not duty, but Christ; for it is Christ in a way of duty. As duty cannot do it without Christ, so Christ will not do it without duty but of this, enough before.

And as this motion must be strong, so must it be constant; or it will fall short of rest. To begin in the Spirit, and end in the flesh, will not bring to the end of the saints. The certainty of the saints' perseverance doth not make admonition to constancy unuseful: men, as seemingly holy as the best of us, have fallen off. He that knew it impossible, in the foundation, to deceive the elect, yet saw it necessary to warn us, that he only that endureth to the end, shall be saved. Read but the promises, (Rev. ii. and iii.) "To him that overcometh." Christ's own disciples must be commanded to continue in his love, and that by keeping his commandments; and to abide in him, and his word in them, and he in them. It will seem strange to some, that Christ should command us, that "he abide in us.” (See John xv. 4-10, and viii. 31; 1 John xxii. 4, 28.)

Sect.XI. 11. There is presupposed, also, to the obtaining of this rest, a strong desire after it. The soul's motion is not that which we call violent or constrained, (none can force it,) but free. As every thing inclines to its proper centre, so the rational creature is carried on in all its motion, with desires after its end. This end is the first thing intended, and chief desired, though last obtained. Observe it, and believe it, whoever thou art; there never was a soul that made Christ and glory the principal end, nor that obtained rest with God, whose desire was not set upon him, and that above all things else in the world whatsoever. Christ brings the heart to heaven first, and then the perHis own mouth spoke it, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matt. vi. 21.) A sad conclusion to thousands of professed Christians. He that had truly rather have the enjoyment of God in Christ, than any thing in the world, shall have it; and he that had rather have any thing else, shall not have this, except God change him. It is true, the remainder of our old nature will much weaken and interrupt these desires, but never overcome them. The passionate motion of them is oft strongest towards inferior, sensible things; but the serious, deliberate will or choice, which is the rational desire, is most for God.

son.

Sect. XII. 12. Lastly: here is presupposed painfulness and

m Matt. xxiv. 13; Mark xiii. 13, 22; Acts xiii, 43, and xiv. 22; Rom. xi. 22; Col. i. 23; Heb. viii. 9; Jam. i. 25.

weariness in our motion. This ariseth not from any evil in the work or way, for Christ's yoke is easy, his burden light, and his commands not grievous:" but, 1. From the opposition we meet with; 2. The contrary principles still remaining in our nature, which will make us cry out, "O, wretched men!" (Rom. vii. 24.) 3. From the weakness of our graces, and so of our motion. Great labour, where there is a suitable strength, is a pleasure; but to the weak, how painful! With what panting and weariness doth a feeble man ascend that hill which the sound man runs up with ease. We are all, even the best, but feeble. An easy, dull, profession of religion, that never encountereth with these difficulties and pains, is a sad sign of an unsound heart. Christ, indeed, hath freed us from the impossibilities of the covenant of works, and from the burden and yoke of legal ceremonies, but not from the difficulties and pains of Gospel duties. 4. Our continued distance from the end, will raise some grief also; for desire and hope, implying the absence of the thing desired and hoped for, do ever imply also some grief for that absence; which all vanish when we come to possession. All these twelve things are implied in a Christian's motion, and so presupposed to his rest. And he only that hath the pre-requisite qualifications, shall have the crown. Here, therefore, should Christians lay out their utmost care and industry. See to your part, and God will certainly see to his part. Look you to your hearts and duties, in which God is ready with assisting grace, and he will see that you lose not the reward. O, how most Christians wrong God and themselves, with being more solicitous about God's part of the work than their own, as if God's faithfulness were more to be suspected than their unfaithful, treacherous hearts! This rest is glorious, and God is faithful; Christ's death is sufficient, and the promise is universal, free, and true. You need not fear missing of heaven through the deficiency or fault of any of these. But yet, for all these, the falseness of your own hearts, if you look not to them, may undo you. If you doubt of this, believe the Holy Ghost. "Having a promise left us of entering into his rest, let us fear you should seem to come short of it." (Heb. iv. 1.) mise is true, but conditional. Never fear whether God will break promise, but fear lest you should not truly perform the condition, for nothing else can bereave you of the benefit.

" Prov. iv. 6; Matt. xi. 36; 1 John v. 3.

lest any

of

The pro

• That salvation is given per modum præmii, Dr. Twisse saith oft, cont. Corvin, is past all doubt.

not duty, but Christ; for it is Christ in a way of duty. As dut cannot do it without Christ, so Christ will not do it withou duty but of this, enough before.

And as this motion must be strong, so must it be constant or it will fall short of rest. To begin in the Spirit, and end i the flesh, will not bring to the end of the saints. The certaint of the saints' perseverance doth not make admonition to co stancy unuseful: men, as seemingly holy as the best of us, ha fallen off. He that knew it impossible, in the foundation, deceive the elect, yet saw it necessary to warn us, that he on that endureth to the end, shall be saved.m Read but the pr mises, (Rev. ii. and iii.) "To him that overcometh." Christ own disciples must be commanded to continue in his love, a that by keeping his commandments; and to abide in him, a his word in them, and he in them. It will seem strange some, that Christ should command us, that "he abide in us (See John xv. 4-10, and viii. 31; 1 John xxii. 4, 28.)

