A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

1. That the Children of God are not so miserable as they appear, they have other Hopes and Enjoyments than are seen, a large Estate that lies in an invisible Country; it is not Terra incognita, a Land unknown, but it is a Land unseen. Pearls and precious things lie out of sight; so doth the Glory and Blessedness of a Christian. Our Happiness is a Mystery to a carnal Heart, it lieth in another World; 1 John 3.2. It doth not ye• appear what we shall be. Here we have a Right, but the Children of God are subject to the Chances and Accidents of the present World as well as others. Our Happiness is only to be seen with a spiritual Eye, and with spiritual Light; Ephes. 1.18. The Eyes of your Understanding being opened, that ye may know what is the Hope of your Calling, and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints. However Christians seem in the Eye of the World, mean, afflicted, despicable, yet they are blessed Creatures. Look as Beasts know not the Excellency of a Man, so carnal Men know not the Excellency of the Saints. The Whore of Babylon, the corrupt Church, is set out in her glorious Out-side, with a Golden ⟨p. 124⟩Cup; so carnal Men (saith the Apostle) make a fair show in the Flesh, Gal▪ 6.12. (that is) excel in Pomp and Worldly Splendour: but a Christian's Glory and Blessedness is under a Veil and Disguise, which shall not be fully taken off till the Day of Judgment; Col. 3.3, 4. Your Life is hid with Christ in God: When Christ, who is our Life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in Glory. Look as in a Dark-lantern the Light is hid; till the Cover be removed, little of the brightness of the Light is seen: So there is an Eclipse upon the Christian's Glory, now it is covered and veiled; and therefore now the Christian passeth under Censures and Reproaches: thus was Christ in the World, and we must be like him; but then all shall be discovered. A Garden and a Field differ little in Winter; so doth a Christian and other Men, till the great Imperial Day of Christ, then shall we put on our best Robes. Yea, this Happiness in a great part is hidden from our selves. If we hearken to Sense and present Experience, there is not such a miserable sort of People in the World as God's dearest Servants are: