might be quite put out of Conceit with the Trifles and Vanities of this; that we might leave our Fondness for these earthly Tabernacles, these dark Prifons, wherein our Souls are confined, and groan after the glorious Liberties of the Sons of GoD, and thofe heavenly Regions, wherein GoD and Angels do enjoy themselves in the Fulness of Bleffednefs for evermore.

But who is fufficient to declare the great Things that God hath laid up for those that love him? The Apoftle tells us, That Eye hath not feen, nor Ear heard, nor bath it entered into the Heart of Man to conceive of them; and therefore little can it be expected that any Words of ours fhould defcribe them.

Alas! we are much in the dark about these Matters; we know not yet what we shall be, as St. John has told us: We understand not a thoufandth Part of the Circumftances that will contribute to the Blifs of good Men in that other State. But though our Conceptions, as to these Matters, be very narrow and fcanty, and God hath not thought fit to reveal his good Pleafure, as to the Particularities of this State; yet fo much hath he been pleased to difcover to us concerning it, and fo much we are able to underftand of those Discoveries, that it will not be an ufelefs Undertaking to give fome general Account or Description of it. Y 3

And

And here we must be careful not to indulge our own Fancies, nor to take our Eftimate of that State from fuch Notions of Happiness as we are too often apt in this World to take up; but we must keep close to the divine Revelation: If we fteer ourfelves by any other Compafs, every Man will form fuch Ideas of Heaven as fuit best with his present Defires, and Humours, and Inclinations; and then it will be the Elyfian Fields, or the Rabbins Garden of Eden, or the Paradife of Mahomet, or any kind of Thing that will give Satisfaction to a Man's fenfual Appetite.

With fome it will confift in Victory and Triumphs over their Enemies; with others it will be ftately Palaces, and Crowns upon their Heads, and Sceptres in their Hands, and every thing that tends to the gratifying their worldly and ambitious Defires.

With others, it will be the most delicious Eating and Drinking, and all manner of corporal Pleasure; and lastly, with others, it will be a lazy unactive Life of Gazing and Contemplation.

It will concern us therefore, whenever we think or fpeak of that happy State, to form our Thoughts and our Notions according to thofe Measures that GOD hath given us in the holy Scriptures; and not rafhly to conceive any thing of it, but what we have Warrant for, either directly, or by Confequence from the Discoveries that

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that are there made, This therefore I fhall take as my Rule in the difcourfing of this Matter.

And here, the first Thing that offers itfelf to our Confideration, is, the Term by which it is expreffed in my Text, namely, a Reft, taking that Word in the most usual Signification.

Reft, when it is applied to Man, what is it, but a ceafing from all Toil and Trouble, a Freedom from every thing that is uneafy and afflicting? Whoever is at perfect Reft, is at perfect Eafe, is in that State which the Stoicks call Indolency.

Now fuch a Reft is the State of good Men in the other Life; not a State of Idleness and doing nothing, but a State that is perfectly free from all Pain, and Trouble, and Difquietnefs: It is a Life of perfect Peace, a Refreshment after all our Labours and Sufferings, by which Term the Scripture fometimes expreffeth it.

There will be then nothing to disturb us, or caufe any Allay or Interruption to our Quiet. All thofe Things that were apt to ruffle or discompofe our Spirits, while we were toffed upon the Sea of this World, will then be far removed from us, and we fhall find a perfect Calm both within and without us.

This is indeed the Sum of all that can be faid upon this Head; but yet, methinks, I would not dismiss it fo.

It will excite our Defires after that Reft, to think a little more particularly of the Evils from which it will fet us free; and therefore give me Leave to dilate a little upon this Head.

We fhall then reft from finning, and offending GOD, which is now one of the greatest Troubles of our Lives. Oh! what would not a good Man give, that he might always fo govern himself, as to perform a conftant, fteady, uniform Obedience to the Laws of his heavenly Father! But yet fuch, alas! is the Infelicity of this prefent State, that even the best of Men do offend in many Things, and have their bitter Reflections upon themselves for those Offences. But the other State we are speaking of, will perfectly fet us free from this: We fhall not any more displease GOD, nor behave ourfelves ungratefully or unkindly to him; we fhall not any more have need of Sorrow and Tears for our daily Mifcarriages; we shall not any more complain of the Hardnefs of our Hearts, or our Unfruitfulness under the Means of Grace, or our frequent Lapfes and Infirmities.

But we fhall be holy as we defire; and Chrift will present us to his Father without Spot or Wrinkle, or any fuch Thing, pure, and without Blemish. We shall then alfo reft from all the Temptations and Allurements to Sin, with which we are here continua lly affaulted. All the Rubs and

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Stumbling-blocks which are thrown in our Way by the Devil, or the World, will then be taken away. We shall not then have the Trouble of being always upon our Guard, always watching over ourselves, always conflicting with Dangers and Difficulties, always in Fear, left the Enemy. fhould furprize us, or be too ftrong for us; for our Warfare will then be over, we fhall have finished our Courfe, and no Tempter,. no Adverfary, fhall, from henceforward have, Accefs to us. We shall then also rest from all Doubts and Sufpicions of our own State. We shall not then any longer call our own Sincerity into Queftion, or be in Fear, left our Sins should not be pardoned; or that God fhould withdraw his Grace from us, and leave us to ourselves; or that we are not yet arrived to that Degree of Virtue, and Holiness, and Piety, that our Religion requires of us.

For then our own Senfes will convince us, that thofe Jealoufies are yain; and that GOD is infinitely good, and we everlaftingly happy. We shall then reft from all our Divifions and Quarrels one with another; which in this State, it is to be feared, even good Men do fometimes too zealously purfue. There will then be no Parties or Factions; one will not fay, he is of Paul, another, of Apollos; but we fhall all lay afide our Heats and Animofities, which our different Educations, and our different Ways

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