World What is a Man profited if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul or What shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul It is too good to be exchanged none besides the Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier of Souls knows the worth of them They are invaluable our Souls are like unto Christs in divine glorious qualifications having the perfect Ideas or Image of God imprinted upon them consisting in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness Christ as God is the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person and being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God in his incommunicable excellencies but as Man participates only of the Communicable properties of God in this different from mere Man that being God-man in one Person for ever God giveth not the Spirit the Gifs and Graces thereof by measure unto him but unto others the measure of the stature or Age of the fullness of Christ who is the head of the Body the Church who is the Beginning the First-born from the Dead that in or among all things he might have the preeminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell the fullness of the Godhead bodily to the end we might be compleat in him and of his fulness not only receive Grace for Grace but with open face beholding without a Glass the Glory of the Lord we might be changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory Even as by the Spirit of the Lord now we see through a Glass darkly in Heaven face to face now we know in part there we shall know even as we are known This is Life Eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent we shall know him perfectly and perpetually perfectly not infinitely his Understanding is infinite his Essence incomprehensible we at our best estate but finite and therefore unable to comprehend so Infinite and Immense a being and whether we shall have the hâ—ppiness of knowing his Essence or Being not only of seeing him but of seeing into him and knowing what he is as well as thaâ— he is since it is so great a question with Divines and so much disputed and a greater mystery I shall not dare to pry into it but personally we shall know God Father Son and Holy Ghost we shall know him to be our God Every one in Heaven will be able to say Infallibly My God and my Lord for ever which is infinitely more than to say Heaven Angels and Saints are mine with all their Glory Every glorified Saint shall have the honor pleasure and treasure of having and enjoying one God for his everlasting Portion In the enjoyment of God and Heaven all hoâ—ors pleasures and riches are only enjoyed What honor God will put upon the glorified Saints in Heaven he only knows but honor them he hath said he will and with Titles so many great significant and noble as will give them the fullest satisfaction How empty unsatisfying and fading are all the Titles of honor which the Great ones of the World glory in in comparison of those wherewith Saints are dignifyed even in this World For the Sons of men to be called the Sons of God is a Title of honor that is to be expressed no other way but with a Behold what mâ—nner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God All the Titles of honor in the World together cannot make a Man so honorable as this one of being Servant to Jesus Christ To be an Emperor of the whole World to be King of all the Kingdoms of the World are Titles incomparably inferior to this Every Title given to Saints in Scripture hath so much honor pleasure and profit in it unto them as can never fully be set forth on this side heaven They are made Kings and Priests unto God their Father they are Prophets they are stiled The Children of God The Resurrection The Kingdom The Marriage Chamber The Beloved of God the dearly Beloved of his Soul and the Brethren of Christ with many more so full of excelâ—ency as the heart of Man cannot conceive It is made a Character of a Citizen of Zion That he honoureth them that fear the Lord. It will be the duty work and wages of Heaven for Angels and Saints to give the highest honors to each other It will be far from every one there to take away one anothers good Name which is so precious a thing Next to the admiring adoring loving reverencing praising honoring and glorifying the Name of God they will have each others Name in great veneration they will have a Name given them even an everlasting Name better than of Sons and Daughters which cannot be taken away He that hath a Name above every Name that is named not only in this World but also in that which is to come and gives them high and honorable Names will preserve them so through all Eternity If they are notwithstanding blessed when Men shall hate them and separate them from their company and reproach and cast out their Name as evil If they then are to rejoyce and leap for Joy for behold their reward is great in Heaven How happy will they be when they shall never hate or be hated more nor ever be separated from the Company and Communion of so blessed a Society as is in Heaven nor reproach or be reproached nor their Names cast out as evil nor ever be guilty of reflecting the least dishonor upon one another There will be nothing here to obstruct the fullest enjoyment of the fullest delight their delight will be in the Lord and he will be ever giving them the desires of their hearts they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his House and he will make them drink of the Rivers of his pleasures For with God is the fountain of Life In his light shall they see light The pleasure of beholding this Light of handling the word of Life and of living in the Love of God will yield everlasting Consolation to the glorified Light and Life and Love are things so glorious that the Essence of God is declared by them God is Light and in him is no darkness at all The Son of God even his Son Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal Life God is Love and he that dweâ—leth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him He that Loveth not knoweth not God for God is Love For Saints to be clothed with Light as with a Garment and to live in and with that Light to which the Sun being compared is darkness How pleasant and pleasing will it be both to the bodily and intellectual eye Never will any eye be satisfied with seeing till God who is Light be seen The pure in heart are blessed in seeing God the everlasting loss of the Beatifical Vision and fruition of God will be the Hell of the ungodly
that Majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ and that excellent glory which the Apostles were eye-witnesses of for they beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth the glory of his people Israel were the Majesty Beauty Comliness and Loveliness of all the reasonable Creatures that ever were is or shall be contracted and comprised in one Man How Lovely would that person be to see to but Christ God-man is altogether lovely How great is his goodness and How great is his beauty who is the beauty of Zion the perfection of beauty No wonder that he is the desire of all Nations and that all true Saints have one thing to desire of the Lord namely To behold the beauty of the Lord and that their Soul desires him in the night and with their spirit within them do seek him early Even new-born Babes sincerely desire the Word Christ and the word of Christ that they may grow thereby having tasted that the Lord is gracious at his gracious Invitation O tast and see that the Lord is good not as still-born dead hypocrites who have onely tasted in a way of profession the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come and so fall away Crucifying to themselves the Son of God afresh by not Crucifying their Lusts and being Crucified to the World and thereby put him to an open shame but by a lively Faith and Hope they have seen and viewed their Beloved from head to foot and can by experience say My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among Ten thousand his head is as the most fine Gold his Locks are bushy and black as a Raven his eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the Rivers of waters washed with Milk and fitly set his cheeks are as a Bed of Spices as sweet Flowers his lips like Lilies dropping sweet smelling Myrrh his hands are as Gold Rings set with the Beryl his Belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires his Legs are as pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine Gold his Countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars his mouth is most sweet having kissed them with the kisses of his mouth and they at his command kissed him least he should be angry yea he is in the esteem of the poorest New-born Babe altogether lovely The believing Beloved Spouse is also Lovely to Christ Behold thou art fair my Love behold thou art fair thou hast Doves eyes within thy locks and thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse saith Christ thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chain of thy neck If the borrowed created beauty of a true Believer a Spouse yet imperfect be so really ravishing to Christ How ravishing will the beauty of the Creator of such beauty be to the glorified spectators of it in the State of Glory which Christ desires on the behalf of all Believers Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me The beholding of this glory is our glory if Joy unspeakable and full of glory is to be had in a way of believing and loving of an unseen God and Christ and glory Oh what unspeakable unconceivable Joys will the perfect everlasting Vision of these afford to the glorified This is that they are Watching Working and Waiting and Hoping or Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe for when Christ who is their Life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in glory Christ and his Church long to see each other not in a Glass darkly looking at one another at the Windows shewing himself through the Lattess but face to face The Spirit and the Bride say come Christ saith surely I come quickly Amen even so come Lord Jesus saith all them that love his appearing This perfect beatifical Vision of God in Heavenly Glory will breed unutterable sweet fruition in the nearest Union Communion and Communication between God and the Godly as there is an Union in grace between Christ and every true Christian by Faith through the spirit which is inseparable So there is an Union in glory or a glorious Union between the glorious Trinity and all the glorified beyond all apprehension and expression now and the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one not one in Essence with God in Christ but one by resemblance or similitude an oneness there will be betwixt God and all the Godly glorified infinitely surpassing all other unions here below The Mystery of Husband and Wife one Flesh of King and Subject one Kingdom Soul and Body one Person Root and Branches one Tree Foundation Corner-stone and Building one House are very great and Mysterious but this of Grace and Glory much greater and far more unconceivable those are as shadows and so pass away this substantial and eternal for Brethren to dwell even together in the unity of the Spirit in the unity of that Faith which worketh by Love in the bond of Peace Behold how good and how pleasant it is beyond all expression apprehension and approbation But for the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven and the Spirits of Just Men made perfect to dwell even together in unity with Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity through all Eternity in that glory which God the Father gave unto Christ and Christ hath given unto them that they may be one even as the Father and his Son Jesus are one I in them saith Christ and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one How good and how pleasant a sight will this be to behold here and onely here will the Natural and Intellectual eye be satisfied with seeing the hearts of all knit together in Love and unto all Riches of the full assurance of Understanding to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ and that Mystery of Godliness which without controversie is so great God manifested in the Flesh becoming one with us in Nature that we might become one with him in Grace and Glory for by one Spirit are we all Baptized into one Body for the body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ for we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones as Head and Members make up but one Body so the Son of God who is also the Son of Man and the Sons of God which are as head and members make
