nor subtill as Bias spake wisely of her or rather not only simple as a Dove to think no evill but also wise as a Serpent to discern all things and see what is evill 2. For our tallying of words as it argues little discretion in him that doth it so it is of as little use except the standers by want information of thy innocency and his guiltinesse which gives the occasion Wherefore in hearing thy own private and personall reproaches the best answer is silence but the wrongs and indignities offerâ—d to God or contumelies that are cast upon us in the causes of Religion or the Church may safely be repayed If we be meal-mouthed in Christs and the Gospels cause we are nâ—t patient but zeal-lesse Yea to hold a mans peace when Gods Honour is in question is to mistake the end of our Redemption 1 Cor. 6.20 What saith the Apostle Ioyn with patience godlinesse 2 Pet. 1.6 for else patience without godlinesse while it receives injury of man may do more injury to God Neither is there a better argument of an upright heart than to be more sensible of the indignities offered to God than of our own dangers And certainly no ingenuous disposition can be so tender of his own disgrace as the truâ— Christian is at the reproach of his God as we see in Moses who when Aaron and Miriam offered him a private injury it is said his meeknesse was such that he gave them not a word Numb 12. But when the people had fallen to idolatry and he heard them murmur against their Maker he spares neither Aaron nor the people but in a godly fit of zeal takes on at them yea breaks the Tables in pieces Exod. 32. A meek Lamb in his own cause a fierce Lyon in Gods Yea it was alwayes his manner to plead the peoples cause to God with prayers and tears but Gods cause against the people with sword and revenge And thus it fared with David who was a man deaf and dumb and wholly senselesse at Shemei's private reproach when he cursed him cast stones at him called him murtherer and wicked man 2 Sam. 16. But not so at Goliahs publick revilings of God and his Church no not at Michols despising his holy zeal in the publick service of God 2 Sam. 6. In these cases how full of life and spirit and holy impatiencie did he shew himself to be And our Saviour Christ who suffered himself to be spit upon buffeted crowned with Thornes c. without giving an angry word but when he saw the Tempple abused he burned in a zealous anger against them took a scourge and whipt the buyers and sellers out saying Ye have made my Fathers house a den of thieves Matth. 21.12.13 3. Touching our actions whether it be in thine own cause or in the cause of God and Religion thou maist not be a revenger All that private persons can do is either to lift up their hands to Heaven for redresse of sinne or to lift up their tongues against the sinne not their hands against the person Who made thee a judge is a lawfull question if it meet with a person unwarranted True Phineas in the case of Zimry and Cozby lift up his hand and thrust them both through with a spear And when Moses saw the Aegyptian smiting the Hebrew he smote the Aegyptian but they had peculiar warrants signed from Heaven either by instinct or speciall command which we shall expect in vain Well may we flee from danger as Iacob fled from Esau Moses from Pharaoh David from King Saul Elias from Iezabel Paul from the Damascens and Christ himself from the Iews And expect to finde comfort in our flight even a City of refuge as Iacob found favour in Labans house Moses a rich Father-in-Law Elias an Angel to feed him Paul spirituall brethren to comfort him besides the holy Ghost the true Comforter But the weapons of a Christian in adversity ought only to be patience and prayer for as Theodoret saith If Muentius and Maximinian in the heat of zeal shall rayl on wicked Iulian at a Feast justly may their deaths be cast upon their petulancy but not upon their Religion Yea the Councell of Eleberis decreed that if any man did take upon him to break down the Heathens Idols and were slain in the place that he should not be reckoned among the Martyrs Indeed God so loves this heat of zeal in all the carriages of his servants that if it transports us too far he pardoneth the errour of our fervency rather than the indifferency of lukewarmnesse as may be seen in that act of Moses when being wroth with the people about the molten Calf he brake the Tables in pieces Exod. 32. Neverthelesse if we shall either out of superstition or presumption do that we have neither calling nor warrant for out of the Word such our works be our intention what it will are but the blinde whelps of an ignorant zeal and an unadvised zeal when knowledge is not made the Pilot