3. We mult love them with a peculiar love ; even better than we love the godly upon earth: because they are better, and liker unto God, and love him more, and are more beloved by him.

4. We muft fpecially rejoyce that God is glorified in and by them; and look often to them as the more illustrious reprefenters of the Divine Perfections, than any of the Saints on Earth.

5. We must greatly rejoyce in their own felicity and glory even as if it were our own. If we did fee with our eyes our old dear friend, as Lagarm in Abraham's bosome, triumphing now in the glory of the bleffed, we could not chufe but be daily very glad on their behalf; to fee and think, O what fe licity do my friends enjoy! And faith should make it in fome measure to you, as if you faw it,

6. We mufi have a grateful fenfe in our minds of their love to us; and mußt give God thanks for his Angels miniftrations for us. For doubtlefs, as they are wifer and better than any of our friends on earth; fo they have a better, a purer and diviner kind of Love to us, than these below have. And the Angels difdain not to be Chrifts fervants for our good; yea for our falvation, Heb. 1. 14. For, are they not all miniftring fpirits, fent forth to minister for them, who shall be heirs of falvation, Matth. 18.10. Their Angels alwaits bebold the face of my Father in Heaven, Plal. 34.7. The Angel of the Lord campeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them, Pfal. 91.11. He Shall give bi Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy waies. They shall bear thee up in their bands, left thou dafh thy foot against aftone, Luke 15.10. There is jy in the presence of the Angels of God ever one finner that repentetb, Luke 16.22. The beggar dyed and was carryed by Angels into Abrahams befome. Though the great Love is that of God our Creator, Redeemer and SanЯifier, and our chiefeft gratitude is due to him; even for the benefit which we have by any of his creatures; yet love and mental thankfulness is due to the rational creatures which are his voluntary inftruments; because they do what they do out of real love to us; otherwife we fhould owe thankfulness to none, either benefactor, friend or parents.

7. And our believing converse with the blessed spirits, muft make

make us carnestly defire to be like them's even to be as like them here as poffibly we may, and to be with them, that we may be perfect as they are perfect. We must long to be near God, as they are, and to know him, and love him, as they do; and this holy ambition is well pleafing to God: Though we must not defire to be as God, we must defire to know and love him perfectly.

8. And hence we muft proceed to a fober imitation of them as they are now employed in Heaven: Not in thofe particulars wherein their cafe and ours differ (as to thank God for that conqueft which they have made, and that glory which they do poffefs,&c.) But in all thofe duties, which in fome degree, belong to us as well as them.

For inftance, Ask what kind of Religion is keft to that which is in Heaven? Is it ftudying bare words,and difputing about things unprofitable,or contending and quarrelling about precedency, preheminence or domination? Or is it not rather the cleareft knowledge, and the ferventeft Love of God, and all his holy ones, and the fulleft content, delight and reft of the foul in God, and the higheft praifes and thanksgivings, with the readieft and chearfulleft obedience.

And what kind of Religious performances are moft excellent which we must principally intend? Groans, and tears, and penitent confeffions, and moans, are very fuitable to our prefent ftate, while we have fin and fuffering: But furely they are duties of the lower rank: For Heaven more aboundeth with praises and thanksgiving; and therefore we must labour to be fitter for them, and more abundant in them; not cafting off any needful bumiliations, and penitent complaints; but growing as faft as we can above the neceffity of them, by conquering the fin which is the cafe.

So ask, what is it that would make the Church on Earth to be likeft to that part which is in Heaven? Is it striving what Paftors fhall be greatest, or have preced:ncy, or be called gracious Lords or Binefactors? Luke 22. 24,25,26. 1 Per.5. 3,4,5€ Or is it in making the flock of Chrift, to dread the fecular power of the Shepherds, and tremble before them, as they do before the Wolf? Or is it in a proud conceit of the peoples power to ordain their Paftors, and to rule thèm and themselves

by a major vote? Or in a fupercilious condemning the members of Chrift, and a proud contempt of others as too unholy for our communion, when we never had. authority to try or judge them? Is it in the multitude of Se&s and divifions every one faying, Our party, and our way is beft? Surely all this is unlike to Heaven: It is rather in the Wisdom, and Holinefs and Unity of all the members: When they all know God, efpecially in his Love and Goodness, and when they fervently tove him, and cheatfully and univerfilly obey him; and when they lover each other fervently, and with a pureheart, and without divifions do hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peaces and with one heart, and mind, and mouth, do glorific God and our Redeemer. Leaving that Church-Judgment to the Paftor's which Chrift hath put into their hands; and leaving Gods part of Judgment unto himself. This is to be like to our beavenly exemplar, and to do Gods Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven, Ephef. 4. 2, 3,4, 11, 12, 16.22

9. And we muft alfo look back to the examples of their lives, while they were on earth and fee wherein they are to be imitated as the imitators of Jefus Chrift: which way went they to Heaven before usta

