Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	father_n	house_n	mansion_n	1,843	5	11.4237	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14943	The hope of the faithfull Declaring breefely and clearly the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ past, and of oure true essentiall bodies to come: and plainly confuting the cheefe errors, that hath sprong thereof, out the Scripture and doctors. VVith an euident probation, that there is an eternall life of the faithfull, and an euerlasting damnation of the vnfaithfull. Nevvly imprinted and corrected. 1574.; In sacrosanctum Jesu Christi Domini nostri Evangelium secundum Matthaeum commentariorum libri XII. English. Selections	Bullinger, Heinrich, 1504-1575.; Coverdale, Miles, 1488-1568.; Werdmüller, Otto, 1511-1552, attributed name.	1574 (1574)	STC 25250; ESTC S111633	60,785	256

out side of heauen For the truthe witnesseth euidently where I am ther shall also my seruaunts be Nowe shall the seruauntes of God be in heauen not without or aboue the heauē that is to say in no place For Paul the chosen mā of god saithe to the Philippians oure dwelling is in Heauen from whence we loke for the sauior c. plainly also euidently doth the true worde of God declare that the heauen into the which Christ ascended is a place certain for the Lord saithe in my fathers house are many dwellings if it were not so I would haue told you I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe to prepare a place for you I wil come to you again receiue you euen vnto my self that where I am there you may be also Here in dede could nothing b● brought forthe more mete conuenient to oure purpose For th● thing that we now treate of is th● heauen which is the dwelling natiue country of the blessed an● which here is called a dwelling or mansion or place yea a dwe●ling place in the house of Go● the father Who is now any mo●● so malapart or arrogāt as to v●dertake to deny that heauen is place For thus saithe the Lor● In my Fathers House alread● there are many mansions th● not only I but al mine also haue a place and dwelling If it were not so then had I told you that I wold goe to prepare the same for you But now it is not needefull seeing they be prepared alredy wait for you Wheras I now go away and must be from you a litle seson it is not that I wold prepare mansions for you for they are prepared already but that I thorowe my death may make the way for you into Heauen and open the strete to the said dwelling Now to the intent no mā shal say that we haply haue a place in heauen as men but Christ hath not so a place therfore doth the truthe of god plainly expresse that the place wher christ is is a place in dede For he sayeth I will take you vnto me yea not onely vnto me but vnto my self For immediatly vpon the same doth he yet add it more plaine That wher I am there you may be also Christ then as a very true mi● is in Heauen as in one place wherfore it foloweth that we a●so shall be in Heauen as in o●● place certaine This the truth sayth therfore must it needes 〈◊〉 euen so can be none otherwis● The same also doth the human kinde and nature require whic● God as Augustine saith did e●due with immortality but too● not away the nature and kinde The Seleucians or Hermians denyed our sauiour Christ after the fleshe to sit at the right hand of the father But the true faithfull beleuers haue euer still confessed and taught that the very true body or fleshe of our Lord dothe sit at the fathers right hand For verely if the bodi and flesh of our Lorde haue not his place geuen him or if that be withdrawne from him then is this the plaine meaning that our Lorde had no true body For holy Augustine saith and saith right take all roume place from the bodies that they haue no place to be in and then are they no where if they be no where then are they nothing at all As for the place of Paule to the Philippians in the seconde Chapter it teacheth nothing at all that with the exaltation and ascension of Christe any thing is withdrawn from the nature humaine or that we oughte to speake nothing more of it or that we shuld or mighte ascribe no name and place vnto it but like as with y words goīg before which serue much to the matter he thoughte to expresse the lowest humilitye of Christ euen so is it nowe hys minde with very honorable and hie excellent words to set forthe his glory Yea he declareth himself in the words folowing and saith in the name of Iesus shall all knees bow bothe of things that are in heauen of things that are on the earth and things that are vnder the earth And thus hath the father exalted the name of Iesu aboue all names euen