of devotion may be more prejudiciall than a cold remissenesse Swift horses without a skilfull waggoner and full sayls without a good Pilot endanger more Object Every base nature will be ready to offer injuries where they think they will not be repaid he will many times beat a Coward that would not dare to strike him if he thought him valiant as a Cur that goes through a Village if he clap his tayl between the legs and run away every Cur will insult over him but if he bristle up himself and stand to it give but a counter-snarle there 's not a Dog dares meddle with him Answ. Neverthelesse avenge not thy self but give place unto wrath and that for conscience sake Rom. 12.19 If thou receivest wrong in thy person goods or good Name it is the Magistrates office to see thee righted and for this cause ye pay also tribute He is the Minister of God for thy wealth to take vengeance on him that doth evill and for the praise of them that do well neither doth he bear the sword for nought Rom. 13.4 5 6. 1 Pet. 2.14 Now in this case he that hath endamaged me much as you have some that will deprive men of their possessions and then perswade them to be content cannot plead breach of charity in my seeking â—â—s Restitution and because patience without discretion wrongs a good cause I will so remit wrongs as I may not encourage others to offer them and so retain them that I may not induce God to retain mine to him Have you not seen a Crow stand upon a Sheeps back pulling off wool from her side even creatures reasonlesse know well whom they may be bold with that Crow durst not do this to a Wolfe or a Mastiffe the known simplicity of this innocent beast gives advantage to this presumption Meeknesse of spirit commonly drawes on injuries and the cruelty of ill natures usually seeks out â—hose not who deserve worst but who will bear
most Wherefore patience and mildnesse of spirit is ill bestowed where it exposes a man to wrong and insultation Sheepish dispositions are best to others worst to themselves I could be willing to take injuries but I will not be guilty of provoking them by lenity for harmelesnesse let me go for a Sheep but whosoever will be tearing my fleece let him look to himself Diogenes the Stoick teaching his auditors how they should refrain anger and being earnest in pressing them to patience a waggish boy spit in his face to see whether he would practise that which he taught others but Diogenes was not a whit moved at it yet said withall I fear I shall commit a greater fault in letting this boy go unpunished than in being angry In some cases for reason to take the rod out of the hands of wrath and chastise may be both lawfull and expedient The same which Aristotle affirmed in Philosophy viz. That choler doth sometime serve as a whetstone to vertue is made good Divinity by St. Paul Be angry but sinne not Ephes. 4.26 that is be angry with sinne only For Cautions and Rules to be observed when we appeal to the Magistrate First Let it be in a matter of weight and not for trifles True thou canst not be more forward to cast away thy money than some Lawyers are to catch it but the Physician and Lawyer are for necessity not for wantonnesse What said one to a Lawyer offering to right his wrongs and revenge him of his adversary by Law I am resolved rather to bear with patience an hail shower of injuries than seek shelter at such a thicket where the brambles shall pluck off my fleece and do me more hurt by scratching than the storm would have done by hailing I care not for that Physick where the remedy is worse than the disease Secondly Let it be in case of necessity after we have assayed all good means of peace and agreement using Law as a Father doth the Rod ful sore against his will As whatsoever our wrongs be true wisdome of the spirit will send the Apostle leâ—ity as admonitions harbinger with offers oâ— peace before she takes out process 2 Tim. 2.25 Thirdly Let not our aym and end be the hurt of our enemy but first the glory of God secondly the reformation of the party himself that so he which is overcome may also overcome and if it may be others by his example whereby more than one Devill shall be subdued And thirdly to procure a further peace and quiet afterwards as Princes make warre to avoid warre yea in case we see a storm inevitably falling 't is good to meet it and break the force Fourthly Let us not be transported either with heat or hate but begin and follow our suits without anger or using the least bitternesse or extremity against the person of our adversary as Tilters break their Spears on each others breasts yet without wrath or intention of hurt or as Charles the French King made warre against