10. Lastly, We must give God thanks on their behalf; for making them fo perfect, and bringing them fo near him, and faving them from fin, and Satan, and the world, and bringing them fafeto Heaven, through for many temptations, difficulties and fufferings: For making them fuch inftruments of his glory, in their times, and fhewing his glory upon them and to them in the Heavens? For making them fuch bleffings to the world in their generations, and for giving us in them fuch patterns of faith, obedience and patience, and making them fo great encouragements to us, who may the more boldly follow them in faith, duty and sufferings, who have con quered all, and fped fo well: For, fhewing cus: by faith their prefent ftate of glory with Chrift, for our confirmation and confolation. Thus far, in all thefe ten particulars, we muft have a heavenly conversation with the glorified by Faith,

Direct. 8. Confider next wherein your imitation of the example of their lives on earth confifteb.

And it is 1. Not in committing any of their fins, nor indulging

indulging any fuch weakneffes in our felves, as any of them were guilty of. 2. Nor in extenuating a fin, or thinking ever the better of it, because it was theirs. 3. Nor in doing as they did in exempted cafes, wherein their Law and ours differed (a's in the marriage of Adams children, in the Jews Polygamy, &c. 4. Nor in imitating them in things indifferent, or accidental, that were never intended for imitation, nor done as morally good or evil. 5. Nor in pretending to, or expecting of their extraordinary Revelations, Infpirations, or Miracles. 6. Nor in pretending the high attainments of the more excellent, to be the neceffary measure of all that fhall be faved, or the Rule of our Church-Communion: Our imitation of them confifteth in no fuch things as thefe.

But it confifteth in thefe.

1. That you fix upon the fame ultimate Ends as they did." That you aim at the fame Glory of God, and chufe the fame everlafting felicity.

2. That you chufe the same Guide and Captain of your falvation; the fame Mediator between God and man; the fame Teacher and Ruler of the Church, and the fame facrifice for fin, and Interceffor with the Father.

3. That you believe the fame Gospel, and build upon the fame Promifes, and live by the fame Rule, the Word of God.

4. That you obey the fame Spirit, and truft to the fame Sanctifier, and Comforter, and Illuminater, to illuminate, fanctifie and comfort your fouls.

5. That you exercife all the fame graces of Faith, Hope, Love, Repentance, Obedience, Patience, as they did.

6. That you live upon the fame Truths, and be moved by the fame Motives as they lived upon, and were moved by.

7. That you avoid the fame fins as they avoided; and fee what they feared, and fled from, and made confcience of, that you may do the fame.

8. That you chufe and ufe the fame kind of company, helps and means of grace (fo far as yours and theirs are the fame) as they have done: And think not to find a nearer, or another way to that fate of happiness which they are come 16, Phil. 3. 16. Walk by the fame Rule, and mind the fame things

Ecce

and

and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, Gid fall reveal even this unto you. If any preach another Gospel, let him be accurfed, Gal. 1.7, 8. Mark them which caufe divifions and ffences contrary to the docrine which you have learned, and avoid them, Rom. 16.07. Heb. 6. 11. We defire that every one of you do Show the fame diligence, to the full affurance of hope to the end, that you be nai flothful, but followers of them, &c.

9. That you avoid, refift, and overcome the fame temptations, as they did, who now are crowned.

10. That you bear the fame crofs, and exercife the fame faith, and hope, and patience, unto the end, 1 Pet. 4. 1. Arm your flues wish the fame mind, & &c.

I

In brief, this is the true imitation of the Saints.

Direct. 9. Never fuffer your life of fenfe to engage you fo deeply in fenfible converse with men on earth, as to forget your heavenly relations and fociety; but live as men that unfeignedly believe, that you have a more high, and noble converfe every day to mind.

If you are Believers indeed, let your faith go along with the fouls of your departed friends, into glory: And if you have forgot them by an unfriendly negligence, renew your acquaintance with them. Think not that thofe only that live on earth, are fit for our converfe, and our comfort: Will you converfe with none but ignorant, felfifh, worldly finners? ATC you more contemptuous of the heavenly inhabitants, than the Gentleman in hell torments was, Luke 16.26, 27. that thought one from the dead, though it had been but a beggar, would have been reverenced even by his fenfual brethren on earth, fo far as to have perfwaded them unto faving Repentance. I tell you, a dead mans skall is oft-times a more profitable companion, than moft that you fhall converfe with in the common world. The duft of your departed friends, and the clay that corps are turned into, is a good medicine for thofe eyes that are blinded with the duft of worldly vanities. Much more fhould you keep your acquaintauce with the foul, which may, for all the diftance, be perhaps more ufeful to you, than it was in the flesh. Alas, how carnally, and coldly, or feldom, do moft Profeffors look at their Brethren, and at the Angelical hofs that are above. They long for our converfion, and mind

Our