Christ's last SERMON, OR, The everlasting estate and condition of all men in the World to come.  
Exactly describing the Everlasting, Blessed, and Happy condition of the Children of God in Glory for ever: With the everlasting, endless, and easeless condition of Wicked Men in the World to come for ever. Set forth for the Comfort of the Godly, and for the Terror of the Ungodly,  
By a godly, able, and faithful Servant of Jesus Christ, J. H.  Col. 3 4. 
When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also upon with him in glory.  Mat. 25.34.41. 
Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.  
EDINBURGH, Printed by ANDREW ANDERSON, Anno DOM, 1664.   

Courteous Reader.  
THere are lately published some useful and profitable Sermons, viz.  

Christ's first Sermon.  
A Key to open Heaven-gate.  
The true Christians Pathway to Heaven.  
The Plain man's Pathway to Heaven.  
Heaven's Glory and Hell's Horror.  
The dreadful Character of a Drunkara.  
There are also several other small Books needful to be bought and read, viz.  
Bessie Clarkson of Lanerk.  
The Lady Culrosse Dream.  
The last Good-night.  
The History of Doctor Faustus.  
The History of Fortunatus.  
The History of Roswall and Lillian.  
The History of Guy Earl of Warwick.  
No Jest like a true Jest: or, The History of Captain Hynd.   
All which, with variety of other Stories are to be sold by Andrew Anderson.   

CHRIST'S LAST SERMON: OR, The everlasting estate and condition of all men in the world to come.  John 14.2, 3. 
In My Father's House there are many Mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you: I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also.  
OUR blessed Lord and Saviour having in the foregoing Chapter acquainted his Disciples with His departure from them out of this world, He comes here in this, and the three following Chapters, to give them his last fare-well-Sermon, and therein He endeavours principally to comfort the sad hearts of His Disciples, who were now disconsolate, and cast down in the spirits, under the sense of so great and sad a los● as the loss of their great and only Lord an Master, Jesus Christ: For whom they had le●● and lost all: Christ having acquainted them wit● His going out of the world, they thereupon presently begin to be dejected and cast down at thi●● sad news. Lord, said they, have we left all, an● followed Thee, and wilt thou now leave us? shall we now be exposed to the difficulty and dangerous of the wide world? No, saith our Saviour, bi●●● not discouraged, let not your hearts be troubled it is for your good that I go away: In my Fathers, House are many Mansions, I go to prepar a place for you: And if I go, I will come again and receive you. You shall be no losers by My going away from you, I will surely make you a●● mends for all your loss: There are Mansions of joy in Heaven, that will abundantly counter vail all your wordlie losses. If I go away, it is for your good, for I go to prepare a place for you: And though you have not my bodily presence, yet you shall have my spiritual presence: I will send you another Comforter that shall abide with you for ever. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come unto you: That is, by My Spirit, to guide you and direct you into all truth, and to bear up your hearts under all those troubles and temptations, which ye shall meet withal in the world.  
Having thus briefly given you the scope of ●he whole, I come now to the words themselves, ●●com whence I raise these four Propositions? first, that there are mansions of glory in heaven for the people of God hereafter: In my Father's House are many mansions. 2. I note from ●ence, that Christ's ascension was to prepare a place for Believers; I go to prepare a place for you. 3. That Christ will certainly come again ●●nd receive Believers to Himself: I will come ●gain and receive you. 4. and lastly, which shall briefly insist upon, I note from hence, ●hat those mansions of glory prepared by Christ or Believers in Heaven, will abundantly recomense and make good all the losses and all the crosses which Believers may meet withal in the world.  
I shall begin with the first of these, that there ●re mansions of Glory for Believers hereafter. The point is so plain from the words themselves, that I shall only give you a place or two of Scripture; in the 84. Psalms, vers. 11. The Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will ●e withhold from them that walk uprightly. Eye ●ath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath is ●●ntred into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath provided for them that love him. Cor. 2.9. Come ye blessed (saith your Saviour) inherit the kingdom prepared for you, Mat. 25.34. Several other Scriptures I might give you, b●● I shall proceed to the uses of this useful poin● Is it so then, that there are Mansions of Glor●● for the godly hereafter? then I note from henc● the unspeakable misery of all wicked men bo●●● here and hereafter: Is there glory in heaven f●● Believers? What is there then in hell for Unb●●●lievers? if glory be the portion of the godly, wh●● will the lot and portion of wicked men b●● The wicked (saith Psal. 9.17.) shall be turm●●● into hell, and all the Nations that forget Go●● Wicked men shall have no part nor portion those glorious Mansions, they are prepated only for the godly: Wicked men may indeed (whic● shall but further aggravate their sorrow) behold t●● Saints received by Christ into glory, as Dives b●● held La Zarus in Abraham's bosom, but it w●●● afar off. Wicked men may at the last day he●●● that blessed sentence foe Come ye blessed, but the again also they shall hear, I and that with a vengeance too, that woeful sentence of, Go ye curs● into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil an● his Angels. It is impossible for wicked men, I me● such as live and die in sin unrepented of, to ent● into heaven. Know ye not (saith the Apostle, 1 Co● 6.9.) that the unrighteous shall not inherit 〈◊〉 Kingdom of God. The Evangelist St. John, Re●● 20.21. speaking of the world to come, which 〈◊〉 foresaw in his heavenly vision, I saw (saith he) t●● dead, small and great stand before God, and the Books were opened, and another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life: And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in those Books, according to their works. All the ways of men, both good and bad, are exactly written down both in the Book of God's everlasting Remembrance, and in the Book of man's own particular Conscience? And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; And Death and Hell (that is the grave) delivered up the dead which were in them; And they were judged every man according to their works. And whosoever was not found written in the Lamb's book of life, was cast into the lake of fire: There's the event of this judgement to the wicked. But what success the Righteous shall there have he sets down in Chap 21. Verse 3. Behold (saith he) the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: And God shall wipe all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death neither sorrow, nor cursing: neither shall there be any more pain. He that overcometh shall inherit all thing●… and I will be his God, and he shall be 〈◊〉 ●…on. A blessed privilege indeed, but what remains for the wicked? See what follows in the eight Verse. The fearful and unbelieving, the abominable and murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. A most dreadful Scripture; the Lord awaken every secure sinner, and give them hearts to consider these things before it be too late: For as the Prophet Malachy faith, Mal. 4.1. The day cometh that shall burn as an Oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day cometh that shall burn them up (saith the Lord Hosts) that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Then shall they call upon the mountains to cover them, and ●pon the ●●lls to fall upon them, to hid them from the fierceness of the wrath of God. O consider this all you that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you.  
