Meditations representing a glimpse of glory: or, A Gospel-discovery of Emmanuel's land. Whereunto is subjoined, a spiritual hymn, intituled, The dying saint's song; and some of his last letters. / By Mr. Andrew Welwood, brother to Mr. John Welwood, late Minister of the Gospel in Scotland. ; [Eleven lines of Scripture texts] Welwood, Andrew. Approx. 583 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 144 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI : 2009-04. N04448 N04448 Evans 5510 APX9021 5510 99025993

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 Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 5510. (Evans-TCP ; no. N04448) Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 5510) Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 5510) Meditations representing a glimpse of glory: or, A Gospel-discovery of Emmanuel's land. Whereunto is subjoined, a spiritual hymn, intituled, The dying saint's song; and some of his last letters. / By Mr. Andrew Welwood, brother to Mr. John Welwood, late Minister of the Gospel in Scotland. ; [Eleven lines of Scripture texts] Welwood, Andrew. xiv, [1], 16-279, [5] p. ; 17 cm. (12mo) Re-printed by Rogers and Fowle, for W. McAlpine, near the Mill-Bridge., Boston, : 1744.

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 eng Meditations. Salvation. Hymns. Poems -- 1744. 2007-12 Assigned for keying and markup 2007-12 Keyed and coded from Readex/Newsbank page images 2008-04 Sampled and proofread 2008-04 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

MEDITATIONS Repreſenting A Glimpſe of Glory: OR, A Goſpel-Diſcovery OF EMMANUEL's Land. Whereunto is ſubjoined, A SPIRITUAL HYMN, Intituled, The dying Saint's Song; and ſome of his laſt LETTERS.

By Mr. Andrew Welwood, Brother to Mr. JOHN WELWOOD, late Miniſter of the Goſpel in SCOTLAND.

Col. 3.4.

When Chriſt, who is our Life, ſhall appear, then ſhall ye alſo appear with him in Glory.

Iſai. 60.19, 20, 21.

— The LORD ſhall be unto thee an everlaſting Light, and thy GOD thy Glory. Thy Sun ſhall no more go down, neither ſhall thy Moon withdraw itſelf: Thy People alſo ſhall be all righteous, they ſhall inherit the Land for ever.

Rev. 21.22.

—The LORD GOD Almighty, and the LAMB are the Temple of it.—For the Glory of GOD did lighten it, and the LAMB is the Light thereof.

BOSTON, Re-printed by ROGERS and FOWLE, for W. Mc ALPINE, near the Mill-Bridge. 1744.

The Publiſhers TO THE READER. Chriſtian Reader,

THOU haſt here preſented to thy View, A GLIMPSE of GLORY from the heavenly Zion, ſo bright and lively, as nothing of humane Compoſure, yet extant, can equal. A Ray of ſuch heavenly Fire, as, being received into an Heart affected with Eternal Objects, may prove a bleſt Mean to inflame it into a Divine Rapture of holy Longing, to ſee, and enjoy theſe unſeen Things, which are here in ſo bright Colours repreſented. Whoſoever will in Sincerity, and with Attention, peruſe this ſmall TREATISE, will be led into ſuch a delightful Contemplation of divine and heavenly Things, as may, in a Manner, tranſport his very Soul into that heavenly Paradiſe; carry him along the beautiful Banks of that pure River of the Water of Life; and repreſent to the Eyes of his Mind, that noble and glorious Company that ſtands about the LAMB, on Mount Zion, in white Robes, with Palms in their Hands, ſinging a new Song of Praiſe to JEHOVAH and the LAMB. Here ſhall he find the incomparable Beauties of that upper Paradiſe, and royal Palace of the King of Kings, deſcribed ſo brightly, in ſuch high and lofty Expreſſions, as well ſuit theſe ſublime and ſupernatural Objects; and yet withal ſo eaſy to be underſtood, that the meaneſt Capacity, exerciſed in ſpiritual Things may apprehend the true Senſe and Meaning of them. The holy Heart of the Author has been ſo much in Heaven, that from the End of the Prelude, to the Concluſion, he talks altogether like one in Heaven already, and as a Poſſeſſor of the GLORY he deſcribes: Which is to be attentively noticed, for the better underſtanding of the Scope and Intent of the Diſcourſe.

Beſides the Deſcription of Heaven, and the Glory which the Saints ſhall enjoy there; (which is the profeſſed Subject of the Book:) There are not a few other excellent Subjects interſperſed, and pretty largely handled. How ſweetly doth he expatiate upon the Praiſes of Chriſt, the ever-bleſſed Redeemer? How lively doth he deſcribe him, in his humbled State: his humble, laborious, ſorrowful, yet holy Life; his painful, ſhameful and accurſed Death; his infinite Love to his Choſen, that put him upon all that voluntary Humiliation and Suffering? With what Raviſhment doth he admire the Difference of theſe Two, ſo diſtant Eſtates? In what ſweet, lively and bright Expreſſions doth he declare the mutual Intercourſe betwixt this glorious Redeemer, and his Choſen, eſpecially in the upper HOUSE? It is alſo another great Aim of the Author, to diſplay the Attributes of GOD, to his Glory: His Grace & Mercy towards the Elect; his Sovereignty in his Works of Creation, Providence, and eſpecially Election; his Truth & Faithfulneſs, in making good all his Promiſes; his Unchangeableneſs, in his Purpoſes of Love and Grace to his own; his ſpotleſs Holineſs and Juſtice, in puniſhing the Wicked. How lofty is he in deſcribing the Sovereignty of God over his Creatures; either to create, or not create, elect, or paſs by, as he pleaſed? How ſweet, large & raviſhing is he, in holding forth the FREEDOM & RICHES of REDEEMING GRACE! And how doth he exult and glory in the Unchangeableneſs of God, which ſecures the ſame to all Eternity? His wonderful Wiſdom, in contriving the Saints Way to the Kingdom, thro' a Life of Sufferings, Afflictions, Poverty, Labours, Watchings, Sorrows, &c. is pleaſantly cleared up; and many myſterious Providences, relating thereunto, judiciouſly unfolded; which may ſerve much for Confirmation and Conſolation to many poor drooping Believers. In deſcribing the Holineſs and Juſtice of God, in the eternal Puniſhment of the Damned, he takes Occaſion largely to delineate the miſerable Eſtate of the Ungodly: Nor is this improper for his Subject; for Contraries, ſet beſide other, ſerve to inlighten one another. He ſets forth their extreme Miſery from the Greatneſs of their Torments; the great and inconceivable Loſs they undergo, in their eternal Baniſhment from the Preſence of GOD and the LAMB; the Eternity, yet Juſtice of their Puniſhment: Which Juſtice he founds not on an arbitrary Conſtitution, but on the infinite Holineſs, Juſtice and Sovereignty of God, againſt whom Sin is an infinite Offence, as ſtriking againſt his very BEING and GLORY; and therefore deſerving an Infinity of Puniſhment. The Blaſphemies they continually belch forth againſt their Creator, for his puniſhing them, tho' at the ſame Time their Conſciences approve him juſt; and their horrid Inclination to fulfil their Luſts, tho' they cannot: All which he reckons their Puniſhment, as well as their Sin, for he was at no Loſs to believe, That there is Sinning in Hell. And finally here is ſet forth the holy Triumph of the Righteous over the Wicked, Devils and Men, once their mortal Enemies; now laid low under the Soles of their Feet, and for ever baniſhed their holy and happy Society. All which the Author deſcribes in ſuch a moving and pathetick Manner as might cauſe an Adamantine Heart to relent & tremble, and to enquire, What muſt I do to be ſaved? How ſhall I eſcape the Wrath to come?

And indeed, to bring Souls to ſuch a ſerious Enquiry, and draw Hearts from this baſe, empty Earth, to an Inqueſt after Heaven and Salvation, is the great Aim of the Author through all this Book. And hence, how pathetick and vigorous is he, in his Inviting, Perſwading, and Reaſoning with the Unconverted (whom he commonly ſtiles Worldlings, becauſe yet intangled in the Luſts of the World) to awaken them to a due Concern about heavenly Things, and wean their Hearts from earthly Vanities; and by leſſening their Eſteem of them, to draw their Affections from them?

And that ſuch as are perſwaded, ſeriouſly to mind and apply themſelves to this noble and neceſſary Study, may not want an Help at Hand, to diſcover to them the Goodneſs or Badneſs of their Eſtate: He hath added in the Concluſion of the Work a conſiderable Number of Excellent Marks or Notes, whereby a Chriſtian may diſcern his being in Chriſt, and whether he be in an heavenly Frame, or not; alſo by them a formal Hypocrite may be detected.

If there be any Flights of lofty and ſublime Thought, here and there, that may offend the Cenſorious, 'tis deſired, That before they cenſure, they would firſt compare them with the Similitudes and Expreſſions of holy Scripture, and next with the Sentiments of ſound Divines, giving ſome Grains of Allowance, on Conſideration of the ſublime and rapturous Way of writing, here uſed; and, 'tis confidently preſumed, they'll find Nothing, but what is moſt agreeable to Truth, in this whole Tractate. There is a Sentence, Sect. 54, where he ſeems to make Sincerity the Condition of the New Covenant, as Perfection of Obedience was the Condition of the Covenant of Works; which may perhaps offend ſome, who diſlike the very Term Condition in a Covenant of Grace. But whoſoever conſiders how large and pathetick he is, in deſcribing the free Grace of God, and aſcribing all the Glory of Redemption and Salvation to Chriſt, and only to Chriſt, muſt be perſwaded, he cannot mean, that the Believer's Sincerity, or any Grate of his whatſoever, is the Condition of the New Covenant, in a legal Senſe; for ſo Chriſt's Righteouſneſs alone is the Condition of that Covenant. Nor can we charitably judge, That this Term, Condition, is in any worſe or ſtricter Senſe affirmed of Sincerity, which preſuppoſeth and includes Faith, than it is of Faith it ſelf, in the 32 Anſwer of our Larger Catechiſm. It is clear then, That the Author takes Condition in a large Senſe, for any Thing required or accepted in the new Covenant: And ſo it is true, That as Adam's Works were to be perfect, in Order to Acceptation; ſo the Believer's good Works cannot be accepted without Sincerity; and will, thro' Chriſt, be accepted when Sincere: Which muſt certainly be all the Author intends by Condition in that Place.

He is alſo pretty poſitive in his Opinion of the Renovation of the Earth and viſible Heavens, at the Day of Judgment; which he deſcribes in bright and beautiful Emblems. The Opinion is indeed controverted among the Learned: But moſt of the Orthodox are of the Author's Side. Hence, when he is ſpeaking of Things in that renewed State, after the Day of Judgment, none needs marvel, that he calls Sun, Moon and Stars everlaſting, and the Earth an eternal Monument, as in Sect. 43; Or, ſtumble at any ſuch uncommon Expreſſions: For he ſpeaks as one beyond Time in Eternity.

Moreover, the intelligent and obſerving Reader will here find ſuch a ſurpriſing Variety of the moſt profound Goſpel-Myſteries, interwoven in ſuch a beautiful and artful Contexture, as will every where entertain his Underſtanding, with an uncommon Delight.

'Tis hoped, none will deſiderate Method, or quarrel the Want thereof as a Defect; if it be but reminded, That devotional Books, amongſt which this may juſtly claim a chief Room, are not uſually aſtricted to the Rules of Art and Logical Method: It being the Deſign of ſuch Writers, not ſo much to pleaſe the Fancy, or entertain the Underſtanding with an orderly Ranging & Methodizing of Things, as to quicken and inflame the Affections with divine and ſublime Meditations: Where, not a Gingle of empty Eloquence fills the Ear; but heavenly and ſupernatural Objects, brought down, as it were, from the eternal World of Spirits, and made familiar to the Underſtanding, move and engage the Heart, and elevate the Soul to follow hard after theſe only worthy and ſubſtantial Delights. And beſides, the intelligent Reader will find upon due Peruſal, that 'tis not a meer rude Heap of indigeſted Matter; but that there is really a comely Order obſerved, in the Diſpoſing of the Thoughts herein contained, which will ſufficiently gratifie the Underſtanding, while the incomparable Matter melts and inflames the Affections.

