of the truly living. Where we fhall fee caufe to love all about us: and never fear to lofe our love; but find as quick and warm returns: yea, and have all this love, free from any the fin or the smart, that here hangs after it. And though ftill moft highly pleased, with the mutual love of all the fairest and the beft; yet no need ever to fear the excefs of it; or any danger to come by it. And had we now but this one confideration, to entertain our thoughts with, of all the bleffed company in heaven: yet we could not but conclude, even from hence; that there must needs be the fulness of joy.

But there is yet a farther confideration, my foul, which ftill more enhances the heavenly blifs; even this, that it is everlafting. For to think of lofing it, would much diminish from it. But in heaven, that danger is furmounted: and the bleffed there are got above it. There are they fafe and fure: and provided for, with an inheritance, that will not grow lefs or worse. For he that gave it to them, will not take it from them: becaufe he is the Lord, that changes not: but loves them, with an everlasting love. Nor is it poffible, they fhould turn themselves out of it: because they know full well, they can never be better: and they are wifer, than to change for the worse. Yea, they cannot part with it, but it must be their fin and fault: and there is no fin or fault then, whereof they can be guilty; when all the causes of fin, will be for ever removed. Therefore, can nothing there happen, to interrupt the joy, or put a stop to the felicity. But it will be ftill a circle of frefh delights; a permanent beatitude; an ever-enduring fubftance, without any fear of lofs or decay. And this is the heaven of heavens, that it will never be ended; that it is the life everlafting, glory that fades not away, and pleasure for evermore.

VOL. I.

Ff

If

If then, my foul, thou art for that which is fweet and pleafant; O look out after the fweet, that will never turn four, or bitter. And if a man will give all that he has, for his life: O what wilt thou not give; what wilt thou not do, to live moft bleffedly for ever? how hard foever it may feem, to climb up the everlasting hills; there is that at the top, which will foon make thee forget all the labour and forrow. O ftrive then to enter the gate of life, and by a holy violence, to take the kingdom of heaven. And that thou mayeft not build thy happinefs, on any groundless prefumptions; as ever thou hopeft for the bleffed ends, keep in the good and godly way, that has a tendency to bring thee thi ther. And when fo many temptations and hazards lie betwixt thee and it, to cut thee fhort of it; and fo infupportable will be the lofs, to fee others fit down in the kingdom of heaven, and thyfelf be thruft out; yea, to exchange the eternity of pleafures, for everlasting miferies: and fo fhort and uncertain is the time here, that thou haft, to make fure of all: O may it awaken all thy care and concern, and engage thy utmoft endeavour and application, to avoid the hindrance that would debar thee of the glorious prize; and to take and follow the right and fure ways, that will bring thee to be ever with the Lord. O let my faith and contemplation fo get up and work above, as to fetch me in fill better intelligence of the heavenly blifs and glory let my mind fo mufe upon it, as to inflame my defires after it: and my heart be fo fixed, where the true joys are to be found; that I may think nothing too much to do, or to endure: when it is for a crown, and a kingdom: for all that is great and good for the perfection of blifs, and joy in the height; and that ftill to endure, without any end. O my foul, will not heaven make amends for all; though I pafs through fire and water, to that

moft

moft wealthy place? no caufe fhall I find to complain; whatever it cofts me, to work out my fal vation when fo very fhort a while, till all the trouble be over; and there will be nothing but cafe, and pleasure, and tranfport, and triumph for

ever.

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A

FTER all that I have read and heard, and thought of the heavenly ftate, and the feat "of blifs, the great object of my hope, and the "bieffed end of my faith: yet, O Lord, how poor "and low are my conceptions of it? how.dull and "cold my affections to it? and how faint and languid my pursuits after it? I am apt to think it good to be here; and to admire and love this world, and the creature-comforts in it; as if "there were nothing better to be found. When, "O Lord, thou knoweft, what hufks, and trash, "and drofs, and dung, are all the utmost enjoy"ments that earth can afford me, in comparison "of the good things that accompany falvation, "and all the infinite treasures and pleasures, to be enjoyed for ever in the kingdom of my God. "Oraife my faith and contemplation, to work "above, and to bring me in ftill better intelligence "of that better country. And fhew me so much "of heaven, that I may be more in love with it, "and all upon it, and diffatisfied with every thing "elfe, without it. O wean and loofen my heart from the things here below: and let me feel the powerful attraction of thy bleffed Spirit to wind up, and engage my mind and affections heaven"ward: that there I may be ftill in the defire of my foul, and in the main ftream of my conver"fation: till thou haft fetched me home to my

་

"Father's

"Father's houfe; to the full body of all thy faints, "there joined together; and given me the foul, reviving admiffion into the joy of my Lord,

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"Amen."

MEDITATION XLVIII.

Of the paucity of fuch as fhall be faved.

HAT the flock of Chrift is a little flock; and

THA

few do find the narrow way which leads to life that men are posting on, in mighty fhoals, to be for ever undone; and but a flender company, that arrive safe at everlafting glory; are truths too eafily made out: but O how heavy and hard to digeft? I have not only the information of him, who beft understands the matter, but my own fad obfervation, to confirm me in the belief: that they who go to ruin are very many, compared with those who escape it, that are fuch a few to the other. When, alas, my foul, it is but here and there one I can fee, that does in carneft concern himself, for the faving of his foul: but the heads, and hands, and hearts of moft are engaged quite another way. And O how contrary to the gofpelway of falvation, do the generality drive on! yea, what an eye-fore is that very way to them? and how unfrequented by them? nay, how many do even defy, and deride, and fcorn the only thing that fhould fave them? it is fo crofs to their hu mour that they cannot abide it. They will not be fo reftrained. Now when I look upon my Bible, and fee and hear, what they must be and do, who

will be faved: and then look upon the world, to observe what the most are; and which way they take can I think, that fuch do look likely for heaven? and that the courfe which they follow is hopeful for falvation? I would have all the charity poffible for them: and it grieves my heart, that I can fee no more in the fair way, to a better end. Even common humanity, and natural pity binds me to condole the misery; and fadly to resent the lofs of fo many fouls, paft all recovery. But yet I dare not give my Lord the lie; when he affirms that fo many go in at the gate of deftruction, for a few that hit upon the way of falvation. And fomewhat farther have yet to do, than to believe it, and bewail it: even to take fuch warning by the ruin of fo many; that the cafe may never come to be my own. For that which hardens and heartens on careless and defperate finners, to think, what a great deal of company they have with them, and how many of their party; it is indeed a confideration, enough to ftrike them down, and make them tremble; would they but lay it to heart, as they ought, and thus feriously bethink themfelves; do fo many go through the wide gate, and take the broad way to ruin? and are not we just like the common fort? alas, what do we more than others? and wherein do we exceed the reft? and how vain is it to reply upon our reprovers, I am not alone: do not others, nay almost every one do the fame things? and fhould I be damned, God help a great many more; that, for ought I fee, are but even all one as I am. O what filly prate is this? and as it were, afking our Lord; what would he have me to be fo odd and conceited, as to leave the beaten path: and break company with the moft? I have no mind to be fo fingular and preçife; but even like the reft of my neighbours about

me,

O my

.