Secondly, if there be such mansions of Glory for Believers hereafter, I note from hence the desperate folly and madness of all those who neglect or despise their own salvation. Ye will not come to me (saith our Saviour, Joh. 5.40.) that ye might have life. This is the condemnation; that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. Christ and salvation is freely offered to all in the Gospel: Christ invites all to come; Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters, Isa. 55.1. Rev. 22.17. The Spirit, and the Bride say, Come: and let him that is athirst, come: and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. And as Christ invites all to come, so he receives all that doth come: He that comes to me, I will in no ways cast him out (saith our Saviour, Joh. 6.37. What think you sinners of these Scriptures? will ye come to Christ and accept of life and salvation, or will ye wilfully cast away your own souls for ever? You see here Christ offers himself to you freely, if you will but receive him. Come unto me saith our Saviour, Mat. 11.28.) all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. What 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 will ye come 〈…〉 and be saved 〈…〉 you be so desperately mad as to destroy your own most precious and immortal souls? When I behold the lives of most men, my very heart trembles to think what will, everlastingly, become of their precious souls; all the care they take is for their bodies, how does money come in, and how they shall get riches; but they never consider how it goes with their souls: Ah sinners, are your bodies everlasting? Is this world everlasting? Can any thing but heaven make you happy? Are not your souls everlasting? will ye rather cast away your souls, then leave your lusts, for sin and you must part, orelse heaven and your souls will never meet? He that doth not leave his sins on this side the grave by Repentance, shall find 〈◊〉 sins to meet him on the other side the gravel 〈◊〉 condemn him. If you live in your sins, ye sha● die in your sins: Yea, die everlastingly for you sins. Sinners, I beseech you consider, are yo● fit to die, are you fit to live in another world are you prepared for heaven? If not, let me te●● you, you are fit for nothing but hell, and hell● prepared for you. Sinners, what do you do What do you mean to do are you yet a sleep? Al● Lord, what a harvest will hell have in these sin full days? What preparations do men make so heaven? Are not they that were filthy. filthy st●ll? What men were, that they are still: Though God is every day tumbling men into their graves yet no man mends his pace for heaven. Sinners you hear all this, but can you bear all this? Le● me give you two or three properties of a man fitted for hell, and I beseech you try and examine your own souls by them.  
The first property of a man fitted for hell, i● Obduration: A stone you know is fitted to descend, it is its property to fall, downwards: Hardness makes fitness. The way to Hell is from burning to burning, from a seared Conscience to a damned soul.  
A second property of a man fitted for wrath is alienation; estrangedness to God speaks fitness to wrath, and it is a sign that the Soul is fitted for utter darkness. There are but two steps to death, first, the sinner saith he will have no fellowship with God: And secondly, God saith, he shall have no fellowship with him: Now is the sinner judged, now fit for hell, then judge ye, the Execution only is wanting: And the Devil is not usually backward to perform his office: The sinner is upon the Gallows as it were, he wants but turning off, unless Christ steps in with a reprieve, that soul is utterly lost.  
A third property of a man fi●ted for Hell, is Profaneness: Profaneness is the badge of a wicked person: Wickedness in the life speaks out a cursed soul. You may know what Country men are of by their Language: By their Fruits ye shall know them. When men's words and works are the Language of Hell, what need any further inquiry what Country men, or to what place they belong: You may read Hell in their very faces. The tree is known by his fruit, saith our Saviour, Mat. 7.20. men's lives foreshow what their ends are like to be: As the Tree falls, so it lies: As sinners live, so they usually die: Every man's life lively bespeaks what they are, and what they shall be hereafter: If men will go on in the broad way of sin, you know where their journey's end will be: Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, Mat. 7.13. I know not what lives you live, but to be sure you may either spell Heaven or Hell in them. If ye would know the frame of your souls, then view your lives; your souls breathe out themselves either into the bosom of God or the Devils and into whose bosom you breathe out your souls here in this life, into that bosom you will certainly breathe them out in death. Fitting grace for heaven you see is no trifle, your eternal estate depends upon it. Sinners, why do you put off this work as a trisle, and why do you put it off till death? I dare say, that man would never be holy if be could help it, that will not be holy till he die; he would never have to do with Christ if he could avoid, that will not be acquainted with him before he is ready to leave this world: when death is fitting the soul for hell, then, and never till then to be looking after heaven. Ah, Lord, that ever those men should have precious and immortal Souls to damn themselves: they that look no after heaven till they come to their deathbeds, are usually crossed in their folly; they are then either surprised with infirmities of body, and so disenabled to perform so great a work; or else surprised in their souls, and so unfit and indisposed to it: either they have no strength or no heart to it, and so die in their sins, and perish eternally. Wicked men would never leave sinning, if they did not cease living, and that is one reasont to justify the infiniteness or everlastingness of the punishment of wicked men in hell. The damned in hell are under easeless and endless sufferings, because they would have sinned always, if they had lived always: wicked men would have no end of their lives here, they would live ever, that they might sin ever; therefore the Lord giveth them a life, not such a one as they would have, but such a one as they deserve to have, which is indeed a death for ever: wicked men shall die eternally for sin, because they would have lived eternally in sin.  
In the third place, I beseech you note from hence, what a blessed thing it is to be a Child of God: Is it so, that there are mansions of Glory for Believers in Heaven hereafter, than Believers are the only happy Men and Women in the World. Were it not for the hopes of Heaven, the condition of God's Children might be sad enough. if in this life only we had hope, we were of all men most miserable, 1 Cor. 15.19. But the hopes of God's Children are in the life to come; therefore they are of all men most blessed. The happiness of a Child of God is not in what he enjoys here below, but in what he shall enjoy hereafter in Glory. The best things of a Child of God are unseen things: Whilst we look not (saith the Apostle) at the things which are seens, but a the things Which are not seen: For the things which are seen are temporal but the things that are no●● seen are eternal, 2 Cor. 4.18. And in 1 Pet. 〈◊〉 3, 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundance mercy hath begotten us again unto a lived hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dea● To an Inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled that fadeth not away; reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God, through Faith unto Salvation. The Apostle here excellently sets forth the condition of a Child of God, and that in several Regards. First, They are b● gotten again, by Christ, to an Inheritance possibly they may lose all here below for H●● sake: But yet here is the comfort of a Child 〈◊〉 God, he is Heir to a great Estate in the ne●●● World: There is an Inheritance for him, an● that is a sure one: In six Regards: First, I●●● not a corruptible, but an incorruptible one. S●●● condly, it's an undefiled one: And thirdly, it 〈◊〉 a lasting, yea, an everlasting one, it fadeth no●●● away. Fourthly, it's reserved for them ti●● they come to age. God's Children, in this life are not at full age, therefore they are nor capable of enjoying so great a happinesss, which God will hereafter bestow upon them. fifthly, it reserved for them in a safe place. Many mo●●● leave great estates here for their children, whi●● they are often cheated of; But the Inheritance of God's Children is reserved by God for them in Heaven where neither Moth doth corrupt, nor These steals away. And lastlie, as the Inheritance is reserved for the Children of God, so the People of God are preserved for their Inheritance: Henven if reserved for them, and they are preserved for Heaven: They are kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto Salvation.  