in shewing and declaring that Iesus is the same whom al they that are in heauē vpon earth and vnder the earthe ought by right to know worship and feare as Lord of al things creatures yea that all things shuld confesse that Iesus is the lord to the praise of god the Father For verely we muste needes knowledge that Iesus Christ is lord yea lord of all things king defender redemer of like power and honor with the Father Which thing extendeth not to the fathers derogatiō or dishonor as the Arrians folishly thought but to the great glory of the father The Lord saith himself in the gospel the father hath cōmitted all iudgement vnto the sonne bicause that all mē shuld honor the sonne euen as they honor the father He that honoreth not the son the same honoreth not the father which hath sent him Moreouer there he saithe and now glorify thou me O father with thine own self with that glori which I had with thee or euer the world was From the beginning had he the honorable name of god which is glorious and far excellent aboue all names Now thorow the incarnation and by reason of the contemned and despised crosse of Christ the godly honor in Christ was thoughte to be somewhat darkened But that did the father restore bring to glory in that he raised vp his son from death and tooke him vp into heauen And thus gaue he him a name which is aboue all names for so he declareth that he is Lorde of all things Holy Peter also a felowe helper of S. Paule in the seconde chapter of the Actes of the Apostles did in like maner vtter the same For after he hathe opened declared the true resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christ from deathe his glorious ascention into heauen he saith so therfore let all the house of Israel knowe for a surety that God hath made this same Iesus whom ye haue crucified Lord Christ And to be shorte Paule by the name of Christ that is aboue all names vnderstode the blessed name of God the Lord which can not be vttered and is aboue all names But seing our Lorde is a true man like as he is also very God both together and hath with the glorification not put of the kinde and nature of man nether consumed it thorow the godhead therfore remaineth he stil a true creature that is a very true man therfore may he also right wel be named after the same nature and hath likewise a place certaine Finally as for the words of the Apostle Paule the eye hath not sene and the eare hath not hard neither haue entred into the heart of man

heauen But to the intente that no man mistake this worde heauen or otherwise imagine any thing that is darke or not vnderstād wherby the simple being in erroure may scase know at the last wher heauen is or where Christ hath his dwelling It shal therfore be nedeful brefely to declare what the heauen is and that the Lord with his own true body doth dwell in heauen as in one place For heauē is a certain assured place and not only a name declaration of the estate being in heauen Therfore whan it is sayde Christ is gon vp into heauen it is not so much as only to say he hath taken vpon him an heauenly estate or being but also he dwelleth bodely in heauen as in one place CHAP. 7. The diuers significations of this vvord Heauen as it is vsed in scripture THis worde Heauen in the scripture is vsed diuers and sondry waies First for the whol● firmament which is called th● heauenly host or beutifull apparell of the heauens Hereof ha● thou recorde in the eighte an● ninetenth Psalme It is taken also for the ayre which is aboue vs as the Prophet sayeth he couereth the heauen with clouds to prepare rain for the earth Hereof cōmeth it that the foules which flie in the ●ire are called foules or birdes of heauen that is to say birdes ●n the aire Item heauen also is vsed for a seat habitatiō or dwel●ing as the Lord hath prepared his seate in heauen and ye shall not sweare by Heauen for it is Gods seat And though God be ●nfinite can not be compassed ●bout with any place as the moste wise Salomon saide The heauens and the heauens of all heauens are not able to conteine thee And howe should then th● house doe it that I haue builded Yet the scripture calleth the heuen that is aboue vs a dwelling ● God which dwellīg is ordein● for all faithfull vertuous bel●uers and is named the heaue● This doth Paule witnesse sa●ing we know that if our earth mansion of this dwelling wer● destroied we haue a building ● God an habitation not made ● hands but eternall in heauen Here is now heauen taken f● the kingdom of God for the kin●dome of the father or ioy ete●nal life which is peace and re● The heauen I say is a seat a● dwelling of the faithfull or ble●sed beleuers