be clothed with all the light and splendour of the heavenly glory.

But as there is no comparison ever so just, but is wanting in some respects, there is no small difference in this; for the tribe of Judah was the noblest and richest part of the kingdom of Israel; but that part which our souls enjoy at present, of the happiness and glory of the kingdom of heaven, is but as a drop of water, in comparison of the ocean; or as a weak ray of light, in comparison of the sun, 2 Cor. xii. Therefore the apostle St. Faul, who had been ravished into the third heaven; and who knew better than any man in the world, what were the joys and glories of heaven, when he mentions this Spirit of adoption that God sends into our hearts, he calls it, Rom. vii." the first-fruits of his Spirit :" To teach us, that there is as vast a difference between the measure of the gifts and graces which we receive here below, and the overflowing abundance which we shall enjoy in heaven, as between some few ears of corn, and the whole harvest of a field. It is like a small quantity of fruits which were brought to the children of Israel in the wilderness, compared to the great abundance of all the land of Canaan. It is like some small crumbs of the heavenly bread, of which we shall have our fill in the kingdom of God; or as some small drops of that new wine which we shall drink for ever in the heavenly Jerusalem.

Therefore, believing souls, you may from hence conclude, that the approaches of Death ought not to scare nor fright you; because that you have within you the principles of a life everlasting, and the seeds of a glorious immortality, which cannot be taken from you. Jesus Christ does not only wait for you, and stretch out unto you his arms to receive you into his rest; but he himself is also with you; and will render the passage more easy and pleasant to this new world, where justice and righteousness dwell. He will work miracles for

your

your sake, John xi. and if you believe, you shall see the glory of God, Exod. xix. We do not only follow the footsteps of this divine and true Joshua, but we pass over with him, and he passeth over with us, Joshua iii. We are not like the children of Israel, that went through the river Jordan, whilst the priests held the ark in the middle of the river; but we may be compared to the priests themselves, 1 Pet. ii. that did bear the ark of the covenant, and caused the waters to return back to the spring again. For we are a generation of priests, and we bear in our souls the Lord Jesus, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily, and in whom are hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In short, our souls return to God, the fountain from whence they came. Let therefore, that heavenly voice, which was heard in the Holy Land, sound in our ears, Isa. xliii. "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be -with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." And say with David, "When I shall walk through the valley of the shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy staff and thy rod shall comfort me," Psl. xxiii.

དྷ ི་

It seems the primitive Christians had a design to shew us this truth by the picture of a giant-like man, wading through the sea with a staff in his hand, and a child upon his shoulder. For this giant is the emblem of a Christian, who lifts up his mind as high as heaven: the sea signifies the dangers of this world, and the fears of death: the staff represents faith, that keeps us up in our passage through life and death, upon which when we lean we worship the living God of heaven and earth: and the child is an image of Christ; therefore he that bears him is called Christophorus, that is, He that bears Christ. Cæsar could not endure to see his pilot tremble in a

furious

furious storm at sea, because he was in his boat. We have far less reason to be afraid, since we carry in our hearts the great Emperor and Monarch of the world, the hope and comfort of Israel. Cæsar was as much in danger as his pilot, to make shipwreck; but the Lord Jesus Christ hath all the winds at his command: he can still the most disturbed sea, and through the most terrible death he can cause us to pass, and arrive at the safe haven of eternal rest, and of a most happy and glorious life.

When David shewed himself with a purpose to fight with Goliath, he spoke to this dreadful Philistine in this manner : "I come unto thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel." But you, Christian souls, when you are to encounter with Death, you may say: to it, not only, I come to thee in the name of Him who commands legions of angels, and all the armies of immortal spirits; but, I come to thee clothed with his armour, strengthened by his holy Spirit, and assisted by him in person. For Jesus Christ, who has overcome Death for us, intends to overcome Death by us. We are the living stones which he hath chosen, of his wonderful grace and mercy, to bring down that proud insulting enemy, which causeth all worldlings to tremble, and cover their faces with shame and confusion.

We have seen a Samson breaking in pieces, with an admirable strength, the cords with which he had been bound by the Philistines, Judg. xvi. and tearing also the body of a young lion, in which he found, a few days after, honey, most pleasant to his taste. It will be much easier for us, when we shall be strengthened with the divine virtue of the Lord Jesus, of whom Samson was but a type, to tear in pieces all the cords and chains of death. We shall rend in pieces the body of this old lion; and when we shall search into his bowels with a serious and repeated meditation, we shall find the sweetest and most ravishing comforts. As

As when the prophet Elias was carried up to heaven in a fiery chariot, he let fall his cloak, with which Elisha separated the waters of Jordan, so that he passed through the river on foot; likewise our Saviour Jesus Christ, being ascended up above the clouds to the throne of his glory, hath left to us the cloak of his righteousness; he hath granted us his holy Spirit, that we might pass through the turbulent waves of the tempestuous sea of this world, by its divine virtue, and that through death we might enter into immortal life.

And as the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, separated his soul from his body, although his innocent soul and holy body remained always united personally to his divinity; in the same manner, the believer's death disunites for a time his soul from his body, but it can never separate it from the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, that is the Soul of our souls, and such an holy flame that it can never be extinguished.

When the high-priest of the Jews put off his priestly ornaments, he cast off at the same time his breastplate, where the names of the twelve tribes were engraven, Exod .xx. Not only our names are written in the Lamb's book of life, not only our pictures are printed upon the palms of his hands with the blood of the covenant; but we are as a signet upon his` heart, Cant. viii. so that we cannot be separated from him any more than his heart can be taken from him. His love is stronger than death, and his embraces are embraces of love.

Ruth promised to Naomi, that death alone should be able to separate them, Ruthi. But on the contrary, we may tell our Lord and Saviour, who is our father, brother, and husband, Not only death shall never be able to separate us, but it rather shall bring us nearer to thee, and cause us to rest in thy bosom, where we shall be for ever satisfied with thine heavenly delights. Christians, you need not fear Death; for you

are

are not to be wounded by all its darts; for you have been dipped in the river that springs to eternal life. The Spirit of the Lord Jesus that is in you, is the spirit of dife, the beginning of immortality, and the only spring of eternal glory and happiness. Since the breath of the prophet Elias raised a dead body to life, the spirit and breath of the Father and the Son will be able to keep your spiritual life from decaying, unless it be in Death's power to stop the breath of the Almighty: unless it be able to limit the beams of light and glory that come from his divine countenance; unless it can cause the rivers of living water that spring out of his throne, to cease and dry up; it is not possible, that it should cause us to perish, and render us miserable. Therefore you are certain of your eternal happiness, while Jesus shall be the anthor and well-spring of light, life, glory, and immortality; and that his holy Spirit shall be victorious over Death and hell; and you may sing with David, " I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord," Psl, cxviii,

You are not only sure of this glory and eternal happiness, and you are not only entered into possession of it by your faith and hope, but you begin already to enjoy it, and its firstfruits. For he that believes in Jesus Christ is passed from death to life, and whosoever hath the Son of God hath eternal life. As the prophet Moses, when he was in the wilderness, saw not only afar off the Land of Promise, but he tasted its delicious fruits: thus we do not only behold afar off with the eye of faith our celestial inheritance, but we taste at present, and relish some of its blessed delights. And as the fruits brought by the spies were the same, and like to them that the children of Israel fed upon in the Promised Land; in like manner, the fruits that we relish in the wilderness of this world are fruits of the tree of life, with which we shall be fully satisfied in heaven. For the grace that God bestows upon us here below, by his divine Spirit, is the beginning of

glory,