modeft, even when ftouteft, Resistance unto Blood, is neceffary, to render them the Perfons, described at the Fifth Verfe, in whofe Mouth was found no Guile, for they are without fault before the Throne of God. The Latter of thefe Expreffions, I make no doubt, alludes to that Law among the Jews, which ordered a strict Search into all the Creatures brought for Sacrifice; and forbad the Offering, in which there was any Defect, or Superfluity, or notable Blemish. Hence 'tis, we find our Bleffed Lord termed the Lamb without Spot; And here the Saints are faid to be without Fault, becaufe no Guile was found in their Mouth, that is, by Reafon of their undefigning Sincerity, and the uncorrupted Probity of their Minds. Now, as this Character imports their Truth and Honefty in general, fo may it poffibly have peculiar Reference to a fraudulent Method, too nianum & de Lapf. Cypr. ad Anto- often, and too fcandaloufly, used in times of Perfecution. For, in order to avoid Torture and publick Shame, Some did, by private Notes to the Magiftrate, falfly fignify, that they had facrificed to Idols: And Others, who durft not go thus far, yet brought Certificates underhand of their having done fo. And fo, for the faving a Lofs or perfonal Danger, were content to bear the Infamy, and give the Scandal, of a Crime they never committed. Such Tickets a Learned Man hath thought no improbableSense of having the Mark or Name of the Beast; And the not fubmitting to any mean Subterfuges, butdaring to appear what Men are, and ought to be, is certainly one Inftance of a Heart without Guile, neceffary in the Day of Trial. 3. There remains yet One Character of thefe Martyrs to be confidered, in thofe Words, Thefe were redeemed from among Men, being the First Fruits unto God, and to the Lamb. By being redeemed from among Men, we are to underftand, that they were delivered from the common Corruptions of the World; fupported under Temptations, by which others were fubdued; and kept, Levit. xxiii. kept, by the Grace and Power of God unto Salvation. All which are Privileges, owing to the Merits and Efficacy of Christ's Blood, delivering from the Bondage of Sin, and ranfoming thofe, who had otherwife continued Captives and Slaves to the Tyrannical Enemy of Souls, into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God. So that the Proofs they gave, of their fervent Love, and unfhaken Obedience, are not an Act entirely their own, but must be ascribed to an unseen and fupernatural Affiftance: To the Spirit of God, ftrengthning their Weakness, confirming their Refolution, and producing that Perfeverance, which Flesh and Blood, alone and left to it felf, is not now in a Condition of attaining. And these again are called the First Fruits to God, in Allufion to the Cuftom of offering the First and the Best of the Crop, as an Acknowledgment due to the Giver of all good Gifts; and an Expedient, inftituted to fanctify the rest of the Field. In the former Senfe, as the First, we are to look upon thefe Perfons, as our Leaders, placed in the forefront of the Battle, fuch as have borne the hotteft of the Engagement, and were exposed to the Fury of the Enemy; The Martyrs, by this Poft of Honour, have not only gained Promotion to themselves; but have, by their Examples, done Service to all that come after them. For, how ought we to be quickned and provoked by the Conftancy of their Sufferings? And how fcandalous is our Cowardice, if We shall faint and give ground, after They have fo bravely broken the Force of the Enemy that comes against us? As the First Fruits again import the Beft of the Field, fo are we to regard them, as Perfons particularly favoured by God and the Lamb. For, though the Death of all his Saints be precious, even of those who live and die in Peace; Yet we cannot but fee good Reafon, why fome Preference fhould be given to that Death, which is voluntary and chofen, violent, and attended with infinite Torture, U 2 Torture and Pain; above that, which is natural and neceffary, and hath no Agonies, but fuch as the parting of Soul and Body renders common to all Mankind. There is a manifeft Difference between dying in the Faith, and dying for it; between not falling from our Integrity at our laft Hour, and being content to anticipate that Hour by facrificing a Life, at our Choice to preserve, in defence, and for the fake, of Truth and a good Confcience. All the Righteous, we are affured, fhall fhine in the Kingdom of their Father, but not all with Matth. xiii. 43. equal Luftre. For that Justice, which rewards Men according to their Works, is not more concerned to crown every one that strives lawfully, than it is, to fee, that thofe, who undergo fharper Conflicts, and have borne a heavier Crofs, be as much diftinguished in the Measures of their Recompence, and adorned with a proportionably more maffive and brighter Crown. II. And this