a determinat place also into the which the lord Iesus was receiued when he was taken vp into the heauen And this dothe the scripture plainly declare vnto vs namely the aboue ●s ther is a certain determinate place prepared for vs. For Luke saith he was recei●ed vp on hie and a cloude toke ●im vp away out of their sighte Item and while thei loked sted●astly vp towardes heauen the Angels saide this same Iesus which is taken away from you ●nto heauen shal so come euē as ●e haue sene him go into heauē ●ho is so ignorāt now that he ●otteth not where heauen is or the clouds or into which heau● the Apostles loked so stedfast● Besides this the holye Apos● Paule sayth also our conuersa●on freburgership or dwelling in heauen from whence we lo● for the Sauioure euen the L● Iesus Loe in heauen saythe ● Apostle is oure dwelling ● which heauen I pray you ●● in the same whence we loke the sauioure Now is it euid● from whence we wait and lo● seing that the Apostle sayth ag● we which shall liue and rema● shal be caught vp with them ● in the cloudes to mete the L● in the air and so shall we eue● wyth the Lord. He saith also in another place if ye be risen againe with Christe then seke those things which are aboue wher Christ sitteth at the right hand of god And therfore is the Lord Iesus gone vp into the heauen that is aboue vs and namely into that sure certaī place which is prepared for the blessed And in the same heauen as in a sure certain place doth Christ now dwel bodely Of this opinion also was holy Augustine as in dede it is righte agreeable vnto holy scripture His words are foūd in the boke ad Dardanum de praesentia Dei. Holye Fulgentius in the seconde booke that he wrote vnto King Trasimundus is earnest to bring euery mā vnto this vnderstanding that the humaine kind nature of Christ which now dwelleth in heauen is circūscribed in one place With him a●so accordeth vniformly the holy martyr Vigilius whose testimony I wil now omit and come againe to the holy scripture The Scripture minding t● shewe what is become of the body that rose againe from death and ascended vp and where h● hathe his dwelling saith simpl● plainly he sitteth at the righ● hand of God the father almig●tye Thus nowe is the bodye 〈◊〉 Christ come to the right hand God there sitteth he But heere shall it be expedient to declare what the right hande of God is and what it is to sit at Goddes right hand CHAP. 8. VVhat Gods right hand is and to vvhom it is referred FIrst the right hande of God is not referred vnto god him self but vnto men that are on the right hād So that first the right hand of God dothe signify the eternal saluation and the place of those that be saued This did holi Augustine teach whose words I may well alledge forasmuche as he also doth confirme proue his opinion by the diuine and holye Scriptures In his booke de Agone Christiano he sayth we ought not to heare them that deny the sonne to sitte at the righte hand of god For they say hath god the father also a right or lef● side as bodies haue Nether d● we vnderstand that of the father For with no bodelye proportion can God be described or comprehended As for the right hand o● the father it is nothing els but eternall saluation which he sha●● geue to al godly faithfull beleuers In like manner is the left hande rightly taken for the euerlasting damnation that shall com● vpon the vnbeleuers So that n● of God but of the creatures ● must be expounded that is writte● of the right left hand For euen the body of Christ also which is the church shall come to the right hand that is into saluation as the Apostle saithe to the Ephesians he hathe raised vs vp together with him made vs sit together with him among them of heauen For though oure bodies as yet be not there our hope neuerthelesse is there already The same holy Augustin saith also further in the boke De fide symbolo By the right hand saith ●e must be vnderstand the highest saluatiō wher rightuousnes peace ioy is like as the gotes also shal be set on the lefte hande That is by reson of theyr sins wickednesse they shal come into great calamity troble misery All these are the wordes of holy Augustine CHAP. 9. VVhat it is to

