the next place, by way of use, for singular COMFORT and

says faith. Faith carries a man gloriously through all. If you would do

gloriously, abound in faith, let faith have elbow-room. I shall say no

more of this. Though there be other directions, I will rather leave

them.

3. Is it so, that the saints shall be glorious? Then this serves, in

the next place, by way of use, for singular COMFORT and

CONSOLATION. Shall the saints at last appear glorious? It speaks

singular comfort to all believers, against all the reproaches, and

contempt, and scorn which they may meet with in this world. What

though you are scorned, and one says this, and another says that?

Here is your comfort--you shall appear glorious. What though this

worthy man's body is mangled here and there by bloody butchers?

yet this body shall appear glorious at the last. What a singular

comfort is it! The apostle makes the same use from the same

consideration: 1 Thes. 4:15-17, "We who are still alive, who are left till

the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have

fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with

a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the

trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that,

we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with

them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with

the Lord forever." Oh, comfort yourselves with this consideration--

that he shall appear glorious at last, with the rest of the glorious

renowned saints!

This may comfort us against all reproaches, and scorns, and

contempts that men throw upon us! And what though the glory of

the saints is now hidden by prevailing distempers, and afflictions,

and poverty? yet here is your comfort--the day is coming when your

glory will break out, when your rags shall be taken off, and your

glorious robes put on, when God will wipe away all the dirt and filth

that has been thrown on you by vain spirits. Therefore bear up, brave

hearts! There is a day coming when you shall appear glorious, and it

will be but as a day before that day overtakes you.

Then, again, If the saints at the last shall appear glorious, then it

bespeaks all, in the last place, to long for that day! You shall at the

last appear in glory. Oh then long for that day; cry out with the

church, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!" Cry out again with the

church in Solomon's Song, 8:14, "Make haste, my beloved;" or as the

original has it, "Flee away speedily, my beloved, and be like a roe or a

young deer upon the mountains of spices."

Will you remember these two things, to engage you to be much in

longing for this day, wherein the saints shall appear in glory. Divers

things might be said—but I shall reduce all to two things.

Firstly, Until this day--your happiness will not be complete,

therefore long for it. Until the saints shall appear glorious, all will be

incomplete; your comforts, your graces, your enjoyment of God, and

of that glory that he has provided. Until this glorious day your glory

will be incomplete; therefore long for the day wherein all shall be

complete.

Secondly, Until then--the innocency of the saints shall not be fully

cleared. Oh long for that day wherein the saints shall appear in glory,

for until then the innocency of the saints shall not be fully cleared.

Now I say, the devil and wicked men throw much dirt on them, and

reproach and revile them, and what not, and something of that will

stick—but let this bespeak all such to long for that day wherein all

dirt, scorn, and filth shall be wiped off, wherein God will clear the

righteousness, integrity, and innocency of his saints. Therefore

seeing the saints shall appear glorious, be not discouraged, however

you appear in the world to the eye of men. Now you are strangers, far

from your Father's house—but it will be but as a day before the

trumpet sound and the angels shall gather you, before the robes of

glory shall be put on, and your mourning weeds shall be taken off,

and the glorious crowns put on your heads, and your happiness shall

be complete. Long for this day; for this will be a day indeed of

refreshing from the Lord. I shall say no more to this point—but

earnestly desire that God would please to make it take impression on

your spirits. The saints shall appear glorious. Oh let it be our glory,

while we are here, so to walk as those who expect to appear glorious

another day!

As for this thrice-honored champion now in the dust: for his

enjoyment of God, from my own experience, being with him both at

sea and land, I have abundance of sweetness and satisfaction in my

own spirit, which to me exceedingly sweetens so great a loss. I shall

not speak of the wife's loss, nor the brother's loss, nor the army's

loss; for the loss of this worthy is a loss to the kingdom, and if they

are not in a sad, sinful sleep, they will say so. And, indeed, it is with

me, I ingenuously confess, as it was with him who, when he was

demanded what God was; he desired three days' consideration to

give an answer, and when those days were expired, three more; and

then he gives this answer, "That the more he thought of him, the

further he was from discovering of him." The more I think of the

gallantry and worth of this champion, the further off I am from

discovering his worth. I think he was one of whom this sinful nation

was not worthy; he was one of whom this declining parliament was

not worthy; he was one of whom those divided, formal, carnal,

gospellers was not worthy. He served his generation faithfully,

though he died by the hand of treachery. I am fully satisfied, with

many more, that he is now triumphing in glory; and it will be but as a

day before he shall see his enemies stand at the bar. For my own

part, I can truly say that, to the best of my memory and

understanding, I have not observed that the hearts of the people of

God have been so generally and eminently affected with the loss of

any worthy, as with the loss of this worthy; no, not for any worthy

that has fallen since the sword was drawn, though many precious

worthies have fallen upon the ground; which strongly speaks out the

love of the people of God to him, and their honorable esteem of him.

They honored him in his life, and they showed great respect to him in

death. He was a joy to the best of men, and a terror to the worst of

men. But for my part I would rather choose, I sincerely confess, if it

were possible, to weep over him with tears of blood, than to trouble

you further with relating his gallant service for the good of this sinful

kingdom.

We will cease from saying anything more of him, and sit down

satisfied and joying in this--that the day is coming when the saints

shall appear glorious; and with that we will refresh and cheer our

spirits as with a cordial, that there is a day coming when we with this

deceased worthy shall appear glorious. And it will be but as a day

before our royal robes shall be put on our backs, and crowns set on

our heads. I am now done; and so shall commend you "to God and to

the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you

an inheritance among all those who are sanctified," [Acts 20:32.]

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