this is a port or hauening place Nevertheles he is so far distant from the likenes and perfection of the things which hee describes that if it were possible that the Geographor were transported vnawares into any strange Cuntrie hee should neither knowe the cuntrie the cities nor what way to go betwixt them for all his Geographie while it were first shewen declared vnto him Even so although I be as farre distant in describing the joies of the Life to come from the perfection thereof as a thing vnperfite is from that which is perfite or the thing finite and bounded from the thing infinite and without bounds Notwithstandng I wil point out as the Geographor doeth a certaine similitude and likenesse thereof by comparing the same vnto joies earthlie and pleasures which may be devised in this life For if the one appeare notable and great which is but temporal and imperfit of it self the other shal appeare farre greater and shall be easilie conceived to transcend it by many degrees seeing it is called by the spirit of God an eternall and perfit felicitie and therefore lacks nothing that is requisite to perfection The pleasures which man can receiue in this life they are either bodily and sensual whereby the outward senses are delighted or else they are inwarde pleasures of the mind whereby the heart and soule of man is rejoiced But so long as the body and the soule are joyned togither there is such an vnion and concord between thē that that thing which delights the one delights also the other and that which is displeasant to the one is likewise displeasant to the other That which is delectable to the body and outward senses is delectable also to the spirit and makes the heart to rejoice And that which contents the mind and rejoiceth the heart doth likewise recreat and plesure the body after a marvelous maner To returne then to those pleasures whereby the outwarde senses and body are delighted Is it not extreame pleasant to the eies to beholde the face of a Princes Court and the great assemblies of bewtifull and great personages both of men and women apparelled with all kinde of pretious and costly garments and attyred with riche jewells togither with all the rest of precious glistering planessing which is accustomed to be in the houses of greate Princes at a solemne feast or at their first entrie in a potent and opulent Cittie Or to beholde from the top of an high mountaine in the time of Sommer or of Harvest while the ayre is cleare and purified the noble faire Cities adjacent about the green hilles and dales the faire woods and forests the cornes wines and fruits of the ground the fresh Loches and rivers and the sapheir firmament the bright Sunne and Moone and the glistering starres arrayed in good order Or to beholde a great armie of horsemen and of foote al in their cleare armour well arrayed and marching in battell To see their glauncing harnes and armour both invasiue and defenciue their Plumages standarts and displaied hand seignes togither with their couragious bairded Horses Elephants and Drummodaries Or to behold a faire Navie of shippes of Gallies and of Galliasses all vnder saill on the smooth Sea with their streamers flaggs aires and great artillerie Or to beholde a publick Faire or Mercat place wherein all kinde of bewtiful and pretious wares are exposed and laid forth to be sold To see the faire bords of divers sorts of viue and liuely portrators the faire rapestrie of silkes and cloth of golde all kinde of cullours of fine and well lustered stuffes for apparelling of the body the cleare polist vessell of silver and of gold the fine varnished musical Instruments with many other proper inventions and vtensils devised and wrought by subtill handie crafts for the vse and ease of man These I say and such like sights are very pleasant and delectable to the eies and consequently comfortable and recreatiue to the spirit In like maner it were very delectable to the eares to heare notable and good doctrine out of the mouth of a cunning eloquent teacher To heare rehearsed plesant and notable histories delectable novelties of rare and strange things glad and good tydings and to heare thy selfe well reported off and thy workes rehearsed and praised in thine own presence To heare the merry interloquutors of facetious Dialogues pretty and quicke conceits and rancounters of Comediens in their comedies and stage plaies To hear the singing and natural melodie of the sweet singing birds firdoning their notes after their kinde and on divers waies in the time of sommer or of spring time but most of all earlie in the morning as the day begins to dawne when al is vnder great silence and every thing quiet and at rest then to heare the pleasant harmonie of Musicall Instruments cunninglie handeled as of Cornets or fine Violls Or to heare the sweet and delicat voices of cunning singers intermedled with the melodious sound of Lutes Cisters Clairshoes or of other quiet Instruments of that kinde which I esteeme worthie to be reckoned among the chiefest of earthly pleasures What thing can be more delectable to the taste appetite of man nor to haue a table at all times richly decked with all manner of savoury and delicate meates finely prepared as of fat tender fleshe rare and delicious fishes al kind of fruits hearbs spices of drogs wet and dry and other confections pertaining to the Apotecarie And in like maner to haue redie at mans desire all kinde of delicious and delicate drinks and lickquors as Milk meid hony sweet and sharp wines hypocrise