up one Mystical Christ a Mystery great beyond the capacity of Angels to conceive which things they desire to prye or look into and is the subject of their continual and just admiration The full Vision and Fruition whereof will administer also to every glorified Saint matter of the highest Adoration and everlasting Consolation Were this one Promise of one heart and one way in the fear and worship of God accomplished in the midst of us that we might be his People and he our God to rejoyce over us to do us all the good he hath promised us What greater or better thing could we desire on this side Heaven why in the Kingdom of God there will be one heart and one way and one work for ever There will be no need of beseeching Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus to speak the same thing that there be no divisions among them that they be perfectly joyned together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment God and all the Godly will there be so well known to each other through the Light of the Sun of Righteousness that there will not be the least shadow of division or fear of any separation This happy perfect and perpetual Union is the foundation of that Communion and Fellowship between God Angels and Just Men made perfect which is unspeakable and full of glory What Fellowship there is between the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost is a Secret to us if not to Angels and Secret things belong unto the Lord our God but a mutual glorifying each other there was is and will be from everlasting to everlasting and how far the glorified Saints and Servants of the Lord shall be made happy in the Enjoyment and Knowledge hereof in heavenly Glory is so much above the reach of our meditation that it ought to be pâ—ssed over with silent Adoration but verily and â—ruly our Fellowship will be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ through the Spirit and with all the blessed Angels in such a manner and measure as no Tongue can utter or Mind conceive For Saints to draw nigh to God and for God to draw nigh to them in Mercy even here How good is it It is good for me to draw near to God Draw me we will run after thee is the Language and Prayer of every one that is Godly but when by drawing near to God we are come to God and are not only nigh him but with him How comfortable will that Communion be It will be a Communion in the highest honors the sweetest pleasures and the truest riches Them that honor me saith the Lord I will honor It will be our heavenly happiness to receive honor from God and to give honor to God this honor have all his Saints Honor is such an excellency that is naturally desired of every one sinners and unbelievers who seek not the honor that cometh from God only which is the only true honor rather than live without it will receive honor one of another though thereby they are hindred from the honor of believing in God and in his Son Jesus Christ which is to give all hon r to him to whom honor belongs and to receive all honor from him who is the only Author of every good and perfect gift The making Man a little while inferior to or lower than the Angels and crowning him with glory and honor in a state of innocency made David fall into admiration Lord What is Man that thou art mindful or takest knowledge of him or the Son of Man that thou visitest or makest account of him What admiration will it occasion to the glorified to be made like to or equal with the Angels in Heaven and then and there to wear Crowns of Glory Honour Righteousness and Life which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give unto all them that are faithful unto death and love and long for his appearing When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory not only like unto Angels but unto Jesus Christ the Lord of glory It doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him in our bodies We look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile Bodies that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body which is uncorruptible and immortal This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality Our Bodies were fearfully and wonderfully made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth The works of God are all wonderful sought out of all them that have pleasure therein This curious Piece of Mans Body is so full of wonderful mysterious works in every part and member thereof that all the Anatomists in the World could never find out or describe perfectly its excellency It is quite beyond the reach of the understandings of all Souls to comprehend the height length depth and breadth of those excellencies that are contained in the Body of Man Indeed sin hath depraved it and deprived it of much of its glory yet remains there that majesty upon it that commands reverence from all other capable creatures There are Bodies Terrestrial and Celestial each of which have their glory the one before the other after the Resurrection But some Men will say How are the Dead raised up and With what Body do they come God giveth it a Body as it pleaseth him It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown in dishonor it is raised in glory a glorious Body Like unto the Body of Christ perfectly free from all sin from Natural and Moral infirmities no more pains or sickness for ever Perfect and perpetual health and holiness will diffuse it self into every member The united understandings of Men from the beginning to the end of the World cannot conceive nor tongues express or set forth the Glory whâ—rewith the Body of the meanest Saint and Servant of the Lord shall be clothed in the Kingdom of God and Glory the Body hath many Members and those Members of the Body which we think to be less honorable upon these we bestow or put on more abundant honor and our uncomely parts have more abundant comliness for our comely parts have no need but God hath tempered the Body together having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked so that when one member is honored all the members rejoyce with it If such abundant honor and more abundant comeliness be put upon the Body in the state of imperfection and corruption What honor and comeliness will God bestow upon the Body in the state of glorious perfection when this corruptible must put on uncorruption and this mortal must put on immortality then will the head wear a Crown of an eternal weight of Glory The eyes will be fully satisfied