As for the Titles of the Sections, the Publiſhers were not aſſured, whether they were added by the Author himſelf, or by ſome other Hand: Nay, they did not want Ground of Suſpicion, both from the Difference of Expreſſion, and ſometimes from the Unſuitableneſs to the Matter, that ſome leſs ſkilful Perſon had added them. Yet having no Copies ſave one (except the Letters, and Saint's Song, whereof we found ſeveral Copies) to compare, 'twas tho't ſafeſt to retain them, leſt any Thing might be deſiderate that was in the Manuſcript: And the judicious Reader is left to his Choice, whether to read on the Matter, without Regard to theſe Titles, or otherwiſe; for it muſt be owned, That, conſidering the Variety of heavenly Purpoſes, ſometimes comprized in one of theſe Paragraphs, 'tis no eaſie Matter for any Man to deviſe an appoſite Title, to expreſs the Subſtance of the Matter therein contained.

There is no Doubt, but the Reader, by this Time, will be longing for ſome Account of the Author: And it were to be wiſhed, that a true and genuine Relation of the Life of that pious Youth could have been recovered, in order further to oblige the Publick; which had it been practicable, no Pains would have been ſpared to tranſmit it: And without all Doubt, ſuch a Life would have been a rare and excellent Draught, worthy of Chriſtian Imitation. He was the Son of a godly Father, Miniſter of the Goſpel at Tondergirth in Annandole; concerning whom there is related this remarkable Paſſage. When the LORD had taken away from him his beloved Wife, the Deſire of his Eyes, he ſpent the whole enſuing Night in Prayer and Medication in his Garden. One of the Elders of the Pariſh coming next Morning to viſit him, and condoling his Want of Reſt by Reaſon of the Diſpenſation ſo lately befallen him, he replied thus, or to this Effect: I declare I have not all this Night had one Thought concerning the Death of my Spouſe; I have been ſo wholly taken up with the Meditation of heavenly Things. I have been this Night upon the Banks of Ulai, plucking an Apple here and there. This Paſſage plainly ſhews what a heavenly Soul this holy Man hath been; and how plentifully this gracious Youth, his Son, hath been bleſſed with the ſame Spirit, is abundantly evident from the enſuing Treatiſe. His Brother Mr. John Welwood was a Perſon well known to many, and his Memory ſtill favory to all that knew him, for his Holineſs, Diligence in the Labours of the Miniſtry, amidſt many Perils from Bloody Perſecutors and falſe Brethren; his undaunted Zeal and Courage in the Cauſe of Chriſt, tho' under a very weak and ſickly Conſtitution of Body. What a Life of Faith he lived in theſe Perillous Times, is evident from ſeveral Letters of his, written to his Godly Acquaintances, and Friends, yet extant in Manuſcript. And as he excelled in the Grace of Faith, ſo this holy Youth, the Author, ſeems to have peculiarly abounded in that of Love, as will be abundantly manifeſt from the whole of this heavenly Tractate. And how zealous he was for the royal Prerogatives of his lovely Redeemer, uſurped by wicked Rulers; and the public Concerns of His Houſe and Glory; may be gathered from ſeveral Paſſages in this Treatiſe, tho' the Nature of the Subject did not permit him to enlarge much this Way. It appears plainly, from his Letters annexed to this Treatiſe, that he deſigned to have ſerved the Lord Chriſt in the Work of the Miniſtry, if it had pleaſed the Lord to have continued his Abode here below: But the good Lord was pleaſed early to tranſport him from the Wilderneſs of Earth to the Paradiſe of Glory; and to accept the Will, in that Matter, for the Deed, as himſelf ſpeaketh. He died at London, in Time of our late Perſecution, as would ſeem, of a Conſumption; under which Affliction, how much he profited and grew in Grace, appears alſo evidently from the ſame Letters. He concluded his holy and happy, tho' ſhort, Life, with the ſweeteſt Aſſurance of obtaining that Coeleſtial Bleſſedneſs, he here deſcribes, and quietly ſlept in the Lord. And tho' the reſt of the Hiſtory of his Life cannot here be committed to Writing, (as was deſign'd, if certain Information could have been obtained) yet there is here a genuine Tranſcript of it to be read; for no doubt he endeavour'd to live what he wrote, and ſuch a laſting Monument erected to the Glory of his Redeemer, as will alſo ſerve to tranſmit his Memory embalmed to Poſterity, without needing an Elogium from any other Hand.

To conclude, the Treatiſe it ſelf will, upon due Peruſal, ſo approve it ſelf to every gracious Heart, by its heavenly and divine Strain; the noble Deſign it drives, namely to exalt Chriſt, and allure Souls to him, by its moſt ſweet and taking Compoſure; its Stile being both lofty, as to the Subject, and condeſcending to the moſt I • literate; and finally by the ſweet Diſcoveries it makes of that holy City, the heavenly Jeruſalem, the Hope, Reſt and Joy of all the Saints: The Treatiſe, I ſay, will ſo recommend it ſelf, as that it ſhall need no Ivy to be hung out to invite the Paſſenger; and will only need to be known, to recommend it ſufficiently to every devout Soul.

That the Almighty Lord, with whom is the Reſidue of the Spirit, and who only can command the Bleſſing, may make this TREATISE a bleſſed Mean, in the Hand of his holy Spirit, to build up and comfort Believers, to quicken them to Heavenly-mindedneſs, and draw them from the too eager Love of this Earth; and awaken, allure and draw Sinners to JESUS CHRIST, charmed and raviſhed with the unspeakable Glory of the great Reward, here deſcribed, which He hath promiſed to all them that turn from Iniquity, and ſincerely love Him; is the earneſt Deſire of the Publiſhers.
A POEM, Written by a Friend of the Author, upon the Sight of this rare Piece, in Commendation of both. YOU exc'llent Souls, whoſe lofty Minds aſpire To higher Objects only, whoſe Deſire Diſdains o'er-valu'd Dung, vile Worldlings Choice, Is not allur'd with Siren's empty Voice, And ſcorns to aim below the Zenith High, Whither refin'd Perfections all do fly; Here is an Object higheſt Thoughts tranſcending, Yet unto mean Conceptions condeſcending: Here's Heaven, and Glory, higher Eden come T' unhappy Earth, a ſweet Elyſium: Here's Glory brought to us, or happy we To Glory made, by nimble Wings, to flee, On Seas of briniſh Tears, poor we are toſt, With boiſt'rons Winds, and lofty Waves are croſt; Can't ſee our deareſt native Soil, or Lover: But, here's a curious Proſpect, to diſcover That Land afar off▪ thoſe ſweet Hills, and Vales, Where blow theſe fragrant, Soul-refreſhing Gales, Which rouſe theſe fainting Souls, whoſe Feet do ſtand Within the Borders of Emmanuel's Land; Where ſhines th' Eternal, with celeſtial Show'rs, Ne'er-ending Bleſſings on the ranſom'd Pow'rs, The ſoaring Author hath flow'n up above, Drawn by the Cords of his Redeemer's Love; Hath walk'd along the Green, and flowr'y Banks Of Life's ſweet River, view'd the curious Ranks Of Glory's ſtately fruitful Trees; hath taſted Their Fruits moſt pleaſant, and delicious; feaſted His Eyes, on Glory's Land, moſt lovely, fair; His Taſte, with Nectar, and Ambroſia rare; His Smelling, with Heav'n's Spring's Embroidery; His Hearing, with harmonious Raptures high; His Touch, upon the ſilken Carpet's Lap, Which Glory's Fields and Alleys doth inwrap: His Mind, upon the elevated Things, And deep Contrivance of the King of Kings: His Love, on Joys, which Eye hath never ſeen, Which Man's capacious Heart did ne'er contain, He's ſad, that Mortals in foul Mire ſhould wallow, And greedily vile Lumps of Earth ſhould ſwallow: Moſt friendly bids you ſhare ſome Drops with him Of Pleaſures Streams, in which the Saints do ſwim: He (Iſrael's Spy) ripe Graces from promis'd Land Hath brought (t' inflame them) with a liberal Hand. Thy Pen mounts higher, than the Eagle's far; Thy ſharpeſt Eve, more than the Eagle's, dare. Thy Draught Apelles Tables far outvies, More curious thy Picture is than his. Thy Raptures future Ages ſhall admire, And theſe ſhall light their Tapers at thy Fire. Th • u'ſt trode a lofty Path, ne'er trode before, And which ſhall be, it ſeems, by none trode more: Thou ha • t out-ſtript and ſham'd the Ages gone, And by thy rareſt Writings grac'd thine own: The Times to come may trace thy ſtately Pace, But ſtill thou'lt get the Honour of the Place. Who would ſee Glory off the neareſt Shores, Draw near it with theſe curious mighty Oars; Caſt out on Glory's beauteous Skirts your Eye, And there, O Saints, your raviſht Souls ſhall ſpy A Paradiſe, whoſe loweſt Parts excel This vileſt Dunghil, in which Mortals dwell: A Paradiſe, each Glimpſe of which ſhall fill Your Minds with Wonder, and with Joy your Will: In ſhort, a Paradiſe, whoſe ev'ry Part Shall ſo inflame your ever raviſht Heart, That longing you ſhall never reſt, till ye Have Heav'n in you, or you in Glory be.
A Glimpſe of Glory: OR, A Goſpel-Diſcovery of EMMAUEL's Land. The PRELUDE.

ROUSE thee, O my Soul, from this baſe and contagious Earth: Why ſhould lower Thoughts, and baſe Aims poſſeſs thee thus? What haſt thou here, that may draw thee aſide from the Centre of thy Felicity, but for one Moment? If this World, in her roſy and youthful Conſtitution, be very Vanity and Vexation of Spirit; what muſt there be now in her ſad and withered State? If in her Smiles, ſhe be not worth the regarding; what Folly is it, to court a frowning Nothing?

2. Is it Time, O my Soul, to place one Beam of thy Affection upon ſuch a filly, baſe Dunghill, ſo as to give it an affectionate Look? Trample it under thy Feet: Carry thy ſelf after the Manner of theſe, who expect the Kingdom. GOD hath formed thee of ſuch a capacious Conſtitution as nothing can ſatisfy thee below his infinite SELF; and ſhouldſt thou be confined, in thy Outgoings, within the Limits of this lower, ſmoky Region? Mount up ſwiftly, far above the Sun, Moon and Stars, beyond the Borders of this narrow Vault, where thou mayeſt ſweetly bathe thy ſelf, in theſe Oceans of Joys and Felicity, that know neither Brim nor Bottom: Thou art not to waſte away thy Conceptions on Things to Day in their Vigour, and to Morrow they are not: Shadows, empty Nothings, Night-dreams & Vanities, inſufficient Objects for the Faculties of ſuch a noble Being, to fix upon. Art thou not beginning to conſider of a more enduring Subſtance? The Kingdom that cannot be ſhaken, Emmanuel's glorious, ſtately and ever flouriſhing Land, the ſmiling, roſy Place where his Servants do inceſſantly ſerve him, and ſee his Face eternally, without a Cloud; where our all-lovely WELBELOVED doth corporally dwell, and ſhall for ever take up his eternal Abode; a fruitful, fragrant, beautiful, delightſom Soil, overflowing with the true and real Nectar and Ambroſia; a Garden of Delights, a Paradiſe of Pleaſures, planted at the Beginning by the Almighty's own Right-hand, whereon he hath manifeſted, in an high & tranſcendent Manner, the incomprehenſible Glory of his Power, Love and Goodneſs, wonderfully, above what Eye hath ſeen, Ear hath heard, or the Mind of Man, within the Tents of Mortality, conſidered: What a wonderful Frame is this! O the alluring Objects up above! The firſt Thought whereof ſet all on a Flame: O what Deſires! O what Longings! When ſhall Mortality be ſwallowed up of Life, Death of Victory, Time of Eternity, Miſeries of Bleſſedneſs, Sorrows of Joys, Pains of Pleaſures, painted Enjoyments & Delights of his Love & eternal Sweetneſs?

3. All Creatures are ever in Action, eſpecially theſe of the higheſt and moſt noble Rank, which muſt neceſſarily have ſome Object or other, to fix their Outgoings upon: The moſt excellent and ſublime are then to be choſen; and what more excellent, than what will fill all the Powers and Faculties of bleſſed Men and Angels throughout all Eternity?

4. To take a View of the higher Canaan, is neither Curioſity nor Audacity, but a neceſſary Duty, lying upon all, who are travelling thither: The Advantages of ſuch a noble Study cannot be told, nay, nor conceived, but by the Exerciſed therein.