and fined wines with al manner of fresh refreshing drinks which may be either agreable to the mouth or meat for the sustentation of mans body As to the sense of smelling it is delighted with pleasant and sweet odours as of sweete smelling flowers perfumes pretious ointments goomes and with fine odours mixed and prepared by the Apotecars And finally is it not delectable and pleasant to the body of man when in time of cold he is fostered with warmnes and in time of heat is refreshed with temperat coldnesse Likewise when his bodie is annointed and refreshed with balme and with oyle or when he is purged and purified in the bathstoffs or is eased releeved of his naturall infirmities by such volupteous pleasures as are naturall vnto him and falles vnder the sense of feeling Al these aboue rehearsed are sensuall and bodely pleasures which man would esteeme a great happines to injoye alwaies at his pleasure being very delectable first to the body and then to the spirit as vnto that which hath a naturall perfit conjunction with the bodie For if it were separated from the bodie it would not be delighted with no such sensuall pleasures But those pleasures which do chiefly content the mind and inwardly rejoiceth the heart soul of man are much more excellent and doeth farre exceede the pleasures of
contentment of the mind might appear more imaginarie nor substantiall where they fall not vnder the outward senses and where the body is not made participant thereof For the soul is but a spirit and is delighted with spirituall things neither can it be rejoiced or yet troubled with things sensuall or corporall being free from the bands of the fleshe Therefore to the effect thou may the better conceiue haue a more sensible feeling of the joyes of the life to come I wil assure thee that not only the soules and spirits of the Elect shal rejoice and be delighted with spiritual plesures but also the bodies shall bee delighted with bodily and sensual pleasures which falles vnder the senses In respect the bodie shal rise againe from death the soule or spirit shall enter againe therein and reallie and with effect both the soule the senses shall be delighted albeit not with such naturall corruptible things least any man should dreame such an vnperfite delectation as that where with our mortall bodies are delighted in this life but with heavenly and incorruptible things like as our bodies shall then be incorruptible and immortall And let no man think that at the day of the resurrection any of vs shall resume a fantastical body of an other forme shape nor that which we haue nowe but a very corporal and substantial body which may be seene and felt having all the senses in greater quicknes and perfection nor it hath them in this life but free alwaies from such fragilitie and naturall infirmities wherevnto the mortall body is subject For looke in what maner and with what body our Saviour Iesus Christ rose againe from death which after his resurrection but before his ascention full glorification was seene and knowne by his Disciples conversed with them and was griped by his Disciple Thomas In like maner and with the like bodies shall hee raise vs vp againe at the latter day And when we shall be glorified our bodies shall not be hinderfull vnto the actions of the spirit nor a fasheous prison vnto it as the body is in this life but it shal be a pleasant tabernacle and a necessarie organe vnto the spirite reddy to yeeld and obey it in all the offices and functions therof In such sort that where the spirit shall desire to be the body shall be transported with it as swift as the thought without any resistance So that in all our actions we shal be like vnto the Angells and celestiall bodies Our eyes then I say shall be delighted with beholding of things bewtifull our eares with hearing of heavenly sounds and harmony our taist with such celestiall and Angellike foode as shall be agreable therevnto our nostrells with smelling of pleasant and delectable odours and our sense of feeling with feeling of all kind of volupteous and perfite pleasure my reason is this because we shal haue a perfit sight of the face of God and the full fruition of his divine Majestie which is the consummation perfection of al pleasures For he that seeth the face of God seeth eminently and after a most excellent maner the bewtie and perfection of all his Creatures because from him they receiue all their bewtie and perfection Therefore by necessarie consequence in injoying the majestie of God the Creator we shal also injoy through him in him all the pleasures which can be taken of any Creature which the Lorde hath made either living or without life What thing vpon earth is comparable to the majestie and throne of God which Iohn saw by Revelation He that sate vpon the throne saith he was to looke vpon like vnto a Iasper stone a Sardine and there was a Rainbowe round about the throne in sight like to an Emerande and out of the throne proceeded lightenings and thunderings and voices and there were seene Lamps of fyre burning before the throane which are the seaven spirits of God The rest of the description thereof for brevitie I omit and remits the Reader to the place it self where it is described And did not the whole people of Israell see with their corporall eies and heare with their eares thunderings and lightenings and a thick cloud vpon mount Sinay and the sounde of a trumpet exceeding loude so that they were all afraide And did they not see mount Sinay al on a smoke the smoke thereof