1. Communion with God is better than the beft things the world can afford; one of the kiffes of his mouth is preferable to all the treasure the world cafts into one's lap, Pfal. iv. 6, 7. This made confeffors take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, and made martyrs joyfully meet death, made Paul and Silas fing in the prison, and the three children eafy in the fiery furnace.

2. It is heaven on earth, Rev. ii. 17. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna.” The faints carried to glory leave all their worldly enjoyments behind them, as Elijah dropt his mantle ; and they mifs them not there, getting full, immediate, uninterrupted communion with God instead of all; more than we miss the ftar-light, when the fun fhines in his meridian brightnefs. And communion with God here is a foretaste of heaven.“

3. Access to God in duties, eafes God's people of a burden of care, getting it caft over on the Lord, whereby they are fuftained under their loffes, Pfal. Iv. 22. Many a time the children of God have gone to duty fore bowed down under divers preffures, and have come away with the load taken off their spirits, as in the cafe of Hannah, 1 Sam. i. 18. So that what was as a mountain before, becomes like a molehill. And it is an hundredfold better to be ftrengthened from above to go lightly under a burden, than to have it taken off.

4. It makes them find the sweetness of the Bible, and fuck the fweet of the promises, Pfal. cxix. 49, 50. "Remember the word unto thy fervant, upon which thou haft caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction; for thy word hath quickened me." While world's cafe makes the heart fat as grease, infenfible to the confolations of the word; affliction with accefs to God under it, caufes the word relish with the foul, makes a fweetnefs to be felt in those parts of the word where it was not felt before.

Laftly, The

Laftly, The fpiritual good effects whereof worldly loffes are the caufes and occafions, being fanctified. Such are especially,

1. Weanedness from the world, Pfal. cxxxi. 2. "My foul is even as a weaned child." The Lord's laying gall and wormwood on the breafts of the creature, is a bleffed means to wean them therefrom; his fetting fire to their neft in the world, moves them to seek their reft in God, Cant. iv. 8. This makes them long to be home, and to be looking heavenward, and mending their pace.

2. Seeking to get their wants made up in Christ. The world's frowns makes them more folicitous for his fmiles; while worldly comforts are plucked from them, they endeavour the more to faften their gripes on him, making a bleffed exchange of the world for Chrift, Hab. iii. 17, 18. This makes them many times to say, "I had perished unless I had believed, being driven to their spiritual good by afflictions.

3. Laftly, Living by faith, Pfal, xxvii. 13. “I had fainted, unless. I had believed to fee the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." When created ftreams are dried up, people muft either fetch in their comfort from another quarter, or they must want. For this caufe God fweeps away from his people, many times, their comforts of fenfe, that they may learn to live on the promise by believing.

III. I shall now confider the burden going along with the hundredfold, with perfecutions; it implies three things.

1. That in the courfe of worldly loffes and troubles, the hundredfold fhall be made forthcoming to them, Heb. x. 34. "Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring fubftance." The Lord will not leave his people comfortless, while matters are on a run against them. But as Satan and an L 2

ill

ill world are taking away from them on the one hand, he will be laying in to them on the other, While the world closeth its doors on them, God will open his to them,

2. That the hundredfold in this life, doth not fecure the receivers, as to worldly cafe thereafter. An end of troubles in this world is not to be expected while they are in it: but though the shower has been great and long, the clouds will return after the rain; and after one lofs another will come, that a new trial may be taken of the Lord's people. However much they have endured, they must expect to meet with more. A change of troubles there may be, but there will be no end till the great change come,

Laftly, However, no worldly loffes nor troubles fhall be able to ftop the courfe of the hundredfold, Let them be never fo weighty, the Lord can let in what will downweigh them all, Hab. vi. 17,18. “Al though the fig tree fhall not bloffom yet will Į tejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation." So that let the cloud be never fo thick, the eye of faith may fee how to get through it; for God lays no trial on his people, without allowing them fufficient furniture for bearing it.

IV. THE fecurity given for the hundredfold to the lofers for Chrift's fake and the gofpel's. Concerning which observe these two things.

1. It is Chrift's own fecurity. He has engaged for it to his people. And, (1.) He is able, for he is the great Truftee of the covenant, in whofe hands all the benefits of the covenant are lodged, to diftribute them to poor fiumers, Mat. xi. 27. (2.) He is faithful, and cannot break his engagement, for he is truth itself; and it is impoffible that he fhould fail.

2. It is the fecurity of his words he has given his word on it. And that requires faith in us, uix. That

we truft to that fecurity for the hundredfold, so fhall it be made forthcoming.

I. I shall now shut up this fubject with a word of improvement.

USE I. Of information. This doctrine lets us fee, r. That even an afflicting God is a bountiful God, ready to deal bountifully with us, in our most fraitening circumstances. Whatever he calls you to part with for him, he is ready to give you more and better in its ftead. Think not then that he is a hard mafter. For however thort by the head he fees meet to hold you, it is your own fault if ye be not gainers by all worldly loffes and troubles, 2 Chron. xxv. 9.

2. Here is the mystery of the fweet peace and joy that martyrs, confeflors, and others have had in their trials and afflictions, Heb. x. 34. They enjoyed the hundred fold. And therefore they preferred Christ's Crofs to the world's crown; they would not accept of deliverance on finful terms, because fo they would have forfeited the hundredfold. Whatever trouble without their croffes and loffes brought on them, the hundredfold gave them a peaceful calm within.

USE II. Labour to manage your loffes and croffes in a world, fo as you may gain the hundredfold. And,

1. Learn to fit loofe to the world, and all things and perfons in it, that at Christ's call ye may be ready to part with them, or your comfort in them, Luke ix. 23. Let them hang loofe about you, that on occafion ye may eafily drop them. It is the gluing of our affections to them, that makes it fo hard for us to part with them.

2. Whatever way they are taken from you, or withheld from you, make God himself your party, and quit them to him, for his fake and the gofpel's, Job í. 21. Thus God will be the party receiver from you, and you may look that he will recompence you. Though you have mifmanaged that already, yet there

is room to help it, repenting of your unwillingness to part with them, and your not quitting them to him. Let the heart now quit his hankering after them again, for his fake; and all will be fet right.

3. Truft him in the promise of the hundredfold; believe that he will make up your loffes accordingly, if not in kind, yet in value: and affuredly ye fhall not be disappointed, Rom. ix. ult. "Whofoever believeth on him, fhall not be ashamed."

Laftly, Seek of him the hundredfold according to his promife, and wait for it in the ufe of means. In the leaving worldly enjoyments for him, ye make an exchange, taking Chrift inftead of what you lose; now pursue that, that ye may have that comfort from him, and much more, that ye have loft. I fhall proceed now to the main point I intend to difcourfe on from the text, viz.

Docr. There is another world than this, a world to come, wherein men will receive their part for eternity.

This is an awful fubject, and what we know very little about: yet fo much is revealed concerning it, as God faw neceffary, tho' not to fatisfy our curiofity, yet for our falvation. In fpeaking to it, I fhall,

I. Shew fome things imported in this.

II. Confirm the being of another world, a world to come, wherein men fhall receive their part for eternity. III. Effay to give fome view of the other world. IV. Make application of the whole.

I. I am to fhew fome things imported in this doc trine, That there is another world than this, a world to come, wherein men will receive their part for eternity. It imports,

1. That this world is a place wherein men receive their part only for time. The parts and portions di ftributed by divine providence in it, are very different; fome are high, others low; fome rich, others

poor;