THE exercise of three sorts of love to God, to others, and to myself, afford me a threefold satisfaction, (conjunct) to be willing to depart.

I. I am sure my departure will be the fulfilling of that will which is love itself, which I am bound above all things to love and please, and which is the beginning, rule, and end of all. Antonine could hence fetch good thoughts of death.

II. The world dieth not with me when I die; nor the church, nor the praise and glory of God, which he will have in and from this world unto the end; and if I love others as myself, their lives, and comforts will now be to my thoughts as if I were to live myself in them. God will be praised and honoured by posterity when I am dead and gone. Were I to be annihilated, this would comfort me now, if I lived and died in perfect love.

III. But a better and glorious world is before me, into which I hope by death to be translated, whither all these three sorts of love should rap up the desires of my ascending soul; even the love of myself, that I may be fully happy; the love of the triumphant church, Christ, angels, and glorified man, and the glory of all the universe, which I shall see; and above all, the love of the most glorious God, infinite life, and light, and love, the ulti

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mate amiable object of man's love; in whom to be perfectly pleased and delighted, and to whom to be perfectly pleasing for ever, is the chief and ultimate end of me, and of the highest, wisest, and best of creatures.-Amen.

THE AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION.

PHILIPPIANS, I. 23.

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better; (or, for this is much rather to be preferred, or better.)

I WRITE for myself, and therefore supposing the sense of the text, shall only observe what is useful to my heart and practice.

It was a happy state into which grace had brought the apostle, who saw so much not only tolerable but greatly desirable both in living and dying. To live to him was Christ, that is Christ's interest or work; to die would be gain, that is, his own interest and reward: his strait was not whether it would be good to live, or good to depart; both were good, but which was more desirable was the doubt.

be made between

But was there any doubt to Christ's interest and his own? a full and fixed competition; Christ's interest, he meaneth his work for his

No, if it had been but by Christ, or

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church's interest in this world; but he knew that Christ also had an interest in his saints above, and that he could raise up more to serve him here; yet because he was to judge by what appeared, and he saw a defect of such on earth, this did turn the scales in his choice; and for the work of Christ and his church's good, he more inclined to the delay of his reward by self-denial; yet knowing that the delay would tend to its increase. It is useful to me here to note:

That even in this world, short of death, there is some good so much to be regarded, as may justly prevail with believers to prefer it before the present hastening of their reward.

I the rather note this, that no temptation carry me into that extreme of taking nothing but heaven to be worthy of our minding or regard; and so to cast off the world in a sinful sort, on pretence of mortification, and a heavenly mind and life.

As to the sense, the meaning is not that any thing on earth is better than heaven, or simply and in itself to be preferred before it: the end is better than the means as such; and perfection better than imperfection.

But the present use of the means may be preferred sometimes before the present possession of the end; and the use of means for a higher end, may be preferred before the present possession of a lower end. And every thing hath its season; planting, and sowing, and building, are not so good as reaping, and fruit-gathering, and dwelling; but in their season they must be first done.

But what is there so desirable in this life? While it continueth it is the fulfilling of the will of God, who will have us here; and that is best which God willeth.

The life to come dependeth upon this; as the life of man in the world upon his generation in the womb, or as the reward upon the work, or the runner's or soldier's prize upon his race or fighting, or as the merchant's gain upon his voyage. Heaven is won or lost on earth. The possession is there, but the preparation is here. Christ will judge all men according to their works on earth. Well done, good and faithful servant,' must go before 'enter thou into the joy of thy Lord;' 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,' goeth before the crown of righteousness which God, the righteous judge, will give.' All that ever must be done for salvation by us must here be done. It was on earth that Christ himself wrought the work of our redemption, fulfilled all righteousness, became our ransom, and paid the price of our salvation; and it is here that our part is to be done.

And the bestowing of the reward is God's work, who we are sure will never fail. There is no place for the least suspicion or fear of his misdoing or failing in any of his undertaken work; but the danger and fear is of our own miscarrying, lest we be not found capable of receiving what God will certainly give to all that are disposed receivers. To distrust God is heinous sin and folly; but to distrust ourselves we have great cause. So that if we will make sure of heaven, it must be by giving