the Glory of Heaven and the Ruins of their Celestial Country would be repair'd by our Salvation And the glorified Saints are all Companions in the same Joy and the same Blessedness For never was there such a transforming of one Lover into another here as there is of the Saints in Heaven They are all animated by the same Divine Spirit their Thoughts and Inclinations are the same and have the highest satisfaction in the felicity of one another Behold how good and how pleasant is it for Brethren to dwell for ever in Unity Briefly we find that sensible Joy is in its elevation in the times of the Harvest and Vintage and after Victory when the Blessings of God the precious Fruits of the Earth the Hopes of our Labours and the Support and Comfort of the present Life are received an universal Joy fills the Country Now Light is sown for the Righteous and Joy for the upright in Heart 'T is sown in Tears but reapt with Exultation We gather the Fruits of Blessedness from Thorns Poverty and Mourning Hunger and Thirst and Persecution and this gives the more lively tincture to our Joy The Joy of Victory is transporting and that always in proportion to the Danger and Power of the Enemies subdu'd and the rich Spoils taken from them Now when our Spiritual Enemies so numerous so powerful and irreconcileable to our Souls Sin Satan Death are utterly broken how triumphant a Joy follows The Historian relating that most glorious Triumph at Rome when Pyrrhus their proud and potent Enemy was expell'd from Italy observes That of all the Show no part was more joyful than to see the Elephants that had been so terrible and carried Towers on their Backs to be subdued and led in Triumph Thus how joyful is it to see the Prince of Darkness with all his infernal Legions not without the tormenting sense of their Captivity bruised under our Feet to see the humane Nature of Christ rais'd to the highest honour to which that rebellious Spirit did proudly aspire O how delightful a Spectacle All the Saints will cast their Crowns before the Throne and sing the Praises of their victorious Deliverer 5. The Glory of this Place is discovered in the Scripture The Father of Christ is the God of Glory and the Father of Glory and Heaven is his lofty and glorious Throne becoming his Excellent Majesty and Universal Dominion The Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all Glory in its first Notion signifies the brightness and lustre of Light and from thence metaphorically imports Excellency in any Kind Thus the Divine Perfections are exprest God is Glorious in Holiness glorious in Power and the Joy of Believers is call'd unspeakable and glorious Heaven is set forth as glorious in a transcendent manner 't is call'd the Excellent Glory from whence a Voice came to the Apostles in that Holy Mount declaring Christ to be the Son of God So 't is call'd The richly glorious Inheritance the Inheritance of the Saints in Light When the Sun rises in its brightness a Deluge of Gold overflows the World and adorns the Universe but this is but a Shadow of the inherent Glory of the highest Heaven 'T was prepar'd by God for the House of his Kingdom and the Glory of his Majesty We reade of the vast preparations made by two great Kings for the building the Temple at Hierusalem such sums of Gold and Silver that would empty all the Treasuries of the Princes of the World that were it not recorded in Sacred Scripture it would exceed belief The number of the Workmen were seventy thousand employ'd seven Years without intermission the Materials were very rich and splendid Gold and Cedar and precious Stones and the excellency of the Architecture was such that no humane Art can equal for it was model'd by the Divine Mind and the delineation of its Parts was sent to David by an Angel But what are the Preparations of Earthly Kings to the Preparation of God And what is the Glory of the Temple made with Hands to that admirable Fabrick that receiv'd its Being and Perfection immediately from God We reade of the New Hierusalem the Type of Heaven that the Foundations were precious Stones the Gates were intire Pearls the Streets pure Gold as it were transparent Glass The Expressions are in condescendance to our Capacities and but a faint resemblance of the Glory of Hierusalem above In the Vision of the Prophet Esay the Seraphims cried to one another Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts the whole Earth is full of thy Glory 'T is a Theatre of innumerable Wonders divinely deck'd and the wise discerning Observer admires and praises God's Power and Providence so clearly manifested in it For the Excellency of the Work is answerable to the Art of the Maker and the Glory of the Maker results from the Excellence of the Work But what the Apostle saith in comparing the Legal and Evangelical Dispensation That if that which was done away was glorious much more that which remains is glorious and in that degree of eminence as to obscure the other may justly be applied to the Glory of God appearing in the Earth and the third Heaven for if the Earth the lowest stage of the World the Habitation of Brute Creatures and to be continued only for a time hath so much Glory in it what an excellent Glory is in the Supreme Heavens the native Habitation of the Angels and that is to continue for ever The Earth since Man's Rebellion doth not remain in its Primitive State but hath lost much of its Beauty and Usefulness At first it was intirely suitable to