§ 5. "Now, blessed saints, that have believed and obeyed! This is the end of faith and patience. This is it for which you prayed and waited. Do you now repent your sufferings and sorrows, your self-denying and holy walking? Are your tears of repentance now bitter or sweet! See how the Judge smiles upon you; there is love in his looks; the titles of _Redeemer_, _Husband_, _Head_, are written in his amiable, shining face. Hark, he calls you, he bids you stand here _on his right-hand_; fear not, for there _he sets his sheep_. O joyful sentence! _Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world._ He takes you by the hand, the door is open, the kingdom is his, and therefore yours; there is your place before his throne; the father receives you as the spouse of his Son, and bids you welcome to the crown of glory. Ever so unworthy, you must be crowned. This was the project of free redeeming grace, the purpose of eternal love. O blessed grace! O blessed love! O how love and joy will rise! but I cannot express it, I cannot conceive it.
§ 6. "This is that joy which was produced by sorrow, that crown which was procured by the cross. My Lord _wept_, that now my _tears might be wiped away_; He bled, that I might now rejoice; he was _forsaken_, that I might not now be forsook; he then _died, that I might_ now _live_. O free mercy, that can exalt so vile a wretch! Free to me though dear to Christ! Free grace, that hath chosen me, when thousands were forsaken! When my companions in sin must burn in hell, I must here rejoice in rest! Here must I live with all these saints! O comfortable meeting of my old acquaintance, with whom I prayed, and wept and suffered, and _spoke often_ of this day and place! I see the grave could not detain you; the same love hath redeemed and saved you also.
§ 7. "This is not like our cottages of clay, our prisons, our earthly dwellings. This voice of joy is not like our old complaints, our impatient groans and sighs; nor this melodious praise like the scoffs and revilings, or the oaths and curses, which we heard on earth. This body is not like that we had, nor this soul like the soul we had, nor this life like the life we lived. We have changed our place and state, our clothes and thoughts, our looks, language, and company. Before, a saint was weak and despised; so proud and peevish, we could often scarce discern his graces: but now how glorious a thing is a saint! Where is now their body of sin, which wearied themselves and those about them? Where are now our different judgments, reproachful names, divided spirits, exasperated passions, strange looks, uncharitable censures? Now we are all of one _judgment_, of one _name_, of one _heart_, _house_, and _glory_. O sweet reconciliation! Happy union! Now the gospel shall no more be dishonored through our folly. No more, my soul, shalt thou lament the sufferings of the saints, or the church's ruins, nor mourn thy suffering friends, nor weep over their dying beds, or their graves. Thou shalt never suffer thy old temptations from Satan, the world, or thy own flesh. Thy pains and sicknesses are all cured; thy body shall no more burden thee with weakness and weariness; thy aching head and heart, thy hunger and thirst, thy sleep and labor, are all gone. O what a mighty change is this! From the dunghill, to the throne! from persecuting sinners, to praising saints! From a _vile body_, to this which _shines as the brightness of the firmament_! From a sense of God's displeasure, to the perfect enjoyment of him in love! From all my doubts and fears, to this possession, which puts me out of doubt! From all my fearful thoughts of death, to this joyful life! Blessed change! Farewell, sin, and sorrow, for ever: Farewell, my rocky, proud, unbelieving heart; my worldly, sensual, carnal heart: And welcome now my most holy, heavenly nature. Farewell, repentance, faith, and hope; and welcome, love, and joy, and praise. I shall now have my harvest, without ploughing or sowing; my joy without a preacher, or a promise; even all from the face of God himself. Whatever mixture is in the streams, there is nothing but pure joy in the Fountain. Here shall I be encircled with eternity and ever live, and ever, ever praise the Lord. My face will not wrinkle, nor my hair be grey; _for this corruptible_ shall have _put on incorruption, and this mortal immortality_, and _death_ shall be _swallowed up in victory. O death, where is_ now _thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?_ The date of my lease will no more expire, nor shall I trouble myself with thoughts of death, nor lose my joys through fear of losing them. When millions of ages are passed, my glory is but beginning; and when millions more are passed, it is no nearer ending. Every day is all noon, every month is harvest, every year is a jubilee, even age is full manhood, and all this is one eternity. O blessed eternity! The glory of my glory! the perfection of my perfection!