Or, as the Streams and Rivers, which the farther they run, the more they increafe, until they come to the Sea: Therefore, when our Lord and Saviour fpeaks of this Spirit of Grace, which fuch as believe in him receive, he tells the fews, John 7. He that believeth in me, Rivers of living Water ball flow from his Belly. And to the Samaritan Woman, he fpeaks in this Language, John 4. He that fall drink of the Water that I fall give him, shall never thirst; but the Water that I fhall give him, shall become in him a Fountain of Water Springing to Eternal Life. This was fometimes fhewn in a Vifion to the Prophet Ezekiel, Ezek 47. by the Waters that ran down from the Sanc tuary; for, at the firft they reach'd no higher than the Prophet's Ankle-Bones, afterwards they rofe up to his Knee, and then to his Middle; at laft they increased in fuch, a Manner, that they became a great Torrent, and a deep River which was not to Be forded over, and which difcharged itfelf into the Sea.

As David, in the Beginning of his Reign, commanded but one Tribe, but afterwards, he enlarged the Limits of his Kingdom over all the Tribes of If rael, that fmall Portion of the Kingdom was not then taken from him, but only encreafed, and became greater: Thus it is with us during this Life, we have a fmall Part of the Kingdom of Heaven intrusted in our Hands; or, if I may fo fay, we have now fome Jewels of the incorruptible Crown, which is promised hereafter. This Part fhall not be taken from us, this bright Beam of our future Glory fhall never be put out but in the Life to come. We fhall poffefs as much of this Kingdom, as we are able, and fhall be cloathed with all the Light and Splendour of the Heavenly Glory

But as there is no Comparifon ever fo juft, but is wanting in fome Refpects, there is no fmall Difference

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In this for the Tribe of Judah, was the nobleft and
richest Part of the Kingdom of Ifrael, but that Part
which our Souls enjoy at prefent, of the Happiness and
Glory of the Kingdom of Heaven, is but as a Drop of
Water, in Comparison of the Ocean; or, as a weak
Ray of Light, in Comparison of the Sun, 2 Cor. 12.
Therefore, the Apoftle St. Paul, who had been.
vifhed into the third Heaven, and who knew better
than any Man in the World, what were the Joys
and Glories of Heaven, when he mentions this Spi-
rit of Adoption that God fends into our Hearts, he
calls it, Rom. 8. The First- Fruits of his Spirit: To
teach us, that there is as vaft a Difference between
sas
the Measure of the Gifts and Graces which we re
ceive here below, and the over-flowing Abundance
which we fhall enjoy in Heaven, as between fome
few Ears of Corn, and the whole Harveft of a Field.
Tis like the fmall Quantity of Fruits which were
brought to the Children of Ifrael in the Wilderness,
compared to the great Abundance of all the Land of
Canaan. 'Tis like fome fmall Crumbs of the heaven-
ly Bread, of which, we fhall have our Fill in the
Kingdom of God; or, as fome fmall Drops of that
new Wine which we fhall drink for ever in the hea
venly Ferufalem.

you,

Therefore, believing Souls, you may from hence conclude, that the Approaches of Death ought not to fcare, nor fright you, because that you have within you the Principles of a Life everlafting, and the Seeds of a glorious Immortality, which cannot be taken from you. Jefus Chrift doth not only wait for and ftretch out unto you his Arms, to receive you into his Reft; but he himself is alfo with you, and will render the Paffage more eafy and pleafant to this new World, where Juftice and Righteoufnefs dwell, John 11. He will work Miracles for your Sake, and of you believe, you fhall fee the Glory of God,

Joshua 3. We do not only follow the Footsteps of this Divine and True Joshua, but we pass over with him, and he paffeth over with us, Exod. 19. We are not like the Children of Ifrael, that went through the River of Jordan, whilft the Priefts held the Ark in the Middle of the River, but we may be compared to the Priefts themfelves, 1 Pet. 2. that did bear the Ark of the Covenant, and caufed the Waters to return back to the Spring again. For we are a Generation of Priefts, and we bear in our Souls the Lord Jefus, in whom the Fulness of the God-Head dwells bodily, and in whom are hid all the Treafures of Wif dom and Knowledge. In fhort, our Souls return to God, the Fountain from whence they came. Let therefore that heavenly Voice which was heard in the Holy Land, found in our Ears, Ifa. 43. Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy Names thou art mine. When thou paffeft through the Waters, I will be with thee, and through the Rivers, they fhall not overflow thee. When thou walkeft through the Fire, thou fhalt not be burnt, neither shall the Flame kindle upon thee. And fay with David, When I should walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I fhall fear no Evil, for thou art with me; thy Staff and thy Rod Shall com fort me, Pfal. 23.

