Matth. vi. 20. in a like term, what is here called an inheritance, is there called a treasure. He expresses the permanency of it, by these two, that it hath neither moth nor rust in itself to corrupt it; nor can thieves break through and steal it. There is a worm at the root of all our enjoyments here, corrupting causes within themselves; and besides that, they are exposed to injury from without, that may deprive us of them. How many stately palaces, that have been possibly divers years in building, hath fire upon a very small beginning destroyed in a few hours? What great hopes of gain by traffic hath one tempest mocked and disappointed? How many that have thought their possessions very sure, yet have lost them by some trick of law? And others, as in time of war, driven from them by the sword? Nothing free from all danger, but this inheritance, that is laid up in the hands of God, and kept in heaven for us. The highest stations in the world, namely, the estate of kings, they are but mountains of prey, one robbing and spoiling another: But in that holy mountain above, there is none to hurt nor spoil, nor offer violence. What the prophet speaks of the church here, is more perfectly and eminently true of it above, Isaiah lxv. 25.

This is indeed a necessary condition of our joy in the thoughts of this happy estate, that we have some persuasion of our propriety, that it is ours; that we do not speak and hear of it, as travellers passing by a pleasant place do behold, and discourse of its fair structure, the sweetness of the seat, the planting, the gardens, and meadows that are about it, and so pass on, having no further interest in it. But when we hear of this glorious inheritance, this treasure, this kingdom that is pure and rich, and lasting; we may add, it is mine, it is reserved in heaven, and reserved for me; I have reserved the evidences, and the earnest of it; and as it is kept safe for me, so I shall likewise be preserved to it, and that is the other part of

VOL. I.

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the certainty that completes the comforts of it. See Eph. i. 14.

The salvation that Christ hath purchased is indeed laid up in heaven, but we that seek after it, are on earth, compassed about with dangers and teptations. What avails it us, that our salvation is in heaven, in the place of safety and quietness, while we ourselves are tossed upon the stormy seas of this world, amidst rocks and shelves, every hour in hazard of shipwreck? Our inheritance is in a sure hand indeed, our enemies cannot come at it; but they may over-run and destroy us at their pleasure, for we are in the midst of them. Thus might we think and complain, and lose the sweetness of all our other thoughts concerning heaven, if there were not as firm a promise for our own safety in the midst of our dangers, as there is of the safety of our inheritance, that is out of danger.

The assurance is full; thus, it is kept for us in heaven, and we kept on earth for it; as it is reserved for us, we are no less surely preserved to it. There is here, 1. The state itself, salvation. 2. The preservation, or securing of those that expect it, kept. 3. The time of full possession, in the last time.

1. The estate, unto salvation.] Before it is called an inheritance; here we are more particularly told what is meant by that, namely, salvation. This is more expressly sure, being a deliverance from misery and it imports withal the possession of perfect happiness. The first part of our happiness is to be freed from those miseries to which we are subject by our guiltiness. To be set free from the curse of the law, and the wrath of God, from everlasting death. 2. From all kind of mortality or decaying. 3. From all power and stain of sin. 4. From all temptation. 5. From all the griefs and afflictions of this life. To have the perfection of grace, to be full of holiness, and the perfection of bliss, full of joy in the continual vision of God. But how little are we able to say of this, our apostle here teacheth us, that it is vailed to us, only

so much shines through, as we are capable of here: But the revealed knowledge of it is only in the possession; it is to be revealed in the last time.

And, 2dly, Their preservation with the causes of it, kept by the power of God through faith. The inhe ritance is kept not only in safety, but in quietness. The children of God for whom it is kept, while they are here, are kept safe indeed, but not unmolested and unassaulted, they have enemies, and such as are stirring, and cunning, and powerful; but in the midst of them, they are guarded and defended; they perish not, according to the prayer of our Saviour poured out for them, John xvii. 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world: But that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

They have the prince of the power of the air, and all his armies, all the forces he can make against them. Though his power is nothing but tyranny and usurpation, yet because once they were under his yoke, he bestirs himself to pursue them, when they are led forth from their captivity, as Exod. xiv. 5, 9. Pharaoh with all his chariots and horses and horsemen pursues after the Israelites going out of Egypt.

