Religion & morality > Human nature in its fourfold state

34^ An Objection einfutered. Stsfe IV.
2 Tim. iv. 6 7, 8. T tey get a tafle of the joys of
heaven, while here on earth, and begin the fongs of
Zion, while y.-t in a ftrange land.
Others die in a folid fiducial dependence on their j
Lord and Saviour : tho’ they cannot fing triumphantly, !
vet they can and will fay, The Lord is their God.
fho’ they cannot triumph over death, with old Simeon,
having Chrift in his arms, and faying, Lord, now lette/t ;
thou thy fervmt deport in peace, according to th] word;
For mine eyes have feen thy jaivatwn, Luke ii. 29, 30,
yet they can fay with dying Jacob, I have waited lor
thy fatvation, Q Lord, Gen. xli.x 18. His left hand ;
is under their head to fupport them ; tho’ his right j
hand doth not embrace them : they firmly believe, tho’ J
they are not filled with joy in believing. They can
plead the covenant* and hang by the promlfe, altho’
their houfe is not fo with God, as they could wiftu
But the dying-day of fame faints may be like that day
mentioned, Zech xiv 7 not day, nor night They
may die under great doubts and fears *, fetting, as it
were, in a cloud, and going to heaven in a mill. They j
may go mourning without the fun, and never put off |
their fpirit of heavinefs tiil death ftrip them of it.
They may be carried to heayen through the confines
of hell and may be purfued by the devouring.lion,even
to the very gates of the new Jerufalem ; and may be
compared to a (hip almoft wrecked in fight of the har¬
bour, which yet gets fafe into her port, x Cor. iii. 15.
If any man's works fall be burnt, he /ball fujfer lofs s
but he himfelffall beJaved, yet fo as by fire. There
is fafety amidft their fears, but danger is the wicked’s
flrongeft confidence ; and there is a blefied feed of*
gladntfs in their greateft forrows j Light is fownfor,
the righteous, and gladnefs for the upright in hearty
Pfalm xcvii. 11.
Now, faints are liable to fuch perplexity in their;
death, becaufe, tho’ they be Chriftians indeed, yet:
they are men of alike paflions with others; and deatin
is a frightful object in itfelf, whatever drefs it appear
in: the Hern countenance, with which it looks at
men