(5.) Fifthly, If the best and greatest things are reserved for believers till they come to heaven, then make not a judgment of the saints' con- dition by their present date.1 If you do, you will 'condemn the g< ae- ration of the just.' What though they are now in rags, it will not be lone- before they are clothed in their royal robes; what though they are now abased, it will not be long before they shall in the Bight of all the world be highly advanced ; what though they are now under many wants, it will not be long before they shall be filled with all fulness; what though they are now under many trials and afflictions, yet it will not be long before all tears shall be wiped away from their eyes, and their sighing turned into singing, 'and everlasting joys shall be upon their heads;' and therefore do not judge of their condition by their present state. If you will needs be judging, then look that you judge righteous judgment, John vii. 24; then look more at the latter end of a Christian than the beginning. Remember the patience of Job, James v. 11, and consider what end the Lord made with him. Look not upon Lazarus lying at Dives's door, but lying in Abraham's bosom ; look not to the beginning of Joseph, who was so far from his dream, that the sun and moon should reverence him, that for two years he was cast where he could neither see sun nor moon ; but behold him at last made ruler over all Egypt, and reigning fourscore years like a king, Gen. xxxvii. 9, xli. 40-46. Look not upon David, as there was but a step between him and death, nor as he was envied by Saul, and hated by his courtiers-; but behold him seated in his royal throne, where he reigned forty years gloriously, and died in his bed of honour, ami his son Solomon, and his nobles about him. When Israel was dismissed out of Egypt, it was with gold and ear-rings, Exod. xi. ; and when the Jews were dismissed out of Babylon, it was with great gifts, jewels, and all necessary uten- sils, Ezra i. 'Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; the end of that man is peace,' Ps. xxxvii. 37. Whatever the wants, the straits, the troubles, the trials of the saints are in this world, yet their end shall be peace, their end shall be glorious ; the best things are reserved for them till last ; and therefore do not, oh do not judge of their condition by their present state, but rather judge of them by their future condi- tion, by that glory that is reserved for them in heaven. But,
(6.) Sixthly, If the greatest and choicest things are reserved for believers till they come to heaven, why, then, let believers keep up in thei/r otvn souls a lively, hopeful expectation of enjoyi/ng these great and glorious tilings that are laid up for them. The keeping up of those hopes will be the keeping up of your hearts ; the keeping up of these hopes will be the bettering of your hearts; the keeping up of these hopes will make every bitter sweet, and every sweet more sweet ; the keeping up of these hopes will make you bear much for God, and do much for God.2
1 Ps. lxxiii. 12-15; Mat. vii. 1, 2; 1 Cor. iv. 5.
- lJotn. viii. 24, 25, ii. 5 ; Titus i. 2 ; Acts xxvi. 7 ; Titus iii. 7 ; Col. i. 5 ; 1 Thes. v 8 ; 1 Peter i. 3 ; 1 John iii. 2, 3.
1 Peter I. 4.] a string of pearls. 445
When Alexander went upon a hopeful expedition, he gave away his gold ; and when he was asked what he kept for himself, he answered, jSpem major urn et meliorum, the hope of greater and better things.
Ah ! Christians, there is no work so high and noble, there is no work so hard and difficult, there is no work so low and contemptible, but the hopes of the great things reserved in heaven for you will put you upon it.
Galen speaks of a fish called uranoscojms,1 which hath but one eye, and that is so placed that it is always looking upwards towards heaven ; and so should a Christian's eye of hope be always fixed on God, on promises, on heaven, on the inheritance of the saints in light, and on all those precious and glorious things that are laid up for them in that royal palace where Christ is all in all.
A devout pilgrim travelling to Jerusalem, and by the way visiting many brave cities, with their rare monuments, and meeting with many friendly entertainments, would often say, I must not stay here, this is not Jerusalem, this is not Jerusalem; so saith a Christian in the midst of all his worldly delights, comforts, and contents, oh these are not the delights, the comforts, the contents that my soul looks for, that my soul expects and hopes to enjoy. I look and hope for choicer delights, for sweeter comforts, for more satisfying contents, and for more durable riches.
Ah, saints ! ah, souls ! Shall the great heirs of this world live upon their hopes, and keep up their hopes, that their inheritances shall in time be settled respectively upon them ? and will not you, will not you live upon your hopes, and keep up your hopes of enjoying all the trea- sures, pleasures, and glories that are reserved in heaven for you ? A Christian's motto always is, or always should be, Spero meliora, I hope for better things ; I hope for better things than any the world can give to me, or than any that Satan can take from me. A Christian is always rich in hope, though he hath not always a penny in hand. But,
(7.) Seventhly, If there be such great and glorious things reserved for you in heaven, then do nothing unworthy of your dignity, nor of that glory that is laid up for you.2 Your calling is high, your honour is great, your happiness is matchless ; you have so much in promises, so much in expectation, and so much in reversion, as cannot be con- ceived, as cannot be expressed ; therefore, do not you stoop to sin, nor bow down to Satan, nor comply with the world.
When Alexander was moved to run with some persons of inferior rank, he refused, saying, It was not fit for Alexander to run in a race with any but princes and nobles.
Ah, Christians ! are you not more nobly born ? are you not better bred ? have you not more royal hopes than to stoop to lust, or to do as the men of the world do i
Antigonus, being invited to dinner where a notable harlot was to be present, asked counsel of Menedemus, his tutor, what he should do, and how he should carry himself ? His tutor bade him remember that he was a prince, that he was the son of a king, and this would preserve him.3
1 au^avo<rxoT»s, the heaven-gazer. Cf. Pliny, xxxii. 7, 24, sec. 69 ; xi. 52, sec. 146 G.
* Heb. xi. 38 ; Philip, iii. 14 ; Isa. lxiii. 4 ; 1 Cor. ii. 9.
* Diog. Laertius, ii. 125-144 ; Athen. 1. c. — G.
446 A STRING OF PEARLS. [1 PETER I. 4.
Ah ! Christians ! nothing will preserve you from being base, like the remembrance of your present dignity, and of that future glory that is laid up for you.