Fourthly, are there such Mansion of glory for Believers hereafter, than I beseech you try and examine your own souls, whether or no ye be in the faith: And let me exhort you in the Name of Christ, seriously to set about the work of Salvation. You see what great and glorious things there are laid in store for God's Children hereafter: Then I beseech you, labour to get an interest in Christ here, that so you may partake of those glorious Mansions hereafter. How greatly should the consideration of these things draw out our hearts, in long and pant after God? When shall I come and appear before God? saith David, Psalm 42.1. As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God: My soul thirsteth for God for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? And if David and such long after the enjoyment of God in his Ordinances here, what desires thought we to have after the full enjoyment God himself in glory hereafter. Are there 〈◊〉 mansions of glory to be had hereafter, W●●● manner of persons ought we to be then in all manner of godliness?  
And then lastly, If there be such Mansi● of glory, then let me exhort you all, even now this your day, to set your hearts at work seeking after those great things of Eterni●●. Let every Soul of you thus reason with you selves, Are there such glorious things hereafter, and am I the man or woman that shall ●●joy them? I remember a story of Gauls, w●● having once tasted the sweet Wine of Ita●●● presently enquired after the Country, and ●●ver rested till they had gotten it. I have he●● given you, as it were, a fore-taste of that H●venly Wine which Believers shall drink hereafter in Glory; now if you find any sweetness in it, let not your hearts be at rest till you com●● to the Country itself, where are Rivers those sweet Pleasures, and that for evermore. Martyr suffering death, one asked him the cau●● why he suffered? Saith he in the words of t●●● Apostle, Eye hath not seen, ear hath nor heart neither hath it entered into the heart of man●● conceive the things which God hath prepared f●●● them that love him. The naming of wh●●● wrought so effectually on the man's heart, that ●e immediately became a Christian, and after offered death of His Names sake. You have ●ad not only one, but very many Scriptures opened to you, I beseech you let not all be in ●ain. We read in Mark 10.17. how the young ●an came running to Christ, saying, Good Mater, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? O that you, ever you that hear me this day, would ●ow also come running unto Christ, saying, What shall we do to partake of these glorious ●hings here revealed? Methinks, those things ●hould greatly encourage you all, old and young ●●ich and poor, now to get an interest in Christ. ●ou that are poor, and have but little in this world, consider there are as great things in ●he world to come for you, as for others. The ●●oorest Beggar shall have as great a portion in ●he world to come, as the greatest Prince. Nothing in this world can satisfy a chills of God: ●ll the glory of the world it's but the portion of Reprobate: and will a Reprobates portion ●erve you? will a Dog's portion satisfy you? I accounted all things in the world (saith the Apo●le) but as dung. Phil. 3.4. There are other ●hings to be sought after; See what our Saviour ●aith, Mat. 6.33. Seek ye first the king doom of ●eaven and the righteousness thereof: let that 〈◊〉 your first endeavour. Strive to enter in at the straight gate, though the passage benever so stra●●●● yet if it be the way to glory, strive to enter 〈◊〉 thereat. Consider, God hath given you Nurture's, capable of such glorious things as 〈◊〉 are, God might have made you bruit Bea●● and then there had been an end of you: 〈◊〉 God hath made you creatures capable of 〈◊〉 highest excellency, and therefore being of 〈◊〉 a Nature, it highly concerns you to seek af●● such things as may give satisfaction to you● souls. Men live as if they were capable of 〈◊〉 things else but meat, and drink, and ; if there were no higher things which conce●● our souls hereafter. The heathens could 〈◊〉 lief that man was created for greater thing than these here below: and if we who have 〈◊〉 great and glorious things revealed to us in 〈◊〉 Gospel, shall we neglect the looking after then how just shall our condemnation be? For 〈◊〉 shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? Heb. 2.3.  
I come now to the second Point, and that 〈◊〉 this; That Christ's Ascension was to prepar●● place for Believers: I go to prepare a place 〈◊〉 you. As Christ came down from heaven to 〈◊〉 for sinner, so Christ ascended up to Heaven that believing sinners might live with him hen●● after. Had not Christ ascended into Heaven He had not finished the work of our redemption and indeed the great support of a Child of God 〈◊〉 yes in his consideration. It's Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, and now sits at the right hand of God, making intercession for us, Rom. 8.34. Father, I will (saith Christ, John 17.24.) that those whom thou hast given ●●me, may be with me where I am. If Christ be not risen (saith the Apostle) then is our preaching vain, and our Faith is vain, and we are yet in our sins. But, as sureas Christ died. so the Apostle proves. 1 Cor. 15. that he risen again, and ascended up into heaven. That's an excellent Scripture, Rom. 4.25. He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. Our blessed Saviour first appearing to Mary Magdalen after his Resurrection, presently sends her to his Disciples with the joyful news of his Ascension, John 20.17. Go to my Brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God. O how joyful is the consideration of Christ's Ascension to a Child of God? Now may a Child of God say, he hath a friend in the Court; and a friend in the Court, we use to say, is betcer than a penny in the purse. Every Believer hath Christ for his friend in the Court of Heaven, and that's more worth to them then thousands of gold and silver. Christ is in heaven pleading the cause for Believers: If any man sin (saith the Apostle, 1 joh. 2.2.) we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ righteous. And it is good for Believers 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ is in heaven pleading their cause w●● God: so it is good for them that he is there 〈◊〉 scenting and perfuming all their Prayers to 〈◊〉 the Father. Whatsoever it is that we want that may do us good, Christ is ready to beg●● us of His Father. Father (saith Christ) these may friends, and for them I have shed my blo●● therefore, O Father, I will that they may with me, to behold my glory. That is an excelse Scripture, Heb. 7.25. Wherefore he is able 〈◊〉 to save to the uttermost those that come unto 〈◊〉 by him: seeing he ever liveth to make interces●● for them.  
