The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

Though I have not walked to and fro in […] upper regions, nor taken a view of the heavenly […], though I have not been in the third […] us, and seen the ineffable glory; yet the […] which hath brought life, and immortality to light, the word of the eternal God, who hath […] me this is the state of things, in the other world; cannot but be true; my faith may ⟨p. 233⟩therefore be to me instead of eyes, and the Divine testimony must supply the place of light; both together give, methinks, a fair prospect of those far distant glorious objects, which I have now in view. Now this awakens hope, and makes it revive, and run to embrace what Faith hath discovered in the Promise.¹—In hope of eternal life, ²which God that cannot lie hath promised. 'Tis the Word of God that causes the soul to hope, (i. e. believed for disbelieved, it signifies nothing with it) and that, not only as it contains a narration, but a promise, concerning the future estate. I may without much emotion of heart, hear from a Traveller the description of a pleasant Country, where I have not been; but if the Lord of that Country give me, besides the account of it, an assurance of enjoying rich, and ample possessions there; this presently begets an hope; the pleasure whereof would much relieve a present distressed estate; and which nothing, but that of actual possession can exceed. That 'tis not more so with us here, admits of no excuse. Is God less to be believed then a man? will we deny him the privilege of being able to discover his mind, and the truth of things credibly? which we ordinarily allow to any one that is not a convicted Liar? Christ expects his Disciples should very confidently assure themselves, of the preparations made for them in another world, upon that very ground, alone, that he had not told them the contrary. Let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Fathers House ⟨p. 234⟩are many mansions, ³if it were not, so I would have told you. I go to prepare, &c. Intimating to them, they ought to have that opinion of his plainness, and sincerity, as never to imagine he would have proselyted them to a Religion, that should undo them in this world; if there were not a sufficient recompense awaiting them in the other; but he would have certainly have let them know, the worst of their case;