the things which God hathe prepared for thē that loue him these wordes I say muste not be referred to the place of those that are saued For they are wrytten of the vnoutspeakable greatnesse of the ioye as the whole text of the wordes sufficiently doth declare Brefely forasmuch as it is op● and manifest vnto vs that the Lord Iesus Christ after his nature that he toke vpon him is a very true man in glory It foloweth that the true humain body of Christ hath his owne place whereof I hau● hetherto spoken so much not with out cause namely to the intēt al● godly persones may know tha● this is a place certain prepare● for them in heauen and that the● may constantly beleue that in heauen they haue a brother namel● the Lord Iesus Christ Touching the frute of the Ascension of o● lord I shall more largely speak of it afterward CHAP. 11. An other signification of sitting at the right hand of God by vvhich maner of sitting Christe is euery vvhere sitting there in such sorte after his Godheade THus come I againe to the former part what the righte hand of God signifieth is called It is taken in the scripture for strength protection power and for the incomprehēsible honor or glory And therefore it is wrytten thy right hand Lorde is become glorious in power thy right hand hath al to dashed the enemy Item in the Psalme Thou hast geuē me the defence of thy saluation thy right hand also shal hold me vp Moreouer The right hand of the lord hath the preheminence the right hād of the Lorde bringeth mightye things to passe After this signification of the right hande soundeth the name to sit to rule to gouerne to defend to behaue hiselfe as a prince or Regent diligently in his office faithfully to execute the same For in the thirde boke of the kings saithe Dauid Salomon shall sit vpon my seat shall reigne after me And so in the Psalme he saithe the Lord said vnto my Lord si● thou at mi right hād til I make thine enemies thy foote stoole And Paule saith Christe muste raigne till he hath put all his enemies vnder his fete Item in the Prophet Zachary behold the man whose name is the braunch and he that shal spring vp after him shall build vp the temple of the Lord yea euen he shall build vp the temple of the lord he shal beare the praise he shal sit vpon the Lords throne haue the domination A priest shal he be also vpon his throne This kinde of speche is taken of the vse and custome of Kings and Princes which haue their Deputies to whom they frely geue all auctority to rule and gouern Euen so is Christ in whō the father will be honored thorow his authoritye power is it his pleasure to rule He is takē vp to the right hand of the father that is to sai● to haue the dominion or gouernance in heauen in earth an● this commission is geuen hy● faithfully to execute to be lor● and gouernor of all things Thus the right hande of Go● is infinite neither mai it be sh● in for Gods mighte power● incomprehensible the kingdo● of Christ also whych is euerl●sting is a kingdō of al worlde so is he of one substāce of o● power honor with the fathe● not bounde to one place but euery where who in all thing ruleth and worketh seing he not only a very true man but ● so the very true God after ● māhode finite but after his godhead infinite and incomprehensible and that in one vndeuided person he conteineth very true God and man King and Lorde of al things For S. Peter saith Christe is at the right hande of God gone vp into heauen aungels mighte and power being subdued vnto him Item Paule to the Ephesiās God the father raised vp Christ from the dead and hath set him on hys right hande in heauenly things aboue all rule power might and domination aboue al names that are named not in this worlde only but also in the world to come And hath put all things vnder his feete and hath made him aboue all things the head of the congregation which is his body the fulnes of hi● that filleth al in al things Th●● much concerning the right hā● of god and concerning heauen that is the place certain or dweling of the blessed in the which also our lord Iesus with his body hath his mansion and seat CHAP. 12. The frute and commoditye the corporall ascension of Christ both● that he doth novv for vs and in that w● learne by it AFter this from hēce fort● will I speake of the frui● and profit of the corporal ascension of our Lord Iesus Christ of his seat and place at the righ● hād of his father Afore al thīgs we must knowe that our Lorde ascended vp with his very true body that he as mediator betwene God man being very God mā himself high priest in his owne tēple might be before his heauenly father make intercession for vs wholy take vpon himself our necessities grefes For Paul saith to the Hebrues Christ is not entred into the holy places that are made with hands whych are similitudes of true things but is entred into the very heauen to appear now in the sight of God for vs Herevnto al so pertein other sentences or testimonies of Iohn in his first epistle Item of Paul to the Romaines wherin he saith According to the same did our Lorde ascend vp bodely that he with hys flesh taken vp into heauē might stay direct