5. According to the Knowledge, ſo are the Affections, both as to Kind and Degree: What we know not, that we cannot love; & what we behold lovely, we cannot but love it. Seraphick Spirits, no Wonder you are ofttimes raviſhed from your ſelves! Ah ſilly Worldlings, you cannot but have a drooping Life of it; ſince you know nothing but Earth: Had you an half Glimpſe of the more enduring Subſtance of the ever-flouriſhing, never-fading Glory, how ſhould you be in an unexperienced Frame of Joy and Admiration! How ſhould you diſdain all the leſſer Beauties on this Side of Time! But ah! you never ſaw the enduring Glory; and what Wonder you are as you are?

6. Mortality hath no greater Joy, than the ſolid Hope of Glory; the Sweetneſs, ariſing from the ſolid Hope of ſo great Things, fills the Soul with wonderful Raviſhments, and perfumes the loweſt of earthly Enjoyments: Surpaſſing Joys to my Soul: Theſe temporal Things, my LORD beſtows upon me, are as Pledges of the fair Inheritance. And are not all viſible Things as ſo many Emblems of the Inviſible? Wordlings, you are Fools, to imagine, We have a ſad & melancholy Life: None live but we; tho' we may be ſaid to be, as to this Life, Of all Men the moſt miſerable; 'tis only as to the Bulk of Externals: You know not our Joys, nor the Manner of our Enjoyments; neither can ye know them.

7. Of Neceſſity we muſt ſearch after another Life, than this evan • ſhing Vapour.

May not the Vanity and Vexation of Spirit, in the Purſuit of every ſublunary Enjoyment, force us to the ſearching after another Life? If we ſearch not for the Glory to come, then let us ſearch after nothing at all. Sirs, what Madneſs, to notice this Earth, unleſs in Order to Eternity? Do you not clearly ſee all your temporary Enjoyments die in the Birth? Are not the gliſtering Shews of Men on this Stage of the World, like the Appearance of Aerial Things in the Clouds? Here are Armies engaging one another, there are Ships under Sail, yonder are Men riding in the Equipage of Kings, Queens, &c. other wheres are Towns, Caſtle, Rivers, &c. All appear real to the Spectators, but anon all evaniſhing to nothing, and where are they? Fools! are they conſidering, That thus it is with all the Glories of Time? Verily, to all Eternity, they ſhall be as if they not been.

8. The ſmall Study of Glory proves us, in a great Part, carnal.

Is it not evident, we have our Eyes too much upon Shadows, and that we divide our Looks betwixt Heaven and Earth; ſince our Joys are more carnal than ſpiritual, and our Longings and Deſires run ſo little heaven-ward? Ah, our Love to the only WELBELOVED, is not unlike that that every Nation carries to their God; elſe we would be often crying out, Is not my Welbeloved gone unto another Country? and ſhall not my Heart & Love for ever dwell there, and only there? Sit I down here, When he hath removed himſelf to another Place? Can there be any Thing deſirable where he is not? O, all ye Beauties of this lower World, what are you to me, if my LORD be abſent ? Let me paſs through all poſſible Difficulties, even through ten thouſand Oceans of burning Fire and Brimſtone; providing I land at laſt, on that ten thouſand times happy Place, where he for ever dwells; that theſe Arms may be bleſſed in embracing, theſe Eyes in eternal beholding, and all my Faculties may be filled with his eternally raviſhing Sweetneſs. Oh, when ſhall I behold thy Countenance! When ſhall I hear thy Voice! When ſhall I ſtand amongſt theſe happy, happy, happy Ones, who ſtand in the immediate Preſence of thy all-glorious Majeſty, and have the naked, immediate and clear Viſion of thine eternally raviſhing Godhead; Ah, how is it I think of any Thing, but Heaven? Why are we not ever in an impatient Longing, to be in his everlaſting Embraces? Know we what it is, to take him for our only WELBELOVED? Is not every Sounding of his very Name, melodious Harmony in our Ears? Doth not every Hearing or Reading of him, affect us with a wonderful Sweetneſs? Do not the Tho'ts of our being in his naked Embraces ere long, fill us with an Extaſy of Joy? Are we not often challenging Years, Months and Days, that they ſucceed ſo leaſurely one another; and contending with Sun, Moon and Stars, that they run their Courſe ſo ſlowly; looking upon every Hour, as an Age, in his Abſence; and Death as of a ſweet and lovely Countenance, ſince it opens us a Paſſage to the full Enjoyment of him; and the Marrow of all Creature-Excellency, as a Maſs of Deformity, if it ſhould eclipſe for a Moment, the ſweet Enjoyment of his Alſufficient Self?

9. Students of Glory, overlook the Difficulties and Vexations of Time.

Sweet, ſweet is the Way to my bleſſed Home! Can the Way be thought tedious, that leadeth to ſuch boundleſs Joy? O the goodly Country I behold lying at the End of my Race! Hell in my Way ſhould be as a pleaſant Paradiſe: What tho' Sadneſs aſſault me? Yonder are Oceans of Joys at the End of my Journey; tho' Wearineſs, yonder are green Paſtures, with an eternal May; tho' Death, yonder are Floods, the Rivers of Life, of which I ſhall drink, and drink again, for evermore. Doth Poverty and Contempt interveen? Lo, the rich Inheritance, the Golden and Pearly Cit • , the ſplendid Houſhold-ſtuff! O the rich Inhabitants! How do mine Eyes affect mine Heart! O bleſſed Chriſt, I have ſeen thee in thy Beauty; and O how is my Soul in an uninterrupted Motion, to be at thee! The Affairs of Time move not as ſuch. O what Allurements! Who can ſee, and not run? O thy violent, ſweet, attractive Vertue! How ſtrongly and quickly doſt thou draw thy Members up to Heaven after thee! See I not thee, O WELBELOVED, ſtanding with the maſſie Crown of Glory in thy Hand, crying, Run, and have it? And ſhall I not run, even run with Patience and chearfully unto the Death? How chearfully did my LORD go up to Jeruſalem, to purchaſe the Crown for me! a Crown to be purchaſed thro' a World of Sorrows and Difficulties! What am I doing? Why ſtand I thus? All is purchaſed already, and the Word is to me, ENTER and POSSESS.

10. The Study of Glory is ſo alluring, that the more we ſtudy, the more we love to ſtudy it.

Had we a Diſcovery of the only excellent Things, how difficult would it prove, to get our Thoughts plucked off them? Moſt lovely Things, ſeen in their Lovelineſs, captivate the Affections moſt▪ and conſequently determine the Tho'ts: Do we not think moſt upon what we love moſt? Worldlings I appeal to your Conſciences, if your Tho'ts run not out moſt upon earthly Things: Why? You know them only, and eſteem them moſt: But, had you a View of the real World, the Outgoings of your Soul would run in an higher Orb. Had we the Impreſſions of Glory on our Spirits, lower Objects ſhould not eaſily draw down our Tho'ts, or turn them aſide; yea, our higher Powers ſhould be ſo ſtrongly affected, as that the lower Powers ſhould be regulated even in Sleep; our Imaginations would be compoſing and dividing the Ideas of the Life to come, they received, according to their Natures, from the higher Faculties. How oft would we be, in our Dreams, walking up and down the Streets of the golden City, the Beds of Lilies and Roſes, in the higher Paradiſe of Glory, the Banks of that River of Water of Life? Days-Thoughts have Influence upon Night-Dreams: the Diſpoſition of the Fancy follows that of the Mind. Ah, ye Sons of Men, what Wonder your Fancy run out after ſo fooliſh a Manner! The Strength of your ſublime Powers is waſted on Dunghil-concernments, your Tho'ts are full of Earth, and all your lower Powers are full of it alſo.

11. Creatures are only to be eſteemed more or leſs excellent, according to their Knowledge; it being the primum Mobile of all other Endowments.

Creatures are Excellent according to their Knowledge: Let Beaſts imagine, that the Scenical Garbs of Riches, and Titular Honours, add any Thing real to Men: It is only Knowledge that differenceth; without it a Man is but a Beaſt; and with it, in its elevated Pitch, he is a glorified and immortal Creature: This is Life Eternal, That they might know thee, and Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent. And is not the Knowledge more Noble, according to the Excellency of the Objects, they being taken up congruouſly? O then, are they not ſeraphick Creatures, whoſe Minds are ſet upon the only Excellent Things? had we a ſight of that ſurpaſſing Glory, how would our Minds be elevated wonderfully above this baſe Dunghill? How ſhould we look down upon the greateſt Things of Earth, as inconſiderable Trifles, far below our ſublime Spirits? how ſhould we trample on Crowns and Sceptres, yea, many Worlds tho' exiſtent, when elevated, on our high Places, clothed with the Sun, and having the Moon under our Feet? How ſhould we laugh at ſilly Earth-Worms, crawling over one another with great Trouble and Vexation; Ah Childiſh Spirits! are you contending and waſting your Inch of Time on Trifles and ſhining Nothings? what is the Gain, when all your Projects are accompliſhed? Heirs of Glory, no wonder, you are termed by Truth it ſelf, the Excellent Ones of the Earth; none of excellent and generous Spirits, but you. The Opinions of blind Worldlings concerning you is of no Value; the Excellency, and Baſeneſs of Mankind is not yet laid open: Mortality, and its black Retinue, obſcure all: A little Patience, and the Almighty ſhall unmaſk the whole Race of Mankind.

12. A clear View of ſo great Rewards, heartens to all Duties.

The clear Sight of the great Recompenſe of Reward, makes the Creature chearful in Duty; Am I ſo ſlow in my Race, and the matchleſs Inheritance at the Stake? Cries not my Lord unto me, Be thou faithful unto the Death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life? Is there ſuch a neceſſary Connection betwixt a Momentary Fight, and an Everlaſting Triumph? O the Diſproportation! who would not fight? who would not wreſtle? O let me run to the Death.

13. The better we are verſed in the Study of Heaven, the more we are fitted for it.

Is not Grace young Glory? and the Forethoughts of Heaven, a Preparation for Heaven? even as black Nature is a Preparation for Hell, the height and Perfection of Wickedneſs: A Sutableneſs is congruous betwixt the Creature and its Condition. High Spirits are not for baſe, low Things; as creeping Spirits are not for high. What Things in Heaven can delight a carnal Soul? Earth, Earth, and only Earth, is its known Object: Give him Earth, and he deſires no more. There is Congruity, and Diſcongruity betwixt the Capacity and Object: Beaſts have no uptaking of intellectual Things; neither carnal Men (termed Beaſts in Scripture) of the Things of GOD. O ſweet! How do the Saints ſmell of Glory, before they enter in? May they not ſay, Whither I go, I know, and the Way I know? Were I ignorant of the World I remove for ever into, could I be thus in ſo joyful a Frame? My Soul is going to the Place, where my Heart is already. I know in whom I have believed, and what is his Reward, O Joy unſpeakable, and full of Glory.

14. Noble Uptakings of Glory, make us in Part Poſſeſſors of Heaven and Glory.

Serious Meditating on Heaven, renders us, in ſome Manner, Poſſeſſors thereof: Our Converſation is in Heaven, ſaith the Apoſtle; and again, You are come (not to the Mount viſible) unto Mount Zion, and to the City of the living God. Converſe and Preſence is only by Benefit of the Mind; were we dwelling in Heaven by Faith, we might be ſaid to be in Heaven, before we were there; or rather Heaven would come down unto our Souls; Chriſt and all his glorious Train would be intimate unto us. O then! we might ſay, my Company is ſweet, My Fellowſhip glorious: He, whoſe Preſence enlightens, enlivens and beautifies Heaven, is ever preſent with me: I have ſet the LORD always before me, becauſe he is at my Right-Hand, I ſhall not be moved. A Bundle of Myrrhe is my Welbeloved unto me, He ſhall ly all Night betwixt my Breaſts. O paſſing Joys and Sweetneſs! the Source of all Joys and Sweetneſs doth poſſeſs my Heart. Blinded Worldlings, you ſee but the outward Garb of Saints; ſaw you what were within, you could not but admire their Happineſs: The King's Daughter is all glorious within. Saw you your own ſelves, in your own genuine Colours, ye would run from yourſelves, if it were poſſible: Hell lodgeth within you, and you know it not; but anon, when the Conſcience is awak'ned, ye ſhall know it, to your dreadful Experience.