Is it so then, that Christ Ascension was prepare a place for Believers, than this short encourage Believers to be willing to do or 〈◊〉 any thing here for Christ: What was that made the Saint suffer so joyfully 〈◊〉 Christ? was it not this, the assurance of God love in Christ to them? What was it that 〈◊〉 up jobs spirit so patiently under all his suff●●ings? I know (saith he) though worm's dest●● my body, yet my Redeemer liveth, and I sh●●● see Him with these eyes. We know (saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 5.1.) if our earthly house of this berna●er nalce were dissolved, we have a building of Jod, an house not made with hands, etrnall in the heavens. The assurance of heaven will make as willing to do or suffer any thing for Christ. There is that in heaven that will abundantly recompense and make good all our losses on earth. O Christians, I beseech you consider, you can 〈◊〉 either do too much or suffer too much for the getting of heaven. The Apostles were as great sufferers for the Kingdom of Heaven as ever any were, and yet what account did they make of it? We reckon (say they) that the suffering of this present world, are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us, Rom. 8.18. If we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with Christ, 2 Tim. 2.12.  
A third point I noted was this, That Christ will come again, and receive Believers to Himself: The point is clear from the words themselves, I will come again and receive you. But a little to illustrate the Point, I shall endeavour to show you by Scripture that it is so: And secondly, how it is so. First, that it is so, that Christ will come again, see that positive Scripture in Acts 1.10. And while they looked steadfastly into heaven, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galileo, why stand ye here gazing up into heaven? his same jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye ha●● seen him go into heaven. Here is the point y●● see confirmed by Scripture, and that by 〈◊〉 mouths of Angles: As sure as Christ is gone heaven, and as sure as he now fitteth at Go● right hand in Heaven; so sure will he come gain at the last day, and receive Believers 〈◊〉 Himself. And then how Christ will come: 〈◊〉 shall come in power and great glory, Matth. 〈◊〉 30. And secondly, He will come sudden●● even as a thief in the night. First, he sh●● come in power; irresistible power against s●●ners. I beseech you sinners consider, you 〈◊〉 not be able to stand when He appears, for as 〈◊〉 is all powerful in himself, so will He come at●●ded with an innumerable company of glori●● Saints and Angels. Behold (saith Judas) 〈◊〉 Lord cometh with ten thousand of His Sai●● to execute judgement upon all, and to convi●● all. 1 Thes. 1.7, 8, 9 The Lord Jesus shall 〈◊〉 revealed from heaven with his mighty Angel's 〈◊〉 flaming fire, taking vengeance on them th●● know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lo●● Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, a●● from the glory of His power. Though God b●● long suffering towards sinners, yet will he no●● always suffer sinners to go unpunished. The So●● of man shall come in His glory, & all the holy Angels with him, Mat. 25.31. And second lie, he shall ●ome suddenly and swiftly: Swiftly, even as the heightening. And suddenly, as a thief in the night, 〈◊〉 Pet. 3. Those scoffers there mocked and scof●●ed at the doctrine of Christ's coming to judgement; But saith the Apostle in the ninth verse, Though the Lord be long suffering, yet he is not ●●ack concerning his promise: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Though sinners may think Christ long, yet they shall find him sure. The coming of Christ will be sudden to sinners in two respects: Sudden in regard of their expectation; He will come before they look for Him; and sudden, in regard of their unpreparedness: Christ will come to sinners before they are ready for Him, they will be then to seek for Oil in their Lamps. Christ (as one saith) though he hath leaden feet, yet he hath iron hands: though God be long ere he does strike, yet when He doth strike, He will be sure ●●o strike home. Yet a little while and He that ●●sh all come will come, and will not tarry.  
Now the use which I shall make of this point shall be only this: Will Christ come again and receive Believers? then let me exhore you all to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ: Would you be received by Christ into glory, than I beseech you labour to receive Christ ●nto your souls by believing. If Christ do not live in you by faith here, you shall never 〈◊〉 with Christ in glory hereafter. It is unbe●● that is the soul-damning sin: He that believe not is condemned already, john 3.18. He that ●●lieveth shall he saved, but he that believeth 〈◊〉 shall be damned, Mark. 16.16. He that believ●● on the Son hath everlasting life; But he t●● believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but 〈◊〉 wrath of God abideth on him, John 3. 36.  
Another Use which I must make of this poi●● might be this, To comfort and encourage 〈◊〉 people of God in all their sufferings and loss●● Art thou in poverty? Doth the world frown 〈◊〉 thee? Are thy afflictions and losses many a●● great? Let not your hearts be troubled: Ch●●● is gone to prepare a place for you, and Ch●● will come again and receive you; Therefore 〈◊〉 not discouraged. What though you meet w●● many rubs and stops in your way? Yet you m●● be sure to get to glory at the last. Consider th● through many tribulations we must enter i●● the Kingdom of Heaven.  
The fourth and last Observation which I o●● served, was this, That those Mansions of Glo●● prepared by Christ for Believers in Heaven, w●● abundantly recompense and make good all th● Losses and all the Crosses which Believers m●● here meet withal in the world. Let not yo●● hearts be troubled, in my Father's house are m●● ●●y mansions. Sell all (saith our Saviour) and follow me, & thou shalt have treasure in heaven.  
For further prosecution of this useful Point, I shall proceed to handle it first doctrinallie, and then Applicatorilie; And for the Doctrinal part, I shall endeavour to show you first, what those Mansions of glory are which are laid up for Believers: And secondly, what those losses are which Believers may here meet withal: And ●●hen lastly, how those Mansions of glory do make good the losses and crosses which Believers meet with in the world: And to begin with the first, what those Mansions of glory are which are ●aid up for Believers in heaven: And all that ●●an be said of this, will be but as it were the lighting of a Candle to the Sun: For it comes infinitely short of the skill either of men or Angels ●●o express, as the Apostle saith, Eyes hath not ●●een, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered in●● the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 9 The glory of the glorified Saints in hea●●en is so exceeding glorious, that it is not pos●●ble for all the tongues of men or Angels to ex●●ess it. But by the way, to give you some glimpses of this most excellent glory, consider a little ●●hese following particulars.  
First, in heaven we shall have the everlasting forefence of God Himself: there we shall see God as He is, not by faith, but by sight, clea●● and fully. I shall see him (saith holy J●●● with these eyes. Now we see as it were throug●● glass darkly, but there we shall see God fac●● face. We shall see Him as we are seen. Th●● and there we shall be ever with the Lord, as 〈◊〉 Apostle hath it, 1 Thess. 4.17. We shall enjoy G●● in heaven freely and fully without let or interruption; Though the Saints may possibly m●●● with many and great impediments, and him rances in the way unto Heaven, yet in Hea● there shall be nothing to hinder or inter●● their joy. It is possible that a Child of G●●● may have his skin pulled over his ears, as so●● of the Apostles had in their way unto Hea●● yet being gotten into Heaven, nothing shall 〈◊〉 jest or trouble them at all. What an unspeakable inconceiveable comfort will it be, Christians, to have and enjoy the presence of 〈◊〉 God who is all, and hath all, and will be e●●lastinglie all in all to His people for ever: Wh●● having not seen (saith the Apostle) we sire to love: In whom believing, we rejoice w●● joy unspeakable and full of glory. And if 〈◊〉 fight of God's presence by faith be so glori● what then will be full fruition and enjoyment of God Himself be? O! unspeakables 〈◊〉 full of glory.  
