on to intimacy; for two intimate friends may be at a diftance one from another. The Lord's people,

while in the body, are faid to be abfent from the Lord: But then they fhall be at home; he and they fhall dwell together through eternity, in the manfions of glory, the house not made with hands. So much Chrift tells his difciples, John xii. 26. Where I am, there shall also my fervants be. And, John xiv. at the beginning, I will come again, and receive you to myfelf, that where I am, there ye may be alfo. Sixthly, It implies that they fhall be privileged with the fight of Chrift; for two cannot well walk together without seeing one another; then they shall fee the man Chrift, exalted at his Father's right hand, far above all principalities and powers, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come. This is a privilege enfured unto the little remnant by Chrift's own prayer, John xvii. 24. Father, I will, that thefe whom thou haft given me, may be with me where I am, that they may bebold my glory which thou haft given me. O how ravifhing a fight will this be, to behold the glory of Chrift in heaven! When he was transfigured upon mount Tabor, his face did fhine as the fun, and his raiment was white as the light: What will he be on mount Zion above, when he fhall be feen with all his robes of glory, and all his heavenly retinue attending him? Seventhly, They fall walk with me: It implies full pleafure, fatisfaction, and complacency; for walking is an act of recreation, heaven is a place of joy and pleasure, Pfal. xvi. 11. In thy prefence there is fulness of joy, &c. Then the joy of the Lord fhall not only enter into them, but they shall enter into the joy of their Lord. The ranfomed of the Lord fhall come to Zion with fongs, and everlafting joy upon their heads. Se

Secondly, What is imported in walking with him in white? Anfwer, (1.) That then all their black and beggarly garments fhall be laid afide, a body of fin and death fhall not then moleft them; they shall not any more complain of the errors of their hearts, or the iniquity of their heels; no, they shall be prefented without fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing. (2.) White is a badge of purity and innocency; they fball walk with me in white; that is, they fhall not only lay afide their beggarly garments, but they fhall be clothed with change of raiment; perfect holiness shall then be their ornament; they shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle-work; and, like the king's daughter, they shall be all glorious within; they who had lien among the pots, shall become like the wings of a dove, covered with filver, and her feathers with yellow gold; yea, they shall bine forth like the fun in the kingdom of their Father. (3.) White is a badge of victory, as we told you in the explication of the words. Rev. vii. 9. The triumphant company there, of all nations, tongues and kindreds, they stand before the throne and before the lamb cloathed with white robes and palms in their bands, as a fign of their complete victory over all their enemies, whether outward or inward. Sin is an enemy that the believer has many a hot conflict with, while here; but, in heaven, the inhabitants are all forgiven their iniquities, their is no more fin, Rev. xxii. As for Satan, that grand enemy, that went about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour them, they shall then tread him under their feet; know ye not that faints fhall judge angels? faith the apostle: And, as for the world, they shall never any more be enfnared, either with its frowns or flatteries. (4.) White is a badge of honour; the RoVOL. II. C

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mans cloathed their nobility in white, as ye heard. O what honour is referved for the faints of God, his little remnant! They fhall be honoured with a place among them that ftand by in the new Jerufalem; yea, they shall be honoured with the white ftone, and the new name; they fhall fit with Chrift upon his throne, Rev. iii. 22. They fhall be honoured with a crown of burnish'd glory: When the chief Shepherd shall appear, we shall receive a crown of glory which fadeth not away. They shall be ho-noured with a kingdom; I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father bath appointed unto me. They fhall be honoured to be affeffors with Chrift at the laft judgment, Know ye not that the faints fhall judge the world? They'll applaud the Judge in all his proceedings, and cry, True and righteous are thy judgments, Lord God Almighty: Then that paffage will be fully accomplished, Pfal. cxlix. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Let the faints be joyful in glory: let them fing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged fword in their hand, to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written: This honour have all his faints. Praife ye the Lord. (5.) White was a garment appointed for the priests under the law, when they were to minifter about holy things; the faints of God are all priefts, Rev. i. 5. Unto bim that loved us, and bath made us kings and priests to God; and, as priests in the heavenly temple, their continual work fhall be to offer up eternal facrifices of praife unto God and the Lamb. There every bird in every bufh fhall fing, and fay, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, and bath redeemed us unto God

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by his blood; falvation unto our God that fitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever. (6.) We find the angels frequently appearing in white, Acts i. 10. While the difciples are looking towards heaven after their exalted Lord, behold two men, that is, two angels in the form of men, food by them in white apparel: So the faints, they shall walk with Chrift in white; they fhall be like the angels of heaven, Matt. xxii. 30. In the refurrection they are as the angels of God in heaven. The original word fignifies, they shall be equal to angels, or angels mates. Like angels, they fhall not be liable to hunger, thirst, wearinefs, or fuch like bodily infirmities. The angels are faid to behold the face of God in heaven; fo fhall ye who are God's little remnant: Now ye fee darkly as through a glass, but then fall fee face to face. The angels ferve God with the greatest voluntarinefs and freedom, with the greatest activity and nimblenefs, for he maketh his angels fpirits, and his minifters a flame of fire; fo fhall the faints in glory, they shall do the will of God, as it is done by the angels in heaven. (7.) We find Chrift fometimes appearing in white, particularly at his transfiguration, bis countenance did shine as the fun, and his raiment was white as the light; and fo it may import this much, they shall walk with me in white, that is, there fhall be a bleffed conformity between them and me in glory, Rev. xix. 11. Chrift is there represented as mounted upon a white horse, and the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean: Chrift and all his redeemed company, fhall be clothed with the fame livery, 1 John iii. 2. When be fhall appear, we fhall be like him, for we fhall fee him as he is: Their fouls fhall refemble him in righteoufnefs

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ousness and true holiness; yea, their vile bodies fhall be made like unto his glorious body. (8.) White has a great reflection of light with it, when the fun fhines upon it; O how bright and dazzling will the glory of the faints be in that day, when the fun of righteoufness shall shine upon them with a meridian Splendor! Chrift will then be admired in his faints, for they fhall fhine forth like the fun, and like the brightness of the firmament; the beauty of the Lord their God will then be upon them, and fuch beauty as fhall eternally aftonifi and confound the wicked, who contemned them upon earth, and did not reckon them worthy to fit with the dogs of their flock. And thus much for the fourth thing.

The Fifth thing was, to enquire into the connection between the duty and the privilege, between keeping the garments clean, and walking with Chrift in white. (1.) Then, negatively, you should know that there is no connection of merit, as if our keeping of clean garments did deferve that we fhould walk with Chrift in white; no, no: Let every mouth be Stopped, for all the world is guilty before God, and therefore can merit nothing but wrath and vengeance at the hand of God; By the works of the law fhall no flesh living be justified, or faved; it is by the merits of Chrift, his doing and dying, as the furety of the little remnant, that they are brought to walk with him in white: But, though there be no connection of merit, yet, (1.) There is a connection of decree, or purpofe in this matter; God, by an unalterable decree, has ordained, that they who are holy fhall be happy, that they who keep their garments clean fhall walk with him in white, 2 Theff. ii. 13. God bath from the beginning chofen us to falvation, through fanctification of the Spirit, and belief of

the