15. Heaven is the proper Place, where all Excellency dwells: Should we not then dwell mentally there?

As the Fields are moſt pleaſant, fertile and beautiful, which lie neareſt the perpendicular Rays of the Sun; ſo the more nearly we approach the Sun of Righteouſneſs, the more vigorous and lively ſhall our Condition be: How ſhall we bloom and flouriſh like a Tree planted by the Rivers of Waters? O how beautiful ſhall we become in the Eyes of God, Angels, and Saints! Worldlings, you live in a cold Climate: Can any Thing befal you, except Withering and Decay? Come hither, this is the Sunny-ſide of the World; were ye here, ye could not but cry out, The Lines are fallen to me in pleaſant Places; yea, I have a goodly Heritage.

16. We are allowed to have our Mind no where elſe, but in Heaven, that only being free of the Contagion of Sin.

To have the Mind in Heaven, is ſafe; to let it fall down to Earth, is moſt dangerous: Moſtly from this do Satan, the World, & our vile Hearts get ſuch Advantage againſt us: This is the Place where Satan dominiers; to dwell here, implies a Submiſſion to the Sceptre of his Government. No Wonder ſo many Miſchiefs befal Earth-worms. Heaven is the Saints proper Soil: If ye be wiſe, O Citizens of the New Jeruſalem, range not without the Borders of your Kingdom, leſt ſome Evil befal you.

17. According to the Excellency of our Knowledge, accordingly is the Sphere of our Activity; and conſequently our Fitneſs for doing great Things for our LORD's Glory.

Who are moſt accompliſhed for the greateſt Actions and Sufferings for Chriſt? Who, but theſe who are moſt above? If the Study of humane Sciences renders a Man in ſome Meaſure excellent, What will the Study of this Hyperphyſical Science do? All other Sciences are ſubordinate to this; it being a practick Science, directing and illuminating our Minds, in the right and ſolid Uptaking of all Things. Know much of GOD, and know much of all Things.

18. What we know and affect, that we are; if Earth, we are earthly; if Heaven, we are heavenly.

The Difference betwixt Saints and all Wordlings, lies much here; as the Man is, ſo are his Thoughts. Do the Faculties of thy Soul run moſt out on Heaven and Glory? Doth Heaven more affect thee than Earth? Is't the ordinary Frame of thy Spirit? O the Bleſſedneſs of thy Condition! little canſt thou conceive what thou art coming to. But, doth thy Mind run moſt upon Earth? is it the moſt delightſom Object? & is Heaven a fram'd and ſtrange-like Subject to meditate upon? Is that the ordinary Harmony of thy Spirit? O thy dreadful Condition! who can conceive it? But thou ſhalt know it ere long.

And how ſweetly & cordially are we invited to come up from this baſe Earth, and partake of that noble Fellowſhip with the Father and the Son? The Gates of Glory are caſt wide open to all; the Wells of Salvation are not ſealed: If you be eternally thruſt out blame your ſelves. He complains, exhorts, arguments, Ye will not come to me, that you may have Life. Why will ye die? Whoſoever will, let him come, and take of the Water of Life freely. Ah Fools, what are ye doing? Doubt ye whether to come up or not? what have ye there but broken Ciſterns? Here, O here, are the Fountains, the Rivers, the Oceans of Living Waters. Beware, Sirs, this become not your eternal Complaint, Heaven was wide open, and I would not come in; and now, Wo, Wo, Wo for evermore! the Gates are for ever ſhut againſt me.

19. It is dangerous to take a ſuperficial View of Glory, and no more: We are to ſearch, & die ſearching; ſince Earth hath ſo ſtrange a Power upon Creatures compoſed of Earth.

O Heirs of this never-fading Glory, need we ſpeak of the Things you have a View of, far above all our Expreſſions! See you not what is inexpreſſible? are you not raviſhed with the Goodneſs of your Lot? have you not been often upon the Top of Mount Piſgah, viewing the higher and lower World; the vaſt Difference betwixt the Childrens Inheritance, and that of the Baſtards? have ye not received a Taſte of the delicious Fruits that grow on the Tree of Life? have ye not received in your Souls, ſome Sparkles of that heavenly Joy and Love? have you not experimentally ſeen the Nothingneſs and Vanity of all created Enjoyments? How is it then; that ſo many of you are ſo baſe and carnal in your Deportment, as it is difficult to diſcern betwixt your Walk, and that of the Sons of the Earth? What! back to the Earth again, after you have received ſo high an Elevation? You ſomewhat reſemble the fallen Angels. Sirs (if it be ſo, that you are fallen indeed) it is an Hundred to One, if ever you approach ſo near Heaven, on this Side of Time: Apoſtaſy, in the ſmalleſt Degree, is very dreadful. Be it ſo, you cannot totally and finally become Earth again; yet, is it not ſad, never to come near to the firſt Attainments? as it moſtly falls out in fallen Saints: Even David's laſt Ways were below his firſt. But however, Can ye endure ſo to diſgrace your Lord's Glory, before the Eyes of vile Worldlings, who eſteem Heaven a well invented Chimera? Can you feed their Atheiſm? And dare you ſhake the Faith of weak ones, and be the ſad Occaſion of many's going back at the Birth? Either walk in an heavenly Manner, or profeſs no Religion at all: If your Converſe be like that of Dunghil-wretches, wherein do ye glorify GOD more than they? Yea, you do diſhonour him more a Thouſand Stages. Chriſtians, can you forget your ſweet Country, in this melancholy Wilderneſs; is not Death at your Hand? Our Time is ſhort, for making ready for Eternity; ere we get a Sight of the vain World, Death will aſſault us. What is Time, but a Preparation for Eternity? Were there not Connexion betwixt theſe two, verily, Time were of no Conſideration: Have we loſt the real Uſe of our Senſes? Do not all we ſee, or hear, invite us to go up, and leave this deſpicable World? Every earthly Enjoyment hath Vanity written upon it; every Thing here hath a frowning Countenance: Are we not looking for a City whoſe Builder and Maker is God? Let us be perſwaded of the Truth of ſo great Things; let us embrace the Promiſes, and confeſs, we are Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, that the Natives of this World may perceive we ſeek a Country. Cry out, Sirs, Adieu, you guilded Enjoyments, abſtracted from the Life of all Enjoyments, ah gliſtering Nothings! what are you all to me! What to One who hath ſound the enduring Subſtance? Welcome, a Thouſand Times Welcome, eternal Joys, ſubſtantial Pleaſures, enduring Comforts. Welcome Enjoyment of God, in any Meaſure, tho' thro' a Glaſs. Mount up, O my Soul, on the Seraphick Wings of heavenly Meditation: Tho' thou haſt lien among the Pots, yet ſhalt thou be as the Wings of a Dove, covered with Silver, and her Feathers with yellow Gold. Let not a low Sight content thee, never reſt, until thou be over the Borders of Time, where thou ſhalt be at Reſt, and free of Trouble: Here is nothing but Vanity and Vexation of Spirit.

20. Scripture gives us a Diſcovery of Things beyond Time.

By a ſpiritual Uptaking of the Scriptures, in their own genuine Senſe, we might attain unto the ſublime Knowledge of excellent Things: They are wiſeſt, who are beſt ſtudied in them: Faith is an Inſtrument, whereby the Soul takes up aright the Things contained therein. And doth not every Page ſmell of Heaven and Glory? The Glory of God, and intellectual Creatures, and everlaſting Enjoyment of him, is the Subject and Scope of all. Nay, this great Volume of this viſible All, demonſtrates ſomewhat inviſible, of a far higher Nature: The Heavens declare the Glory of God: The inviſible Things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly ſeen, being underſtood by the Things which are made. How many Draughts and Emblems of Glory may we behold, in the glorious Fabrick of Heaven and Earth; how doth the Spirit ſet before our Eyes, that inconceivable Glory to come, in Types and borrowed Terms, drawn from the Glories of this lower Region? Verily, they have the Advantage of others, who have Spirit and Opportunity, for ſearching into the admirable Works of God's Creation: For, ſuch is the Nature of Things viſible, that they lead us to theſe that are inviſible.

21. Glory is not to be conſidered after a Philoſophical Manner, being altogether ſupernatural.

To enquire metaphyſically into the Nature of this excellent Glory, is not our Intention: We deſire not to ſpeak other Things, than what is written. Subtil Inquities are cold, having ſmall Influence on the Affections, the Inflaming of which is our Aim. A Goſpel View of Glory, in a Scripture Dialect, is our Deſign. That the Scripture termeth Heaven, a City; and again, a Bride, ſhews that all Emblems come wonderfully ſhort, in repreſenting ſuch inconceivable Things; and therefore Diſcourſes thereof are not to be examined, according to vulgar Rules. Glory may be underſtood, either formally, or ſubjectively, which is the ſupernatural Elevation of the Creature; or objectively, which is the Manifeſtation of GOD to the Creature: The Glory then to be revealed, is a ſupernatural Perfection, and that in Kind. Natural Wiſdom, never ſo intenſe, is not Glory: The Splendor of the Sun, tho' a thouſand Stages gradually augmented above what it is, is ſtill but natural Glory, and not a ſupernatural Elevation. Every Thing is perfect, beautiful, excellent or glorious (which Terms expreſs the ſame) in its own Kind; but in Heaven, are all ſupernaturally excellent, as being elevated far above the Reach of their natural Beings.

22. All Creatures from the higheſt to the loweſt, are paſſively capable of ſupernatural Elevation.

What baſer Things than Duſt? and yet that's admitted within the New Jeruſalem: Yet may intellectual Beings be ſaid (Gr. kat' exochen, i. e. by way of Eminence) to be only capable of Glory: And then we may ſay, Glory is the higheſt Elevation (actual) of a Creature, in its Being, Faculties, Vertues, Operations and Relations, by which it is enabled to enjoy God to the full.

23. Nothing leads us ſo excellently to the Knowledge of Glory, as Grace its Forerunner.

Grace being an Endowment above the Strength of Nature, what is it elſe, but young Glory? For that the Knowlege of the one will lead us by the Hand unto the Knowlege of the other: As Glory is Grace in the Bloom and fulleſt Vigour, ſo Grace is Glory in the Bud & firſt Springing; the one is Holineſs begun, the other Holineſs per • ected; the one is the Beholding of God darkly, as thro' a Glaſs, the other Beholding him Face to Face. Chriſtians, are you conſidering, that in Part you are glorified already? Tho' it be ſmall, like a Grain of Muſtard-ſeed, and obſcured by Corruption and Mortality; a little Patience, and you ſhall ſee it grow out wonderfully in all Dimenſions, and flouriſh, and bloom, and be fruitful and fragrant through never-ending Ages. You have taſted that the Lord is good; you ſhall ſwim, ere long, in the Oceans of Goodneſs: You have had his amiable Countenance lifted up upon you; a little hence ſhall ye for ever dwell under the Noon-Day Rays of his raviſhing Face: Some Drops of celeſtial Joy have fallen into your Hearts, unto Raviſhment; you ſhall enter into the Ocean it ſelf ere long: You are walking with the Lamb, in the Days of your Pilgrimage; you ſhall follow Him anon whitherſoever he goes. May ye not then attain to ſome Conception of Glory? the Tree may be known by its Seed; the direct Rays, by the reflex. As for you, Worldlings, who know not what it is to have Communion with GOD the very natural Conſideration of ſuch dazling Glory, may rouſe up your Senſes, and cauſe you to underſtand what you never heretofore conſidered.

24. Saints get ſome Diſcoveries more evident, than through a Glaſs, which may be termed Glimpſes of Glory.

The Saints, on this Side of Time, are not ſeldom more than Victors; they have Sights above that of Faith: O the Sights, O the Sweetneſs, O the Raviſhments, more like thoſe of Overcomers, than Fighters, which the Saints experience! Why may we not then attain to ſome Apprehenſions of the Glory above? may not the Experience of our ſelves and others lead us into the Diſcovery of wonderful Things? No Doubt, the New Creation is a ſupernatural Elevation, which we ſhall never be able to attain unto, through the ordinary and connatural Influencing of the Spirit on our congenite Faculties; His marvellous Light is of another Nature, than that common Light which he communicateth to every one that cometh into the World. Natural Excellency, never ſo gradually perfected, is ſtill natural; gradual Difference changeth not the Kind. Join all common Graces of Reprobates together, could they make up a Saving or Supernatural? Many Carnals make not a Heavenly; many material Excellencies, make not up a Spiritual: Grace is a heavenly, new Principle infuſed, not the perfecting of what hath been already, in the Worldling. O Sirs, beware of a Beguile here: The intenſe natural Knowledge of Divine Myſteries, with the Overflowings of Love and Joy ariſing there from, may dazle our own Eyes, and the Eyes of the Spectators. Look that you have Heaven indeed within you, elſe you cannot enter there. O to be Partakers of the Divine Nature! O for the Noble Mind of Chriſt! O to be transformed in the Spirit of our Minds! Cauſe thy Wind to blow on our dry Bones, and we ſhall live. Be not beguiled, Sirs; as ye ſaw, ſo ſhall you reap: Have you the immortal Seed within you? Look well to it, let it not be choked with Cares, Anxieties & Vanities; Tho' the Beginning appears ſmall and inconſiderable, the End will be wonderfully glorious and excellent: The Wonders to be manifeſted upon thee, will be the Perfection of what thou haſt got already: If the Spirit of him that raiſed up Jeſus from the Dead be in you, He ſhall alſo quicken your mortal Bodies, by the Spirit that dwelleth in you.