the rich Goodness of the Creator now terrible mixtures of his Justice appear in all the parts of it Barrenness in the Earth Thorns and Thistles the Fruits of the Curse for Sin Malignant Influences and Storms in the Air Tempests in the Sea Inundations of Water and how many Diseases are fatally natural to our Bodies But the highest Heaven remains in its original Beauty and pure Integrity The Earth is now the Habitation of his Enemies where they oppress his faithful Servants by their bold Injuries but Heaven is the Habitation of his Saints In short 't is a Place becoming the Majesty and Magnificence of God and his Love to his chosen Friends 'T is said of the Patriarchs whose Desires and Hopes were not centred in that Earthly Canaan tho flowing with Milk and Hony but they desir'd a better Country that is a Heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City To be stiled our God is a Title of the richest value and implies that all the Perfections of the Deity are to make us happy It had been a reflection upon his Greatness and Goodness if he had only given to the Patriarchs a Portion in this World But Heaven is a Place and State of Felicity becoming his Infinite Majesty
Refreshing Are we pain'd with Diseases he can more easily change the Tone of Nature in a sickly Body and make it healthy than one can change the stop in an Organ that presently alters the sound but his Love dispenses bitter Things to us that are necessary for our Spiritual and Everlasting Good His End is to prepare us for Heaven that is prepared for us The Apostle declares He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God that is made us fit for the Heavenly Glory The Divine disposal of Things here to the Saints has a certain Order to their Eternal State He purgeth out our vicious guilty Affections to the World by sharp Physick that our Hopes of Heaven may be more pure and vigorous more actuated by serious Thoughts and intense Desires that we may feel the sense of the Psalmist's Expression O when shall we come and appear before God! In short Art thou in the Vale of Tears languishing in Sorrow and dying every Day by Faith ascend to the Mountains of Spices the Blessed Place Above and thou wilt find the Comforts of God to revive and delight thy Soul 7. Let this reconcile Death to us The Pale Horse is sent to bring us to our Father's House The Apostle expresses the true Christian Temper In this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed with our House that is from Heaven And we are willing rather to be absent from the Body and present with the Lord. Every Saint in the present World is both a Prison and a Captive his Soul is detain'd from the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God by confinement to his Body Therefore methinks he should not merely be content to die out of the Necessity of Nature when he can live no longer but desire the happy removal and say with the Psalmist I rejoic'd when they said to me Let us go into the House of the Lord. 'T is true Nature will recoile and the extinguishing the present Life with all its sensible pleasant Operations is uneasy to us but as when the Candles are put out the Sun rises in its brightness so when the Natural Life ceases the Spiritual Life springs forth in its Oriency and Glory When the Earthly Tabernacle is dissolv'd the naked separate Soul shall be received into a Building not made with Hands Eternal in the Heavens Our joyful Affections in leaving the World and ascending to Heaven should be in some manner suitable to our reception there What a joyful Welcome will entertain us from God himself Our Saviour comforted his Disciples with a Heavenly Valediction I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God The Gracious Relation sweetens the Glorious He that joyfully receives the rebellious but penitent Son to Grace will joyfully receive his obedient Sons to Glory He that now receives their Prayers with the Affection of a Father will receive their Persons with the dearest Expressions of Love His Fatherly Providence watch'd over them in the Way and will triumphantly bring them Home Here many Blessed Testimonies of God's Love are given to the Saints that produce such a spiritual sweetness in their Hearts that they esteem his loving Kindness as better than Life more worth than all the World but the full revealing of his Love is only in Heaven And as a Child knows by Experience the Love of his Father but the Degrees and Strength of his Affection he does not understand till arrived at mature Age and sees the Inheritance his Father enstates upon him Thus in Heaven only the Saints shall know the excellent and perfect Love of God to them when they are possess'd of that Glorious Kingdom his most free and rich Gift which transcends all their present Thoughts And our blessed Redeemer that by so many Titles has an Interest in us that is not contented in his own Personal Glory without our partaking of it that by his Resurrection open'd the Grave and by his Ascension open'd Heaven for us how dearly will he receive us He esteems Believers to be his Joy and Crown and with an extasy of Affection will present them to his Father Behold I and the Children that God has given me The Angels and Saints Above overflow with Joy when the Soul as a pure Spark freed from its Ashes ascends to the Element of Spirits how joyfully is it entertain'd by that Glorious Assembly The Angels that rejoice at the Conversion of a Sinner will much