Live also by faith on the Heavenly Glory. As one eye of faith must be on an humbled crucified Christ, so must the other be on heaven, on a glorified Christ, and on the glory and everlasting Love of God, which we shall there en•oy. This is it that conquereth the fears of death, when we believe that we shall pass through it into everlasting life. If a man for health will take the most ungrateful potion, (the bitterness being short, and the benefit long;) and if he will suffer the Surgeon to let out his blood, and in case of necessity to out off a member; how light should we make of death, that have the assured hopes of glory to encourage ⟨p. 121⟩us! what door so straight that we would not pass through if we could, to our dearest friend! What way so •owl that we would not travail, to our beloved home? And shall death seem intolerable to us, that letteth in our souls to Christ? Well might Paul say [To die is gain,] Phil. 1.21. When we gain deliverance from all those sins that did here beset us, and all those sorrows that sin had bred: We gain the accomplishment of our desires, and the end of our faith, the salvation of our souls: We gain the Crown that fadeth not away; a place before the Throne of Christ, in the Temple of God, in the City of God, the New Jerusalem; to eat of the hidden Manna, and of the Tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God, Rev. 2. & 3. We gain the place prepared for us by Christ, in his Fathers house, John 14.1, 2. ⟨p. 122⟩For we shall be with him where he is, that we may behold his glory, John 17.24. We shall gain the sight of the glory of God, and the feeling of his most precious love, and the fullness of joy that is in his presence, and the everlasting pleasures at his right hand, Psal. 16.11. And shall we think much to die for such a gain? we will put off our clothes, and welcome sleep, which is the Image of death, that our bodies may have rest, and refuse not thus to die every night, that we may rise more refreshed for our employments in the morning. And shall we stick at the unclothing of our souls, in order to their everlasting Rest? Set but the eye of faith to the Prospective of the promise, and take a serious frequent view of the promised Land, and this if any thing will make death more welcome, then Physic to the sick, ⟨p. 123⟩then unclothing to a beggar, that puts on new or better clothes.
LIve also by faith on the Heavenly Gl•ry. As one eye of faith must be on an humbled crucified Christ, so must the other be on heaven, on a glorified Christ, and on the glory and everlasting Love of God, which we shall there en•oy. This is it that conquereth the fears of death, when we believe that we shall pass through it into everlasting life. If a man for health will take the most ungratefull potion, (the bitterness being short, and the benefit long;) and if he will suffer the Surgeon to let out his blood, and in case of necessity to out off a member; how light should we make of death, that have the assured hopes of glory to encourage ⟨p. 121⟩us! what door so streight that we would not pass through if we could, to our dearest friend! What way so •owl that we would not travail, to our beloved home? And shall death seem intolerable to us, that letteth in our souls to Christ? Well might Paul say [To die is gain,] Phil. 1.21. When we gain deliverance from all those sins that did here beset us, and all those sorrows that sin had bred: We gain the accomplishment of our desires, and the end of our faith, the salvati•n of our souls: We gain the Crown that fadeth not away; a place before the Throne of Christ, in the Temple of God, in the City of God, the New Jerusalem; to eat of the hidden Manna, and of the Tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God, Rev. 2. & 3. We gain the place prepared for us by Christ, in his Fathers house, John 14.1, 2. ⟨p. 122⟩For we shall be with him where he is, that we may behold his glory, John 17.24. We shall gain the sight of the glory of God, and the feeling of his most precious love, and the fulness of joy that is in his presence, and the everlasting pleasures at his right hand, Psal. 16.11. And shall we think much to die for such a gain? we will put off our cloaths, and welcome sleep, which is the Image of death, that our bodies may have rest, and refuse not thus to die every night, that we may rise more refreshed for our employments in the morning. And shall we stick at the uncloathing of our souls, in order to their everlasting Rest? Set but the eye of faith to the Prospective of the promise, and take a serious frequent view of the promised Land, and this if any thing will make death more welcome, then Physick to the sick,
