should be less than our Lord hath promised, there is no heart but above all things wishes to be so happy. To see only the beautiful orders of the heavenly hosts, the glorious company of the apostles, the goodly society of the prophets, the noble army of martyrs, the venerable quire of pastors, the whole multitude of holy men and women, who celebrate a perpetual feast of joy; to live in happy friendship with them, to love them, and to be beloved of them; to bear a part in their eternal song of praise and thanks to God; how desirable is it above any thing that we can fancy in this world! No man hath so little love to himself as not to wish he might be numbered among those saints in glory everlasting. It is impossible we should not be pleased with the thoughts of having a consortship in such an incomparable happiness, were we but persuaded that it is not a dream, but a real truth. There needs nothing more to bring it into all men's favour but only to be satisfied that there is such an happiness.

And that is the other thing I would propound to your thoughts; that as we naturally desire such an happiness, so, if we consider the evident demonstrations we have of it in the gospel, this and a great deal more appears to be the undoubted inheritance of all good souls, who shall see God, and be with our Lord, and behold his glory. Which wonderfully recommends the Christian religion to us; wherein we are gratified in our most important desires, and have those things made sure and certain to us which we would all fain have for our portion. For what is the general intent of the gospel but to discover to mankind immortal life, and the way to it? This was the great end of our Saviour's appearing, who brought that glimmering light that was in men's minds of the other world to a more perfect day. And upon this errand the apostles were sent, as you have heard, to call men to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christt: which made the Jews so unexcusable that they would not come unto our Lord, that they might have life"; though there was the greatest reason in the world to believe this record, that God hath given us eternal life; and this life is in his Son.

A voice from heaven, I have shown you, often testified as much; and so did the Holy Ghost, which descended on our

Saviour at his baptism; and the many signs and wonders whereby God the Father sealed him, and set, as it were, his mark, stamp, and character upon him; that all might know who he was, and believe his word as undoubtedly as if they heard God the Father himself speaking to them continually with his own voice out of heaven. From thence our Saviour

came, it was apparent, and therefore did not pretend to discover things of which he had no certain knowledge, but only revealed that happy country from whence he descended. So he professes to a very wise man among the Jews, who was convinced by his many miracles that he was a teacher come from God. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seeny. For as he came down from heaven, (as he further tells him ",) so at that very moment he was there, and had a most intimate familiarity and communication therewith; and therefore might well say he had seen the things he reported from thence. What they were, you may read in the following verses; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting lifea, &c.

The very same, as I have likewise shown, John Baptist testified; and so did Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory, and discoursed with him concerning his return to the other world, after he had done the will of God here. At that time our Saviour was transfigured (an evident token of the glorifying even of our bodies in the other state), as three persons of integrity witness; who saw his glory, and the two men that stood with himd, and were themselves overshadowed with a bright cloud (an emblem of the glory to come in another world), and so ravished with the sight, that they wished they might always remain in that happy place. Neither was this only a sudden transport; but it made such a lasting impression upon their minds, that ever after they looked upon it as a notable proof of the majesty and glory of our Savioure and so did the ancient Christians, as appears by the Syriac translator of the New Testament, who before the Epistle of St. James takes notice, that now follow the Epistles of the three disciples before whom our Lord was transfigured.

This we are to mark diligently, and take it for an eminent token of the glory to which our Lord was to go, and which he should be able to give: for it relies upon the report of those who were persons of known worth and uprightness of heart, who had no design in the world to serve but only to promote such an important truth, of which they were fully assured. They appeal to all that had any acquaintance with them, whether ever they saw or had reason to suspect any false or double dealing in them, and had not rather been witnesses of their honesty and simplicity in the whole course of their ministry. For we are not, as many, saith St. Paul, κажŋλεúovtes tòv λóyov TOû EOû, that sell the word of God', and make merchandise of it to enrich themselves thereby; (such might not stick to corrupt God's word, as we render it, and mix their own dreams with it;) but with all sincerity, as men who are authorized by God, and have him before our eyes, to whom we must give an account of our actions, we publish the gospel of Christ: whom they accounted it a great mercy and favour from God to serve. And therefore, having received this ministry, saith hes, we are not sluggish in doing our duty, nor do we perform it in a base, unworthy manner, but have so renounced or thrust away far from us all secret devices of enriching ourselves, that we do not blush to think of our designs; (for τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς αἰσχύνης are such practices as for mere shame men hide and cover, pretending, for instance, only the good of souls, when they intend nothing but to get their money;) nor do we walk in craftiness, appearing one thing and being another; nor corrupt the word of God, by mixing any of our own inventions with it; but in a free, open, and plain manner, we commend ourselves to all men's consciences, as having God looking on us. All that know us cannot but approve us, (if they be not led by passion more than reason;) and if they do not, God doth. This he repeats again, chap. vi, where he gives a proof of their sincerity in the exercise of their ministry from these two things: first, that they got nothing by it but many afflictions; and then, that they did nothing but good to others, in recompense for all the trouble they gave them. Of the former he speaks ver. 4, 5; of the second, ver. 6, 7; and then returns to Which argument he handles also at large f 2 Cor. ii. 17.