more at the Glorification of a Saint and the Saints have a new accession to their Joy upon the reception of any of their Brethren to that State of Felicity The Saints of all Ages may be resembled to a Fleet of Merchant-men that are bound for the same Port some arrive sooner others later according to the time of their setting out but those who arrive first how do they welcome their Friends that come safely afterwards An imperfect resemblance how dearly and joyfully the Saints that are gone before us welcome those who arrive in Heaven every day knowing the dangerous Seas they have past through where so many have been cast away and lost for ever All Heaven is in Musick celebrating the Praises of God and expressing their joyful sense when a Victorious Saint is come to receive his Reward How does this Consideration upbraid us that we are so unwilling to be dissolv'd and to be with our best Friends in the best Place that our Tears and Sorrows for leaving the Earthly Tabernacle and the low Comforts of this Life should continue till we come to the Gate of Heaven How can we be content with the Imperfections of the present State Here we are as distant from compleat Happiness as the highest Heaven is from the Earth Where is our Faith in the Promises of God Where is our Love to our Redeemer and our Souls The lothness of a Sincere Christian to die and be with Christ is a deflection from his Christianity Lastly This should refresh our Sorrows for the loss of our dearest Friends that die in the Lord. Here is a mournful parting when they are laid in the cold dark and silent Mansions of the Earth when those whom we lov'd as our own Souls are finally separated from us and we shall see their Faces no more And as one that is directed by the Light of a Torch in the Night when 't is taken away is more sensible of the Darkness than if he had not been inlightned by it So when those dear Friends are taken away whose Conversation was the Light and Joy of our Lives we are more darkned with Sorrow than if we had never injoy'd them But if we duly consider Things there is more reason of Joy than Sorrow at the departure of the Saints Our Saviour tells his Disciples that were mourning for his signifying that he must go away If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I say I must go to my Father to reign with him in Soveraign Glory Sincere Love will make us more to
Joy is full 'T is call'd our Master's Joy Great God how ineffable is that Joy 'T is the richest Reward infinite Bounty can give to faithful Servants As being made like to Christ in Glory implies a divine and full Perfection so the entering into his Joy implies the most accomplisht and incomprehensible Felicity 'T is a permanent Joy that none shall take from the Blessed as our Saviour promises his Disciples Here below suppose a Person encompast with all the Good Things of the World yet this Felicity is neither without Defects nor without Dependance upon Casual Things that he is never compleatly happy but only less miserable and tho he lives long in Prosperity and hath a tenor of Health to enjoy it yet as the clearest Evening is presently follow'd by Night so the most vigorous old Age is certainly attended with Death that extinguishes all sensual pleasures But in the Presence of God is fulness of Joy at his Right Hand are Pleasures for ever To explain this more particularly let us consider that Knowledg Love and Joy are the Perfections and Felicity of immortal Spirits and are correspondent to the excellency of the Objects upon which they are fixt and the capacity of the Faculties that are exercis'd and the degrees of Satisfaction communicated to them Now in Heaven our noblest Faculties the Understanding and Will are rais'd and enlarg'd and entirely united to the best Objects What conception can we frame of Joy for an intellectual Creature so full and satisfying as the clear Vision of God invested with all his attractive Attributes his glorious Perfections and in perfect loving the most lovely Object and being perfectly lov'd by him When the Soul freed from this mortal muddy Flesh and the Mind clear'd from all terrene Images convey'd by the Channels of the Senses sees God Face to Face how is it ravish'd with wonder and love in the sight of his most amiable Excellencies How pure a Joy is infus'd to the Center of the Soul and fills all its Desires How permanent like the everlasting Spring from whence it flows The Psalmist inspir'd with the Love of God breaks forth in an Holy Extasy How blessed is that Man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy House even of thy Holy Temple Admirable Blessedness dear Felicity The same Heavenly Saint expresses his esteem and affection How excellent is thy loving kindness O Lord They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House and thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy Pleasure Here we do but taste and see how good the Lord is and that is so powerful a Cordial as gloriously supports the Saints under the heaviest Sufferings But Heaven is the Element of Joy Here a glancing sight of his Goodness how reviving is it A living Vein of Light from his favourable Countenance pierc'd into the miserable Dungeon where Paul and Silas were chain'd and rais'd their Spirits to that Heavenly pitch that they sang Praises to God the illustrious reflection of Paradise lightned them at Midnight and put a gloss of Joy upon them But in Heaven those most divine and amiable