Henry the seaventh King of England rather with an Olive-branch than a Lawrell-branch in his hand more desiring peace than victory not using bribery or any other means to corrupt or hinder justice but to seek our own right Fifthly and lastly Having used this ordinary means that the Lord hath given us for the righting of our selves in case we finde no redresse let us rest with quietnesse and meeknesse therein without fretting or desiring to right our selves by private revenge knowing assuredly that the Lord hath thus ordered the whole matter either for our correction or for the exercise of our patience and charity or that he will take the matter into his own hand and revenge our cause of such an enemy far more severely or for that he means to deal far better with us if we commit our cause to him than either our selves or any Magistrate could have done To conclude this argument in a word If thou go to Law Make Conscience thy Chancery Make Charity thy Iudge Make Patience thy Counsellor Make Truth thy Attorney Make Peace thy Solicitor And so doing thou shalt be sure to finde two friends in thy suit that will more bestead thee than any ten Iudges namely God and thy Conscieâ—â—â— God who being Chief Iustice of the whole world can do for thee whatsoever he will and will do for thee whatsoever is best thy Conscience which is instead of a thousand good Witnesses a thousand good Advocates a thousand good Iuries a thousand Clerks of the Peace and Guardians of the Peace to plead procure pronounce record and assure to thee that peace which passeth all understanding But I fear I have incited your impatiency by standing so long upon patience An End of the Second Part the Third follows Together with London Printed by A. M. for Iames Crump in Little Bartholomews Well-yard 1654. A handfull of Nuts MEn no more differ from Beasts Plants Stones in speech reason shape then some differ from others in heart in brain in life Nor is the Epicure more like a swine the Lustfull person a Goat the Fraudulent man a Fox the Backbiter a barking Dog the Slanderer an Asp the Oppressor a Wolf the Persecutor a Tygâ—r the Church-robber a wild Bore the Seducer a Serpent yea a Devil the Traytor a Viper c. 2 Tim. 4.17 Luk. 13.32 Phil. 3.2 Psal. 22.12 13 16 20 21. 74.13 14 19. 80.13 Matth. 23.33 Dan. 7.4 5 6 c. Zeph. 3.3 4 c. Cant. 2.15 17 c. then every of them is unlike another as the holy Ghost intimates in comparing severall men to almost every severall Creature in the Vniverse Neither does sin and grace only make this difference or occasion the very Heathen Poets usually and most fitly to compare some men to Stones for their hardness and insensiblenesse which may be understood of the Adamant stone as Zech. Chap. 7.12 hath it others to Plants that only fill their Veins a third sort to Beasts that please their senses too a fourth to evil Angels that only sin and cause others to sin a fifth to Good Angels that are still in motion alwaies serving God and doing good yet ever rest But as Menander speaks there is no lesse difference between the wise and simple the learned and unlearned then there is between men and beasts or between the living and the dead as another hath it And yet the rational does not so much excell the sensuall as the spirituall excels the rationall For as the soul is the lamp of the body and the reason of the soul and Religion of reason and Faith of Religion so Christ is the light and life of Faith Joh 1.9 8.12 Act. 26.18 Ephes. 5.14 Christ is the Sun of the soul and the day we know with one eye doth far more things descry then night can do with more then Argus eyes Whence it is that all men in their natural condition are said to be blinde and in darknesse Mat. 4.16
we should not come far short of the Devils themselves Sect. XII And as the healthiest body is subject to the mortallest disease so there is no sin so odious unto which of our selves we are not sufficiently inclinable For Original sin in which we are all born and bred containeth in it self the seed of all sins that fearfull sin against the Holy Gost it self not excepted Such venemous natures we have that never was there any villany committed by any forlorn miscreant whereunto we have not a disposition in our selves Insomuch that we ought to be humbled even for those very sins from which we are in a manner exempt ◠For that Cain's 〈…〉 blasphemy Doegs murther Pharaohs cruelty Sodoms lust Iudas his treason Iulians apostacy c. are not our sins and as much predominant in us as they were in each of them it is onely Gods free grace and goodness For all of them should have been thine and my sins if God had left us to our selves Lord saith St Austin thou hast