is an Argument that there is a wife and good God who has fo order'd Matters, that Virtue has always fome Happiness, and Vice fome Mifery annex'd; but that is more like an Earnest Penny, than a full Reward. The infinite publick Disorders of Mankind require a more publick Vindication of Justice, than is ufually to be seen in this lower World.

So much for the Account of this Matter, why it is neceffary that there fhould be a Retribution in Heaven.

But, then, why muft this Retribution be called a Reward, as if it bore any Proportion to our mean Services, as Wages does to Labour? To this there is a very proper Anfwer, by distinguishing between a Reward of Debt, where the Reward is ftrictly due, as an Equivalent for the Service, and a Reward of Grace or Favour, where the Generofity and Bounty of the Rewarder gives much more than the Service deferves. This is St. Paul's Diftinction, Now to him that worketh, fays he, is the Reward not reckon'd of Grace, but of Debt, Rom. iv. 4. But this Reward in Heaven is a Reward of Grace, there being infinitely more of Bounty in it than Defert. For, firft, it proceeds from the Goodnefs of God, and is called his Gift; The Wages of Sin is Death, says St. Paul, but the Gift of God is eternal Life, through Jefus Christ our Lord, Rom. vi. 23. Then it is the Purchafe not of our Righteousness, but of the Merits and Performances of Chrift. He hath made us accepted, fays the Apoftle, in the Beloved, Eph. i. 6. It is for his fake that our imperfect Services are fo highly rewarded. And, loftly, this Reward

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361 is owing to the Wisdom, Justice, and Goodness of God: To his Wisdom, that he has thought fit, for the better Government of Mankind, to propofe fuch a noble Reward; to his Juftice, that he is exactly and punctually true to his Word; and to his Mercy, that he did not take the Forfeiture of our original and actual Guilt, but graciously contriv'd this Way of faving us by a Redeemer, upon very small and difproportion'd Services of So much for the Word Reward.

our own,

The last Thing to be confider'd in this Expreffion, is, the Greatnefs of the Reward to those Sufferers for Chrift and their Duty; Great is your Reward in Heaven. In which there are two Things will fall in properly to be difcuffed: 1. Whether there is any Difference in the Degrees of Rewards in Heaven, fo that one may be really faid to be greater than another. 2. Why a great Reward is promised and given to them who fuffer patiently for Christ and their Duty. But these are two Points of that Importance, that I can't expect to be able to handle them to any Purpose now in the End of a Sermon: And therefore I shall chufe to refer them to another Opportunity.

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Now God follow with his Bleffing what have heard, and give you a right Understanding in all Things.

To this great God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, be all Praife, &c.

SERMON

SERMON XXI.

MAT. V. 12.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: For great is your Reward in Heaven: For Jo perfecuted they the Prophets, which were before you.

The Seventh Sermon on this Text.

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AVING confider'd the comfortable Direction in these Words, of Rejoicing, and being exceeding glad, when we have the Honour to fuffer for Christ, or our Duty; I proceeded to the Confideration of the Reasons wherewith it is here enforced, the Greatnefs of the Reward in Heaven, and the Example of the Prophets.

As to the first, the Greatness of the Reward in Heaven, upon this I have already accounted for the Reasonableness of a Reward in Heaven for our imperfect Services here upon Earth, and intend to go on now both to confider the Circumftance of the Greatness of this Reward, and why it is particularly promised to Confeffors and Martyrs, for fuch are they who fuffer for Chrift and their Duty.

1. To begin with the first, The Greatness of the Reward in Heaven, provided for them who suffer for Chrift; Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: For

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