ascending as the smoke of a fornace because the Lord came downe vpon it in fyre and the mount trembling exceedinglie Likewise Moses Aaron Nadab and Abihu and seventie of the Elders of Israell saw a part of the Majestie of God onely in so farre as their infirmitie and weaknes was able to beare And vnder his feet they sawe as it were a worke of a Saphire stone and as the very heaven when it is cleare And did not the skinne of the face of Moses shine bright after that God had talked with him In such sort that the Israelites were affraide to come neere him Howe then shall wee shine that shall behold him face to face and injoye his presence for ever Surely in beholding the bewtie of his glorious face we shall be made bewtifull And in injoying the presence of his Majestie we shall also injoy all these joyes and pleasures presently expressed and besides them many other greater which as the Apostle saith It is not possible to the wit and toung of man to vtter and declare We shall be filled with al vertue and perfection we shall be healthie wee shall be strong wee shall be joyfull and glad wee shall haue perfit contentment we shal be assured and in perfit securitie we shall be wise we shall be patient we shall be constant we shall be charitable wee shall be holy we shall be glorious All our actions desires studies and imaginations shal be good and we shall not haue so much as an intention or inclination vnto evill To be short as it is promised in the Apocalips we shal inherit all things the Lord shal be our God and we shal be his sons And as the Prophet Daniel saith we shal shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes shal shine as the starres for ever and ever Wee shall receiue a crowne of righteousnes as sainct Paul saith which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue at that day to all them that loues his appearing Wee shall sing these praises and newe songes which Iohn heard by Revelation Holy holy holy Lord God Almightie which was and which is and which is to come Thou art worthie O Lord to receiue glory and honour and power For thou hast created all things and for thy wills sake they are and haue bene created Item worthie is the Lamb that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory praise Praise and honour and glory and power be vnto
A Treatise OF THE FELICItie of the life to come VNSAVORIE TO THE obstinate alluring to such as are gone astray and to the faithful full of consolation By A.H. HEB. 12.22 But ye are come vnto the mount Sion and to the Citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT Walde-graue Printer to the Kings Majestie 1594. Cum Priuilegio Regali THE PREFACE TO the faithfull Readers WITH great humilitie and reverence Brethren and not without a warrant of Gods Word ought wee to speake of heavenly things and specially in treating of the life to come there is a singular discretion modestie required both in the teacher and the hearer For the matter is so loftie and transcends so far the vnderstanding of man that as a godly Pastor hath saide It is much more easie to describe and vnderstand the way to heaven and eternall life nor to describe the place and life it selfe Therefore when wee cannot vtter the dignitie of the matter it selfe which is aboue our capacitie we are forced to speake by similitudes and vnder shadowes of natural things which we can conceiue that thereby the things supernatural may be better conceived And this is no wonder seeing the Apostle saith that hee was taken vp into Paradise and heard words which cannot be spoken which are not possible for man to vtter Yea the very spirit of God speaking of the glory of the Elect in the world to come he makes their dwelling place to be made of gold and of precious stones their meat to be of fat things and of twelue manner of fruites and their drink to be of cleare springing waters and of sweet fined Wines And why speakes he after this maner Because we vnderstand this language and by reason of our weaknes and ignorance can mount no higher nor conceiue any farther Now then when I say that in the world to come we shall be delighted with bodily and sensual pleasures and that our senses of seing hearing smelling tasting and of feeling shall be delighted with their owne objects that are proper vnto them I speake so for penuritie of language For how shall that spirituall matter be otherwaies expressed seing there is not an other language for spirituall things nor there is for things naturall but that there is many attributiōs common to them both We see that in the scriptures mention is made of the mouth of God and of the hand of God when notwithstanding the Lord is a spirit and hath neither mouth nor hands as man hath but by the one is signified his word and by the other his power in preserving or punishing Likewise the life is called life aswell of the soule as of the body Death also is a word common both to the soul the body There is no other word for the joy of the soule and the joy of the body but joy and the nurishment of the soul is called Food aswell as the nourishment of the bodie Yet there is no doubt but our bodies shall arise at the last day perfit in all the senses If then we haue the senses of necessitie they must haue their owne objects and consequently that delectation which results of the objects may be pertinently called a bodily or sensuall delectation because it falles vnder the senses of the body Neverthelesse neither shall our bodies and our senses nor yet their objects be naturall mortall or