The third part of this prologue to the saints’ rest is the public and solemn process at their judgment.  O terrible, O joyful day!  Then shall the world behold the goodness and the severity of the Lord—­on them who perish, severity; but to His chosen, goodness.  Then, fellow-Christians, let the terror of that day be never so great, surely our Lord can mean no ill to us.

The fourth antecedent and highest step to the saints’ advancement is their solemn coronation, enthronising and receiving into the kingdom.  They that have been faithful unto death shall receive the crown of life, and according to the improvement of their talents here so shall their rule and dignity be enlarged.

IV.—­EXCELLENCES OF THE ETERNAL REST

A comfortable adjunct of this rest is the fellowship of the blessed saints and angels of God.  Oh, when I look in the faces of the precious people of God, and believing, think of this day, what a refreshing thought is it!  Shall we not there remember, think you, the pikes which we passed through here; our fellowship in duty and in sufferings; how oft our groans made as it were one sound, our conjunct tears but one stream, and our conjunct desires but one prayer.  And now all our praises shall make up one melody, and all our churches one church; and all ourselves but one body; for we shall be one in Christ, even as He and the Father are one.

It is a question with some whether we shall know each other in heaven or no.  Surely there shall no knowledge cease which we now have, but only that which implieth imperfection!  And what imperfection can this imply?  Nay, our present knowledge shall be increased beyond belief.  It shall be done away, but as the light of candles and stars is done away by the rising of the sun, which is more properly a doing away of our ignorance than of our knowledge.  Indeed, we shall not know each other after the flesh; nor by stature, voice, colour, complexion, visage, or outward shape, but by the image of Christ and spiritual relation, and former faithfulness in improving our talents we shall know and be known.

Again, a further excellence is this—­it will be unto us a seasonable rest.  When we have passed a long and tedious journey, and that through no small dangers, is not home then seasonable?  When we have had a long and perilous war, and have lived in the midst of furious enemies, and have been forced to stand on a perpetual watch, and received from them many a wound, would not a peace with victory be now seasonable?  Some are complaining under the pressure of the times—­weary of their taxes, weary of their quarterings, weary of plunderings, weary of their fears and dangers, weary of their poverty and wants, and is not rest yet seasonable?  Some of us languish under continual weakness, and groan under most grievous pains, weary of going, weary of sitting, weary of standing, weary of lying, weary of eating, weary of speaking, weary of waking, weary of our very friends, weary of ourselves.  Oh, how oft hath this been mine own case—­and is not rest yet seasonable?