2. Though this be a place of hopes, yet we have not our hopes only here, &c.

3. The consummation and perfection of the felicity of the godly, when all their miseries shall be changed into glories, is in the world to come; which is the main thing here intended by St. Paul.

I. The servants of God in this life are troubled and afflicted: they must live under the cross. This shown in extraordinary sufferings, also in the ordinary occurrences of life.

Hence it was, that the very heathens fetched a strong argument for a day of recompense hereafter: hence, also, our Lord convicted the Sadducees. Hence St. Paul observes, he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hence, also, the argument of our blessed Saviour, God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: that is, the rewarder of them, who are not dead, but fallen asleep, and shall be restored at the resurrection, to receive their rewards, &c.: this topic enlarged on. Neither is this so to be understood, as if the servants of God were so wholly forsaken by him in this world, so left to the malice of evil men, that they have not many refreshments, and great comforts, &c. But God, who intends vast portions of felicity for his children, does not reckon these little joys to the account of his elect: But as for the evil which they have, it is such as their Saviour had; and, bad as it is, it is to be chosen rather than a better; because it is the highway of the cross; a sharp, but a short step to bliss: parable of Dives and Lazarus commented on.

II. Second head. Not in this life only have the godly hopes; therefore hereafter. As soon as they die, as soon as the soul goes out of the body, it is blessed : blessed, though not perfect: an objection here removed. The proposition itself taken up in the state of separation, departed souls perceive

the blessing and comfort of their labors; they live after death, &c.

This was the undoubted opinion of the Jews before Christ, and after; and therefore our Saviour's words to the converted thief, wherein he undoubtedly spake so as to be understood: this topic farther enlarged on. But this we learn more perfectly from the raptures of St. Paul: instances also from the book of Revelation given and commented on. But to make this proposition useful and clear, some things are to be added by way of supplement,

1. Reasons given why this place of separation was called paradise, &c.

2. As the spirits of good men were said in the Old Testament to be with Abraham, so the being with Christ is the specification of their intermediate state in the New Testament: this enlarged on.

3. It is to be noted, that although our blessed Saviour is, in the Creed, said to descend into hell, yet this does not prejudice his other words, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise: this explained.

4. It is observable, that in the mention of paradise by St. John, he twice speaks of the tree of life, but never of the tree of knowlege of good and evil: this explained, &c.

III. Third head. The great reward of the godly shall be at the day of judgment, after the resurrection of the dead.

:

At his coming, at his glorious appearing, we also shall appear glorious this shown from 1 John, ii. 28. and iii. 4. We shall then see him as he is; but this beatific vision shall not be till then this topic enlarged on, proved, and illustrated from Scripture.

This doctrine shown to have been that of the primitive church. It is that of the Greek church unto this day, &c.

This doctrine shown to overthrow the arguments for a state of purgatory.

The proposition being established, let us consider that God is our God when we die, if we be his servants while we live: this topic enlarged on. Some men, by reading or hearing strange opinions, have fallen into a desperate melancholy; and others have so totally despaired of the divine mercy, as to lay violent hands on themselves: and yet they only thought this or feared it; and might have altered it if they would have hoped and prayed: reflections on this subject.

Now it is well with us, and we may secure our welfare for ever; but within an hour it may be otherwise with any of us: reflections on this topic. The exposition of the text is finished; but another text, and another sermon, as it were, still remains. Exhortations to caution and amendment of life, and the securing of God's favor. Example of Sir George Dalston proposed: his character delineated. Conclusion.

A

FUNERAL SERMON,

&c. &c.

1 CORINTHIANS, CHAP. XV.-VERSE 19.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are, of all men, most miserable.

WHEN God, in his infinite and eternal wisdom, had decreed to give to man a life of labor, and a body of mortality; a state of contingency, and a composition of fighting elements; and having designed to be glorified by a free obedience, would also permit sin in the world, and suffer evil men to go on in their wickedness, to prevail in their impious machinations, to vex the souls, and grieve the bodies of the righteous; he knew that this would not only be very hard to be suffered by his servants, but also be very difficult to be understood by them who know God to be a Lawgiver' as well as a Lord;' a 'Judge' as well as a King;' a 'Father' as well as a 'Ruler;' and that, in order to his own glory, and for the manifestation of his goodness, he had promised to reward his servants, to give good to them that did good: therefore, to take off all prejudices, and evil resentments, and temptations, which might trouble those good men who suffered evil things, he was pleased to do two great things, which might confirm the faith, and endear the services, and entertain the hopes of them who are indeed his servants, but yet were very ill used in the accidents of this world.

1. The one was, that he sent his Son into the world to take on him our nature; and him, being the Captain of our salva

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tion, he would perfect through sufferings;' that no man might think it much to suffer, when God spared not his own Son; and every man might submit to the necessity, when the Christ of God was not exempt; and yet that no man should fear the event which was to follow such sad beginnings, when it behoved even Christ to suffer, and so to enter into glory.'

2. The other great thing was, that God did not only by revelation, and the sermons of the prophets to his church, but even to all mankind, competently teach, and effectively persuade, that the soul of man does not die; but that although things were ill here, yet they should be well hereafter; that the evils of this life were short and tolerable, and that to the good, who usually feel most of them, they should end in honor and advantages. And, therefore, Cicero had reason on his side to conclude, that there is to be a time and place after this life, wherein the wicked shall be punished, and the virtuous well rewarded, when he considered that Orpheus and Socrates, Palamedes and Thraseas, Lucretia and Papinian, were either slain or oppressed to death by evil men. But to us Christians, ei μὴ ἐπαχθές ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, πάνυ ἱκανῶς ἀποδεδείχθαι, as Plato's * expression is; we have a necessity to declare, and a demonstration to prove it: when we read that Abel died by the hands of Cain, who was so ignorant, that though he had malice and strength, yet he had scarce art enough to kill him; when we read that John the Baptist, Christ himself, and his Apostles, and his whole army of martyrs, died under the violence of evil men; when virtue made good men poor, and free speaking of brave truths made the wise to lose their liberty; when an excellent life hastened an opprobrious death, and the obeying God destroyed ourselves; it was but time to look about for another state of things, where justice should rule, and virtue find her own portion; where the men that were like to God in mercy and justice should also partake of his felicity: and, therefore, men cast out every line, and turned every stone, and tried every argument, and sometimes proved it well; and when they did not, yet they believed strongly; and they were sure of the thing, even when they were not sure of the argument.

* Phæd. c. 37. Fischer, p. 368.