lay hold upon him, and cleave unto him with full purpose of heart ; and then you may with confidence call God your Father, and say, " This God is our God for ever and ever."]
3. To look forward with joy to the eternal world —
[There will you meet all the glorified saints from Abel to
the present hour. Not one of them is lost : God is still their
God as much as ever. Dread not death, then, which shall
introduce you to their company Nor regret too deeply
the loss of pious friends. Think that when you are following their bodies to the grave, their souls are in Abraham's bosom, feasting at the marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven. What kind of knowledge we shall have of each other then, we know not ; but it is probable that, as there are no relative connexions, so neither are there relative partialities ; but all will be like the angels of God, filled with love and joy to the utmost capa- city of their souls. In one respect indeed, the blessedness of the just is not yet complete : because their bodies are not yet raised to a participation of it ; but we may look forward to the morning of the resurrection, when all who have fallen asleep in Christ shall awake unto life, and possess both in body and soul the full and everlasting enjoyment of their God. Bre- thren, " Comfort ye one another with these words'5" — ]
i 1 Thess. iv. 18.