Nothing will make us more earnest in working out the work of our salvation than a frequent meditation of mortality; nothing hath a greater influence for the taking off our hearts from vanities, and for the begetting in us desires for holiness. O! sinner, what a condition wilt thou fall into when thou departest the world; if thou depart unconverted, thou hadst better have been _smothered_ the first hour thou wast born; thou hadst better have been plucked one limb from the other; thou hadst better have been made a dog, a toad, a serpent, than to die unconverted; and this thou wilt find true if thou repent not. A man would be counted a fool to slight a judge before whom he is to have a trial of his whole estate. The trial we are to have before God is of _otherwise_ importance; it concerns our eternal happiness or misery, and yet dare we affront him. The only way for us to escape that terrible judgment is to be often passing a sentence of condemnation upon ourselves here. When the sound of the trumpet shall be heard, which shall summon the dead to appear before the tribunal of God, the righteous shall hasten out of their graves with joy to meet their Redeemer in the clouds; others shall call to the mountains and hills to fall upon them, to cover them from the sight of their judge; let us, therefore, in time be _posing_ ourselves which of the _two_ we shall be. OF THE JOYS OF HEAVEN. There is no good in this life but what is mingled with some evil: honours perplex, riches disquiet, and pleasures ruin health. But in heaven we shall find blessings in their purity, without any ingredient to imbitter; with everything to sweeten it. O! who is able to conceive the inexpressible, inconceivable joys that are there! None but they who have tasted of them. Lord, help us to put such a value upon them here, that in order to prepare ourselves for them, we may be willing to forego the loss of all those deluding pleasures here. How will the heavens echo for joy, when the bride, the Lamb’s wife, shall come to dwell with her husband for ever! Christ is the desire of nations, the joy of angels, the delight of the Father; what solace then must the soul be filled with, that hath the possession of him to all eternity! O! what acclamations of joy will there be, when all the children of God shall meet together, without fear of being disturbed by the anti-Christian and Cainish brood. Is there not a time coming when the godly may ask the wicked, what profit they have in their pleasure? what comfort in their greatness? and what fruit in all their labour? If you would be better satisfied what the beatifical vision means, my request is, that you would live _holily_ and go and see. OF THE TORMENTS OF HELL. Heaven and salvation is not surely _more_ promised to the godly, than hell and damnation is threatened to, and shall be executed on, the wicked. Oh! who knows the power of God’s wrath? None but damned ones.