The word in the original, peaguevo, there ranslated, kept, is a military term, used for those, who are kept as in a fort or garrison-town besieged. So Satan is still raising batteries against this fort, using all ways to take it by strength or stratagem; unwearied in his assualts, and very skilful to know his advantages; and where we are weakest, there to set on. And besides all this, he hath intelligence with a party within us, ready to betray us to him; so that it were impossible for us to hold out, were there not another watch and guard than our own, and other walls and bulwarks than any that our skill and industry can raise for our own defence. In this then is our safety, that there is a power above our own, yea, and above all our enemies, that guards us, salvation itself our walls and bulwarks. We ought to watch, but when

we do in obedience to our Commander, the Captain of our salvation, yet it is his own watching, who sleeps not, nor so much as slumbers; it is that preserves us, and makes ours not to be in vain, Psal. cxxi. I. Isa. xxvii. 3. And therefore those two are jointly commanded, Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Watch, there is the necessity of our diligence: Pray, there is the insufficiency of it, and the necessity of his watching, by whose power we are effectually preserved, and that power is our fort, Isa. xxvi. I. Salvation hath God appointed for walls and bulwarks: What more safe than to be walled with salvation itself? so, Prov. xviii. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous fly into it and are safe.

Now the causes are two, 1. Supreme, the power of God; 2. Subordinate, faith. The supreme power of God, is that on which depends our stability and perseverance. When we consider how weak we are in ourselves, yea the very strongest amongst us, and how assaulted, we wonder, and justly we may, that any can continue one day in the state of grace: But when we look on the strength by which we are guarded, the power of God; then we see the reason of stability to the end: For omnipotency supports us, and the everlasting arms are under us.

Then faith is the second cause of our preservation; because it applies the first cause, the power of God. Our faith lays hold upon his power, and this power strengthens faith, and so we are preserved; it puts us within those walls, sets the soul within the guard of the power of God, which by self-confidence, and vain presuming in its own strength, is exposed to all kind of danger. Faith is a humble, self-denying grace, makes the Christian nothing in himself, and all in God.

The weakest persons that are within a strong place, women and children, though they were not able to resist the enemy, if they were alone; yet so long as the place wherein they are is of sufficient strength, and well manned, and every way accommodate to

hold out, they are in safety; thus the weakest believer is safe, because by believing he is within the strongest of all defences. Faith is the victory, and Christ sets his strength against Satan's; and when the Christian is hard beset with some teptation, too strong for himself, then he looks up to him that is the great conqueror of the powers of darkness, and calls to him, "Now, Lord, assist thy servant in this encounter, and "put to thy strength, that the glory may be thine." Thus faith is such an engine as draws in the power of God, and his son Jesus into the works and conflicts that it hath in hand. This is our victory even our faith, 1 John v. 4.

It is the property of a good Christian to magnify the power of God, and to have high thoughts of it, and therefore it is his privilege to find safety in that power. David cannot satisfy himself with one or two expressions of it, but delights in multiplying them, Psal. xviii. 2. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Faith looks above all, both that which the soul hath, and that which it wants, and answers all doubts and fears with this almighty power upon which it rests.

3dly, The time of full possession, ready to be revealed in the last time.] This salvation is that great work wherein God intended to manifest the glory of his grace, contrived before time, and in the several ages of the world brought forward, after the decreed manner; and the full accomplishment of it reserved for the end of time.

The souls of the faithful do enter into the possession of it, when they remove from their houses of clay; yet is not their happiness complete till that great day of the appearing of Jesus Christ; they are naturally imperfect till their bodies be raised, and rejoined to their souls, to partake together of their bliss: And they are mystically imperfect, till all the rest of the members of Jesus Christ be added to them.