10. Lastly it is unspeakable everlasting Honour that holiness doth tend unto, and which holy men shall enjoy with God. The very Relation of a Godly man to his everlasting Glory, is an Honour ten thousand times surpassing the Honour of all the Kingdoms of the world. If you did but know that one of your poor neighbours should certainly be a King, would you not presently honour him, even in his rags? You may know that the Saints shall reign with Christ, as sure as if an Angel from heaven had told you so, and more; and therefore how should a Saint be honoured? If God had but legibly marked out some among you for salvation, and written in their fore-heads, [This man shall be saved] would not all the Parish reverence that man? Why a Heavenly▪ ⟨p. 256⟩mind, and the Love of God, and self-denial, and holy obedience, are Heaven-marks infallible, as true as the Gospel, and written by the same hand as the Gospel was, I mean by the Spirit of God himself: If a voice from Heaven should speak now of any person in the Congregation, and say, [This man shall reign in Heaven for ever] would it not be an Honour above all your worldly Honours? Why Holiness is Gods Image, and the Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, and beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the sons of God, and we have the promise, and seals, and oath of God for our confirmed certainty; yea and the Knowledge of God in Christ is the beginning of eternal life, John 17. 3. and what would we have more? The presence of Christ in a little of his Glory upon the Mount, transported the three Disciples: And the glimpse of the Glory of God which Moses saw, did make his face shine that the Israelites could not behold it. The approaches of the Saints to God in holy Worship here on earth, are exceeding Honourable, because they participate of heaven, and it is upward that they look: 1 Chron. 16. 27. [Glory and Honour are in his presence: strength and gladness are in his place.] The soul that is beholding God by faith, and conversing with the Heavenly inhabitants, is quite above all earthly things: and as Angels are more honourable then men, and Heaven then Earth, so are Believers that converse in Heaven with Angels, yea with Christ himself by faith, more honourable then terrestrial carnal men.
10. Lastly it is unspeakable everlasting Honour that holiness doth tend unto, and which holy men shall enjoy with God. The very Relation of a Godly man to his everlasting Glory, is an Honour ten thousand times surpassing the Honour of all the Kingdoms of the world. If you did but know that one of your poor neighbours should certainly be a King, would you not presently honour him, even in his rags? You may know that the Saints shall raign with Christ, as sure as if an Angel from heaven had told you so, and more; and therefore how should a Saint be honoured? If God had but legibly marked out some among you for salvation, and written in their fore-heads, [This man shall be saved] would not all the Parish reverence that man? Why a Heavenly▪ ⟨p. 256⟩mind, and the Love of God, and self-denyal, and holy obedience, are Heaven-marks infallible, as true as the Gospel, and written by the same hand as the Gospel was, I mean by the Spirit of God himself: If a voice from Heaven should speak now of any person in the Congregation, and say, [This man shall raign in Heaven for ever] would it not be an Honour above all your worldly Honours? Why Holiness is Gods Image, and the Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, and beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the sons of God, and we have the promise, and seals, and oath of God for our confirmed certainty; yea and the Knowledge of God in Christ is the beginning of eternal life, John 17. 3. and what would we have more? The presence of Christ in a little of his Glory upon the Mount, transported the three Disciples: And the glympse of the Glory of God which Moses saw, did make his face shine that the Israelites could not behold it. The approaches of the Saints to God in holy Worship here on earth, are exceeding Honourable, because they participate of heaven, and it is upward that they look: 1 Chron. 16. 27. [Glory and Honour are in his presence: strength and gladness are in his place.] The soul that is beholding God by faith, and conversing with the Heavenly inhabitants, is quite above all earthly things: and as Angels are more honourable then men, and Heaven then Earth, so are Believers that converse in Heaven with Angels, yea with Christ himself by faith, more honourable then terrestrial carnal men.