It feems, the primitive Chriftians had a Defign to fhew us this Truth by the Picture of a Gyantlike Man, wading through the Sea with a Staff in his Hand, and a Child upon his Shoulder. For this Gyant is the Emblem of a Chriftian, who lifts up his Mind as high as Heaven. The Sea fignifies the Dangers of this World, and the Fears of Death. The Staff reprefents Faith, that keeps us up in our Paffage through Life and Death,, upon which, when we lean, we worship the Living God of Heaven and Earth, and the Child is an Image of

Chrift;

Chrift; therefore, he that bears him is called Chriftophorus, that is, He that bears Chrift. Cafar could not endure to fee his Pilot tremble in a furious Storm at Sea, because he was in his Boat. We have far lefs Reafon to be afraid, fince we carry in our Hearts the great Emperor and Monarch of the World, the Hope and Comfort of Ifrael Cafar was as much in Danger as his Pilot to make Ship-wreck, but our Lord Jefus Chrift hath all the Winds at his Command. He can ftill the moft difturbed Sea, and thro' the most terrible Death, he can caufe us to pafs and arrive at the fafe Haven of eternal Reft, and of a moft happy and glorious Life.

When David fhewed himself with a Purpose to fight with Goliah, he spoke to this dreadful Philiftine in this Manner, I come unto thee, in the Name of the Lord of Hofts, the God of the Armies of Ifrael. But you, Chrif tian Souls, when you are to encounter with Death, you may fay to it, not only I come to thee, in the Name of him who commands Legions of Angels, and all the Armies of immortal Spirits; but I come to thee cloathed with his Armour, ftrengthened by his Holy Spirit, and affifted by him in Perfon. For, Jesus Christ who hath overcome Death for us, intends to overcome it by us. We are the living Stones which he hath cho fen of his wonderful, Grace and Mercy, to bring down that prouid infulting Enemy, that caufeth.all Worldlings, to tremble, and cover their Faces with Shame and Confufion, Judg. 6.~

A

We have feen a Sampfon breaking in Pieces, with an admirable Strength, the Cords with which he had been, bound by the Philistines, and tearing alfo the Body of a young Lyon, in which he found, a few Days after, Honey most pleasant to his Tafte. It will be much eafier for us, when we fhall be ftrengthened with the divine Virtue of the Lord Jefus, of whom Sampfon was but a Type, to tear in Pieces all the Cords and Chains of Death. We shall rent in Pieces the Body of this old Lyon, and when we fhall fearch into his Bowels

with a ferious and repeated Meditation, we shall find the fweetest and most ravishing Comforts.

As when the Prophet Elias was carried up to Heaven in a fiery Chariot, he let fall his Cloak, with which Elifha feparated the Waters of Jordan, fo that he paffed thro' the River on Foot: Likewife our Saviour Jefus Christ being afcended up above the Clouds, to the Throne of his Glory, he hath left us the precious Cloak of his Righteoufnefs; he hath granted us his Holy Spirit, that we might país thro' the turbulent Waves of this tempeftuous Sea of the World, by its divine Virtue, and that thro' Death we might enter into immortal Life.

P

And as the Death of our Lord Jefus Chrift feparated his Soul from his Body, although his innocent Soul and holy Body remained always united perfonally to his Di vinity: In the fame Manner, the Believer's Death dif unites, for a Time, his Soul from his Body, but it can never separate it from the Spirit of the Lord Jefus, that is the Soul of our Souls, and fuch an holy Flame, that it can never be extinguished.

When the High-Prieft of the Jews put off his prieftly Ornaments, he caft off at the fame Time his BreaftPlate, where the Names of the twelve Tribes were engraven, Exod. 20. Not only our Names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, not only our Pictures are printed upon the Palms of his Hands with the Blood of the Covenant, but we are as a Signet upon his Heart, Cant. 1. fo that we cannot be feparated from him, any more than his Heart can be taken from him. His Love is ftronger than Death, and his Embraces are Embracesof Love.

Ruth promifed to Naomi, that Death alone should be able to feparate them, Ruth 1. But on the contrary, we may tell our Lord and Saviour, who is as our Fa ther, Brother, and Husband, not only Death shall ne◄ ver be able to feparate us, but it fhall rather bring us nearer to thee, and caufe us to reft in thy Bofom, where we fhall be for ever fatisfied with thine heavenly Delights. Christians, you need not fear Death, for

you