2. As for the enjoyment of saints, here indeed we have fellowship with them of the lower form ; but that fellowship is so dissweetened by remaining corruptions, that there is no satisfaction in it; as it is the greatest plague that can befal an hypocrite to live in a pure church, so it is the greatest vexation to the spirit of a 5,aint, to live in a corrupt and disordered church ; but when death hatli admitted you into that glorious assembly of the spirits of just men made perfect, you shall have the desire of your hearts ; here you cannot fully close with another; yea, you cannot fully close with your own souls. O what discords, jarrings, censurings are here ? What perfect, blessed harmony there ! In heaven each saint loves another as himself, they are altogether lovely. O my soul, haste thee away from the lion's dens, from the mountains of Bether, from divided saints, to those mountains of myrrh, and hills of frankincense : thou art now going unto thine own people, as the apostle's phrase imports, Cor. v. 8.
Arg. 6. If this will not do, Consider what heavy burdens death •will ease thy shoulders of'.
In this tabernacle we groan, being burdened, (1.) With bodily dis- tempers ; how true do we find that of Theophrastus. The soul pays a dear rent for the tenement it now lives in ? But glorified bodies are clogged with no indispositions; death is the best physician; it will cure thee of all diseases at once. (2.) With the indwelling of sin ; this makes us groan from the very bowels, liom. vii. 24. " But he " that is dead, is free from sin," llom. vi. 7. Hath justification de- stroyed Its damning' pozaer, and sanctification its reigning power? So glorification destroys its very being and existence. (3.) We groan under temptations here, but as soon as we are out of the body, we are out of the reach of temptation : when once thou art got into heaven, thou mayest say. Now Satan, I am there where thou canst not come ; for as the danmed in hell are malo olrfbrmati, so fixed in sin and misery, that their condition cannot be altered ; so glorified saints are iono confirmati^ so fixed in holiness and glory, that they cannot be shaken. (4.) Here we groan under various troubles, and afflictions, but then the days of our mourning are ended. God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. O then let us haste away, that we may be at rest !
Argument 7. If still thou linger, like Lot in Sodom, then, lasthjy examine all the pleas and pretences for a longer time on earth. Why art thou unwilling to die?
494 WHY SAINTS WALK SO UNFRUITFOLLY.
Objection 1 . 0 I have many relations in the world, I know not what will become of them when I am gone.
Solution. If thou art troubled about their bodies, and outward con- dition, why should not that word satisfy thee, Jer. xlix. 11. " Leave ** thy fatherless children to me, I will keep them alive, and let thy *' widows trust in me." Luther, in his last will and testament, hath this expression, ' Lord, thou hast given me wife and children, I have
* nothing to leave them, but I commit them unto thee. O Father ' of the fatherless, and judge of widows, Nntri, serva, dace; nourish^
* keep, and teach them.' Or, art thou troubled for their souls ? Thou canst not convert them, if thou shouldst live, and God can make thy prayers and counsels to live, and take place upon them when thou art dead.
Objection 2. I would fain live to do God more service in the world*
Solution. Well, but if he have no more service for thee to do here, why shouldst thou not say with David, "If he have no delight to use *' me any farther, here am I, let him do what seemeth him good."** In this world thou hast no more to do, but he is calling thee to an higher service and employment in heaven ; and what thou wouldst do for him here, he can do that by other hands.
Objection 3. I am not yet fully ready, I am not as a bride, com- pletely adorned for the bridegroom.
Solution. Thy justification is complete already, though thy sancti- /tcation be not so ; and the way to make it so, is to die ; for till then it will have its defects, and wants.
Objection 4. O but I want assurance ; if I had that, I could die presently.
Solution. Yea, there it sticks, indeed ; but then consider, that an hearty willingness to leave all the world to be freed from sin, and be with God, is the next way to that desired assurance ; no carnal per- son was ever willing to die upon this ground.
And thus I have finished those cases which so nearly concern the people of God, in the several conditions of their life, and taught them how to keep their hearts in all. I shall next apply the whole.
I. Use, of Information.
_ OU have heard, that the keeping of the heart is the great work of a Christian, in which the very soul and life of religion consists, and without which all other duties are of no value with God : hence, then, I shall infer, to the consternation of hypocrites, and formal professors.
1. That the pains and labours which many per sojis have taJcen in religion, are but lost labour and pains, to no purpose, such as nili never turn to account.
Many great services have been performed, many glorious works
VniY SAINTS WALK SO UNCOMFORTABLY. 495