vpon the holy go● all worshipping and Gods seruice of those that are his For ● corporal worshipping dothe fr● hence forth please him but such as is done to his spiritual body He saith in the gospell of Iohn the pore haue you alwaye wy● you and whan you wil you m●● do thē good but me haue ye n● alway Hereunto also serueth saying of Paule althoughe w● haue known Christ after the flesh yet know we him so no more Moreouer the Lord with his resurrectiō hath taught vs that we also shuld lift vp our mindes into heauen seking no saluation at all vpon earth seing that heauen is our right natiue country Therefore oughte we to vse the world as though we vsed it not and to directe all oure care and thoughte vnto heauenly things For Paule sayth to the Colossians set your affectiō on things which are aboue not on thīgs which are on earth For ye are deade and your life is hid wyth Christ in god Item to the Philippians our dwelling is in heauen from whence we loke for the sauior euē Iesus christ our lord Christ also with his ascension into heauen thought to declare vnto vs his power and mighte wherin consisteth our strength our power richesse triumphe against sinne death world deuil and

sit at the right hand of God hovve Christ sitteth the● and vvhat he dothe ANd thus now to sit at th● right hand of God is eue● as much as to be in rest that to say al wretchednesse miser● set aside to liue in a godly life to be partaker of eternall ioy Now that this word to sitte vsed in Scripture for rest the places declare In the. 4. boke Moises it is wrytten thus sha● your brethren go to war wo● ye sit here And in Micheas eu●ry one shal sit vnder his vine and figtree c. Mani mo such places ther be Wherfore now whā the scripture saithe that the lord Iesus sitteth at the right hād of his father it vnderstādeth it chefely of his humaine nature which he he toke vpon him that the same being discharged and free from al trauaile and misery of man is now all in ioy partaker of the kingdō euerlasting Thus saithe also Rufinus in his exposition of the Crede to sit at the right hand of the father is cōuenient for the manhead receiued which is receiued thorow a mistery For to ascribe that to the diuine nature it is vnseemely as though it had a seate in heauen but of the humaine nature it is properly vnderstand and spoken And the like yet did holy s Peter teach afore Rufinus time a● it is to see in the Actes But now might one ask wha● doth the son at the right hand o● the father Must he alway sitt● there be asmuch as made fast and bound vnto it Answere The Lord Iesus after his humaine nature that he tooke vpon him which he put not frō him in heauen hath now eternall ioy with his elect he as the head with his members ruling reigning with all faithfull beleeuers for euermore Wherof we shal spea● more afterward A very superfluous vnprofitable question also is it whā one will so curiously inquire know what God doth in heauen For God wil only teach vs with his holy worde that he liueth ruleth eternally in the glory of his heauenly father Holy Augustin saithe also in the booke De fide symbolo To go about for to seke and inquire where and howe the body of our Lord is in heauen it is a poynt of nice people bringeth no profit Only we ought to beleue that he is verely in heauen For truly it standeth not with our weaknes to comprehende and discerne the priuity of the heauens but it besemeth our faith to haue the worthy glorious body of the Lord in highe and worthy estimation Hetherto Augustine CHAP. 10. That Christ sitteth at the right hand of God by his humanity but circumscribed in place and is not euery vvhere NOw though the heauenly honor glory be high and may not be expressed yet th● place where he dwelleth is certaine the bodye that is in heauen can not be euery where For the right hande of God in and after this first signification thereof is not infinite Els must al faithf●● beleuers also they that are saued be euery where seeing they are with the sonne of God who is taken vp into heauen For the Lord himselfe saithe nowe from henceforth shall I be no more in the worlde but they are in the world I come vnto thee Vpō this he saith father they whome thou hast geuen vnto me I will that where I am they also be with me that they may see my glorye which thou hast geuen me Item he that doth me seruice let him folowe me and where I am there shal also my seruaunts be Seing now that our soules oure bodies also after the resurrection of the flesh shal be in heauen as in a place certain it foloweth that the body of the Lord which into heauen is taken vp hath also a place certaine in heauen and that the right hand of