with seeing their glorious Redeemer face to face and the faces of the general Assembly of the first-born and the stately Buildings made without hands the place of their everlasting abode with the honors pleasures and riches of its furniture which from the beginning of the World no eye hath seen O God besides thee what is prepared The Tongue Mans glory will be everlastingly employed in warbling forth the glory of God and the glory with God in the highest Praises in Singing the Song of Moses and the Lamb glorious things are spoken of thee and in thee O City of God The glorious Words which will proceed out of the mouth of Christ will be the Wonder and Joy of Angels and Saints It will be the Work and Wages of the Glorified to be speaking to themselves in Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing and making Melody in their hearts unto the Lord. What melody will it be to the Ear to be ever hearing this new Song sung in perfect harmony with Ten thousand times ten thousand and Thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice Thou art worthy who wast slâ—in and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nâ—â—iâ—n and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests worthy is the Lamb that was slâ—in to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honor and Glory and Blessing Blessing and Honor and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever But Why do I speak of what is unspeakable and undertake to write of that which is so unconceivable He that was caught up into Paradise which is the third Heaven heard unspeakable words which it is not possible or lawful for a Man to utter and if it were possible for them to be uttered it would be impossible for them to be understood The Ear will have its perfect hearing there Doth not the Ear try words saith Job no need of trying words in Heaven where every one is a perfect Man not offending in a Word It is natural to all to natural Men especially to spend their time in nothing else but either to tell or hear some new thing as natural so spiritual persons have their delectation the one in hearing what Men say the other in hearing what God says I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace to his People and to the Saints even that peace which passeth all understanding Faith and all other Graces and Comforts comes by hearing the Word of God Preached and Read the benefit of hearing here in this life under the means of Grace is an unvaluable blessing What glory then will it be to hear of nothing but glory every one there will be very attentive to hear what God the Lord will speak who hath the words of eternal life If all bare Christ witness and wondred at the gracious words which proceed out of his Mouth when on Earth in his estate of humiliation much more will all in Heaven bear witness and admire and adore the glorious words which will proceed out of his mouth in his state of Exaltation his mouth is most sweet his words are altogether lovely here here only will the Ear be satisfied with hearing Let me hear thy voice saith Christ to the Church his Spouse for sweet is thy voice If the sanctified voice of his Church in Prayers and Praises be so sweet to Christ now How sweet will her glorified voice be to him in his glory and How sweet will Christs voice be then and there to his triumphant Church his voice will be sweeter than all theirs In Heaven there only is the hearing ear and the persons and things worthy to be heard What Instruments of Musick there will be and Musicians to time and tune and sound them to delight and ravish the sense of hearing God only knows The voice of Harpers harping with their Harps have there been heard Musick upon Rivers of Water make the sweetest and most solemn sound At Gods right hand there are Rivers of pleasures where there will be such Musick as will ravish the ears and hearts of Angels and Saints for ever What spiritual Meat and Drink there will be in Heaven to delight and please the spiritual taste or palate who can tell Sure I am there will be feeding and feasting in Heaven Our Lord Jesus will be the true Bread as truly in Heaven without Ordinances as on Earth in his Ordinances and so will his precious Blood be drink really and spiritually also but the manner of eating and drinking there is such a Mystery as cannot now be known and may not be spoken to If every Saint can say How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than Honey to my mouth If the word of Christ be so sweet to a Christian sanctified How sweet will the word Christ be to such an one when glorified How sweet are the fruits of holiness and righteousness to a true believer who sits under Christ the Tree of Life with great delight How sweet I say is his fruit to his taste in the way of an Ordnance but to him that overcometh Christ will give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God which whosoever eats of shall live for ever To taste that the Lord is gracious here is good to taste that the Lord is glorious will be best The glory of the Body is but the Body of Glory for our vile Bodies to be changed that they may be fashioned like unto Christs glorious Body What a high expression of glory is this When Christ was Transfigured in the Mount his face did shine as the Sun and when he revealed himself to St. John the Divine from the excellent Glory his Body was clothed with a Garment down to the foot and his Paps girt about with a Golden Girdle his head and his hairs were white like Wool as white as Snow and his Eyes were as flames of Fire and his Feet like unto fine Brass as if they burned in a Furnace and his voice as the sound of many Waters and his Countenance was as the Sun shineth in his strength so shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father but the glory wherewith the Soul will be filled will be much more glorious by how much the Soul excels the Body The glory of â—he Soul will be the Soul of Glory and the Glory of Christ put upon the Body and Soul the Glory of them both It doth not yet appear what we shall be â—ut when he shall appear we shall â—e like him as in our Bodies so also in our Souls We have for substance the same Souls with Christ â—he same faculties and qualities as understanding will memory conscience and affections with their executive powers which are so precious that one Soul in Christs account and esteem is more worth than one