Sect.XI. 11. There is presupposed, also, to the obtaining of t rest, a strong desire after it. The soul's motion is not t which we call violent or constrained, (none can force it,) but fr As every thing inclines to its proper centre, so the rational cr ture is carried on in all its motion, with desires after its e This end is the first thing intended, and chief desired, tho last obtained. Observe it, and believe it, whoever thou a there never was a soul that made Christ and glory the princ end, nor that obtained rest with God, whose desire was not upon him, and that above all things else in the world wha ever. Christ brings the heart to heaven first, and then the

son.

His own mouth spoke it, "Where your treasure is, t will your heart be also." (Matt. vi. 21.) A sad conclusio thousands of professed Christians. He that had truly ra have the enjoyment of God in Christ, than any thing in world, shall have it; and he that had rather have any t else, shall not have this, except God change him. It is the remainder of our old nature will much weaken and inte

these desires, but never overcome them. The passionate tion of them is oft strongest towards inferior, sensible thi but the serious, deliberate will or choice, which is the rat desire, is most for God.

Sect. XII. 12. Lastly: here is presupposed painfulness

m Matt. xxiv. 13; Mark xiii. 13, 22; Acts xiii. 43, and xiv. 22; Rom. Col. i. 23; Heb. viii. 9; Jam. i. 25.

as it had the nature of a means, and was imperfect. And so faith may be said to cease: not all faith, for how shall we know all things past, which we saw not but by believing? How shall we know the last judgment, the resurrection of the body beforehand, but by believing? How shall we know the life everlasting, the eternity of the joys we possess, but by believing? But all that faith, which, as a means referred to the chief end, shall cease. There shall be no more prayer, because no more necessity, but the full enjoyment of what we prayed for. Whether the soul pray for the body's resurrection, for the last judgment, &c,, or whether soul and body pray for the eternal continuance of their joys, is to me yet unknown; otherwise, we shall not need to pray for what we have, and we shall have all that is desirable. Neither shall we need to fast, and weep, and watch, any more, being out of the reach of sin and temptations. Nor will there be use for instructions and exhortations; preaching is done, the ministry of man ceaseth, sacraments useless, the labourers called in because the harvest is gathered, the tares burned, and the work done, the unregenerate past hope, the saints past fear for ever, much less shall there be any need of labouring for inferior ends, as here we do, seeing they will all devolve themselves into the ocean of the ultimate end, and the lesser good be wholly swallowed up of the greatest.

Sect. II. 2. This rest containeth a perfect freedom from all the evils that accompanied us through our course, and which necessarily follow our absence from the chief good. Besides our freedom from the eternal flames, and restless miseries, which the neglecters of Christ and grace, must remedilessly endure; an inheritance which, both by birth and actual merit, was due to us as well as to them. As God will not know the wicked so as to own them; so neither will heaven know iniquity to receive it; for there entereth nothing that defileth, or is unclean; all that remains without. And, doubtless, there is not such a thing as grief and sorrow known there: nor is there such a thing as a pale face, a languid body, feeble joints, unable infancy, decrepit age, peccant

× (1 Cor. xiii, &) There are two excellent parts of our glory, which I have here omitted, and only put them among the adjuncts, which should not have been done. 1. That we shall be members of the heavenly Jerusalem, and so glorify God in that blessed society. 2. That we shall see the face of our glorified Redeemer; and his person shall everlastingly be glorified in us. Were it again to do, I should more largely treat of both these, as principal parts of our glory and felicity.

y Rev., xxi. 27.

CHAP. IV.

What this Rest containeth.

BUT all this is only the outward court, or at least not the holiest of all. Now we have ascended the steps, may we look within the veil? May we show what this rest containeth, as well as what it presupposeth? But, alas! how little know I of that whereof I am about to speak. Shall I speak before I know? But if I stay till I clearly know, I shall not come again to speak. That glimpse which Paul saw, contained that which could not, or must not, be uttered, or both. And if Paul had had a tongue to have uttered it, it would have done no good, except his hearers had ears to hear it. If Paul had spoken the things of heaven in the language of heaven, and none understood that language, what the better? Therefore, I will speak while I may, that little, very little which I do know of it, rather than be wholly silent. The Lord reveal it to me, that I may reveal it to you; and the Lord open some light, and show both you and me his inheritance: not, as to Balaam only, whose eyes the vision of God opened, to see the goodliness of Jacob's tents, and Israel's tabernacles, where he had no portion, but from whence must come his own destruction: nor as to Moses, who had only a discovery, instead of possession, and saw the land which he never entered. But as the pearl was revealed to the merchant in the Gospel, who rested not till he had sold all he had, and bought it:t and as heaven was opened to blessed Stephen, which he was shortly to enter, and the glory showed him, which should be his own possession."

Sect. I. 1. There is contained in this rest, 1. A cessation from motion or action; not of all the action, but of that which hath the nature of a means, and implies the absence of the end. When we have obtained the haven, we have done sailing. When the workman hath his wages, it is implied he hath done his work. When we are at our journey's end, we have done with the way. All motion ends at the centre, and all means cease when we have the end. Therefore, prophesying ceaseth, tongues fail, and knowledge shall be done away; that is, so far

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