Titles that God is Light and that God is Love are most fully exhibited and experimentally understood by the Saints They see him as he is in his essential Glory and all the secret Treasures of his Wisdom in his Works of Wonder are unfolded and the sweetest Manifestations of his Love are given to them That which the Prophet declares of God's tender Affections to his Church is verified in the most excellent manner in Heaven The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is Mighty he will save he will rejoice over thee with joy he will rest in his Love he will joy over thee with singing That the blessed God is well pleased in the glorified Saints is the supreme degree of their Felicity How joyful a Complacency arises from the Communion with the blessed Redeemer and the Saints in Heaven Love is the first Fountain of Joy and the more intense the more ravishing is the Fruition The Love of Christ to them was so great that from Eternity he was infinitely pleas'd in the thoughts of their Salvation His Delights were with the Sons of Men before they delighted in him If the Design of that blessed Work was so pleasing what is the Accomplishment The Evangelical Prophet declares He shall see of the travel of his Soul and be satisfied And the Love of the Saints to Christ is a correspondent Affection according to their utmost Capacity All the Affections that were scatter'd here below are concenter'd in him for he infinitely deserves their Love having ransom'd them with the dearest Price and purchas'd for them an everlasting Inheritance He lov'd them in their foul deformity that he might superinduce a Divine Beauty upon them and prepare them for the enjoyment of himself He is now their Desire and in Heaven where he appears in all his Brightness and Beauty their everlasting Delight We may conceive a little of their ravishing Communion by the Language of Divine Love between Christ and the Church in the Song of Solomon and their harmonious Affections exprest in the most endearing manner Open to me my Love my Dove my Vndefiled And the inflam'd Spouse in a high and delightful rapture breaks forth I am my Beloved's and he is mine If a Propriety and Interest in him be productive of such a pure Joy what will the everlasting Fruition be The Scripture represents it by a Marriage-Feast as the most compleat resemblance of that spiritual Joy Thus the Inhabitants of Heaven are introduc'd speaking Give Honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready What Union what Joy How will the Saints rejoice in God their Saviour in the view of the surprising Wonders of his Love The Scripture speaks of another accession to the Joys of Heaven the innumerable Company of Angels and Saints that live in perfect Concord inviolable Love the sweetest Content and joyful Complacency Society is a principal Ingredient of Joy What exultation of Joy will there be when the whole Family of Heaven shall meet together in their Father's House We may conjecture how the Angels are affected to us by what is recorded concerning their appearance at the Birth of our Saviour There was a multitude of the heavenly Host praising God saying Glory be to God on High on Earth Peace good Will towards Men. 'T is the first time since the Fall of Man that we hear of the Angels Song They were commission'd to punish rebellious Sinners and appear'd with flaming Swords the Instruments of revenging Wrath. But when the Lord of Hosts became the God of Peace they appear'd with Harps in their Hands with Praise and Joy celebrating his Mercy They foresaw that Peace on Earth would end in
his special Love and eternal Duration 'T is an Observation of Tertullian That God who made other Things by command by the omnipotent Umpire of his Will appli'd himself with Counsel to form the Body of Adam which was the original Model of all Perfections that a humane Body is capable of for the beauty of Aspect without and the artificial order of the Parts within and the reason was Love drew the Lineaments Thus Love the Queen of the Divine Attributes employ'd infinite Wisdom and almighty Power to build this Celestial City for the reception of his chosen Favourites The King of Glory dwells there in a special manner The Heaven even the Heavens are the Lord's but the Earth hath he given to the Children of Men. By Right and Dominion the Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness thereof and the possession of it is from his Bounty to Men but Heaven is reserv'd for himself the Place of his glorious Residence As a Prince that hath many Houses gives some for to be inhabited by his Servants but the Imperial Palace is kept for his own Dwelling God manifests himself there in the most refulgent manner All the Perfections of the Glorious Deity are reveal'd to the Saints in their purity and radiancy The Divine Presence is the Supreme Glory of Heaven The Lord Jesus Christ is there crown'd with the Majesty of the Divine Empire This Glory is the Reward of his meritorious Obedience and Sufferings He was made a Subject and a Servant and endur'd the most ignominious cruel Death to satisfy God's injur'd Justice What hath not the Son done for the Glory of his Father He lost his Life rather than his Obedience And what will not the Father do for the Honour of his Son What Recompence is correspondent to such astonishing Humiliation Our Saviour in his last solemn Prayer with his Disciples addresses himself to God I have glorified thee on Earth I have finish'd the