25. All Things invite to this excellent Study, and no Argument againſt 〈◊〉 .

We heartily beſeech you, to ſtep up to the Top of Mount Piſgah, and take a View of our raviſhing Country: What have you to ſay againſt the Buſineſs? COME and SEE, will anſwer all your Objections: whatever you can ſay againſt the Matter, will prove it. Speak ye of Melancholy? O what Sweetneſs is here! Of Inability, & Dimneſs of Knowledge? O the Lightſomneſs of this City! All Things are obſcure and ſmoky below. Speak we of Hinderances from our neceſſary worldly Affairs? O how doth the Sight of this Glory oyl the Wheels, and cheer up to every Duty! Will any term it, An unknown Subject? Nothing more fruitful, and fuller of Varieties: Nothing more lightſom than Glory. Art thou worldly-minded? O then, ſtudy Heaven; The Excellency of the one, will cauſe the other to diſappear. Thinkeſt thou Hell and Deſtruction are more to be conſidered by thee? Come, and thou ſhalt behold, that the Diſcovery of Glory diſcovers all Things; ſince there is no Danger, for a trembling broken hearted Sinner: The Way to Glory is the Path of Life, the new and living Way. We are not come unto the Mount that might not be touched, and that burned with Fire; but unto Mount Zion, the heavenly Jeruſalem, the innumerable Company of Angels, and to the Spirits of juſt Men made perfect, to Jeſus the Mediator of the new Covenant, to GOD the Judge of all, and to the Blood of Sprinkling, that ſpeaketh better Things than that of Abel.

26. This Skill is only from above, and to be begged of GOD.

Thou inexhauſtible Original of all Light, Life & Fulneſs, draw up our Minds to thee, from this proper Habitation of the Devil and his Slaves; and hold us ever with thee, leſt we fall down to this Dunghill again: Then ſhall we be joyf • l in Glory, we ſhall ſing aloud in our Beds, we ſhall ſpeak of the Grea •• eſs of thy Kingdom, of the Excellency of thy Majeſty, and of the Glory of thine Inheritance, in the Saints in Light: Then ſhall we go out with Joy, and be led forth in Gladneſs; the Mountains and the Hills ſhall break forth before us into Singing: Then ſhall we renev ••• our Strength, we ſhall mount up with Wings, as Eag •• s; we ſhall run, and not he weary; and walk, and not be faint.

INVITATION. HERE Tabor's Tops, ſurmounting far the Marches Of thoſe Etherial moſt majeſtick Arches, Reaching beyond the Azure Canopie, (Which envious Maſk hides Glory from our Eye) Into the new Creation, whoſe bright Glory Would cauſe Earth's Splendor vaniſh, make us ſorry, We've plac'd a Grain of Love on Things below, Since only 'bove this World all Sweets do flow. Aſcend the Mount, aſpiring Souls, and enter Within the Cloud, fear not, draw near Love's Center: Go in to th' privy Chambers of the King, If princely Minds, and flowing Hearts you bring: But wanting theſe, I ſtraitly you command, In my LORD's dreadful Name, aloof to ſtand. There ſhall you ſee your LOVER's lovely Face, His heavenly Geſture, His divineſt Grace: There ſhall his Voice melodious charm your Ears, And from your Hearts ſhall baniſh quite all Fears: There ſhall the Smell of's Garments, all perfum'd, Refreſh your fainting Sp'rits, with Cares conſum'd: There ſhall you feaſt upon the cheering Wine, That Crimſon Liquor of the only VINE. You and your LORD ſhall claſp in one Love-tie, Ne'er to be loos'd through all Eternity Your Thoughts ſhall dive into Love's deep Abyſs, And ſcan, what without all Dimenſions is: Your heart (ſurpaſſing Joy!) in your LOVE's Breaſt, And his in yours, eternally ſhall reſt. In fine, your Senſes, Soul and all ſhall lie, Bathing in Sweetneſs everlaſtingly.
A Glimpſe of Glory: OR, A Goſpel-Diſcovery of EMMANUEL's Land.

THOU Glory and Beauty of the higher Paradiſe, fulfil thy Promiſe upon me, in letting me ſee Thee in thy Beauty, and that Land that is very far off. A Diſcovery of thine Excellency, a Taſte of thy Sweetneſs, ſhould cauſe me to overlook all ſublunary Things, ſhould enable my Glory to proclaim thine aloud before the Sons of Men. Let thy Strength appear in Weakneſs: Thou can'ſt perfect Glory and Praiſe by Babes, and Nothings; get thy ſelf Glory, and I have all I can deſire.

2. All Joys! Am not I exalted on the high Places of the Earth? Wonderful! what ſtrange Things are theſe? What hath God done? Shall I write, or ſhall I not? What avails Earth's Idiom here, which falleth ſhort in the full Expreſſion of earthly Things? Shall I not debaſe my LORD's Glory, if I endeavour to repreſent it by the low, baſe and childiſh Expreſſions of Earth's Idiom: But ſince our condeſcending LORD is pleaſed, in borrowed Terms, to expreſs theſe inexpreſſible Enjoyments, which neither Eye hath ſeen, nor Ear hath heard, or the Heart of Man conceived, we will follow his Footſteps; being certain, tho' our Expreſſions reach not the Brim of that Ocean, yet they may ſurpaſs moſt Men's Eſteem of it. May we not then, in borrowed Speeches and dark Emblems, delineate the Glory of his Kingdom, the Excellency of his Perſon, & the Riches of his Inheritance in the Saints in Light, until we come unto the Fulneſs of the Stature of Chriſt: When we ſhall ſee and expreſs Him, as He is.

3. The Soul muſt be elevated on the Wings of heavenly Meditation, before it get a Sight of the promiſed Land.

Now, my Soul, thou art got up to the Top of this ſublime and majeſtick Mountain overlooking the celeſtial Canaan. Ah, my Senſes are not celeſtial! Yet do the Things I ſee and hear, fill me with Joy unſpeakable, and full of Glory: I cannot tell what my Faculties are filled with. Words are narrow for ſuch high and wide Things. But ſhould we not expreſs theſe Things according to our Meaſure?

4. Glory is rather to be admired by Mortals, than underſtood.

I am quite amazed, confounded and raviſhed at once. O eternal Dwelling-place of bleſſed Men and Angels, and of the MAN infinitely more excellent than all! How am I affected with thy various Beauty, excellent Glory, and delightſom Sweetneſs! What appeareſt thou now, O lower World? Thou art the Dunghil; this the Palace-royal: Thou art the Footſtool, this the Throne. Were the Curtains betwixt the higher and lower World drawn aſide, all lower Glories would diſappear: All Glories are here, and only here: This is the World. Where ſhall we find Emblems any where elſe, ſufficient to repreſent, in the thouſand thouſand Part or Property, one of the infinite Beauties, various Glories, admirable Excellencies, tranſcendent Vertues, wherewith this Land is ſtored? Verily it is a large Land indeed, like a Confluence of infinite Number of Worlds. O my Lord, thy Report was true, In my Father's Houſe are many Manſions. The Earth is Nothing to the viſible Heavens, and the viſible to the inviſible. O vaſt Land! Are they not ſhallow Fools, who boaſt themſelves of Shovelfuls of Earth? But Worms are much taken up with Dunghils. Nothing below this narrow Vault of the viſible Heavens can bound the Outgoings of capacious and ſublime Spirits.

5. We may imagine, in this our Childhood, childiſhly; and ſo conceive of Glory in a metaphorick Way.

And O the Beauty and Sweetneſs, wherewith this bleſſed Land is adorned! Earth in its May-clothing, with its various Beauties, appeared ſomewhat delightſom before; but all former Apprehenſions are ſwallowed up; all the Senſes & Faculties are loſt in the endleſs Maze of infinite Varieties of Beauties and Excellencies. Are not the Eyes almoſt raviſhed from their proper Orbs, by the ſtrong attractive Vertue of raviſhing Objects? Are they not dazled and confounded? What Varieties! what Glories! what numberleſs Numbers! Every Object is enough to allure unto Raviſhment: But the Conſpiration of them all cannot be told. How are the Ears charmed with numberleſs Variety of melodious Raptures! ſo that the Ears become Harmony itſelf. How do inceſſant and full Gales of odoriferous Exhalations perfume and fill with a paſſing Sweetneſs, not only the Brain, but every Vein, Artery and Sinew I That which enters the Mouth, every where, ſurpaſſeth Ambroſia & Nectar. The circumjacent Spirits have ſo pleaſant Embraces, as they ſtill refreſh the Body, that cannot be weary. What ſhall I ſay? Am I not nonplus'd here? Lo, all Beauties, both material and immaterial, here! All Things are here in an eminent formal Manner. O mighty God, this World is a Maſter-piece of thy Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs indeed. Did I never ſee more of thy raviſhing Attributes, than what is imprinted on this golden World, ſhould I not be raviſhed with an eternal Rapture? This is a Land befitting the Inhabitants; all Things are ever in their May-clothing, do bloom and flouriſh with an eternal and glorious Verdue, ſeeming, as it were, all to outbrave one another, in wonderful Beauty and Excellency: What would an earthly Paradiſe appear here? Shall we ſpeak of Gold and Gems, trampled upon by Beaſts? Sure the Sun in its Strength would bluſh to let forth its Rays on ſo beautiful a Place, the leaſt Stone here would look him out of Countenance; Nothing in the lower World, which is not here; and nothing here, which is to be ſeen in the lower World. If we ſpeak any Thing in earthly Idiom, it muſt be in perfect Contradictions; all is covered over with all Varieties of Beds of Lilies, and Roſes, and dropping ſweet-ſmelling Myrrhe, every where the Vines flouriſh, the Mandrakes ſend forth an odoriferous Exhalation, the Pomegranates bud, the Grapes and all Fruit hang in goodly Order; all is overſlown with Ambroſia, Milk and Hony; all is an Orchard, all a Champain Field; every Place is the ſunny Side of the Hill, and alſo a pleaſant Shadow; every Place is filled with odoriferous Gales, and yet there is nothing but one ſweet and endleſs Calm: The Winds that blow here are like vital & animal Spirits. Are they not theſe Heart-refreſhing, and Soul-rejoicing Breathings of the Spirit of Life? All are planted with Trees, every one of which doth ſpecifically differ from one another, and bears every Month, every Hour, every Minute, Ten thouſand Kinds of Fruits; and every Fruit containeth Ten thouſand Qualities; and every Quality Ten thouſand Vertues, and every Vertue Ten thouſand Delights, and every Delight is enough to confound Myriads of Worlds of Men and Angels. All Things ſend forth melodious Notes, odoriferous Perfumes, and what may charm Thouſands of Senſes, differing ſpecifically from one another: All Things here do more than contain all the Vertues and Excellencies of Sun, Moon and Stars. O what every Thing is, how inconceivable, and beyond Imagination! This World is all Things, 'tis a Palace, alſo it is a glorious and ſtately City, decked with the Glory and Comelineſs of her Builder; Whoſe Light is like unto a Stone moſt precious, whoſe Walls are high and beautified with Twelve Gates, and at the Gates are Twelve Angels, whoſe Figure is Four-ſquare, whoſe Circuit Twelve thouſand Furlongs, and the Height of the Wall an Hundred forty four Cubits; the Building thereof is of Jaſper, and the City of pure Gold, as it were tranſparent Glaſs. If the Foundations thereof be of Pearl, the Houſes, Streets and Walls of Gold, what muſt the Deckings of the Houſes be? If the ordinary Stuff exceed the Price of the Diamond, who can weigh our moſt noble JEWEL of the New Jeruſalem? Sure all the Excellency of this lower Univerſe would be of no Reckoning here; yea, many Worlds are not to be valued. Muſt not this be a glorious and delightſom City, which is immediately enlightned with the uncreated Glory of JEHOVAH, and the LAMB? All the Kings of the Earth bring in their Glory and Honour hither: All other Glories and Excellencies are ſwallowed up, and concentred here: All Joys, all Pleaſures, all Contentments, all Deſires are for ever here.