God in this signification can not be euery where In this vprighte matter let it trouble no man that is read in s Paul how that Christ ascended vp aboue al the heauens by meanes whereof a curious body mighte peraduenture conclude if Christ our Lord be taken vp aboue the heauens then can there no place certain be ascribed vnto him seing there is no place aboue or with out the heauen Neither ought it to offend any man that is wrytten how that vnto Christ ther is geuē a name which is aboue al names Or that Paule sayth howe that no eie hath sene neither any eare heard nor is come into the heart of man what god hath prepared vnto them that loue him For the scripture of God thorow out doth witnes constantly and sure that Christ Iesus is taken vp into heauen sitteth at the right hād of his father Wherby it is out of dout that the Apostle thought not to set Christ wihtoute heauen but therefore proponeth he the matter with so high excellent wordes to shew and declare vnto vs that the body of our lord which afore was despised and shamefulli defaced is now in the supreme highest glorye that meaneth he where he saythe aboue all heauens For who ● dothe thorowly consider that plac● of Paule to the Ephesians findeth that Paul hath set two parte of his oratiō the one against th● other For first he saithe thus that he ascended what meane● it but that he also descended fi● into the lowest parts of the earth Against this setteth he nowe h● that descended is euen the sam● also that ascended vp euen ●boue all heauens Therfore is here the one set ●gainst the other namely to de●cend into the lowest parts of t● earth to ascend aboue all he●uens But who would heere co●clude Christe ascended into the lowest partes of the earth Ergo he had no place vpon earth For euery man vnderstandeth well that Paule with these words minded to declare the true comming of the Lord vpon earth the great humility mekenes of our lorde Iesus Christe Therefore who wold thē in the other part of the oration conclude Christ ascēded vp aboue all heauens Ergo he is not in heauen or in anye other place For is there also any one place without the heauen Who vnderstandeth not now that Paule here minded to say nothing else thā that which he vttereth more plainly to the Philippians he hathe exalted him on hie An● thoughe this highe or heauenl● honor be greater and more glor●ous then any mannes tonge ca● or may expresse yet the heaue● is and doth remain stil the dwe●ling of the faithful and therefor● is it a place certaine Wherfore after my plaine an● simple vnderstanding whych i● not curious I beleue constātly that the glorified body of Christe i● ascended vp aboue all heauens that is aboue al cōpace or spher● height of heauen so euen i● heauen that is in the dwelling ● the faithful and ther remaineth and is not as they say passed b● on the

are we of all people the most wretched And with many wordes to the Hebrues treateth he of the euerlasting rest But in the .11 chapter he speaketh of the hope of the faithfull They desire a better countrey that is to say an heauenly Item Hebrues .13 we haue heere no remaining citye but we seeke one for to come For holy scripture calleth eternal life the kingdom of God the kingdome of the father the natiue countrye of heauen the ioy of the Lord the blessed rest and euerlasting life S. Peter speaketh very euidently and plaine praised be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his aboundant mercy hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christe from deathe to an inheritance immortall and vndefiled that perisheth not reserued in heauē for you which are kepte by the power of God thorow faith vnto saluation c. CHAP. 30. VVhere the place of the faithfull is YEt are there s●me that aske where the region or place of the blessed and faithful beleuers is Of this haue all rightuous godly men had euer one opiniō namely that the dwelling of the liuing shall be with God according to that whiche the Lorde sayth in the gospell blessed are they which be of a pure hart for they shall see god And though God be euery where yet will he not be sene in this time but principally in the time to come and in heauen according as Moses hath wrytten no mā shal be able to see God liue Therefore is it necessary for vs to depart oute of this time and to be broughte elsewhere namely to the place that is aboue vs where God dwelleth in a lighte that no man can atteine vnto as Paul saith For there wil he be perfectly sene of his In S. Luke it is red that Abrahams lappe or bosome is aboue in the heigth but the harborow or dwelling of the damned beneth in the depth It is found also that Helias was