forgiven me those sins which I have done and those sins which onely by thy grace I have not done they were done in our inclination to them and even that inclination needs Gods mercy If we escape temptation it is his mercy if we stand in temptation it is his mercy if our wills consent not it is his mercy if we consent and the act be hindered it is his mercy if we fall and rise again by repentance all is his mercy We cry out of Cain Iudas Iulian the Sodomites alas they are but glasses to see our own faces in For as in water face answereth to face so doth the heart of man to man sayes Solomon Prov. 27.19 Even hating of God is by the Holy Ghost charged upon all men Rom. 1.30 Iohn 15.23 24 25. VVe are all cut out of the same piece and as there is the same nature of all Lyons so of all men There is no part power function or faculty either of our souls or bodies which is not become a ready instrument to dishonor God our heart is a root of all corruption a seed plot of all sin our eyes are eyes of vanity our ears are ears of folly our mouths mouths of deceit our hands hands of iniquity and every part does dishonor God which yet would be glorified of him The understanding which was given us to learn vertue is apt now to apprehend nothing but sin the will which was given us to affect righteousness is apt now to love nothing but wickedness the memory which was given us to remember good things is apt now to keep nothing but evil things c. For sin like a spreading leprosie is so grown over us that from the crown of out heads to the sole of our feet there is nothing whole therein but wounds and swellings and sores full of corruption To be short we are as Traitors condemned to suffer eternal torments in Hell fire being onely reprieved for a time Sect. XIII And so much of Original sin which is the pravity naughtiness and corruption of our Nature Psal. 51.5 Now of actual sin which is the transgression of Gods Law 1 Ioh. 3.4 when evil thoughts are consented unto and performed in outward deeds Iames 1.15 Touching which we are to know and take notice that The Law of God is spiritual and therefore requireth not onely outward obedience in word and deed but also inward in minde and heart and that chiefly neither doth it forbid onely the committing of outward sins in word and deed but also all the secret corruptions of the mind and heart Rom. 7.13 14 15. Mat. 5.21 22 27 28. 1 Iohn 3.15 Again where any duty is commanded there the means which tend thereto are enjoyned and where any vice is forbidden there the occasions provocations and Allurements tending thereto are also forbidden Again 〈…〉 it well also in regard of circumstances as namely that it flows from a pious and good heart sanctified by the holy Ghost and be done in faith obedience to the word humility saving knowledge and sincere love to God zeal of his glory and a desire to edifie and win others of which I might give you many examples as of the Iews fasting Isa. 58 3 to 8. of those reprobates preaching in Christs name and casting out devils Matth. 7.21 22 23. of Cain's sacrificing 1 Iohn 3 12. He offered and God abhorred because he cared not for the manner to do it well God cared not for his offering though the act was good Simon Magus believed Herod listned Felix feared Saul obeyed Iezabel fasted the Pharisees prayed but because they did not believe so hear so fear so obey so fast so and pray so as God required and as is before related they were never the more regarded for what they did For love is the fountain of obedience and all external obedience to God without inward love is hypocrisie whereas Christ commends to his disciples the care of keeping his commandments aright as the utmost testimony of their love unto him Ioh. 15.10 Sect. XIV VVhich being so how oft and how many wayes do we all offend For if we but narrowly look into our hearts and lives we shall easily perceive that there is not one of those righteous precepts set down Exod. 20. which we have not broken ten thousand times and ten thousand wayes Yea O God may the best of us say there is no vein in me that is not full of the blood of thy Son whom I have crucified and crucified again by multiplying many and often repeating the same sins there is no artery in me that hath not the spirit of error the spirit of pride of passion of lust the spirit of giddinesse in it no bone in me that is not hardened with the custome of sin nourished and suppled with the marrow of sin no sinews no ligaments which do not tye and chain sin and sin together Yea If we but watch over our own hearts narrowly one day we shall finde an army of unclean thoughts and desires there perpetually fighting against our souls VVhereby