Work thou gavest me to do And now O Father glorify me with thy Self with the Glory I had with thee before the World was The Father was so highly honour'd by Christ that to satisfy his infinite Love towards him he hath dignified him with a Name and State that transcends all created Glory He is the Lord of Angels the Head of the Church and sits at the right Hand of Majesty on high In Heaven he appears in his triumphant Glory of which in the Transfiguration there was a transient glimpse when his Face did shine as the Sun but allayed and moderated that his Disciples might sustain his Presence There the Angels the Princes of the Celestical Court in all their bright Orders encompass the Throne of God and pay their humblest Homage to him The Saints appear there in their Robes of Glory for they are transform'd into the glorious likeness of the Son of God Their Souls radiant with pure unspotted Holiness shine through their Bodies as Sun-beams transmitted through Chrystal They all reign in Soveraign State for ever It becomes the Divine Majesty that all God's Subjects should be Kings and the highest Principality on Earth is but servitude compar'd with the Royalty enjoy'd by the Saints above For how often are the mightiest Monarchs on Earth in perfect bondage to their lawless Passions and the Soul in dull captivity to the sensual Appetites How often are the strongest Empires dissolv'd and ruin'd But the Saints in Heaven by obeying God reign triumphantly no Passions no Fears no Desires resist their Will nothing is able to trouble the sincere Delight the perfect Tranquillity of their State They in their several degrees of Glory shine like the Stars for ever and ever To sum up all What is promised to the Church is fulfill'd in Heaven The Sun shall be no more thy Light by Day nor the Moon by Night but the Lord shall be thy everlasting Light and thy God thy Glory Thus I have endeavour'd to represent that luminous Palace and the bright Inhabitants but how short is the description of the glorious Realities all humane Words are too weak and narrow to express it as it is The Glory and Joy of that blessed State are unspeakable as the Apostle a Spectator thereof certifies And 't is observable that our Saviour himself expresses the greatest Things by low familiar Terms and Resemblances as he tells his Faithful Disciples they shall eat and drink at his Table in his Kingdom In his Promises of Rewards it was not his intention meerly to make a show of his Power but to declare his Love Like a God he doth not magnify the Favours he will bestow but leaves it to their Spirits to conceive what becomes Almighty Goodness to bestow on his Servants In the plainest manner of promising the Reward there is a clear Character of the excellent Greatness of the Giver and his Gifts I will now consider the infallible Assurance we have of this blessed Place and State This is built on our Saviour's Love to them and his Truth and his going to prepare that Blessedness for them He saith to his Disciples Otherwise I would have told you implying that his Affection and Sincerity make it impossible that he should deceive them with an empty Promise of future Happiness 1. His Love secures them He would never have chosen them to be the Companions of his Cross never have expos'd them as Sheep among Wolves to suffer for his sake and to leave them for ever and reign alone in Heaven Love is a benevolent affection rising in the Breast and expressing it self in real Benefits according to the Power of the Lover and the Wants or the Capacity of the Person beloved and the more intense the Affection is the more evident and noble effects of Kindness will proceed from it All the most liberal Expressions without real performance are but a vain pageant of Friendship Now the Love of our Saviour to his Disciples was not only sincere but in such a degree of eminence that they might safely rely upon his Promises His pure Love was the motive of selecting them from the World and dignifying them with the endearing title of his Friends His Conversation with them was infinitely sweet a Miracle of Benignity and that glorious performance of his Love for them and all Believers in leaving Heaven for their sakes is the strongest assurance that he will bring them to his Father's House above 'T is represented as the peculiar Glory of Theodosius that he seated Majesty and Love in the same Throne for Love unites and conforms Persons and makes them as it were Peers and it seems too low a submission for a Soveraign to descend from his Throne to a kind of equality with a Subject or too high an exaltation to assume a private Person into such a degree of affection as to make him as himself yet such was the condescension of that great and amiable Emperor But how distant is the greatest Monarch in the World from the Eternal Son of
