for ever, can be thy indefeasible inheritance. For when thou art unfheathed of this flesh, thou must try the fortune of a ftate everlasting: and there live in happiness or mifery, to all eternity. And that thy being may not out-laft the good of thy being; that thou mayeft not then be loft, and I for ever undone: O be wife and provident now for thyfelf; to fecure thy eternal effects. Do not debafe and forget thyfelf, to take up with the pitiful gratifications of fenfe; that will all fhrink away at thy departure hence, and leave thee to fad and eternal fhifts. But look out after the fatisfactions and fruitions, that will ftay by thee for ever, in the world to come, whither thou art going. So accuftom thyself to the heavenly work, that thou mayeft aforehand take poffeffion of the heavenly life. God has given thee, my foul, the fagacity and forefight, to fcout abroad, and pry into futurity; and compare between things temporal and eternal. O remember thy fhort abode here, and thy endless duration hereafter. And then use (to some good purpofe) the understanding which thou haft above the brutes, in caring for the ftate where there muft infinitely furvive them, that where thou must make thy everlailing abode, it may go well with thee for ever: and thou mayeft not only have fome merry moments; but the felicity, that shall hold out with thee, to all eternity.

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THE PRAYER.

My GOD! who haft given me a foul, more worth than the world; give me "alfo the wifdom and grace, to value and regard "it as I ought that I may never forget or flight

it; nor prefer my vile body before it; but may "act, as becomes it; and be tender of doing any

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thing

"thing to wrong it; taking the greatest care of it, "and making the best provifion, that I am able, "for it; yea, where thou knoweft, O Lord, what "a forry keeper I am; O do thou preferve my "darling; and let it be fafe in thy hands: that it "may never be loft; but obtain everlafting falva"tion, through Jefus Chrift my Lord. Amen."

THA

MEDITATION XLII.

Of the future flate.

HAT there is a world to come, and another life to be lived by all men, after the end of this prefent: that when a man dies, there's not an end of him; but then he begins to be, what he must be for ever: this is a truth fo far discovered by the very light of nature, and attefted by the common fenfe of mankind; that I have for it, (my foul) in a manner, the univerfal fuffrage of all the nations upon earth; even thofe who have not learned it from that holy fcripture-revelation, which clears and confirms it to Chriftians. And indeed the very reason of the thing, and a little ferious confideration, might convince me of it, and give me fatisfaction, that fo it muft be. If I but bethink myself, that God is, and what he is; that there is a God, my foul, thy own confcience within thee, does affure thee: and all his works abroad round about thee, do moft plainly fhew thee. And as certain as he is God, he muft be true, and righteous, and good. And if he be true, he will not then delude the world. If he be righteous, he will not

reft

reft in any unequal diftributions: and if he be good, he will not fail the best of his fervants. But where were his truth, if he gave the world notices and expectations, of what fhall never be? and perfuaded us to believe, what we shall never find? and planted in our natures, the hopes and fears of that happiness and mifery to come, which are no realities, but chimæras? has he faid, and fhall not he make it good? O let God be true; though every man be a liar. For fooner fhall heaven and earth pafs away, than his word fhall go off unfulfilled.

And if God be righteous, then will he fooner or later, be fure to make an equal difference between good men and bad: which that it is not done now in this world, has been the old complaint, and exception against God and his providence. And the profperity of the wicked, and the troubles of the godly, is a trite theme, and common obfervation: that the beft men, have fo often the worst of it here and the vileft finners go away with their fill of the world's good. Some mens wickednefs is not now detected; and fo escapes unpunished: and others, though notoriously criminal; yet prove too big for the justice of this world. Therefore, as fure as God is juft, all these things that mifs of a due regulation here, must be called over again, and fet to rights elsewhere. And if God be good, he will never be fo hard and unkind to the beft of his fervants, as to give them capacities and defires, only to tantalize and torment them. Much lefs will he fuffer their very faithfulness in his fervice, to damnify and undo them. Both which yet would befal them if he had not retributions in another world for them. For holy men have the faculties and inclinations to know and enjoy God more, than in this world they ever do, or can. There's no attaining of their greatest ends in this life: and fo the knowledge and love which they have at prefent,

would

would not only prove in vain to them: but ferve for nothing, fave to baffle and afflict them; if they fhould not fome time, and fomewhere elfe, find the accomplishment and perfection of them. If their hope were only in this life, they would not only be more miferable than any men: but behind hand with the very brutes; which do now enjoy the whole, that ever they were made for. Whereas Chriftians, who live chiefly upon reverfions, the better they do grow, the ftronger confidence ftill, and the livelier profpect they have, of the eternal things before them. For indeed, ungodlinefs is the main ground of any one's difbelieving them. And therefore the haters of a holy life dream there is no future life. After their lufts have maftered their wills; their wills are for mastering their faith. And no wonder they should be glad to rid themselves of the belief of that which they cannot believe without pain. It being fo much for their intereft, to be heard of no more hereafter; fo from thinking as they would have it, they bring themselves to believe as they think. But fuch as have lived like men; and lived unto God, for the ends, whereto he made them; as they know they fhall not, fo they defire, they may not, thus go off, and ceafe to be. No, it would be heavy news to them, and nothing fo much against them; as the fruftration of all their expectation, for another world: in order to which, they have ftill been doing all that they did in this world. They would count themselves undone, to fall fhort of it. When they deny themfelves, and break their wills, and mortify their lufts; and let go even their lives, and all that ever they have in the world, for the fake of their Lord, and in deference to his Word: if he fhould turn them off fo, and look upon them no more: but after a wretched life, give them up to a despised death, and to lie down in eternal night; their fidelity and obedience would thus prove to be VOL. I.

B b

their

their final lofs and ruin. But God forbid, that È fhould offer fo to blafpheme infinite goodness; as ever to entertain fuch an impious thought, that the God of love, the best of all lords, fhould make the fervice of any of his creatures their fnare: or engage them to wait upon him, to their hurt. This I am fully perfuaded fhall never be. And therefore I am as certain, that a future ftate there muft needs be.

And that is the ftate, my foul, which thou art made for, and muft for ever be fixed in. Thou art journeying on apace to it. And what is this prefent world, but thy fhort paffage thither: here is but thy inn that world of fpirits is thy home. O may thy concern then, as to each condition, bear fome agreeable proportion. That thou mayeft not be the thousandth part, fo much concerned for this ftate, as for that to come. But be ever and anon looking out, with an eye upon it: and do all that thou doft with a due regard to it. For there lies thy all; and whatever relates only to this prefent life, is the fmallest matter of all. The leaft of thy business is in this world and what moft lies thee upon, is to get off fafe from it. But to ingulph thyfelf in the pleasures of flesh; or to intangle thyfelf with the affairs of this life, O how foreign is it to thy purpose! and how deftructive may it prove to all thy hopes! feeing thou canst not chufe but love to live, and to be happy and here, my foul, thou canst neither live long, nor be happy at all: O then feek further, where thou mayeft live for ever, and enjoy a happiness as compleat as it fhall be lafting; and fo act a fhort part upon this ftage of mortality; that where thou must fix and abide alway, thou mayeft be for ever eafy and happy.

THE