we are continually tempted drawn away and enticed through our own concupiscence As how many temptations come in by those Cinque ports the sences how many more by Satans injections presenting to the affections things absent from the sences but most of all by lust it self a thing not created yet as quick as thought tumbling over a thousand desires in one hour For the devil and our flesh meet together every day and hour to ingender new sins which is the reason our sins are counted among those things which are infinite as the hairs of our head the sands of the Sea the stars of Heaven VVe are swift to all evil but to all good immoveable when we do evil we do it cheerfully and quickly and easily but if we do any good we do it faintly and rawly and slackly VVe have used all our wisdom to commit the foolishness of sin our whole conversation
2 Cor. 12.2 4. Isa. 66.1 Heaven in Scripture is compared to a Kingdom for soverainty to a Throne for preheminency to a Crown for state and majesty to an Inheritance for perpetuity to a Marriage-feast for plenty pleasure and delicacy and to whatsoever else may set forth its excellency though indeed in these comparisons there is little or no comparison as I might shew you in many particulars if I would be large for instances in this case would be endless There death shall have no more dominion over us Rom. 6.9 The Sun shall not burn us by day nor the Moon by night Psal. 121.6 There all 〈◊〉 shall be wiped from our eyes Rev. 7.17 There shall be no sorrow noâ— pain nor complaint there is no malice to rise up against us no 〈…〉 afflict us no hunger thirst wearisomness temptation to disquiet us 〈…〉 19 20. Heb. 9.12 There is no death nor dearth no pinâ—â—g nor 〈…〉 Rev. 7.16 17. 21.4 Heb. 9.12 There O there one day is better than a thousand there is Rest from our Labours Peace from our Enemies Freedom from our Sinnes c. Iob. 3.17 Heb. 4.3 9 10 11 Rev. 14 13. Heb. 9.12 15. Sect. 2. Unto which Negative Priviledges there are also added Positive of all sorts as I might plentifully prove but I study brevity Do we delight in good company what pleasure shall we take in the company of Saints and Angels in whom there is nothing not amiable comfortable delectable nothing in us that may cool the fervour of our love and affection to them And so of all other enjoyments As Dost thou desire beauty riches honour pleasure long life or whatever else can be named No place so glorious by creation so beautifull with delectation so rich in possession so comfortable for habitation nor so durable for lasting Heb. 12.22 1 Pet. 1.4 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Rom. 9.3 8.18 There are no Estates but Inheritances no Inheritances but Kingdomes no Houses but Palaces no Meals but Feasts no noise but Musick no Rods but Scepters no Garments but Robes no Seats but Thrones no coverings for the head but Crownes Rom. 8.17 Tit. 3.7 Heb. 9.15 Mat. 25.31 34. 2 Tim. 4.8 Gal. 4.7 1 Pet. 3 9 10. Mar. 10.23 24 25. Rev. 7.13 14 15. 6.11 There we shall see the blessed face of God which is the glory of all sights the sight of all glory Yea we our selves shall out-shine the Sun in brightnese Mat. 13.43 For if the brightness of the body shall match the Sun what will the glory and splendour of the soul be And yet such honour shall all the Saints have For when Christ which is our head and life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory And he shall change our vile and mortal body that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body Col. 3 4. Phil 3.21 Briefly Our joy shall there be fall and none shall be able to take it from us or diminish it Iohn 15.11 16.22 There is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal. 26. Joyes and pleasures never ebbing but ever slowing to all contentment There we shall rejoyce for the pleasantness of the place we possess for the glory of our souls and bodies which we have put on for the world which we have overcome for Hell which we have escaped for the joyes of Heaven which we have attained to We shall have joy above us by the beatifical vision and sight of God joy within us by the peace of conscience even the joy of the Holy Ghost and joy round about us by the blessed company and fellowship of our associates the holy Saints and Angels Sect. 3. And in reason if a Christian-soul in this Tabernacle of the body wherein we see but as in a glass be so delighted to see the face of God manifested in Iesus Christ If it so glads a Child of God when he can but in the least measure master his corruptions or hath occasion to manifest the sincerity of his affectionate love to his Maker and Redeemer 〈…〉 to serve his Brethren in love How joyfull will