A second thing which I would speak to, 〈◊〉 indeed I must but speak to it, is the perfection of grace that shall be enjoyed in heaven? O Christians, when ye come to heaven, than ye come to full age in heaven. The spirits of just men shall be made perfect, and the bodies of the Saints shall be made glorious even like the glorious body of Christ. There we shall do the will of God perfectly. In heaven there is no sin, nor temptation to sin, no not so much as a vain thought, or an idle word: And as there is no sin, so there is no Satan. There shall be no more need of Sermons, nor Sacraments, nor Prayers: But the whole work of the Saints in heaven will be to sing Praises and Hallelujahs to God for ever and ever.  
thirdly, in Heaven there is fullness of joy, Rivers of pleasures at Gods Right hand, and that for evermore, Psalm 16.11. And those Rivers of pleasures shall flow in, and from the presence of God himself, as the Fountain of all those joys, which have infiniteness and eternity in them, without the least dram of sorrow: For God shall then wipe away all tears from our eyes, and there shall be no more sorrow, Rev. 21.4. The Rivers of the Saints joy in Heaven, as they are without bank, so they are without bottom: Our Master's joy will then be so great, that we his Servants shall not be able to contain it: There is nothing in Heaven but what is matter of joy, our Father's house, our Inheritance our Kingdom, our Crown and Glory our sight of God's Face. That is an excellent speech of David, Thou shalt make me (saith he full of joy with shy Countenance: Heaven is boundless, yea, a bottomless Ocean of joy an happiness, the society of blessed Angels, at glorified Saints. In a word, the joys of Heave● far exceeds all the joys that can be thought o●● upon earth: Not only the joy of Marriage's and the joy of Harvest, but also they joy of Faith's and the joy of Ordinances, which are all swa●●lowed up by this great Ocean of joy: Nothing can disturb or diminish the joys of the Saints 〈◊〉 Heaven.  
Fourthly, as there is fullness of joy in Heaven, so there is excellency of glory; Perfection of glory shall be the Saints Robes: In Heaven they shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Dan. 12.5. In the one and twentieth of the Revelations, St. John speaking of the new Jerusalem, exactly describes the glory thereof: It is City, whose walls are Jasper, and the stre●●pure Gold, clear as Crystal, whose foundation are of precious Stones, and the gates thereof 〈◊〉 Pearls: And if this new Jerusalem, the Church of God here below be so glorious, how exceeding glorious then is that heavenly Jerusalem which is above? Heaven, as one saith, is the Palace of the King of Glory, the Presence chamber of the great God, whose Presence it is that makes Heaven to be Heaven: There indeed would be no Heaven, if God Himself were not there. In Heaven God makes His Glory visible, both to Saints and Angels: Thence it is called a Crown of Glory, an eternal weight of Glory: Glory shall then and there cover the Saints all over, from top to toe, both within and without, their Souls shall there be made glorious in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, and their bodies shall be made like the glorious Body of Christ; The bodies of the Saints in Heaven shall be free from all necessities of nature, as food, and raiment, sleep, and the like. In Heaven there shall be no need of these things.  
Secondly, in Heaven the bodies of the Saints shall be freed from all natural infirmities, and deformities, sickness: diseases, pains, or such like bodily infirmities: There shall be no Cripples, no Blind nor Diseased ones in Heaven: Heaven is an healthful Country, there is no sickness, nor death, no poverty nor disgrace in Heaven: Our bodies shall be clothed in Heaven with life and immortality by Christ: Christ will there change our vile bodies, and make them like His glorious Body, Phil. 2.21. Did Moses face shine when he beheld but the glory of God's outside: Did Stephen's face shin● with Angelical splendour or brightness, ho●●● gloriously then shall the glorious bodies of th●● Saints shine when they shall stand before the Lord of Glory? The Saints then shall be, a●● the Psalmist expresses it, All glorious within their clothing shall be all wrought gold. Th●● glory which Gods People shall see and enjoy i●● Heaven, will infinitely oblige them to spen●● eternity there. Take a little view, a foretaste as it were of the Saints glory in Heaven. First it is great, an exceeding, excessive, and eternal weight of glory, as Saint Paul expresses 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4.17. The glory of Heaven is the glor●● of glories, joy unspeakable and full of glories unutterable and unconceivable: Therefore it called, Glory to be revealed, Rom. 8.18. S●● a little the greatness of this heavenly glories these two things: First, the vessels that ta●● it; Secondly, the resemblance that sets it forth. The vessels that take in this glory are the sou● and bodies of Saints, whom the Apostle call Vessels of mercy prepared unto glory: First for the soul here in this life: The whole wor●● is not able to fill or satisfy one souls. The so●● is capable of more than the whole world is ab●● to give it: But the glory of Heaven, th●● will fill all the souls of all the Saints brimful. W●● read of some Saints that they live their full ●aies: They had as it were their ballyful of ●his life, but in the life to come all the Saints ●hall be filled full of Glory. Secondly, for ●he bodies of the Saints, though they are Vessels of less quantity than the soul, yet the world 〈◊〉 not able to fill or satisfy the body to the full: ●●s to instance in the Eye and the Ear, those ●●ttle Members of our Body. We use to say of ●ome, that their Eye is bigger than their Bel●●le: The little Eye at one glance can take into 〈◊〉 more than half the world; And what abundance of noise and found will the Ear receive at ●●nce. The Eye is not satisfied (as the Wiseman saith, Eccles. 1.8.) with seeing, nor the ●●ar with hearing. Those little members of our ●ody are either clogged or tired out, before ●hey can be filled or satisfied with those things: ●ut not only the souls, but even the bodies of The Saints in Heaven shall be filled topful of Glory, from the crown of their heads to the sole of their feet. In Heaven the everlasting doors of our souls shall always stand wide open to receive the glory of Christ in the streams thereof: and then shall Christ the King of Glory come in, ●nd dwell with them for ever.  
Secondly, the greatness of the Saints Glory in Heaven may further appear by the resemblances that sets it forth: First, the glory of Kings upon their Coronation day: That greatly sets forth and illustrates the greatness of Saints Glory in Heaven: For in Heaven Saints shall all be crowned Kings, and sh●● reign as Kings for ever in Glory: They shall herit the Kingdom (as our Saviour saith, M●● 25.34.) prepared for them from the foundation the World.  
