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earth of equal glory with heaven; or were all a sun; or were the higher and lower world nothing differing in glory; all would be every way the same; and so nothing so beautiful as it is. Indeed, the Head is loving to all the members, and is alike affected with them all; yet, every member is in its own order, according to his good pleasure, which from eternity he purposed in himself, Eph. i. 9. As he distributed, after diverse degrees and manners, his gifts and graces, to his chosen in time; so does he make the harvest correspondent to the seed-time, the manly constitution to the infancy, the vigour and blooming to the budding and first springing forth. According to the grace given unto us, in time, and the improvement thereof, in acting, or suffering for his glory; accordingly is every one of us rewarded: as he did promise and testify, that as every man should receive according to his works, Rev. xx.13; SO they that be wise, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever,' Dan. xii. 3. The connexion betwixt time and eternity here, is not natural, from the nature of things, as if so much grace deserved so much glory; so much, or so long acting, or suffering, such or such a diadem of honour; but merely from his good pleasure, who disposes all things most absolutely and freely. If it so pleased him, he might have disposed otherwise; but this is the most excellent, because he hath done it. All our excellence, and all our acting, or suffering, was only of him, and not of ourselves: he alone did work in us both to will and to do of his good

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pleasure," Phil. ii. 13. The more we were graced, the more we were enabled, the more we were obliged; only it has pleased his infinite bounty to perfect in eternity, according as he did begin in time; and to give us the purchased possession, by way of reward. In our Lord's distribution of his rewards, he considers the multitudes of talents, and the improvement of them, and way of improvement; as, if with vigour and great sincerity; also perseverance therein, and duration, with more and more magnanimity unto the death; also the greatness of the opposers is considered; also the effects, and extending of talents, for the good of others; as when the man acts bravely, before sun and moon, whereby great glory redounds to him, for whom are all things; and many are strengthened, and converted unto righteousness: suffering is considered in itself, as such, excelling acting; which is more or less excellent, even as acting, according to other various circumstances. Oh the wonderful way thou hast taken to beautify thy spouse! how does the Head shine most eminently above all the members; and every member according to its measure, allotted from eternity! Every one of us was appointed, before the foundation of the world, to this measure of glory, most absolutely and freely, without any respect to excellence, or good works in time: and yet, oh eternal admiration! "He hath rewarded every one of us, according to our righteousness: according to the cleanness of our hands hath he recompensed us; for we kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from our God for all his judgments were before us," and

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glory, which lay hid in time.

we did not put away his statutes from us; we were also " upright before him, and we kept ourselves from our iniquity: therefore hath the Lord recompensed us, according to our righteousness, according to the cleanness of our hands in his eye sight. For with the merciful thou hast showed thyself merciful; with the upright man thou hast showed thyself upright; with the pure thou hast showed thyself pure; and with the froward thou hast showed thyself froward: for thou hast loved the afflicted people, and hast brought down the high looks," Psa. xviii. 20-27. All thy promises to the overcomers hast thou perfectly accomplished. Boundless happiness for evermore! All things are laid open before the 55. All things are eyes of all: how surpassingly clear fully discovered in and evident is the light of glory! Do I not know you all, and every one? not only according to your proper essences, and weight of glory; but also, what manner of persons you were in time, as to all these circumstances, by which men were distinguished from one another; so that we may say, This, and this is the man, who was such and such an instrument in time, for the incomprehensible glory of our never enough exalted Redeemer; who will manifest all the good works and excellence of every one before his Father, and before his angels. He from eternity knows by name, and has manifested the name of every one, before the whole creation. Are you not eternally shamed and confounded, ye haters of the only excellent One? You are declared by name before all, and every one in particular; the most hidden things of darkness

are now laid open for ever and ever: all your thoughts, your words, your deeds; all your inclinations, your purposes, your projects, your impieties, are made known perfectly to the consciences of every one of you, to one another, and to us all. Hide yourselves now, if you can; neither yourselves, nor your wickedness, shall ever henceforth escape our view. Now we are inconceivably elevated above all natural sagacity, natural illumination was wonderful discovering, as the sagacity of man in his first estate did show; the light of grace was more piercing, as discerning things far above the reach of nature; but all are scarce emblems of this light of glory. How "just and holy art thou in all thy ways,'

my holy One! Thou hast for ever unmasked the two great companies of men and angels; all now appear in their genuine colours: our innocence is manifested, and their wickedness is laid open. How many things did we refer to this day, as inscrutable to dim-eyed mortals, who judged according to externals, conjectures, and probabilities; and not according to the things as they were in themselves! Whence the condemning of the innocent, and justifying of the guilty? whence many went off the stage of the world, branded with the opprobrious names of hypocrites, traitors, seditious, factious, fanatics, and what not, who were the glory, flower, and excellence of the generation. How many of the most excellent of the earth were cried out against on every side, because of their singular holiness, and fervency of spirit, for the interests of Christ, and power of godliness, above others; because

of their testifying against the proper sins of their generation; that even some of the weakest of the saints cast abroad foul aspersions on them, and hated and persecuted them, as troublers of the world! And how many were accounted by the generality true and sincere saints, because of their selfish prudential way of carriage, in all exigencies, and among all sorts of persons; because of their large recommendations of all, and baseness of spirit, in the public interests of God, though rejected, deserted, blasphemed, and trodden upon by almost all; because of their compliance with the humours of most, and insinuating of themselves upon both good and bad, in an humble and loving manner; because of their sinful reservedness, in the matters of God, in a declining time; because of their keeping themselves free from gross outbreakings; because of their counterfeiting of real saints, by acquiring a fine outward carriage, and a huge literal, notional knowledge of divine things; that they might pray, write, and discourse like men much in the intimate fellowship of Jesus; as also because of their outward prosperity, which give men a brave lustre in the eyes of dull mortals. All, all is now unmasked! now, now it is manifest, who were excellent, who were not; who have been the real friends of the Bridegroom, and who have been counterfeit.

56. The fellowship of men and angels in

Oh how sweet a dispensation! how wonderful is Divine Provi- heaven. dence! you who were sweet and profitable company to me in my pilgrimage, for ever walk with me on the tops of glorious and majestic Mount

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