corruptible as they are in this life But they shall be spiritual immortal and incorruptible for as the Apostle saith There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body neither can flesh and blood inherit the kingdome of God That is our naturall bodies as they are now while they be made newe and incorruptible by the spirit of Iesus Christ cannot inherite the kingdome of God Farther the substance and forme of this litle treatise to declare it shortly is this Having laied this ground that the miseries of the righteous are many There is heereupon two questions moued the one is why the Lord doeth so hardly intreat his servants in this life not onely in witholding his temporal benefits from thē but also in sending them great trobles To the which bipartite question it is answered severally that hee measures his giftes according vnto our strength and the pilgrimage which we haue to make that his chief reward is not temporall but everlasting and that he knowes affliction to be good for vs. The other question is why the godly suffers paciētly these wrongs which they might resist The answere is that the reverence which they beare to the Lords commandement and the hope which they haue of the reward promised which is eternal life is the very cause of it And forasmuch as that reward seemes to the naturall man to be farre of and the passage therevnto to be fearefull and difficill It is therefore shewen that neither the reward of the godly is farre off nor yet death by thē to be much feared And to remoue all doubtings of the resurrection It is prooved by diuers similitudes taken from things which we see daily wrought by God in nature to be nothing impossible This done vnto such as beleeue the resurrection of the bodies and the everlasting life is described the felicitie thereof which is collected of the excellencie of the place of the dignitie of the indwellers of the perfection of the pleasures and of the diuturnitie of the time The excellencie of the place is taken from the situation the fabrick and the bewtie thereof from the high stiles that are given vnto it in the Scriptures and from the worthines of the architoure and inhabitants thereof which is also aggreged by the liuely description of a bewtifull terrestriall place and consideration of the bewtie of the firmament the Sunne the Moone and the starres and argumentation from the lesse to the more The dignitie of the indwellers is manifested by their righteousnes and are the three persons of the Trinitie the holy Angels or ministring spirites and all the Saintes or elect people of God which is confirmed by the scriptures Thereafter to expresse the pleasures of the life to come comparisō is made betwixt them and the pleasures of this life whereby the perfection of the one more evidently appeares by the consideration of the other The pleasures of this life are devided in the pleasures of the body and the pleasures of the minde The bodilie pleasures are severally described by giuing an instance of the most plesant objects that can fall vnder the outward senses And the pleasures of the minde which exceeds the sensuall in greatnes are conceived vnder the rare gifts of the body and of the spirite joined with all kinde of honour and worldly promotion This done enumeration is made by an Epilogue of the greatest pleasures which the wit of man can devise and yet are proved to be inferior to the joyes of the life to come But
forasmuch as such naked assertions vpon conjectures and appearances without farther warrant of Gods word might seeme inautentik and to make no faith Therefore the premises are authorised by divers testimonies of the Scripture wherby the certitude of the joies of the life to come is confirmed Thereafter it is declared how these eternall pleasures shall not onely be extended to the soule of man but also to the body which shall rise againe perfit in all the members and senses and shall be delighted with the owne objects But the chiefe object shall be the Majestie of God containing the perfection of al things wherewith they shalbe whollie repleat So being clothed with the glory and filled with the perfection of the most high the Sonne of mans perfection is thereby summarly collected together with the maner howe the elect shall be exercised in the world ro come Last in order followes the perpetuitie of the time during the which this vnspeakable joy and glory shall endure The which in respect it shall admit no period but shall be comprehended vnder an infinite eternitie the felicitie appeares the more admirable and great Finally by reason of the exorbitant affliction of the godly and raging insolencie of the enemies The conclusion containes a briefe praier to our Lord Iesus Christ to shorten and accelerat his glorious comming that thereby all these miseries may take an end and the eternall felicitie hoped for may beginne This brieflie is the summe and deduction of all which if wee consider Brethren with sanctified and well disposed hearts I think it may serue to our singular comfort in all seasons be as a buckler against al temptations For in time of prosperitie we may lift vp our mindes and be assured that there is yet a greater prosperitie abiding vs which shall endure for ever in the world to come And in the midst of troubles we may settle our selues and find reliefe here when we remember that our sorrowes shal shortly take an end and that we are to receiue a reward even a perpetuall glory of body and soule whereof all our sufferings cannot be worthie Herefore let vs