2. The Glory of the Stars that also resem●● the Glory of the Saints in Heaven. One Star feareth from another in Glory, 1 Cor. 15.41. the very bodies of the Saints in heaven shall 〈◊〉 shine all the Glory of all the Stars; Yea, the 〈◊〉 Glory of the Sun itself, which out shiner all Glory of the Stars. See what our Saviour sa●● Mat. 13.23. Then shall the Righteous shine fo●● as the Sun, in the Kingdom of their Father.  
3. The Glory of the glorious Angels, th●● another resemblance of the Saints in Glo●● the Glory of the Angels, that far exeeds all Glory of all the Stars, yea, and all the King's Monarches of the world: But the Saints in H●●ven shall be like unto the very Angels, M●● 22.30. Or as St. Luke hath it, Luk, 20. Equal to the Angles in Glory.  
4. The Glory of Christ Himself, who is L●● of Glory, that resembles and sets forth the Gl●● of the Saints: When Christ comes to be glori●● in his Saints at the last day, then shall the Sai●● appear with Christ in Glory. Christ is the Glo●● ●f the Saints here, and Christ will be the Glory of the Saints hereafter: Christ will then put His Glory upon them, and they shall shine with the Glory thereof Then they shall be like Him, as St. ●●ohn saith 1 John 3.2. For we shall see him as he is. Then the bodies of the Saints, which have lain ●●n the dust, shall arise and put on beautiful gar●●ents, even the Robes of Glory. Christ will then change their vile bodies, and make them like to ●is glorious body: The Saints shall be made consumable to Christ in Glory. Is not then the Glory of the Saints in Heaven exceeding great? You ●●e it is a Kinglike, a Starlike, a Saintlike, an ●●ngel-like, yea, a Christ-like Glory.  
Secondly, the Glory of Heaven is solid, subtantial, and weighty: the Apostle, 2 Cor. 4.17. ●●lls it, an exceeding eternal weight of Glory. ●●'s like to precious things, as Gold and Crowns, ●●e more weighty they are, the more worth is in ●●em: Hence the Original word sighifies both Weight and Glory. Whereas on the contrary, worldly glory, that's light and frothy, having no ●●bstance nor reality in them, they are only shadows that appear, and then vanish away: A fashion, as the Apostle calls it, 1 Cor. 7.31. that passeth ●way: It is like a Picture that hath only shape and colour, but no life; mere fantasy, a sound and no more.  
Thirdly, Heavenly Glory that is permanent and durable, it is lasting; Yea, an eve●ing glory: It is perpetual, it shall never nor decay: But worldly honour and glory, th●● transitory, inconstant, perishing, and passing way like a feather in the air: it is only seen blown away with the wind, 1 Pet. 1.24. the glory of man is as the flower of the gra●● in the morning it flourishes, but in the eve●● it is cut down and withered.  
Fourthly, the Glory of Heaven is satisfy and contenting; They that enjoy it shall fire no more: But for worldly glory, they have most of it, still desire more: but the S●● in Heaven shall have as much of Glory as 〈◊〉 can hold, yes, more than their hearts can 〈◊〉 or desire. All the Saints in Heaven shall 〈◊〉 We are rich, and are full, we have all, an●● bound. 1. In Heaven there is plenty of wea●● peace, and safety, rest, and reward: Plenty wealth without want. The Treasures of ●●●ven cannot be corrupted: There is no moth rust, nor thiefs to steal them away. Heaven Treasures can never fail, they are like the dows' Oil, they increase upon the Saints: T●● are bags that wax not old, unsearchable rich Ephes. 3 8. The Gold of Glory can never be●● or summed up. Secondly, in Heaven then plenty of peace without trouble, safety with danger, triumph without war: There all enemies shall cease, our bodily enemies shall ●●e be reconciled unto us: And the enemies ●●ur souls shall be all cast into the lake of fire brimstone. In Heaven there is no bloody ●●n to kill a righteous Abel; No luxurious So●●ites to vex a righteous Lot; No Ishmael off; No Shimri to curse; No Esau to terri●●● No Rabshekah to rail; No Herod to perse●● the people of God; No Judas to betray a our. In Heaven there is peace, not for term ●ats, but for ever and ever. Thirdly, in ●●ven there is plenty of rest without weariness; ●e is no work to do but what is pure delight; only work of the Saints in Glory will be to 〈◊〉 Praises and Hallelujahs to God for ever and 〈◊〉. Heaven will be a place of ease and rest to weary: There remaineth a rest for the ●●●ple of God, Heb. 8.9. 'Tis possible they may ●yred (as it were) here with doing the work God, or wearied with suffering persecutions the sake of Christ, But there remaineth a rest them hereafter. O what a sweet expression is 〈◊〉! Art thou troubled and turmoiled here, thou it have rest hereafter. Blessed are the dead ●●th die in the Lord (said the Spirit) they rest ●●●m their labours, and their works do follow ●●●m, Rev. 14.13. Fourthly, in Heaven there is ●●nty of reward: Do you here suffer for righteousness sake great is your reward in heaven, saith our Saviour, Mat. 5.10. Do you suffer for Christ here, you shall reign with Christ hereafter glory. The light afflictions of a Saint here, we work for him an exceeding and eternal weig●● of glory hereafter. Upon this account our blessed Saviour calls on us to rejoice in our sufferings, Mat. 5.12. Rejoice (saith he) and be exceeding glade, for great is your reward in heaven What we suffer for God we suffer for the Kingdom of God, and upon that score the Saints a●● said to be counted worthy of the kingom of Go●● 2 Thes. 1.5. The sufferings of this life are n●● worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be in the life to come. Do you labour hard he●● for God and his cause; do you spend, and a●●● you spent in his service? perhaps you may be bu● poorly requited by men: O but consider, heaven is a large recompense of everlasting reward. It said of Moses, Heb. 11. That he chose rather suffer afflictions with the people of God, then enjoy the pleasures (the seeming pleasures) of si●●● for a season. For indeed they are but seeming pleasures which continue but for a season: An●●● counted the reproach of Christ greater riches them●● all the honours of Egypt. For, saith the Apostle●● He had respect to the recompense of reward Moses could see glory to come through all the sufferings of this life. Heaven is our great Lor● and Master's joy, where all his faithful servant shall be received and rewarded to all eternity. Fifthly, In Heaven there is good company, blessed society; God and Christ, and the holy Spirit: Millions of millions of blessed Saints and glorious Angels. Then shall the Saints be gathered to their Father, yea, to their fathers and friend's who are gone to Heaven before them. And is it not a happiness think you to be among our friends? do you not think that time well ●ent here, which you spend in the enjoyment ●nd embracements of your friend's society, whose ●●ve and favour is altogether inconstant and changeable? you may be taken from them, or they from you in a moment; O but your friend's 〈◊〉 Heaven they are immortal, and their love is ●●changeable; they and you shall then and there ●●ve for ever, and enjoy one another, and rejoice ●●ne with another for ever: but your dearest ●●iends on earth must die, they must leave you, ●●●t your joy in Heaven shall no man take from ●●u. In Heaven there is God your Father, and Christ your Head, and Husband, and Saviour, there, even in his humane nature wherein he ●●ffered death on the Cross for you: and your comforter, God the holy Spirit is there, yea, ●●d all your friends. How mightily do children ●●●ng to go home to their father's house, or a wife 〈◊〉 her husband: so earnestly should our souls ●●sire to go to heaven, our father's house, to Christ our head and husband, where there is good pany only, and that to all eternity.  