6. We cannot be ſo high, in our own Conceptions of Glory, but ſtill we may be higher.

But let us draw near, that we may diſcover more of theſe wonderful Things: What raviſhing Melody is this? Were it not Heaven to dwell within the Sound of Heaven's Melody? I am altogether raviſhed! O it is good to be here! O the ſweet, ſweet, ſweet Frame the Inhabitants are in! Their Hallelujahs have converted me almoſt into Joy itſelf. But what can I ſay? The Idiom of Glory hath a wonderful Efficacy and Deepneſs, beyond our ſhallow Uptakings, as far tranſcending Earth's Language, as Immortality doth tranſcend Mortality: And I want an Ear celeſtial, muſical, to perceive diſtinctly, and underſtand theſe angelical Songs, and wonderful Expreſſions of Joy, Love and Admiration in the higher Houſe: But the very Sound is enough to raviſh all our Senſes. Hear I not ſomething like the Song of Moſes and the Lamb?

We will ſing unto the Lord; for he hath triumphed gloriouſly, his Enemies hath he over whelmed with everlaſting Shame: He is our Strength, and our Song, and he is become our Salvation: Thy Right-hand, O Lord, is become glorious in Power; who is like unto thee? Glorious in Holineſs, fearful in Praiſes, doing Wonders. Thou in thy Mercy haſt led forth thy People, which thou haſt redeemed; thou haſt guided them in thy Strength, unto thy holy Habitation: We have a ſtrong City, Salvation hath our God provided for Walls and Bulwarks. We will greatly rejoice in the Lord, our Souls ſhall inceſſantly and eternally be joyful in our God; for he hath clothed us with the Garments of Salvation, he hath covered us with the Robes of Righteouſneſs. Thou haſt awaked, & put on Strength, O Arm of the Lord; Art not thou it, which dried up the Red-Sea? that hath made the Deeps of the Sea a Way for thy Ranſomed to paſs over? Therefore the Redeemed of the Lord do return, and come with Singing unto Sion, and everlaſting Joys upon their Heads; and Sorrow & Sighing hath fled away. Sing ye Heavens, ſhout ye lower Parts of the Earth, break forth into Melody, ye Mountains; for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himſelf in Iſrael. Behold, we dwell on high, our Place of Defence is the Munition of Rocks: Our Eyes do ſee the King in his Beauty; our Eyes do behold Jeruſalem a quiet Habitation, a Tabernacle that ſhall never be taken down. And in this Mountain hath the Lord of Hoſts made, unto all People, a Feaſt of fat Things; and hath ſwallowed up Death in Victory, and hath wiped away all Tears from all Faces. The Lord is a Sun and Shield: He hath given Grace and Glory; no good Thing hath he withheld from theſe who have walked uprightly. How excellent is thy Loving-kindneſs! We are abundantly ſatisfied with the Fatneſs of thy Houſe, and thou haſt made us drink of the Rivers of thy Pleaſures: Thou haſt turned our Mourning into Dancing; thou haſt put off our Sackcloth, and girded us with Gladneſs: The Lines are fallen to us in pleaſant Places; yea, we have a goodly Heritage: Thou haſt ſhewed unto us the Path of Life; in thy Preſence is Fulneſs of Joy, and at thy Right-hand are Pleaſures for evermore. Worthy is the Lamb, that was ſlain, to receive Power, and Riches, and Wiſdom, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Bleſſing; for thou waſt ſlain, and haſt redeemed us to God, by thy Blood, out of every Kindred, and Tongue, and People, and Nation; and haſt made us unto our God, Kings and Prieſts; and we ſhall reign for ever and ever. Cry and ſhout, thou Inhabitant of Zion; for great is the holy One of Iſrael in the Midſt of thee. What a golden Life is this? Am not I come into Mount Zion? Know I not now by Experience, that the Converſe of Mortals may be above? O what a raviſhing Frame am I now in! The Melody of Heaven draws me nearer and nearer; I cannot, I will not, I may not reſt, until I look within the Vail.

7. Chriſt, the Deſire of all Nations, becauſe he is God, moſt fully manifeſted to finite Capacities.

O ſtrange! Nothing but wonders! Are not the whole Inhabitants of the higher Canaan all in a Sea of Delight, Love and Admiration? Are they not all flocking round about, as contending, who ſhall be moſt ſatiated with the matchleſs Beauty and Lovelineſs of the WHITE and RUDDY ONE, the STANDARD-BEARER among Ten thouſand? O the Days-man, betwixt God & Creatures! the Wonder of Wonders, the Glory & Triumph, and Shame of Creatures, the Beauty of Heaven, the Admiration of Earth, the Compend and Model of Heaven and Earth, and all Things, the Life of all Joys, Marrow of all Loves, Flower of all Deſires, Fountain of all Sweetneſs, Sun of all Glory, the everlaſting Delight of the Father, and Raviſhment of Men and Angels, the Centre whereunto all Hearts, all Loves, all Eyes do eternally & inceſſantly run, the Brightneſs of the Father's Glory, the expreſs Character of his Perſon! Chriſt Jeſus, God-Man, the ever-flouriſhing Stock & the Stem of Jeſſe, the Plant of Renown! All are chanting thus.

Speak no more of Beauties; Men & Angels, all leſſer Glories are quite ſwallowed up: This is the only Beauty, the only Excellency, by the borrowed Rays of whoſe Lovelineſs, we are all rendered glorious: Out of his Fulneſs have we all received; let us down with theſe maſſie Crowns of Glory at his Feet; For of him, and by him, and through him, and to him are all Things.

8. No Manifeſtation of God, ſo full and ſweet to Creatures, as through Emmanuel; ſo infinite is the Diſtance.

O! my only WELBELOVED, thou art God, thou art God, the infinite JEHOVAH; and therefore thou art become my ALL, and only One; none but Him! I diſdain all Yeſterday-beings, for a Welbeloved: Yet, ſince thou art a Creature alſo, thou art more lovely as to me; wert thou not Man, as well as God, I could not enjoy thee ſo familiarly and nearly: Though Sin in its ſelf cannot be the Object of Joy, yet the Reſult thereof is paſſing joyful: This World of free Grace, tranſcends never ſo many Worlds of another Kind. The Enjoyment of God, as a Redeemer, Huſband, Brother, is another Manner of Enjoyment, than of God Creator. Happy, happy we, that ever we were miſerable! We had been undone, if we had not been undone. We ruined our ſelves, but thou haſt made us up, far, far above all that we had to loſe: O ſweet Debt of thy free redeeming Grace! Shall not every Moment of Eternity augment my Obligation? I am thy bound Dyvour, O my Lord; and therefore my Happineſs ſhall grow and bloom throughout all Eternity.

9. One Sight of Chriſt is enough to raviſh never ſo many.

The firſt Sight of thine Eyes hath ſtricken me with everlaſting Admiration! Many excellent Beauties do my bleſſed Eyes behold, but thou doſt infinitely tranſcend them all. Thy Countenance hath a Beauty & Excellency above all poſſible created Glory! Increated Glory rays thro' the Vail of his humane Nature! My bleſſed Eyes, a thouſand Times bleſſed Eyes, which behold the Man, who is God! Fellow-Beholders, this Sight hath caſt us for ever into a wondering Frame! the more we behold, the more we are inflamed; the more we love, the more we behold! O Wonderful eternal Circle! Hence Joys inutterable, inexpreſſible; hence the ſweet praiſing Diſpoſition, hence Admiration, hence Beholding; and thus throughout Eternity.

10. All our Enjoyment nothing, till we ſee him Face to Face.

O Flower of Excellency! O Ocean of Lovelineſs? Mortality could take up no conſiderable Portion of thee; the moſt excellent of their Diſcourſes was childiſh Nonſenſe: Nothing, but ſeeing thee Face to Face, can diſcover thy Worth. Verily I never ſaw thee until now; and therefore Love and Joy were never in their higheſt Vigour. I love, I love now indeed! What tho' I might be ſaid to love thee in thy Abſence, and to be filled with Joy unſpeakable and glorious, with the very Sound of thy Name? Theſe Drops are nothing to the Ocean, the Taſting to the Banquet. O ſweet, ſweet, Nothing but Joy! who can ſtand beſide infinite Love, and not be inflamed? Am I not almoſt converted into Love it ſelf? O delightſom raviſhing Fire! What greater Happineſs, than to burn here for evermore.

11. The Soul is not perfectly happy, until it reſt, without Interruption, in the Welbeloved's Love.

Now we are for ever in one anothers Arms; the Days of Heaven ſhall not put a Period to theſe Love-Embraces: Thou haſt ſet me as a Seal upon thy Heart, as a Seal upon thine Arm; for Love is ſtrong as Death, the Coals thereof would burn up Hell itſelf. Nothing but full Eternity, inceſſant Enjoyment, will ſatiate this burning Love; and therefore art thou unto me as a Bundle of Myrrhe, which lieth forever betwixt my Breaſts. This is the Place where Love doth bloom, with an eternal Verdure: No Ups and Downs, and Hidings of his Face; no Loveſickneſs, thro' the want of perſonal Poſſeſſion; no need of Apples, or Flagons of Wine; no contending with Time and Days, becauſe of their ſeeming lazy Pace; nor with interpoſing Clouds, ling'ring Death, Sin and Mortality: Nothing, but full Enjoyment; I am as I would be: I ſee thy Face to the full; and therefore my Happineſs overflows the Banks.

12. The mutual Intereſt betwixt Chriſt and his Choſen, is an eternally ſweet Conſideration.

Thou art mine, my deareſt Lord, and I am thine; I was thine from Eternity, and thou art become mine to Eternity. O my large, wide, broad Inheritance! Thou art mine in full Poſſeſſion: O my Happineſs, my Happineſs! my Loves overflow, my Joys are in their Spring-tide! Even thou art mine, and thy Deſire is towa • ds me. No Wonder I am raviſhed with thy Beauty: But art thou raviſhed with mine? Waſt thou not at Reſt, until thou hadſt brought me to theſe higher Chambers of Glory, that thou mighteſt be delighted forever in my Fellowſhip? What am I to thee? If there be any Thing in me can draw one Look from thee, it is thine, only thine, and not mine own. If the Rays of this borrowed Lovelineſs in me redound back upon thee, Thou haſt received but what is thine own. Beholdeſt thou raviſhing Lovelineſs in me, who am, what I am only of thee? what boundleſs Ocean of Sweetneſs, what infinite Worlds of Beauty are in thy matchleſs Self! Many an excellent Object have I ſeen, but thou haſt raviſhed my Heart from them all. I have found, I have ſeen him, who is only lovely: This fair One hath my Heart for evermore. Choiceſt Beauties of Yeſterday, were it poſſible for you to draw my Affections in the leaſt aſide? I have taſted of Creatures Sweetneſs, but they could not ſatisfy: Shall it not be my endleſs Exerciſe, inceſſantly to kiſs, and draw raviſhing Conſolations from the Lips, that brought the joyful Tydings of this boundleſs Happineſs? None but Thee! If I love and delight in other Beauties, it is as they are decked with thy Lovelineſs; as they are Emblems, Shadows and Reflections of thee, who art altogether lovely: But thou art the ſubſtantial Beauty, thou art the Beauty! Let innumerable Millions of Worlds of Beauty ſtand round about Thee, one Ray of thy Tranſcendancy would eclipſe them all. Beholders, can you tell what you ſee? O his Beauty, his Beauty! What more can be ſaid, than that it infinitely tranſcends the Conceptions of Men and Angels?

Other Loves are but the Picture and Reſemblance of Love, to this ſublime and noble Love of JESUS: This is Love indeed; ſhould I ſpeak of Flames? am I not entred into the Ocean? The I Floods, the Worlds of Love, for God is Love, and he that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Is not this a ſweet raviſhing Habitation? What Joy to think, This is my eternal Repoſe? I dwell in the Midſt of hot burning Flames, without Harm, as in a Bed of Roſes, and an Orchard of Delights.