God than that a guilty Sinner should be reconciled to him As supposing the revival of a Phoenix from its Ashes 't is more easily conceivable that it should take its flight upwards which is the natural Motion of a living Bird than that it should be restor'd to Life in such a miraculous manner In short Heaven is a free Gift to us but dearly bought by our Saviour 't is the Gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. He had a double Title to Heaven as the Son of God he was Heir of his Kingdom this Title is incommunicably his own and he acquir'd it by his meritorious Sufferings This he imparts to Believers who enter into Heaven by the new and living Way which he consecrated for them through his Flesh. 2. He ascended into Heaven to prepare a Place for us The Actions of our Saviour may be considered two ways either as terminated in himself or with a relative respect to Believers as the Head of the Church His Resurrection was not meerly Personal but hath an operative Force in raising all the Members of his Mystical Body As David's subduing Goliah was not his own personal Victory simply but was extended in its happy Consequences to all his Nation for in him as their Champion the Army of Israel overcame the Philistims Jesus Christ as Head of the Church hath broken the Dominion of Death and by virtue of his Conquest the Grave shall restore the Saints at the general Resurrection And his Ascension was not a personal Act purely to obtain his own Right but as our Forerunner he is enter'd for us into Heaven As the High Priest in his majestick mysterious Habit with the Names of the Children of Israel upon his Breast enter'd into the Holy of Holies so Jesus Christ enter'd into the Eternal Sanctuary as our Representer to take possession of it for us The Language of Despair is silenc'd for ever Who shall ascend up to Heaven to raise us thither Christ is lifted up to the highest Glory and will draw all his People after him The first Adam was from the Earth Earthly but Christ is the Lord from Heaven and is return'd to Heaven and shall Earth destroy what Heaven cannot restore The Apostle tells us That Believers sit with Christ in Heavenly Places that is as he is the Head of that Sacred Society his Church and his Promise is exprest To him that overcomes will I grant personally to sit with me in my Throne even as I also am set down with my Father in his Throne After victorious Obedience the Saints shall be taken into Soveraign Alliance with Christ and reign for ever In short his excellent Merit is the Foundation of our glorious Hope and his prevailing Intercession introduces us into actual Possession He that purchas'd Heaven disposes of it by his last Will thus he addrest to his Father immediately before his Death Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may see my Glory And he has Power to accomplish his own Testament What he hath done already for Believers is an uncontroulable Evidence and invincible Assurance of what he hath promised There is a vaster distance between the Deity and Misery than between Man and the Heavenly Glory For the Sun to go backwards ten Degrees was miraculous and astonishing but to ascend the Horizon is according to natural Order The abasement of the Son of God was stupendious but his advancement to the highest Glory is most becoming his Divine Relation and infinitely due to his exuberant Merits and a firm Foundation of Hope that all his redeemed Saints shall be where he is and be conform'd to him in all supernatural Divine Excellencies of Soul and Body for ever The Application 1. LET us adore the unconceivable Love of God who hath prepar'd such a Place of Joy and Glory for his Children when they leave the World The Father prepar'd it in his Decree from Eternity and by his creating Power from the Foundation of the World and we are assur'd 't is such a Place and State as fully answers the Design of God's Love that is to make a reasonable Creature as happy as 't is capable to be When Man was turn'd Rebel against his Creator when so chang'd from the Divine Resemblance imprest at first upon him into the disgraceful likeness of the Beasts that perish as the Psalmist justly reproaches him then to pardon us and prefer us to restore us to his Favour and Image and the nearest communion with himself in his Palace above is such an astonishing Mercy as is only proper to God who is Love And the Love of our Redeemer is equally admirable when we were expell'd Paradise he makes a reentry for us and intercepts the stroke of the flaming Sword that had destroy'd us We neither know the depth of our Misery from whence we are freed nor the heighth of Glory to which we are rais'd by our Redeemer In what Heart but that of the Son of God could ever such compassion and charity be conceiv'd He took our Flesh to Heaven to prepare it for us and interchangeably left his Spirit on Earth to prepare us for Heaven How just is the solemn and terrible denunciation of the Apostle He that loves not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha And how are we obliged to God for the blessed and glorious Gospel that infinitely excels all humane Books in the matter it contains the everlasting Happiness of Man and the certain way to obtain it and in the manner of conveying those great and Sacred Truths by Divine Revelation And what an Argument of thankfulness is it to consider the distinguishing Grace of God that when the most are so blind in the clear Light of the Gospel as not to discover the lustre of the Pearl of Price and so immers'd in Vanities as to disrelish Heavenly Joys that he is pleased to inlighten the Eyes of our Mind that we may know what is the Hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints The number of Fools that understand not the Price that is put into their Hands in comparison of the truly Wise is greater than of common Stones that lie in the Mire of the Streets to precious Stones of the highest value Diamonds and Rubies How affectionately should we give thanks to the Father who has made us meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light But we have such Allays by the Relicks of Carnality that without the Heavenly Spirit 's inspiring our cold Earth we shall never be ardent and lively in the Praises of our Blessed Benefactor Even David himself was fain to call upon his Soul with repeated fervency and excite every Faculty within him to bless the Lord who had forgiven his Iniquities and redeem'd his Life from destraction and crown'd him with loving Kindness and tender Mercies 2. From hence we may infer the great Guilt of