he be when these gra 〈…〉 be perfected and he freed from all grievances inward and out 〈…〉 Yea if the communion and 〈◊〉 of Gods Spirit and 〈…〉 and ordinances 〈…〉 better than a thousand with the ungodly Psal. 84.10 What will it be to enjoy the immediate presence and glory of God our Father Christ our Redeemer and elder-Brother the Holy Ghost our Comforter the Angels and Saints our Consorts and Companions Our condition there will be so joyfull that look we outwardly there is joy in the society Heb. 12.22 if inwardly there is joy in our own felicity 1 Cor. 2.9 Look we forward there is joy in the eternity 1 Pet. 5.10 Mark 10.30 So that on every side we shall be even swallowed up of joy Isa. 35.10 51.11 Matth. 25.23 18.10 Heb. 12.2 22. Psal. 16.11 As Oh the multitude and fulness of these joyes so many that only God can number them so great that he onely can estimate them of such â—arity and perfection that this world hath nothing comparable to them 2 Cor. 12.2 4. As Oh the transcendency of that Paradise of pleasure where is joy without heaviness or interruption peace without perturbation blessedness without misery light without darkness health without sickness beauty without blemish abundance without want ease without labour satiety without loathing liberty without restraint security without fear glory without ignominy knowledg without ignorance eyes without tears hearts without sorrow souls without sinne where shall be no evil heard of to affright us nor good wanting to chear us for we shall have what we can desire and we shall desire nothing but what is good Deut. 10.14 Isa. 66.1 1 King 8.27 Mark 10.21 Luke 18.22 1 Pet. 5.10 Iohn 4.36 10.28 Matth. 25.46 Sect. 4 While we are here how many clouds of discontent have we to darken the sunshine of our joy when even complaint of evils past sense of present and fear of future have in a manner shared our lives among them Here we love and loath in an instant like Amnon to his Sister Tamar in Heaven there is no object unlovely nothing which is not exceeding amiable and attractive And not attractive onely but retentive also for there we shall not be subject to passion nor can we possibly there misplace our affection Here we have knowledg mixed with ignorance faith with doubting peace with trouble yea trouble of conscience Or in 〈◊〉 we have peace of conscience alas how often is it interrupted with 〈◊〉 of spirit Now rejoyce we with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.84 but alas anon it falls out that we need to pray with David Restore unto us the joy of thy salvation Psal. 51.12 but there is peace even full without want pure without mixture and perpetual without all fear of foregoing Dan. 2.44 There shall be no concupiscence to tempt no flesh to lust
against the spirit no law in our members to rebel against the law of our mindes Now abideth Faith Hope and Charity these three now abide but in Heaven Vision succeeds in the place of Faith attainment in the place of Hope and perfect fruition and delectation in the room of Châ—â—rity There Promises shall end in performances Faith in sight and 〈…〉 sion Hope in fruition and Possession yea time it self shall be swallowed 〈◊〉 in Eternity these are the Soulâ— Dowries in Heaven where God 〈…〉 in Abraham temperance in Ioseph strength in Sampson meekness in Moses wisdom in Solomon patience in Iob for it is rare to find all these graces compleatly to meet in any one subject but then and there he shall be omnia in omnibus all these in every of his servants God shall be all in all even the fulness of him that filleth all in all things as the Apostle speaks Ephes. 1.23 The onely knowledg of God shall fill up our understandings and the alone love of God shall possess our affections God shall be all in all to us he will fill up our rational part with the light of wisdom our concupiscible part or appetite with a spring of righteousness and the irascible part with perfect peace and tranquility as Bernard expresseth it That is a blessed state perpetual and unchangeable There is eternal Security and secure Eternity as Bernard speaks Or as Austin hath it There is blessed Eternity and everlasting Blessedness Let the end of our life then be to come to a life whereof there is no end unto whith the Lord in his good time bring us that we who now sow in tears may then reap in joy the which he will be sure to do if we but for a short time serve him here in righteousness and sincerity But otherwise look we not for eternal happiness but for everlasting misery For it is an everlasting Rule No grace no holiness here no glory no happiness hereafter To summe up all in a word there is no joy here comparable to that in Heaven all