comfort our selues in these things and be content with faith full Abraham to abide here a while vpon this earth as in a strange countrie ever looking as he did for a Citie having a foundation whose builder and maker is God Let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wavering for he is faithfull that promised Let vs haue grace whereby wee may so serue God that we may please him with reverence and feare for yet a very little while and he that shall come wil come and will not tary The loue of God and grace of our Lord Iesus be with you all Amen At Polvvart the 8. day of Aprill 1594. yeares A loving Brother of all Christs little Flock A. H. OF THE FELICITIE OF THE Life to come WEe see that according to the saying of the Psalmist The miseries are manye which righteous men do suffer in this life As povertie sicknes ignominie imprisoning banishment grief of mind and death of the body And these miseries they not only suffer perforce as sent by God whose mightie hand no fleshe is able to resist but voluntarily they incur the miseries trobles which they might eschew all for professing of the name of Christ and imbracing of his true worshipping and service which if they wold forsake deny they might be free from the cruell torment of their bodies they might saue their owne liues enjoy their owne goods and liue at libertie in their owne cuntries Likewise we see that willinglie they suffer wrong injurie and reproch and receiues great shame losse of them whome they might recompence and requite with the like offences Neverthelesse they avenge not themselues although they might but remits the revenge to God Nowe then there results here two questions The one is why the Lord seeing all things are at his gift and disposition doeth so hardly intreate his servants in this life For all the earth is the Lords All beasts are mine saith the Lord on the hilles on the mountains Gold silver and riches hee may giue at his pleasure and high honours for promotion comes neither from the East nor from the West but from aboue To be short he giues libertie and makes the heart cheerfull and glad he hath power to conserue the body in health and to prolong or abridge the daies of man as seemes good in his eies The other question is Why righteous men do voluntarilie suffer and vnderlie those troubles which they might easilie eschew and takes vp patiently the reproches wrongs which they might resist and acquite which is a thing most hard of digestion to fleshe and blood and is plaine repugnant to mans owne nature and inclination The first question contains two parts The one is why God giues not all kinde of temporall benefits to his servants according to their hearts desire The other part is Why God doth so miserablie afflict his servants in this life To the first it is answered That the Lord is a wise discreet stewart and dispensator of his benefits and seeing he hath created and made vs hee knowes our strength and weaknes what is most meete for vs and howe able wee are to beare and vse his giftes and benefites Therefore wee may lay this for a sure ground That the Lord bestowes his temporall gifts on his seruants ever in such measure and in so far as he knowes them to be needful for the pilgrimage of this life and for their eternal salvation Let no man then that fears God think that the Lord hath bestowed lesse or more of his benefits vpon him nor is expedient for the making of his journey for his everlasting salvation which I think should moue every man to settle himselfe and to be hartilie well content with the worldly giftes which God hath given him whether they be much or litle in great mesure or in smal An other reason there is why the Lord giues not these worldly giftes to his servants according to their manlie hearts desire because God rewards not his own according to their worthines but according to his greatnes Which rewarde by the selfe same reason cannot be worldly nor temporall but eternall and everlasting like vnto the giver thereof Thus much concerning the disposition of temporall benefits to the righteous I come nowe to the other part of the first question Why the Lord not onelie denies prosperitie to his servants in such measure as they would wishe but also doeth visit them with great trouble and affliction in this life The causes are many and divers wherefore the Lord doth afflict his own servants First forasmuch as wee haue no permanent dwelling or long residence here he visits vs with troble to the effect that our minde and delectation be not fixed on earthly things but rather should be lifted vppe to
BEVLAH or Maried For the Lord delights in thee and thy Land shall haue an Husband for as a young man marieth a Virgine so shall thy sonnes marrie thee And as a bridegrom is glad of the bride so shall thy God rejoice over thee And in the Apocalips Christs flock saith Halleluiah that is by interpretation praise yee God for our God Almightie hath raigned Let vs be glad and rejoice and giue glory to him for the mariage of the Lambe is come and his wife hath made her selfe reddy And to her was granted that she should be arrayed with pure fine linnen and shining for the fine Linnen is the righteousnes of the Saints Thereafter the Angell of God saith vnto Iohn I will shew thee the bride the Lambs wife and he shewed me saith Iohn the great Citie holy Ierusalem which is the number of the Elect descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God This comparison the spirit of God maketh betweene Christ and his Church because that like