leads me to fay fomewhat of my Other General Head; The Circumstances of that blissful State in which thefe Martyrs are defcribed here, as a Reward for their Virtues and paft Sufferings. Ver. 1. Gal. iv. 26. The first of these is, being with the Lamb upon Mount Sion, that is, the Heavenly Jerufalem; Of which That on Earth, where the Temple of God stood, and the Marks of his efpecial Prefence were exhibited, is, in fundry Places of this and other Books in the New Teftament, faid to have been a Figure. And yet, though but a Figure, what glorious things do we find spoken of it in Scripture? What devout Raptures of Joy in the holy Pfalmift, when at liberty to approach it? What tender Complaints, what moving Lamentations, when debarr'd of this most valuable Privilege? But, if the Shadow could deferve fuch Honour, how ought We to be affected with the Subftance? If the fenfible and Symbolical Representations only were fo magnificent, what muft muft the Luftre of that Presence be, when this Veil of Flesh and Senfe fhall be done away, and we admitted to fee God as he is? To be with Him whom our Souls love, with Him who loved our Souls fo dearly, as to be born, to be afflicted, to bleed, to die for them; To be with Him for ever, to enjoy him in a League of inviolable, everlasting Friendship, in the Manfions he is gone before to prepare for us? To partake in his Glories, as we have taken part in his Sufferings; and to feel our own Glories advanced then, in Proportion as our Sufferings are multiplied here? No Dangers, no Fatigues, are esteemed infupportable by the Men of this World, for the raifing a Fortune, for gaining the Renown or Valour, and faithful Service to a Prince, who is thought to pay them well, with a gracious Look fometimes, with a Title of Honour, and a fmall Revenue to their Family. But What, alas! are thefe, in comparison of the constant Favour and Prefence, the intimate and unalterable AffeЄtion, of the King of Kings, the being diftinguish'd in the Court of Heaven, let into a fhare of all our Master's Glory, nay, let into a fhare even of his Royalties themfelves? This is what the highest Favourite, the worthiest Patriot, must not have the Vanity to hope for, from the moft gracious Monarch upon Earth. And yet this is the Condefcenfion of our heavenly Lord, this the Honour and Partnership, to which Saints and Martyrs have a Title. For, Thefe he is faid to make Kings and Priests, and to all fuch is promised for their Encouragement, that if they die with him, they fhall alfo live with him, if they fuffer with him, they fhall also reign with him. Nor is the Pleasure flowing from these Promotions, like that from these here below, the less for being thus communicated. Quite otherwife; I take a Rev. i. 6. V. 10 2 Tim. i 12. 2. Second Circumftance of the Blifs defcribed in this Chapter to refult from the Numbers, to whom it is imparted. Great part of the Satisfaction, taken in the Bleffings U 3 Bleffings of this World, depends upon Comparison. Few would efteem themselves happy in the Enjoyment, did not this make a difference between their own, and the Cafe of others that want them. Nor is this altogether, though too much, from Narrownefs of Spirit; but, in great Measure, from the Streightness and Infufficiency of the things themselves. But now, the Bleffings of our Future State being Boundless, and fuch as can never be exhausted; As thefe Qualities leave no room for Envy and Emulation, fo neither will glorified Souls retain any Difpofition to them. Every other's Happiness will then be an Addition to each Man's Perfonal Happiness. But more especially will they all be affected with the Honour of our God and Saviour, and the Conquefts and Succef, fes his Blood hath obtained; Which, the more the Redeemed and Glorified are, the greater and more wonder, ful they are. And therefore it had taken from this Bliss, and represented it much less, to have faid, that One, or a Few, than that a Hundred and forty four thousand of thefe Saints, were all together with the Lamb on Mount Sion. And the Apoftle to the Hebrews hath therefore added, that we shall then come to an innumerable Company of Angels, To the general Affembly and Church of the first born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect, and to Jefus the Mediator of the new Covenant. Hebr. xii. 22, 23, 24. Imagine with your felves Two Friends, dear as their own Souls to each other; Thefe, both engaged in Enterprifes of the utmoft Difficulty, in diftant Parts of the World; Each exercifed with Dangers and Hardfhips, for the Service of his Country; And, with a vaft Expence of Blood and Toil, fucceeding fo well, that no Marks of Honour are thought too much for them. Imagine thefe Two Friends, after long Abfence, thus laden with Conqueft, and adorned with Laurels, meeting and finding each other, just as they could wish. What joyful Wel 4 comes, |