And then lastly, the Glory of Heaven is stant and permanent: In Heaven all is safe sure, all things continue there fixed and imm●able. Heaven is an Inheritance settled upon Saints for ever, and sealed unto them by broad Seal of Christ's Blood.  
I have showed you in part what those ●●sions of glory are, which the Saints shall e●●● hereafter: I come now, and I must be brief ●●ving a little touch on it already, to show what those losses and crosses are which B●●vers may meet withal here below: and first the losses which you may meet withal in 〈◊〉 world. What are they? poor trifles, a 〈◊〉 pebble-stones as it were; a little earthly t●●● sure it may be, such as is not considerable: S●●● little what those worldly enjoyments are wh●●● possibly thou mayest lose for Christ's sake: F●● thou losest nothing for Christ here, but wh●● vanity and emptiness; broken Cistrens that 〈◊〉 hold no water. For as one saith well. A w●●full of honours or pleasures cannot satisfy one 〈◊〉 with any solid comfort. Thou mayest as soon 〈◊〉 thy Chest with Grace, as thy heart with Go●● There is not that in the Creature which 〈◊〉 look for: Experience tells us, a man may at o●●● have a house full of Gold, and yet a heart ful●●● sorrow: They that enjoy the most of the world cannot say they have enough, therefore the loss of it is not considerable, not to be comparers with the gain of Heaven. Seconly, there is nothing thou losest for Heaven, but what is the portion of the wicked: Wo●dly comforts are wicked men's portions: Yea, and ●●●s all the portion that ever they shall have either here or hereafter, Son, remember (saith Abraham to Dives being in hell) that thou in thy life-time receivest thy good things. They that have their Heaven in this world shall have nothing in Heaven in the world to come. Thirdly, thou canst ●ose nothing for Christ that can be profitable to ●hee: All the outward good things of this life cannot sanctify, nor purchase one dram of saving Grace for thee: They may prove share to ●hee, or be occasions of sin to you, or draw you from Christ, as they did the Youngman in the Gospel, but they will never drive you to Christ: and commonly they that have most of Gold have ●east of Grace, or rather no Grace at all. And as they cannot sanctify you so they cannot save you: They can neither she●●er you from the judgements of God here, of from the stroke of ●eath; Neither can they preserve you from hell hereafter. Rich Dives went to hell, when poor Lozarus was carried unto Heaven; Worldly things cannot purchase Heaven, if the whole world would lend you their shoulders, th●●● could not lift you up to Heaven. Fourth there is nothing here below that is certain, 〈◊〉 things under the Sun are mutable, sublunar enjoyments, more changeable than the Mo●●● inconstant even as the Wind, certain on●● in uncertainties: And as they are uncerta●●● so they are corruptible and perishing. Ch●●● calls them meat that perisheth, Joh. 6.27. 〈◊〉 things which either moths or rust may consu●● or thiefs may steal away from you, or they 〈◊〉 be destroyed by fire: which if you do posse●● while you live, yet you must leave them beh●●● you when you die: For as we brought nothing into the World, so it is certain we shall carry 〈◊〉 thing out of the world. 1 Tim. 6.7.  
Fifthly, outward enjoyments are often v●● troublesome, they bring many fears, many ca●● much sorrow and vexation: There is a car●● get, and a care to keep riches, as the Wise n●●● faith, All is vanity, so is it also vexation of ●●●rit. Worldly comforts they are like Roses, th●● have sharp prickles as well as sweet flowers. man may have much bitterness in his least 〈◊〉 comforts here, therefore do not think much 〈◊〉 part with all things here below for Christ; 〈◊〉 thou shalt be no loser by the bargain; Thou sh●● receive an hundred fold more in this life, and the world to come eternal life, Mark 10.30 I come now in the next place, in a word, to ●ew you what these Crosses are which Believers do oftentimes undergo for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake: and they are very small and in●●siderable also, in respect of the glory that follows. The Apostles endured as much tribulations for the Kingdom of heaven's sake as possibly ●●ould be, yet what did they think of it? We ●●ckon (saith St. Paul) that the afflictions of this ●se are not worthy to be compared with the gloly that shall be. For first, they are but light: our light afflictions. And as they are light, so they are ●●or short; they are but for a moment: Our light affliction (saith the Apostle) which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and ●●ternall weight of glory. Hence it is that the ●●ints of old were so joyful in all their tribulations: hence they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ.  
I shall come now to show you how it is that ●ose Mansions of glory in Heaven will make ●ood all our losses and crosses upon earth: and his appears further for these reasons. For first, 〈◊〉 you have heard already, the glory of the glorified Saint in heaven is infinite, and durable: ●nd therefore must needs exceed and make good 〈◊〉 their losses, which as you have also heard, are ●●te and uncertain. We use to account more of ●ose things which are durable and lasting, than those things which are of no certainty.  
Secondly, The only, yea, all the treasures the Saints are laid up in Heaven; and what ne● any care for losing a few trifles so long as th● treasure is safe? If a man lose a few trifles yet if he have a safe treasury to go to, he 〈◊〉 soon make good so small a loss. Beloved, all t●●● things you do enjoy here are but trifles; but t●●● things which you shall enjoy hereafter in h●●ven, are no less than a treasure: a rich treasury, the store-house of God himself, into 〈◊〉 which he hath been treasuring up for his Sai● from the foundation of the world. I might much larger herein: but I will conclude all i● word or two of Application.  