it upon Things Above Love between Friends is maintain'd by immediate Converse or by Letters when absent thus is Love between God and the Soul And if God that is to himself his own Blessedness his own Kingdom and Glory yet is pleas'd in his gracious Communications to his Children on Earth how much more should they by frequent and affectionate Duties address to him who is their eternal lnfinite Good Thus they are acquainted with him and enjoy a sweet Peace and obtain an humble Confidence of appearing before him in his Holy and Glorious Habitation whereas those who live without God in the World are justly fearful of Death for then the Spirit returns to God that gave it Briefly let us with zealous Affections and persevering Diligence prepare our selves for the Presence of God and the Society of Blessed Spirits in our Father's House Let us always abound in the Work of the Lord knowing our Labour is not in vain Let us join Works of Charity with Works of Piety employ the fading Riches of the World for the Relief of the Saints that as our Saviour Promises when we shall fail when in the Hour of Death our Flesh and Hearts shall fail us and our Souls be dislodged from our Earthly Tabernacles we may be received into Eternal Habitations The Everlasting Judg that dispenses Rewards and Punishments has acquainted us with the Rule of Judgment at the last Day Those who mercifully relieve him in his Members shall inherit the Kingdom of Glory and those who neglect that Duty shall be cast into the Lake of Fire Though many who are wretchedly careless of doing Good according to their Ability now satisfy themselves that they are not injurious to others Yet it will be a small mitigation of their Sentence at last that they are condemn'd not for the Defect of Justice but of Charity 6. Let the belief that there are Mansions of Rest and Joy prepar'd for the Saints in their Father's House gloriously support them under their heaviest Troubles here This World is the Devil's Circuit wherein he is alwayes ranging about seeking to devour The pleasant Things of the World are his Temptations to ensnare the Carnal the Men of the World are his Instruments to oppress the Saints and were it not for the Restraints of the Divine Power what Desolations would be made in God's Heritage 'T was a strange and barbarous Custom among the Persians that upon the Death of the Emperor for five days the Empire was left without Government And as upon removing the Stone from the Fabulous Cave of Aeolus the Winds broke out in their fury so by taking away the authority of the Laws licence was given to all Licentiousness and the whole Kingdom was in mortal Paroxisms All were in Arms some to do Injuries others to revenge them the Chastity of none was secure but conceal'd nor the Estates of any but defended the Bridle of Fear was taken off no Wickedness but was boldly committed or attempted and the Kingdom became a Field of Bloody War But when the new King was proclaim'd all things were immediately reduc'd to Order that the Advantage of Government might be set off by the experimental Confusions and Mischiefs of Anarchy But if God left the perverted World and Satan the Prince of it one day to their rage against his People did he not shut it in with Doors and Bars as he doth the impetuous Ocean so swelling and diffusive is their Malignity that it would like the Deluge drown all and not a Remnant of the Saints would be left Yet God wisely permits many Temporal Evils to be inflicted on his Servants by their Enemies for the tryal of their Fidelity and their noble Resolution to glorify him whatever they suffer for his sake And it becomes them with an undisturb'd serenity of Mind and harmony of Affections with an invincible Patience to bear all the Scorn and Contempt all the Malice and Fury to which they are expos'd upon a Christian account Let them remember they are Strangers and Sojourners here and live by other Laws than the World doth which causes their hatred But in their Father's House there will be perfect Rest. St. Paul who had experience of both in a singular manner declares I reckon that the Sufferings of the present State are not worthy to be compar'd to the Glory that shall be reveal'd in us In that State of pure Felicity there are no remains of Afflicting Evils all is Peace and Joy and Glory Seneca the Philosopher when an Exile and confin'd to the Mountains of Corsica entertain'd himself with the contemplation of the Heavens and the bright Luminaries in their various but regular Motions Thus when banish'd from the Court and City he dwelt amongst the Stars and casting his Eyes down upon the Earth despis'd all Humane Greatness and Possessions that are so vainly magnified by figurative Flatteries as we do a grain of Sand. Did Philosophy inspire him with such Principles of Patience and Fortitude yet it ascended no higher than the visible Heavens How much more should Faith that raises a Christian by high and steady Thoughts to the Supreme Heaven where the