Even whilft the faints are imperfect on earth, they can cry, Here am I, fend me, Ifa. vi. 8. How much more ready fhall they be then, when all their fetters are knocked off!

4. They fhall be as the angels in their chearful and unwearied execution of the will of God: fo the angels are, and fo fhall the faints be. The fpirit fhall be then more willing, and the flesh shall be no more weak, as it is now; for when it is raised again, it fhall be in power, 1 Cor. xv. 43. More things of this nature might be added, but I pass lightly over them, because, although they are true, yet they are not principally looked at in this text; therefore I come to the second thing, wherein the glorified faints fhall be like unto the angels and that is,

2. In their way of living. They fhall be like the angels, i. e. (faith one truly) living like the angels. How is that? Our Saviour tells us, Neither marrying, nor being given in marriage. It is added presently, in Luke xx. 36. For neither can they die any more. If there be no dying, there will be no need of propagation; if no need of propagation, then why fhould they marry? The angels are fingle, and know no other conjunction, but with God in a fpiritual manner: no more fhall the faints. But what great matter is that to be like the angels in? What perfection is that? Many faints, yea and finners too upon earth, are fo like the angels; nay, and the devils too. Therefore you muft know that our Saviour, under this phrafe of not marrying, &c. doth comprehend all inanner of creature-converfe, all kind of living upon, and delighting in the creature, by a fynechdoche

of

of the part, as is ordinary in Scripture. I have not given upon ufury, faith the prophet, yet the people curfe me, Jer. xv. 10. i. e. I have had no dealing in the world, no negotiation. By By one kind he understands the whole, Ezek. xxv. 41. where, by eating their fruits, and drinking their milk, is understood the poffeffing of all that was theirs ; and, in many other places, the spirit of God uses this tropical way of speaking.

The angels of God, neither marry, nor are given in marriage, i. e. they live not upon any created good, delight not in any created comfort, but live intirely upon God, converse with him, are everlastingly beholding his glory, and delighting themselves in him: Thus fhall the glorified faints live for ever. Their bodies fhall not need, or ufe created fupplies, food, phyfick, raiment, &c. which things, in this animal ftate, they ftand in need of, Matt. vi. 32. But that is not all; for their fouls fhall not any longer defire, or hanker after any created thing; but (as the angels) fhall be poffeffed of God, filled with the fulness of God; all the powers and faculties of them, perfectly refined and spiritualized, abstracted from all created things, eternally rejoicing and delighting themselves in the contemplation and participation of the fupream and infinite good: For during this earthly and imperfect ftate, not only the bodies of good men feed upon, and are sustained by the creatures in common with other men, but even their fouls tafte too much of worldly contentments, and drink too deep of earthly pleasures, and creature-comforts: Even the moft refined fouls upon earth, though they do not properly feed

upon

upon any thing below God, yet do oft dip the end of their rod in this honey that lies upon the earth (with Jonathan) do cast an unchafte eye upon their earthly enjoyments, and delight in them in a way too grofs and unfpiritual; having abstracted them from God, and loving them with a diftinct love. But in the refurrection, it shall not be fo For the holy fouls fhall be perfectly conformed to the holy God, fhall feed upon him fingly, live upon him entirely, be wrapped up in him wholly, and be fatisfied in him folely and everlastingly; and fo fhall they be equal to the angels. The creature, although it doth not fill any truly fanctified foul upon earth, yet it hath fome room there; but then it shall be perfectly caft out, and the foul fhall be filled with all the fulness of God. The creature is now much in fome godly fouls, and fomething in all of them; but then it fhall be nothing at all to them, or in them. But God fhall be all in all, all things in all of them, as the way of the faints living, and their glorified ftate is defcribed, 1 Cor. xv. 28. that God may be all in all. They fhall inherit all things. But how is that? Why, fee the explication of it in the following words, God will be their God, Rev. xxi. 7. He that overcometh Jhall inherit all things, and I will be his God. God fhall be unto them inftead of all things. In that ftate there shall be no need of fun or moon, Rev. xxi. 23. by which excellent and useful creatures, the whole creation feems to be understood; for they that shall live above the fun and moon, fhall certainly live above all things that are below thefe. But how then? Why it follows, The glory of God shall enlighten

them

them, and the Lamb fhall be their light. So Rev. xxii. 5. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the fun; for the Lord giveth them light. All happiness is derived into them from God; and therefore there fhall be no night, no want of any creature-comfort to them, neither fhall they defire any thing more of the creature, whether small or great, whether candle or fun. For explication of this their bleffed life, let me allude to that of our Saviour, Luke xii. 24. The fowls of the heaven neither fow nor reap, yet God feedeth them. So the faints of heaven neither want or defire any created good, fo they feed upon God, the fupreme and infinite good. And again, verfe 27. The lillies neither toil nor fpin, and yet Solomon, in all his glory, was not arayed like one of thefe. Thefe bleffed fouls have no respect at all to things terrene and created, yet are they fo filled and adorned with the glory of the infinite Majefty, that Solomon, in all his glory, was a filthy and ragged thing in comparison of them. In a word, the state of the glorified faints and angels is fet out by our Saviour in the fame manner, by one and the fame description, and that is, the feeing of God. The life of angels is called a continual beholding of the face of God, Matt. xviii. 10. and the state of the faints glory and happiness is also a seeing of God, Matt. v. 8. Heb. xii. 14. Rev. xxii. 4. They fhall fee his face, and his name fhall be in their foreheads. Now this phrase, the feeing of God, applied both to the faints and angels, doth place their happiness in God alone, excluding the creature; and it doth import the fulness, and clearness, and certainty of that their bliss.

Thus

Thus I have fhewed you in what fenfe (though I am not able to fhew you in what degree) the glorified faints fhall be like the angels of God in heaven. Their way of living, viz. upon the blesfed God alone, fhall be the fame with that of the holy angels.

Application. From the difcovery of the future ftate of the faints, I find myself filled with indig

nation.

1. Reproof. Against the carnal conceits that many Christians have of heaven. Chriftians do I call them! Nay, herein they feem rather Mahometans, who place heaven in the full and lafting enjoyment of all creature-comforts; nay, indeed, of finful and abominable pleafures, as one may read in their Alcoran. It may be few Chriftians are altogether fo fenfual, but fure I am the far greater fort of Christians (fo called) are very grofs and carnal; at least, very low in their conceits of the state of future happiness. Heaven is a word as little underftood as holinefs; and that, I am fure, is the greatest mystery in the world. It would be tedious to run through the particular various apprehenfions of men in this matter, and indeed impoffible to know them. The common fort of people understand either juft nothing by heaven but a glorious name; or at best, but a freedom from bodily torment. As nothing of hell affects them, but that dreadful word fire; fo nothing of heaven, but the comfortable word reft, or fafety. Others, it may be, think there is fomething pofitive in heaven; and they dream of an honourable, eafy, pleafant life, free from fuch kind of toils, labours, pains, perfecutions, re

proaches,