13. The glorified Soul, reflecting on former Things, looks upon all, as childiſh.

This is the Fulneſs of the Stature of Chriſt: How capacious, to receive inceſſantly Floods of Love! Before, my Soul was narrow, now it is larger than the Heaven of Heavens. O the Outrunnings of my Soul after Thee! Before, they were ſmall Streams; now they are huge Floods; ſmall Things are not now noticed; all our Deſires are now ſwallowed up. What is the Moon when the Sun doth appear? How maſſie, maſſie art thou, O Love of Jeſus! would thou not down-weigh innumerable Worlds? Had I known, in the Ten thouſand Part on Earth, what now I know, the World would have imagined me quite beſide my ſelf: How wonderfully would I have ſpoken, written and done? But, ah, how poorly and childiſhly did we ſpeak of thee; What Joy, that Mortality is done away!

14. Saints and Angels ſhall be ever going forth into the matchleſs Excellencies of their WELBELOVED; and running them, as it were, over and over again.

Tho' I behold thee, as thou art; yet am I ever ſupplied with new Matter of Admiration: When more Ages are paſt, than Atoms in the Creation, I ſhall not be jejune, to expreſs thine infinite Excellency. Men & Angels, when ſhall you dive ſo deep, as you may dive no further? But ſhall I not for ever delineate thy Beauty now, when I have thee in my Arms? Sirs, ſhall we not for ever ſpeak of him, of whom too much cannot be ſpoken? No Injury is here done to the Father and bleſſed Spirit; Their Glory and Excellency do viſible ſhine here: And do theſe Arms embrace God, theſe Eyes ſee him? O the Myſtery of Godlineſs! Men and Angels, you are all aſtoniſhed: God viſibly manifeſted! O Wonder of Wonders! Is not thy Name rightly termed, WONDERFUL? O my elevated Thoughts! O Eternity, Eternity thou ſhalt be filled with Wondering: What Glory ſhines in this Man's Face! Thy Countenance, Welbeloved, hath a non-ſuch Majeſty. The Saints have the Face of glorified Creatures, and no more; but the Majeſty of thy Countenance is altogether Divine. O Perfection's Flower, and Marrow of Lovelineſs! None, who ſee thee, will enquire, What art thou more than another Beloved? O thy Face, thy raviſhing Face! Indeed thou art the White and Ruddy, the Standard-bearer amongſt a Myriad: Thy Face; my Welbeloved, is like the Face of the Son of God; every Smile is full of inexpreſſible Joy; For God, thy God hath anointed thee with the Oil of Gladneſs, above all thy Fellows. Is not this He, Men and Angels, Whoſe Viſage was more marred than any Man's; in whom the world ſaw no Beauty, or Deſireableneſs? Is not this He, whoſe Face was ſpit upon by the Filth and Offſcourings of Men? Verily, Welbeloved, tho' thou art the ſame, Yeſterday, to Day, and for evermore; yet appeareſt thou far changed, from what thou appearedſt on Earth. O but then thou didſt ſtrangely maſk thy Divine Beauty with the Vail of Mortality, which now thou haſt done away, that thy Glory may ſhine forth in its full Splendor before thy Choſen! O thy ſtately Majeſtick Head, only worthy to be crowned with Glory and Honour, to be exalted far above all Creatures! Strange! this majeſtick Head, that was once beſet with a Crown of Thorns, is now ſurrounded with the Brightneſs, which carries in its Boſom boundleſs Joys. This was the Joy than was ſet before him. O Bleſſed we, that have ſuch an Head! The Head of this golden World is of fine Gold. O how beautiful are the Adornments of thy Head! O thou wouldſt entangle all Creatures for ever in the Folds of overcoming Love! How am I raviſhed with thine Eyes! Heaven and Glory dwells in every Look; the firſt Glance of them did ſtrike Heaven and Love into an eternal Rapture: Nothing can reſiſt their overcoming Emanations of Love. And, did theſe Eyes guſh forth Tears, through bitter Grief and Sorrow? Could ever the leaſt Sadneſs & Darkneſs enter into ſuch Divine Orbs of Light and Joy? Thou haſt overcome me with thine Eyes, my fair One. One Look of Thee, and no more, would raviſh Ten thouſand Worlds of Men & Angels. O the Noon-day Light of thy Countenance for ever and ever! And who can tell the Comelineſs of thy fragrant, beautiful Cheeks? And what can be ſaid of thy roſy Lips? How do they perfume this Land with their fragrant Myrrhe, that inceſſantly drops from them! O what boundleſs Ocean of Grace is poured into them! Therefore, God hath bleſſed thee for evermore. Every Kiſs of them is an Heaven of Sweetneſs. I am filled and overcome with this Mirrour of Glory! The Smell of thine Ointment, afar off, did raviſh my Heart; but now I am more, Ten thouſand Times more, than raviſhed! One Drop of this Myrrhe would ſweeten ten thouſand Oceans of all imaginable Bitterneſs: And O thy princely Hands, fit to ſway the Sceptre of this ever-flouriſhing Kingdom, delightſome Habitation! Can there be a more bleſſed Poſture? His Left-hand is under my my Head, and his Right-hand doth embrace me. Am not I circled in the Arms of unſearchable Love? The eternal God is my Refuge, and underneath are everlaſting Arms. Theſe bleſſed Arms, that were ſtretched upon the Croſs for me, do embrace me ſweetly, for evermore. Whether thy Love doth more ſhine forth in the firſt, or latter Poſture, cannot be told: But ſure thy Love, in all its Reſplendency, paſſeth all created Underſtanding. O the Glory, Sweetneſs and Excellency of thy Belly! O thy Bowels of Compaſſion! O what Rivers of Water do from thence flow out inceſſantly upon us! And what is comparable to thy ſtately Legs? How glorious are thine Outgoings among us! O my King and God, when thou trode upon the high Places of the Earth, its Foundations were ſhaken. How didſt thou trample the People in thine Anger, and the Kingdoms in thy Fury? Thou came ſkipping over the Mountains, leaping over the Hills, for the Salvation of thy People. Bleſſed Men and Angels, what can be conceived or expreſſed, of ſuch a wonderful Perſon? O his ſtately Deportment! Every Part of him, ſo to ſpeak, is an infinite Maſs of Beauty. What a Beauty then muſt all theſe numberleſs Beauties, compoſed in one, be? Is not thy Countenance as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars? Thy Majeſty is wonderfully various, and every Variety the Height of Excellency. By ſweet Experience, I may ſay, The Mouth is moſt ſweet: The Relicts of the Impreſſion of one of thy Love-kiſſes may fill the Soul with paſſing Joys, throughout endleſs Ages. Suppoſe a Creature filled with all poſſible Creature-Sweetneſs, one Kiſs of th • moſt ſweet Mouth would ſwallow up all. O the Words of thy Mouth, paſſing in Sweetneſs the Hony diſtilling from the Hony-comb! Thy Voice, thy raviſhing Voice! Even to ſtand without the Gates of New Jeruſalem, and hear the Sound thereof, might wrap up a Creature in eternal Raviſhment. And, is it poſſible, my matchleſs One, to attain the furthermoſt of thy infinite Perfections, tho' but one ſimple Excellency? Let me rather further and further into the Ocean of thy Lovelineſs, thro' endleſs Ages; yet ſhall ever be in the Entry: Nevertheleſs will I pay thee the Tribute of Praiſes, & cry up thee before Men and Angels; and ſpeak of thine Excellency, while my Being remains. I praiſe thee not, becauſe I am able to ſhew forth thy Worth fully; but ſtrong Love doth conſtrain me, that forever I muſt be expreſſing, and for ever the Concluſion muſt be, THOU ART ALTOGETHER LOVELY; for to Thee alone doth this Epithet appertain. You chiefeſt of created Excellencies, can this agree to you? Are you nothing but Maſſes of pure, eſſential and unmixed Love? Who but he, even he alone is altogether lovely? He is all Loves, all Sweetneſs, all Raviſhments: Nothing but Lovelineſs in Him! His Weakneſs, Infirmity, Poverty, Contempt, Croſſes, Loſſes, Pains, & Death, flaſh forth the raviſhing Reſplendencies of ſurpaſſing Love and Sweetneſs. Heart and Love, and all is gone from me. O the ſublime Thoughts of my elevated Underſtanding! O this Frame! this Love! this Sweetneſs! All are inutterable, all are inexpreſſible!

15. Even to ſtand beſide the Chief of Ten thouſand, is a Dignity unconceivably above the Excellency of all Creatures.

That we might be ever with thee, and behold thy Glory, was one of thy great Petitions, in the Days of thy Fleſh; Thouſand, thouſand Times bleſſed I, that ever this was aſked! Thou aſked nobly, and thy Father granted like a King. Can we have more than to dwell in thy immediate Preſence? Any Enjoyment of thee, ſurpaſſeth that of the Flower of created Sweetneſs: A Sight of thee in a Viſion of the Night, through a Glaſs, or any Way, is raviſhing; as I often have ſweetly experienced, in the Days of my Pilgrimage: To touch the Hem of thy Garment, or to ſee Thee in thy Infancy, was a Happineſs inexpreſſible. What ſhall we ſay to our Lot, who are as near thee as out Heart can deſire? O this high, high, high Dignity! O beloved Eſtate! far above the Heaven of Heavens; Nay, Numberleſs Heavens ſupperadded to one another! And am I in thy immediate Preſence, even in the Chambers of Preſence with Thee? O lovely one who inhabits Eternity! what Honour is this? What ſhall I ſay of it? But, thy Ways are incomprehenſible. This is the Prerogative of the Saints, this is it! What ſhall be done unto the Man, whom the King delighteth to honour? Spake he not in good earneſt, when he told us of Dignities, Thrones, Crowns, Prieſthoods, & Poſſeſſions of all Things? Shall I never enough wonder at the Honour of the Saints? This is the Dignity of the Overcomers, to wear the Lawrel, the Badges of Honour, the Garlands of Glory. How came thou to all this, O ſilly Self? haſt thou been born to wear an immortal Crown, to be overladen within and without with ſo great a Weight of Glory? Thou appears, indeed, in the Equipage of a King, decked with Majeſty, Glory and Honour; arrayed with wonderful Excellency and Comelineſs. Waft thou not once, O thou ſilly I, a baſe Worm, defiled with the very Filth of Hell? How haſt thou robb'd the Almighty of his Glory, diſhonored his Excellency, wronged his Holineſs, trampled upon his moſt precious Things, on his Blood; done what thou couldſt to precipitate thy Self into eternal Perdition; violented the Gates of that woful Priſon, O undone Soul, to cover thy Self with utter Darkneſs from the charming Beams of the Sun of Righteouſneſs? yet am here, even here, ſurrounded with inexpreſſible Glory! Many Thouſands, leſs deſerving, are in the Place of utter Darkneſs. O thy Love! thy Love! which paſſeth all Underſtanding! O thy free, free Grace! O the Height, and Depth, and Length, and Breadth of thy Ways! My Enjoyments are more than free; hath he not brought me over my Deſervings? But nothing can ſtand in the Way of infinite Love. Thou loved me, becauſe thou loved me; and becauſe thou loved me, I became lovely in thy Sight. Not unto us, not unto us be the Glory; but unto JEHOVAH, and the LAMB be Praiſe for ever and ever.

16. The Nearneſs of Saints and Angels to their Creat • r, and Redeemer, aſtoniſheth them eternally.

What aſtoniſhing Condeſcendency, to admit Bits of Nothing ſo near thee! Can this thy Way be ever enough admired? It is ſtrange thou ſhouldſt daign Creatures with either thy Love, or thy Hatred! What is Man, that thou ſhouldſt viſit him? that thou ſhouldſt notice him, and bring him into Judgment? But more wonderful! Haſt thou not crowned him with Glory and Honour? Thou haſt made him ſit down beſide thy Self! He treadeth the lower World under his Feet, he walketh on the high Places of the Creation: O thy Bounty! O thy Condeſcendency! Should I ſtand ſo near my Lord, the King? Since free Love will have it thus, and it is not his Way, to create Deſires, and not fulfil them: Strong Love can take Reſt no where, but in his naked Embraces. On Earth I was unſatisfied, oftentimes complaining of Diſtance and Abſence; and when I found Thee, I would not let thee go, but held thee faſt, until weentred into thoſe glorious Manſions: And how are my Thoughts heightned, by • holding Thee Face to Face? The neater Thee, the ••• her Eſteem and Reverence, none can have low Tho'ts of Thee, but they that know thee not.