Is it so then that those mansions of Glory p●●● pared by Christ for Believers in Heaven, 〈◊〉 abundantly recompense and make good all 〈◊〉 Losses and Crosses which Believers meet with in the World? The I beseech you set your fections upon things above, and not on things low. You see we live in slippery times, we ca● not say that any thing is certain here: O th● labour to be sure of something hereafter. If th● canst not keep thy earthly inheritance, than bout to get an inheritance in heaven.  
Secondly, for I must be brief, If there be s●● glorious mansions in heaven: then labour to p●●● pair your souls for heaven. But how shall we this, may some say? I answer, These five way 

1. Wouldst thou prepare thyself for heaume be fruitful then in well doing, always abounding in the works of the Lord: be sure to get that work done which God sent you into the world to do; growing in grace is going to heaven: and grace here will make you fit and meet for glory hereafter.  
2. Would you prepare for heaven? labour to purge yourselves then from all sin, by being unpotted in the world; for as Heaven is a place of happiness, so it is a place of holiness, into which nothing that is unclean can enter: it is only the ●ure in heart that shall see God, Mat. 5.8.  
3. Would you prepare for heaven? then get ●our selves into a posture of readiness to leave he world and go to Heaven every day, that ●ou may up and be gone when ever death calls ●or you: so that when death comes, you may ●ave nothing to do but to die. Death will not ●ait when he cometh: if ye are not fit to die, ye ●re not fit for heaven: death will not carry that ●oul to heaven that is not ready when he comes. ●f you are not ready to die when ever death ●omes, let me tell you, ye are not fit to live in another world. You know not at what hour Christ ●ay come or send his messenger Death for you: herefore be always ready for heaven, because ●eaven is always ready for you. When the ●idegroom came, they that had Oil in their imps, grace in their hearts, they went in to the arriage: but for those that wanted oil, the door was shut against them, and they were shut from the marriage-feast. They that have la●● without oil, profession without grace, shall ●ver enter into Heaven.  
4. Would you prepare for Heaven? then your title to Heaven cleared and confirme●● you: what man is there, that having purchas a great Estate, that will be so foolish as n●● get a sure title to what he hath purchased? 〈◊〉 we are strangers and pilgrims, as all our fa●● were; but heaven that's our home, our coun● our Father's House, our Inheritance: O should we then labour to make that sure to souls! and having made that sure, labour in the next place, to keep up your Evide●●● First, keep your Evidences for Heaven and fair, for Satan will endeavour to blot t●● Secondly, keep them safe: the Devil wi●● them from you if he can; and if ye lose Evidences, what have you to show for Hea●●● If your writings be lost, how will you get Inheritance? Then, whatsoever you do, ge●●surance of heaven; for first, assurance of he will take off your hearts from the world: rance of those things above will make you ●ing to part with all things here below, co●● you in all your tribulations, and bear up hearts under all discouragements, as it did vids, Jobs and Paul's. Evidence for Heaven lie warm at your hearts when natural hea●●● ●…yes; when you lie upon your death beds, they ●…ill be a sweet taste to your Souls: when you ●eel no taste or comfort in meat or drink, assu●…ance of Heaven will comfort you: when all ●…ings fail you, assurance of Heaven will prepare you for all changes, it will fit you for your ●…eat change. Assurance of life eternal will ●…onquer the Grave for you, and unsting Death ●…o you: it will make you sing, yea, to triumph ●…n the way to heaven, over death and the grave. They that have Heaven assured to them, have more joy and gladness put into their souls, than ●…ll the world besides. Assurance of salvation will ●…ngage you to trust God for all things, and evi●…ence God to your souls, it will make you to love ●…nd delight in him, fearful to offend, careful to ●…lease him. Thirdly, Assurance makes men ●…uspicious of themselves: they that are assured ●…hat they shall stand, will be sure to take heed ●…hat they do not fall: they that shall be saved, ●…ill labour to work it out with fear. Fourthly, ●…ssurance makes the soul humble; the higher the ●…oul is in assurance, the lower it will be in humi●…ity. But how shall we know that our assurance ●…or heaven is right? Take these following Rules. 

1. Right assurance will make you more holy: every man that hath this hope purifies himself as God is pure. Right assurance for Heaven will ●…ngage your souls to be holy in all manner of conversation: Having therefore these promises. dearly beloved, cleanse yourselves from all thinnessthinness both of the flesh and spirit, 2 Cor. 6.  
2. Right assurance will make the soul to pe●vere to the end; receiving the end of your fa● the salvation of your souls. But how shall get this assurance? 1. By having a godly 〈◊〉 row for sin wrought in thy soul. Christ gives 〈◊〉 to none but to the weary. 2. Examine your he●● and lives by comparing them with the Word God. 3. Assurance is obtained by a holy, constant, and careful use of the Ordinances of Go● in joining both the end and the means together it will make you as careful to use the means, confident to expect the end of your faith, the ●●vation of your souls. It doth not feed men w● vain hopes, that they shall escape hell thou they live in sin, and go on in the broad way t●● leads to destruction. They that would come heaven must be careful to use the means, 〈◊〉 they must walk in that straight and narrow w● unto holiness and righteousness, which on leads unto life and salvation.      
And lastly, is it so then that Godliness is great g● yea, it is the best gain? Hath God made thee guly, The lines are fallen to thee in a pleasant place, t●● hast a goodly heritage, Psal. 16.6. It is enough, th● hast all: though it may be thou hast but little the world yet thou hast a propriety in God: G●● is thine, thy portion is Christ, he is thy Jes●● thy all; Labour then to be conformable to Go● godliness is God's likeness. Hath God given you ●…ace? God hath done more for you than if he ●…nd given you a thousand worlds. Are others ●…ch, and art thou poor? have others plenty of ●…old and silver, and hast thou little or none are all? ●…onsider, hath not God given thee that which is finitely better than all the Gold and Riches of ●…he World: Faith, that is more precious than Gold that perishes: Wisdom, that is better than ●…bies? yea all things that can be thought of are ●…ot comparable to grace. If grace be thy portion, ●…lory will be thy portion: and thou hast more ●…use of content, than if thou hadst all the world ●…or thy portion without grace. What though o●…hers be richer than thee, yet thou art better than there's. The righteous is more excellent than his neigh●…r. Are others had in honour and art thou de●…pised? let me tell thee, if thou hast the favour of God, thou hast more honour than all the world ●…n give. Are thy troubles greater nor others? conder, God seethe them good for thee; thou canst or tell how to be without them: It is good for me saith David) that I have been afflicted, They that ●…ave endured the most of afflictions here, will be ●…nd to be the happiest people in all the world ●…reafter, for through them we enter into glory. ●…hrough many tribulations we must enter into the king●…m of heaven. Unto which Kingdom the Lord, his infinite mercy, bring us all. Amen.  
FINIS.