1 to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admir'd in all them that believe. At that Day, when he fhall appear in his own Glory; i. e. in all the Glory of an Incarnate God. At that Day, when he fhall appear in the Glory of his Father alfo ; i, e. as fome understand it, with the Authority of an Univerfal Judg. At that Day, when he fhall appear in the Glory of his Holy Angels; i. e. with a fhining Retinue of finlefs Spirits, and with all the Enfigns of Pomp and Terror. At that Day, when the Sound of the Trump, and the Voice of the Arch-Angel fhall awaken the Dead, and the Duft of the Saints fhall be reviv'd Incorruptible and Immortal. V. We are to confider the Ground and It remains for me, Aamov, for fo the word fignifies; q. d. I know, and am well affur'd, that there is a Reward prepar'd and fecur'd for me: It was prepar'd from the Foundation of the World by the Father's Love: It was afterwards actually purchas'd by the Son's Blood; and 'tis not only fecur'd to me by the excellent Promifes of the Gofpel, but by the Afcenfion of my Lord into Heaven, as a publick Perfon, as the Head and Representative of the whole Church. Chrift is enter'd as our Forerunner, to take poffeffion of what he himself had purchas'd for us. Christ is afcended into the Heaven of Heavens, and will draw all his People after him. Therefore a little before his Death, he addresses his Father in these words: Father, I will that those whom thou haft given me be with me where I am, that they may fee my Glory. VI. The VI. The Apostle takes notice of the Intereft that other Saints have in a Crown of Righteoufnefs: It shall be given (fays he) not to me only, but to all them also that love his Appearing. Tho the Minifters of the Gospel, that turn many to Righteoufnefs, fhall fhine like the Stars for ever and ever; tho they fhall receive very bright and pondrous Crowns, yet they fhall not monopolize all the Happiness of the future State among themfelves. There will be Crowns for your Heads, and Palms for your Hands, that faithfully follow the Lamb, and fuccefsfully fight under his Banner. In my Father's Houfe (fays our Blessed Saviour) are many Manfions; if it were not fo, I would have told you. There is room enough in Heaven to receive all the fincere Retainers to the Son of God. The Divine Prefence is an unwasted Spring of Delight to the whole General Affembly above. The Sun in the Firmament warms and enlightens all; its Beams have refreshed this Earth for feveral thousand Years, yet that Globe of Fire is not leffen'd in its Luftre, nor weaken'd in its Influence. So that God, who is a Good as indivisible as infinite, fhall render all happy that love his Son's Appearing. The Apostle speaks of Christ's fecond Appearance, which shall be in Power and great Glory, without Sin to Salvation. Now the Love of Chrift's Appearance involves in it our Meditation of it, our Waiting for it, our Haftening to it; and fuch a Preparedness to meet our Heavenly Bridegroom, that we may conftantly cry out, Come Lord Jefus, come quickly. Now all fuch fhall reN 4 ceive Mat. 10.41. ceive a Crown of Righteousness. Not that we are to imagine, that every private Christian will have a Reward equal to the Apostle Paul, and others that have done and fuffer'd extraordinary things for the Name of Chrift. For to me it feems more than probable, that there are different Degrees of Glory, to which the Saints shall be advanc'd in the other World: For tho every Saint fhall be content with his Reward; yet those that have excell'd in Fidelity and Zeal in God's Service, fhall be rewarded with a more excellent Glory. We find in various Paffages of Scripture, that Men of extraordinary Characters have special Rewards affign'd them: We are told of a Prophet's Reward, and of a Righteous Man's Reward. Now far be it from me to think that Infinite Wisdom distinguisheth without a Difference; neither can I conceive why Chrift should mention the Reward of a Prophet as a fpecial Reward, if the fame is bestow'd in common upon all the Faithful. Again, we are told in Scripture, That in the Refurrection we shall be as the Angels of God, amongst whom there are different Orders; for they are diftinguish'd by the Apostle into Thrones and Dominions, Principalities and Powers, Angels and Arch-Angels, Cherubims and Seraphims. And 'tis remarkable, that the Angel Gabriel fays of himself, I am Gabriel that ftand in the Prefence of God: Upon which one obferves, that he distinguished himself as much by his Station as by his Name. But I haften, and fhall mention but one Scripture more on this occafion. He who 2 Cor. 9.6. Soweth Sparingly fhall reap also sparingly, and he who foweth bountifully fhall reap also bountifully. Upon Upon the whole I conclude, that as one Man differs from another in Wisdom and Stature; and that as one Angel differs from another in Dignity and Honour above; and as one Star in the Firmament differs from anotherlin Glory; fo will one Saint differ from another in the Kingdom of our Lord Jefus Chrift. It remains that I make a few Inferences from each part of my Text, and conclude. Firft, From the Relation the Apostle gives of his Conduct in this World, I have fought, &c. I infer the following things. 1. That it is not so easy to get to Heaven, as fome People dream. We must watch and pray, strive and run, wrestle and fight; we must encounter great Oppofitions, and ftruggle thro mighty Difficulties, if ever we afcend into the Mount of God. Our Saviour affures us, That ftrait is the Gate, and narrow is the Way that leads to Life, and few there be that find it. What with the Corruption of our Natures, the Frowns and Flatteries of the World, and the Malignity of the fallen Angels, the Righteous themselves are scarcely faved; where then hall the Ungodly and Sinner appear? 2. Let neither Minifters nor private Chrif tians be difcouraged, because of their respective Difficulties in the Chriftian Warfare; for 'tis a Confederate War we are engaged in. God is on our fide while we plead his Caufe: Fear not, O my Soul, may every Saint fay, for they that are with us are more than they that are against us: Or in the Words of the Apostle John, Greater is he that is in you, than he that 1 Joh.4.4. is in the World. And in a fpecial manner let Minifters acquit themselves like good Soldiers of Jefus Chrift, contending earnestly for the Faith Faith once delivered to the Saints; for they are fet for the Defence of the Gospel, and therefore are bound to plead for the great Truths of it, against the Cavils of Scepticks and Infidels. But Secondly, with regard to the Expectation which the Apostle had of confummate Happiness in the other World, we may infer : (1.) How brightly has God display'd his Wisdom and Goodness, in propofing Rewards to animate us in our Work and Warfare. Some Men, who are wife above what's written, affirm, that to encourage our felves with the Profpect and Hopes of a Reward, is Mercenary. I allow that the Glory of God ought to be our ultimate governing End, in all the Actions of the Christian Life. Yet 'tis evident that the Holy Ghoft propofes the Reward of Glory as a quickening Motive to GospelObedience: And furely, if Jefus Christ as Man, made ufe of fuch rational Motives, it would be proud Enthusiasm for us to refuse 'em. The Author to the Hebrews tells us, Heb. 12.2. that Jefus for the Foy that was fet before him, endured the Crofs, &c. And if we would endure Hardship as good Soldiers of Jefus Chrift, and not be weary and faint in our Minds, we must keep the Crown in our View, as he did the foy that was fet before him. (2.) How much does it concern us all to make fure of a Crown of Righteousness, and to clear up our Title to it? The former will lay the Foundation of our Happiness, and the latter of our Comfort; which cannot be, unless we are juftified by the Obedience of Christ, and renewed by the Spirit of Chrift. Verily, verily, fays our Saviour, except a Man be |