Divine Glory shines comfort him in all the Troubles of this World Add further That 't is an excellent Preservative from Envy and Fretfulness at the Prosperity of the Wicked to consider that their Felicity is as transient and vanishing as the Trouble of the Saints I have seen the Wicked in great Power and spreading himself like a green Bay Tree yet he pass'd away and lo he was not yea I sought him and he could not be found All the Riches and Greatness and Pleasures of the World are weighed number'd and measur'd by the Psalmist and found to be as light and fading as Vanity Naked they came into the World and naked they must go out and how much more tormenting will it be to be stript of all their Enjoyments how much more sorrowful will they be to go from their great Possessions than for one that leaves the World and never had them Their Hopes are like the giving up of the Ghost and expire with their Breath for ever I went into the Sanctuary saith the troubled Saint then understood I their End The End of their Felicity and the Miseries of the Righteous Besides the Evils suffer'd for Righteousness-sake there are innumerable Sorrows that befal the Saints here How many afflicting Diseases sad Occurrences vexing Passions harras them Some Afflictions are so wounding to their Spirits that no Balm that growns on Earth can heal But the lively Hope of Heaven is an Universal Cure for all their Troubles Let the mourning Christian consider the wise Providence of God that orders all Events and believe his Love in sending and his End in all their Afflictions Such is the Divine Power that God could immediately free us from all Troubles as easily as turn the Wind from a blasting Quarter of the Heavens to the most Benign and
rejoice in their Gain than to grieve for our Loss Especially considering within a little while we shall be inseparably united in the Kingdom of Glory where Love reigns for ever FINIS Some Books lately Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard A Second Volume of Sermons on Mat. 25. John 17. Rom. 6 and 8 th Chapters c. Preached by the late Reverend and Learned Tho. Manton D. D. In two Parts The vanity of the World with other Sermons By Ezekiel Hopkins now Lord Bishop of London-Derry in Ireland A Paraphrase with Notes and a Preface on the 6 th of St. John shewing that there is neither Good Reason nor Sufficient Authority to suppose that the Eucharist is discoursed of in that Chapter much less to infer the Doctrine of Transubstantiation from it Grotius his Arguments for the Truth of the Christian Religion rendred into plain English Verse A Sermon on 1 John 5.4 This is the Victory over the World even our Faith Preached before the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen c. July 18. 1686. By James Fen M. A. and Vicar of Goudhurst in Kent A Discourse of Bosom Sins A Sermon on Psal. 18.23 Preach'd before the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen c. Octob. 10. 1686. By Peter Newcome M.A. and Vicar of Alderham in Hertfordshire The present State of the Ottoman Empire containing the Maxims of the Turkish Polity the most material Points of the Mahometan Religion their Military Discipline With an exact computation of their Forces both by Sea and Land By Sir Paul Rycaut Knight A Compleat Journey through Italy Containing the Character of the People Description of the chief Towns Churches Monasteries c. By R. Lassell Gent. The Great Evil of Health-Drinking or a Discourse wherein the Original Evil and Mischief of drinking of Healths are discovered and detected With Remedies and Antidotes against it in order to prevent the sad Consequents thereof The Best Fence against Popery or a Vindication of the Power of the King in Ecclesiastical Affairs being an Answer to the Papists Objections against the Oath of Supremacy by a Learned Divine Ch. 13.33 Ver. 36. Ch. 19.1 1 Peter 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.10 Job 38.4 5 7. Gen. 2.7 * Mr. Boyle Of the high Veneration Man's Intellect ows to God c. p. 11. Quantumlibet capacem ventrem afferat Fons vincit sitientem Aug. Heb. 12. Rom. 8. Psal. 102. 2 Peter Chap. 3. Psal. 2. Rom. 2. Revel 1. Heb. 9.12 Exod. 3.5 2 Chr. 2.4 2 Chr. 5.13 14. Psal. 11.4 Heb. 4. Isa. 6.3 3 Joh. 3.2 Psal. 65.4 Psal. 36.8 Acts 16.24 25. Zeph. 3.17 Prov. 8.31 Isa. 53.11 Omnia suspiria in Christo anhelent Ille unus pulcherrimus qui foedos dilexit ut pulchros faceret desideretur Rev. 19.7 Sed nihil libentius populus Romanus aspexit quam illas quas timuerat cum turribus suis bestias quae non sine sensu captivitatis submissis cervicibus victores equos sequebantur Flor. lib. 1. c. 18. Obstupescit obruiturque miraculis Aug. Totum Deum occupatum deditum manu opere consilio sapientiâ Amor dictabat lineamenta John 17.4 5. Isa. 60.19 Amicitiae nomen privatum non solum intra aulam vocasti sed indutam auro gemmisque redimitam solio recepisti Lat. Pacat paneg ad Theod. Mat. 5. John 12.26 1 Pet. 1.25 Heb. 9.12 Titus 3.7 Rom. 8.30 Plut. John 3. 2 Cor. 5.5 Heb. 12.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5. 1 John 3.3 Luke 16.9 Sext Empirie cont Mathem Dum oculi mei ab illo Spectaculo cujus insatiabiles sunt non abducantur dum mihi lunam solemque intueri liceat dum caeteris inhaerere Syderibus dum cum his sim Coelestibus qua homini fas est miscear dum animam ad cognitarum rerum conspectum tendentem in sublimi semper habeam quantum refert mea quid calcem Consol. ad Hier. c. 9. Psalm 37.35 36. Psalm 73. 2 Cor. 5.