as the husband and the wife are made one flesh so are the faithfull made one with Christ by participation of his body blood through faith And as the bridegrome doth procreate Children with his bride So doth Christ procreat Children in his Church by his holy spirit and makes her to be plentiful in bringing forth sonnes and daughters to inherit his kingdome But to returne to the pleasure of the Elect in the life to come it is also compared to a solemne banquet by the spirit of God And in this mountaine saith the Prophet Esay shall the Lord of hosts make vnto all people a feast of fat things Even a feast of fined wines and of fat things full of marrow of wines fined and purified And Saint Iohn in his Revelation saith that he saw a pure river of water of life cleare as Christal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lambe which is Iesus Christ and on either side of the River was the tree of life which bare twelue manner of fruites and gaue fruite every moneth and the leaues of the tree served to heale the Nations with It is also saide in the Apocalips Blessed are they that are called vnto the Lambes supper And our maister Christ saith whosoever drinks of the water that I shall giue him shall never be more a thirst but the water that I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into everlasting life Moreover the Lord proposeth to the faithfull all the blessings which are contained in the Lawe and so vnder temporall things comprehends the spirituall promises They shall feede in the waies saith the Prophet and their pastures shall be in al the tops of the hilles they shal not be hungrie nether shal they be thirstie neither shall the heate smite them nor the sunne for hee that hath compassion on them shal leade them euen to the springs of waters shal he driue them Lo saith the Lord every one that thirsts come ye to the waters and ye that haue no silver come buy and eat come I say buy wine and milke without silver Harken diligently vnto me and eat that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnes Likewise the Lord speaking to his afflicted members saith O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest that hath no comfort behold I will lay thy stones with the Charbukle and lay thy foundation with Saphires and I will make thy windowes of Emeraudes and thy gate shining stones and all thy bordours of plesant stones And for the farther comfort of his elect hee proceeds and saith All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord much peace shal be to thy Children In righteousnes shall thou be established and be far from oppression for thou shalt not feare it and from feare for it shall not come neere thee For the montains shal remoue and the hills shal fal downe but my mercy shal not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee This is the heritage of the Lords servants and their righteousnes is of me saith the Lord. And insisting in the consolation of his Church this saith the Lord to it Whereas thou hast bene forsaken and hated so that no man went by thee I will make thee an eternal glory and a joy from generation to generation Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles and suck the brests of kings and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy redeemer the mightie one of Iacob For brasse wil I bring gold and for yron will I bring silver and for wood brasse and for stones yron I will also make thy garment peace and thy exactors righteousnes Violence shal be no more heard off in thy land neither desolation nor destruction within thy borders But thou shalt call salvation thy walles and praise thy gates Thou shalt haue no more the Sunne to shine by day neither shall the brightnes of the Moone shine vnto thee For the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and thy God thy glory thy Sunne shal never go downe neither thy Moone be hid for the Lord shall be thy everlasting light and the daies of thy sorrowes shall be ended Thy people also shal be al righteous they shal possesse the land for ever The graiffe of my planting shall be the work of my hands that I may be glorified Moreover the Lord by the mouth of the Prophet comforts his Elect and threatneth the wicked in these wordes Behold my servants shall eat and ye shall be hungrie Beholde my seruants shall drink and ye shall be thirstie Behold my servants shal rejoice and ye shall be ashamed Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart and yee shal cry for sorrowe of heart and shall howle for vexation of mind and yee shall leaue your name as a curse vnto my chosen For the Lord God shall slay you and call his servants by another name He that shall blesse in the earth shal blesse himself in the true God he that sweares in the earth shal swear by the true God These are hevenly consolations and promises which are partly begunne in this life but shall not be fullie accomplished while the life to come Wherevpon the faithfull flock of Christ takes occasion to rejoice and is prophesied to burst out in these wordes I will greatly rejoice in the Lord and my soule shall be joyfull in my God For hee hath clothed me with the garments of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousnes He hath decked me like a bridegrome and as a bride attyreth her selfe with her jewells For as the earth brings forth her budde and as the Garden causes to growe that which is sowne in it So the Lord God will cause righteousnes to growe and praise before the Heathen But forasmuch as the pleasures of the soul