at the bare words of his mouth, at his saying, I am he his enemies went backward, and fell to the ground, John xviii. 6; and if, when he was in the prisons of death, he forced it to obey him; now that he is exalted above the highest heavens, in the glory of his triumph, shall he not have a sovereign power over death, the world and hell?

If, when he walked upon the waters, he cried to his apostles, Be of good cheer, it is 1, be not afraid, Matth. xiv. 27; how much rather will he speak to us in this manner, now he sits upon a throne that cannot be shaken? Christian soul, that tremblest at the approaches of death, imagine, that the Lord Jesus, crowned with glory, calls to thee from heaven, Fear not, it is I that calls thee, and stretch out my arms to receive thee; I that am thy Saviour and Redeemer, who have washed away all thy sins with my blood, and have redeemed thee from the curse of the law, and eternal damnation; I who have disarmed God's justice, vanquished hell, broken the serpent's head, and swallowed up death in victory; who have purchased for thee the glories of heaven, and the delights of paradise; who have trod under foot the world and all its powers; who am worshipped by all the church triumphant in heaven, and by legions of angels that fly about my throne. Some of these I will send to guard thee; and when thou shalt leave that body in which thou now livest as a stranger, they shall bear thy soul upon their wings, to this magnificent abode of immortality, whither I am come to prepare a place for thee.

Without doubt, if the anchor of cur hope is entered into that within the vail, that is to say, into heaven, whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus Christ, Heb. vi. 19, 20, we shall not fear the most contrary

winds, the most raging storms, raised against us by the prince of the power of the air, that now worketh in the children of disobedience, Eph. ii. 2; we shall tread under foot all the billows of this boisterous sea, and through these swelling waves shall safely come to our divine Jer sus. If at any time we begin to sink, and our soul is seized with fear, this Almighty Lord, who hath not only saved himself, but is also the Saviour of his church, will say to us, as to St. Peter, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?. Matth. xiv. 31. Knowest thou not, that I command the winds, rebuke the waves, and still the tempest, that I have the keys of hell and of death? Rev. i. 18.

When a person, in his way to a place of rest and happiness, which he earnestly desires to arrive at, is to go through a painful and thorny passage, he takes new courage, if he sees before him a powerful friend, whe stretches out his arm to assist him. Now it is not possible for us to arrive at the glories of heaven, and the joys of paradise, except through the passage of death; a painful and grievous passage to flesh and blood! But Jesus Christ, who loves us unto the end, John xiii. 1, hath gone this way before us. He is ascended from this world unto the Father, to his God, and to our God, John xx. 17; and that' we may go where he is, he hath not only sent us his light and his truth to lead us, Psal. xliii, 3, his rod and his staff to comfort us, Psal. xxiii. 4, but he also stretched out his almighty hand, to cause us to pass from death unto life, Where I am, saith he, there shall also my servant be, John xii. 26.

When the apostles were in the way going up to Jerusalem, and our Lord Jesus Christ went before them, they were amazed, as they followed, and were afraid, Mark x

32; but we that go up to the heavenly Jerusalem, and tread in the footsteps of this mighty Saviour, ought to be full of holy boldness, and christian confidence.

Our knowledge that this great God and Saviour reigns triumphant in heaven, and that he commands in the earth, the sea, and the great deep, teaches us, that we should not only submit to death without fear, but that we should embrace it with an holy joy; for who would not rejoice to enter into the glorious palace of immortality; where we shall see, not only the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, the holy and blessed virgin, with all the saints of paradise, but where we shall also see face to face our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, whom so many kings and prophets have desired to see and hear, Luke x. 24. Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from this victorious Lord; therefore we are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord, 2 Cor. v. 6, 8. This consideration caused the holy apostle to cry out, I have a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better, Phil. i. 23.

The Queen of Sheba left her kingdom, and came from a far country, to see king Solomon, who was but a type of Christ, and had but a feint ray of his wisdom and glory, 1 Kings x; and is there any treasure on earth, any honour or pleasure in life, that we would not leave with transport to go and see our Lord and Saviour! When he was in his infancy, the shepherds left their flocks, and hasted to Bethlehem to look upon him, Luke i The wise men came from the east to worship him, Matth. ii; and was he now upon earth, in that estate, we should run from the utmost ends of the world, and part with all our dearest enjoyments, to see

him. But the little town of Bethlehem is nothing in comparison of the heavenly Jerusalem; and what would be the sight of our Lord Jesus Christ in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, or in the arms of his blessed mother, in comparison of seeing him clothed with light, crowned with glory, and sitting at the right hand of God the Father, upon a magnificent throne, worshipped by all the angels and glorified spirits? If the father of the faithful rejoiced and was glad to see, in spirit, the day of the Lord, Johu viii. 56; if, when the spouse in the Canticles heard him at her door, her bowels were moved for him, chap. v. 4; and if old Simeon was ravished above measure, when he held Christ in his arms, Luke ii; how much more shall we be ravished and transported with admiration and joy, when we shall behold him, as he now is, in his highest glory and state, and shall embrace him for ever and ever? When St. Stephen saw the heavens opened, and Jesus Christ standing on the right hand of God, Acts vii. 56, his face became shining, as it had been the face of an angel, Acts vi. 15; with what rays of glory then shall we be crowned, when we shall enter into this palace of light, and behold for ever, face to face, this blessed Redeemer?

When the patriarch Jacob heard that his son Joseph, whom he tenderly loved, and for whom he had shed so many tears, was still alive, and governor over all the land of Egypt, he earnestly desired to see again this dear son, and to be a witness of his glory: It is enough, said he, Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die, Gen. xlv. 28. And you, believing souls, who hear this day, that your true Joseph, whom you passionately love, lives and reigns in heaven, where he is worshipped by all the glorified spirits, do you not

ardently desire to see his face, and to behold his glory, and the magnificence of his triumph? The patriarch Jacob was feeble through age, and bowed down with sorrow, but his spirit revived when he saw the waggons which Joseph had sent to carry him; thus you my christian brethren, whose bodies old age or sickness hath bowed down, and whose hearts care and sorrow hath undermined, do not you find yourselves strengthened, do not you feel yourselves sensibly revived, when death draws near, and you perceive, with the eyes of faith, the horses and chariots of fire which Christ hath sent to convey you to the paradise of his glory? Joseph received his father and brethren with tears of joy, and all the house of Pharaoh rang with acclamations of gladness ; with what tenderness then will Christ embrace us? What rejoicing will there be in heaven at your arrival? The tongues of angels alone can express a joy so unspeakable and full of glory. Joseph fed his father and his brethren, but he never imparted to them any portion of his authority and glory; whereas our Lord Jesus Christ, who excels Joseph as much in power and magnificence, as in love and compassion, shall not only feed us with the bread of his kingdom, and give us to drink of the river of his pleasures, but he will also make us partakers of his glory, and magnificence of his empire, as he promised to his holy apostles: I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, Luke xxii. 29. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne, Rev. iii. 21, Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life, Rev. ii. 10. Joseph's brethren, notwithstanding his greatness, became slaves; but Jesus Christ will place