in a firie charet taken hēce and caried vpwards into heauē And in Iohn doth oure Lorde Iesus Christe pray saying father those whom thou hast geuen me I will that where I am they also be there with me that they mai see mine honor and glory But in this that I haue treated of afore it is manifestly declared that the heauē is the same rowme and place of Iesus Christ into the which he is bodely taken vp in his glory Wherof then it foloweth of necessity that the heauen into the which Christ ascended wyth his true body is euē the same place and rest that faithfull beleuers are taken vp into And into the same heauen desired Steuen to be receiued whā he lifte vp his eyes into heauen and saw at the right hand of the father Iesus standing to whom he committed his soul and said O Lord Iesu receiue my spirit CHAP. 31. Hovve the saluation shall be BVt what the same life and of what sorte fashion and maner the saluation of the faithfull shal be or what the elect doe or occupy in heauen can of mortal men not perfectly be spoken For s Augustine also in his .22 boke de ciuitate Dei. cap. 29. saith If I vvill say the truth I can not tell after vvhat manner the operation rest and quietnesse of the blessed in heauen shall be For the peace of God excelleth and passeth all mannes vnderstanding And likewise speaketh also s. Paule out of the Prophet concerning the quality fashion and manner of eternall life the eye hath not sene and the eare hath not heard neither haue entered into the hart of man the things which God hathe prepared for them that loue him Wherefore touching the excellency of eternall life though all were spoken that the tongs of men wer able yet should it be hard for them to attain and by words to expresse the leaste and smallest portion thereof For albeit we heare that the kingdom of Christ be filled with glory ioy and saluation yet the things that are named cōtinue still farre from oure vnderstanding yea they remaine wrapte as it were in a dark speche and in a miste vntill the daye come wherein he will open and geue vnto vs his glorye Therefore whan the holy Prophets coulde with no wordes expresse the spirituall saluation as it is in it selfe yet as much as was possible they described set it forthe by outward and bodely things Therefore we maye also I suppose by outward and corporall things gette vp as it were by steppes to things inuisible and purchase vnto our selues an vnderstanding of spirituall euerlasting goud things For S. Paule to the Romanes speaking of the knowledge of the true onely and eternall God saythe the Gods inuisible things namely his eternall power and god-heade are vnderstande if hys workes be pondred and considered And oute of that good things that here vpon earthe are geuen vnto men hathe the Poet Marcellus very goodly and wel concluded and compted that the good things which for the blessed are prepared in the life to come shal be suche as now can not be considered and expressed And thus he saythe O Heauen that art the throne most hie A beautifull crovvn faire vvorthy Hovve vvonderfull pure and excellent Art thou beset in firmament VVith starres vvith sun and mone doutles Replete vvith ioy and much gladnes VVhich God for vs hath prepared And cattell to geue hath not spared VVaters and vvoode vvith many a hill vineyardes medovves faire fields to till Pleasant on earth and commodious Thy dvvelling O Lord hovve precious Is it All full of honor and glory For thy celestiall host vvith thee Moreouer holy scripture speaketh very simply and plainely that eternall life consisteth here in that we shall see God and haue the fruition of him in whome is the fulnesse of al good and wythout whom nothing can be desired or found that is good beautifull or pleasant For eternall life or eternal saluation is nothing else but mannes euerlasting and alway continuing state which by meanes of the best things of all is fully perfect This state is geuen vs thorow the beholding or sighte thorowe the fruition and thorowe the cōmunion or felowship whych we shall haue wyth the blessed God in the world to come Hereof is it that S. Aug. saith Lib. 22. De ciuitate Dei cap. 29. If I be demaunded vvhat the blessed shal do in this spirituall body I shall not say that I novve see but that vvhich I beleue Therfore I say that euen in this bodye they shall see God. Thus also did holy Iob holde therof and sayd I shall see him to my selfe and mine owne eyes shall see him yea I and none other Euen of this occasiō spake S. Augustine in the last chapter of this .22 boke that the corporall eyes of the body raised vp shall execute their office that is they shall see What he farther treated