our mirth here to that is but pensiveness all our pleasure here to that but heaviness all our sweetness here to that is but bitterness Even Solomon in all his glory and royalty to that was but as a spark in the chimney to the Sun in the firmament Absaloms beauty to that is but deformity Sampsons strength to that is but infirmity Methusalahs age to theirs is but minority and mortality Hazaels speed and swiftness but a snails pace to their celerity Yea how little how nothing are the poor and temporary enjoyments of this life to those we shall enjoy in the next 1 Cor. 2.9 Yea Paradise or the Garden of Eden was but a wilderness compared with this Paradise And indeed if the Gates of the City be of Pearl and the streets of Gold what then are the Inner-rooms the dining and lodging Chaâ—â—â—â—s the Presence Chamber of the great Monarch of Heaven and 〈◊〉 what then may we think of the Maker and Builder thereof In fine that I might daâ—kly shadow it out sith the lively representation thereof is meerly impossible This life everlasting is the perfection of all good things For Fulness is the perfection of Measure and Everlastingness the perfection of Time and Infiniteness the perfection of Number and Immutability the perfection of State and immensity the perfection of Place and Immortality the perfection of Life and God the pâ—â—fection of All who shall be All in All to us meat to our taste beauty to our eyes perfumes to our smell musick to our ears And what shall I say more but as the Psalmist saith Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God Psal. 87.3 See Rev. 4.2 3. 21.10 to the end Sect. â— The glory of Heaven cannot be comprehended here onely God hath vouchsafed to give us some small glimpses in the Scripture 〈…〉 we may framâ— a conjecture considerable enough to make u◠〈…〉 of his fatherly condescension to stoop to our capacity in representing Heavenly things under earthly types shaddowing out the joyes thereof by whatsoever is precious and desirable in this life as Cities Kingdoms Crowns Pearls Iewels Marriages Feasts c. which supereminent and superabundant felicity St. Paul that had been an onely witness when he had been caught up into the third Heaven not able to describe much less to amplifie summes up all in these words A sure most excellent exceeding and eternal weight of transcendant glory 2 Cor. 4.17 12.2 But alas such is mans parvity that he is as far from comprehending it as his armes are from compassing it 1 Cor. 2.9 Heaven shall receive us we cannot conceive Heaven Do you ask what Heaven is saith one when I meet you there I will tell you For could this ear hear it or this tongue utter it or this heart conceive it it must needs follow that they were translated already thithâ—r 2 Cor. 12.2 4. Yea who can utter the sweetness of that peace of conscience and spiritual rejoycing in God which himself hath tasted If then the beginning and first fruits of it be so sweet what shall the fulness of that beatifical Vision of God be If the earnest penny be so precious and promising here what shall the principal and full crop and Harvest of happiness in Heaven be So that a man may as well with a coal paint out the Sun in all his splendor as with his pen or tongue express or with his heart were it as deep as the Sea conceive the Fulness of those Ioyes and Sweetness of those Pleasures which the Saints shall enjoy at Gods right hand for evermore Psal. 16.11 In thy presence is the fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore For quality they are pleasures for quantity fulness for dignity at Gods right hand for Eternity for evermore And millions of years multiplied by millions make not up one minute to this Eternity 2 Cor. 4.18 John 10.28 The Eye sees much the Ear hears more the Heart conceives most yet all short of Apprehension much more of comprehension of those pleasures Therefore it is said Enter thou into thy Masters joy for it 〈◊〉 great to enter into thee Matth. 25.23 Neither will I any furtheâ— â—â—â—cise my self in things too high for me Psal. 131.1 For as St. Paul tells us the heart of Man is not able to conceive those joyes which being so how should I be able to express them in words And yet though we cannot comprehend this glory this far most excellent exceeding and eternal weight of transcendent glory yet may and ought we to admire the never enough to be admired bounty and goodness of God and our Redeemrr in crying out O the depth c O the sweetness of his love How unsearchable are his thoughts and intendments to man-ward once miserably forlorn lost and undone and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 CHAP. XXI Sect. 1. BUt for the better confirming of this