the other again.

g iv. 1, 2.

towards the conclusion of the same Epistle, xi. 23, 24, &c., and once more, xii. 10.

And thus he writes also to the church of Thessalonicah, who knew very well how faithfully they had discharged their trust, and that they did not accommodate themselves to any man's humour, but plainly delivered the message which God had committed to them. Nobody could say that they had used any flattering speechesi, to soothe them up in a vain conceit of themselves, nor used any colours to hide a covetous design. No, as to their words and addresses, the Thessalonians could testify the contrary; and as to their mind and heart, which God only could know, they call him to witness it never entered into their thoughts. Nor did they seek glory and fame either from them or anybody else, but despised it as much as riches; unless it were the honour of obliging them, by communicating the blessings of the gospel to them, and receiving no reward from them. They might indeed have put them to charge, and lived upon their cost, as other apostles of Christ did, and that honestly too: but he and his companions were among them with more gentleness; they parted, that is, from their own undoubted right, to spare the Thessalonians; and as a good nurse cherishes her children, so they defrauded themselves, and took the meat, as we speak, out of their own mouths, for the good of others whom they desired to breed up in Christian piety. This shows the wonderful innocency and goodness of these men, who got nothing by the gospel, (no, not what they might have lawfully and justly taken,) but only studied how to win souls to Christ. In short, he calls them and God also to witness how holily, how justly, how unblamably they behaved themselves among those that believed m. The first of which words refers to God; the second, to those actions which belong to human society; and the third, to those which every man is bound unto severally by himself in none of which could he, Silvanus, and Timotheus, be charged with any misdemeanour. On which argument he once more insists"; being so confident of his unreprovable virtue, that he desired nothing more of all that knew him but to be followers of him, and to walk so as they had him for an example°.

sidering those divine demonstrations which these holy men of God have reported to us; who beheld our Saviour's glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truths. Upon which words hear what the same eloquent bishop writes; who thus sums up a great part of the evidence we have for the Christian belief.

"The angels appeared in great glory upon the earth to Daniel, David, and Moses; but they appeared as servants, as those that had a Master. It is the peculiar glory of our Saviour, that he appeared as a Lord, as having power over all: and though in a poor and vile fashion, yet even in that the creation knew its Lord and Master. A star from heaven called the wise men to worship him. A great company of angels often attended him, and sang his praises. To whom others succeeded, who published his glory, and delivered this secret mystery one to another: the angels to the shepherds, and the shepherds to those in the city; and Gabriel to Mary and Elizabeth; and Anna and Simeon to those in the temple. Nor were men and women only transported with the pleasure; but an infant that had not seen the light leaped in its mother's womb; and all were strangely lifted up in hopes of what was a coming. These things all fell out straightway after his birth. But when he appeared in the world, there were more miracles, and greater than the former, appeared again. For not so little as a star and the heavens, not angels or archangels, not Gabriel or Michael, but the Father himself proclaimed him from heaven; and with the Father, the Comforter came down with a voice, and remained on him. And therefore well might the apostle say, We have seen his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father. And not by these things alone, but by those which followed after. For now not merely shepherds, and an aged prophetess, and reverend men, published the glad tidings of the gospel; but the voice itself of the things he did, louder than the sound of any trumpet: which was heard presently every where. For the fame of him, saith the evangelist, went into all Syria1; and revealed him to all, and cried every where that the King of heaven was come to men. For demons every where fled and got away; and the