17. No Knowledge, no Evidence unto the Noon-day Evidence of Glory.

The firſt Ray of thy infinite Glory upon me, diſcovers infinite Varieties of Wonders; Men and Angels, are we not all an Aſſembly of eternal Wonders? and all the Product of the Noon-day Viſion of Glory, not of Ignorance? All the Things of Time, from the greateſt to the ſmalleſt, are now ſeen to be Wonders; howbeit that little of them was diſcerned, & that in a brutiſh Manner. Strange! O Beloved, thou art another Manner of Chriſt than we ſpake of, in the Days of our Mortality: Thy very Name was ſcarce conceived. How came I hither with ſo little Conceptions? Have I not begun to know, in the very firſt Entry of Eternity? My Knowledge on Earth w • s of no Evidence, in Compariſon of this Noon-Day V •• ion of Glory: As the Man looks back on his Infancy, • s a meer brutiſh Ignorance; & the Man awakned, on his b • -paſt Dream; ſo do I now, on my moſt refined Conceptions on Earth. O the clear and ſharp Uptaking of a glorified Capacity! Do I not behold every Thing, as it is in its own proper and naked Being? All Shadows have fled away: What Wonder, to think what we were, and what we are! O the infinite Power of Omnipotent JEHOVAH! What a Perfecting is this! but what cannot my Lord do?

18. To be Witneſſes of the Glory of JEHOVAH and the LAMB, is an inexpreſſible Dignity.

And doſt thou manifeſt thy Self, in ſuch a Manner, to us! What is eſſential Eternity to Beings of Yeſterday! Are we fit Witneſſes of thy Glory? O infinite Jehovah, are we not before thee, as Nothing & Vanity? May not the Greatneſs of thy Glory, if thou ſhouldſt let it forth to the full, confound, even confound us to Nothing? In Infiniteneſs nothing can comprehend, but an infinite Underſtanding: The furthermoſt of all created Glory is Nothing and Vanity in thy Preſence, tho' it might ſeem ſomewhat among its like. Dart forth the full Rays of your Glory, all you Creatures; you ſhall not dazle theſe Eyes, which are fixed on a higher Object.

19. What he manifeſts to us, is a Wonder; but th • Way of his manifeſting it, is a Wonder of Wonders.

Shall we not wonder again and again, and for ever, at the Way thou haſt taken to manifeſt ſo nearly & familiarly unto us, thy incomprehenſible Glory? Haſt thou no aſſumed the Nature of a Creature, that thou mighteſt converſe the more intimately and condeſcendingly with us? To enjoy thee any Way, requires an infinite Condeſcendency; the Diſproportion being infinite: But this, this is the moſt wonderful Condeſcendency poſſile! O this is the moſt excellent of all poſſible Ways! O the wonderful Soul-alluring Glory that doth moſt ſweetly dart upon us from the Man, who is God! O eternally bleſſed I, who have ſuch a WELBELOVED, in whom is all Fulneſs; Thou art a marrowleſs One indeed. We have done for ever with other Beloveds. What Wonder, I am ſo deeply in Love with thee? What Wonder I ſwim in Floods of eternal Satisfaction, who enjoy thee ſo familiarly? Can a Creature be more happy? I am full, I am full, and can deſire no more!

20. To conſider the Change Chriſt hath undergone, is an eternally raviſhing Conſideration.

Is this He, who was born of the Virgin Mary, in a Stable, & laid in a Manger! who for the moſt of his Days was in a poor, obſcure, contemptible Condition; who was a Man of Sorrow, and acquainted with Grief; or no corporal Beauty in the Eyes of the Beholders, and ſubject to all the Infirmities of feeble Mortals, except Sin; Who was deſerted of the Outgoing of the Sweetneſs and Love of GOD; Nay, did drink, from Brim to Bottom, the bitter Cup of his Father's Wrath; Who was apprehended in an ignominous Manner; betrayed, denied and forſaken of his own Diſciples; violently haled away to Judgment, reviled, mocked and buffeted, and ſpit upon: accuſed of Blaſphemy, Treaſon, Madneſs, and whatever helliſh Heads could deviſe; then ſcourged, and ſet forth to the Opprobry and Laughing of the raſcally Multitude; then condemned to the vile and ſhameful Death of the Croſs, for Blaſphemy and Treaſon; and that by the Petition of the vaſt Multitudes gathered together to the Paſſover, who preferred a baſe Robber before him! The Sentence was not ſooner pronounced, than executed; for he was hanged betwixt two Thieves, in the Sight of the Multitude, to the Inſultation of Devils, and their Slaves, who beheld this matchleſs One nailed to the curſed Tree, and bled to Death in great Torment, and Anguiſh of Spirit: White the Sun, clothed in Mourning for his Lord, contrary to the Courſe of Nature, ſympathized with the eclipſed Creator, and withdrew its Beams from theſe, who had eclipſed the Light of the whole Creation. Thus did my Welbeloved continue for a long Space, and gave up the Ghoſt in great Torment of Body and Spirit, yes was buried, continued under the Power of Death for a Time: And this, even this is the ſame. Behold, Men and Angels, behold and wonder at the Man, who is the Wonder of Wonders, and whoſe Name is termed Wonderful! Welbeloved, thou appeareſt to be far changed, tho' thou be ever the ſame! Thou only haſt done heroically, O mighty Captain of the Lord's Hoſts! this was thy Deſign from Eternity: Oughteſt thou not firſt to have ſuffered, and then to enter into this incomprehenſible Glory? Thou haſt graciouſly overcome, and ſatisfied incenſed Juſtice, againſt the Children of thy eternal Delights: Having ſpoiled Principalities and Powers, thou madeſt a Shew of them spenly, triumphing over them on the Croſs: For tho' thou, being in the Form of God, tho't it no Robbery to be equal with God; yet madeſt thou thy ſelf of no Reputation, and became obedient even unto the Death: Wherefore God alſo hath highly exalted Thee, and given thee a Name above every Name, that at the Name of Jeſus every Knee ſhould bow, in Heaven, Earth, and under the Earth. Waſt thou not as low as the Grave? And yet haſt aſcended on high, led Captivity captive, and received Gifts for Men! Art thou not He, who liveth, and was dead? And behold, Thou art alive forever more! Who is exalted, and waft low and deſpiſed; and behold, thou art exalted above all created Heavens forever; who rejoiceſt, and did weep, and ſigh, and groan, and behold, thou art ſurrounded with boundleſs Joys for evermore! Who reigneſt victoriouſly, and waft in the Form of a Servant; and behold, thou reigneſt in glorious Majeſty for evermore! Art thou not a wonderful One indeed! Shall Men and Angels ever enough admire thee? Tho' every Moment of Eternity ſhall be filled with Admiration of my raviſhed Heart.

12. God manifeſted in the Fleſh, for ever a Myſtery.

And is Duſt and Aſhes for ever exalted to ſuch an incomprehenſible Pitch of Glory? O Duſt, how cameſt thou hither? Strange! that the Almighty hath exalted thee above Sun, Moon and Stars; and hath brought thee into his immediate Preſence, to carry the leaſt Tincture of ſupernatural heavenly Glory upon thee, to become the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt! But, Men and Angels, what are your Conceptions of this Duſt, to be the Temple wherein the high and lofty One, the almighty Jehovah, the eternal conſubſtantial Son of God, doth perſonally dwell, and with which he is perſonally united? Is not this a Myſtery? Is not this an infinite Abyſs, Men, and Angels, into whoſe Furthermoſt you ſhall never be able to dive?

22. That God ſhould bring about the higheſt Exaltation of humane Nature, thro' Man's horrid Ingratitude, an Ocean of Wonders.

To think, That theſe bodily Eyes behold my Redeemer, might aſtoniſh ten thouſand Worlds: Are we not all overwhelmed in Aſtoniſhment? Is not every one crying, What hath God done? O thy incomprehenſible Ways! O thy irreſiſtable Power! O thy unſearchable Wiſdom! O thy Love, thy boundleſs Love! Love that paſſeth all Underſtanding! Strange! hath the Almighty exalted thee, O Man's Nature, unto this incomprehenſible Dignity? It was much thou receivedſt the Characters of Divine Maieſty and Excellency; yet more to be admitted into Friendſhip & Converſe with that great and dreadful Former of all. O are not ſuch Gradations of Wonder, like Millions of Worlds, placed above Millions of Worlds, and again, and again, and for evermore? Is not Man infinitely obliged to ſuch a Sovereign? If the crawling Worms be infinitely obliged for their Being, what ſhall be ſaid of Man, created with ſo noble a Being, in ſo noble a Condition: Was it poſſible he could ever have loved, feared, praiſed him enough? was it poſſible a Creature, thus dealt with, could rebel? Yet ſtrange! when this dreadful Prodigy did enter the Creation, O aſtoniſhing Rebellion! monſtrous Ingratitude! From thenceforth, what could be expected but pure Vegeance, like an overflowing Flood, ſhould deſtroy Head and Tail, Root and Branch, with an eternal Deſtruction? Could any Mercy have been expected from Heaven to Earth, when Earth had denounced open Enmity againſt Heaven? What ſhouldſt thou have done, dread Sovereign of all Things, with baſe, monſtrous and ingrate Mankind, but make it wholly the Butt of thy unmixed Wrath? What are never ſo many Worlds of Men and Angels to Thee, that thou ſhouldſt ſpare them, if once they dare to utter one World againſt thee? Shouldeſt thou reduce to Nothing, what thou haſt created? What haſt thou loſt, ſince thou couldſt produce, in this very Moment, Millions of Millions of Worlds? Yea, and if produced, what are they, but as ſo many Millions of Shadows & Nothings before thee? O the Conſcendency, the Sweetneſs of thy Nature! O the boundleſs Riches of thy Grace! O the Height, the Depth, the Length, the Breadth of thy unſearchable Ways! Haſt thou become Friends with Man again? entred into a Treaty of Peace and Reconciliation with him? held out the golden Sceptre, as a Manifeſtation of the Thoughts of boundleſs Love, that flamed in thy Heart from all Eternity? erecting a glorious Throne of free, altogether free Grace, upon the horrid Apoſtaſy & Rebellion of ungrate Man? Who could have imagined ſuch a Diſpenſation as this? Were you expecting this, you glorious Angels, when ye beheld Man backſlide ſo monſtrouſly? Were you thinking ſo prodigious Ingratitude would come to this? Were you not amazed at ſuch a ſecond Covenant, after the breaking of the firſt? Yea, are we not all in the ſame admiring Frame? O Eternity, thou art ſufficient to make the Impreſſion old, which God hath enſtamped on the Minds of Men and Angels. The Objects are wonderful! Our Faculties are wonderfully evelated! What Wonder, my Heart is fixed! O this Frame of Spirit! I ſee, I ſee, that a World of altogether free Grace, was the only Deſign of Eternity! even that Heaven ſhould be filled for ever with a Song, To him that ſitteth on the Throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever. Lord, what haſt thou done? Not only haſt thou become Friends with Man again; not only haſt thou made him thine everlaſting Minion, but thou haſt alſo perſonally aſſumed his Nature: that thou mightſt draw him nearer thy Self, & manifeſt thy Glory unto him, in a more familiar, intimate, ſweet & wonderful Way, than was poſſible in the firſt Diſpenſation. Wonderful! Did Man caſt off the Image of his Maker? And, did his Maker take upon him Man's Image, to reſtore all again? Didſt thou, O my God, aſſume perſonally our Nature, even in its loweſt Eſtate, that thou mightſt weep, and ſigh, and groan, and ſorrow, and die for undone Man? Is not this Love indeed! Man had deſtroyed himſelf, but did our excellent Welbeloved ſtep in betwixt eternal Wrath, and the miſerable Sinner; and all the Billows of Divine Vengeance did he receive, till Divine Fury was pacified! No Sorrow, no Shame, no Pain could terrify him: Infinite Love is invincible. I will not ſpare baſe Man, ſaid offended Majeſty, in the Day he rebels againſt me, as I have ſaid, he muſt die the Death; for the Word hath gone out of my Mouth. Be it ſo, ſaith the Son of God; here am I, a Man ready to ſuffer all Sorrow, Grief and Pain, of Soul and Body, unto the very Death: Hath Man ſinned? Man ſhall bear the Puniſhment. I, even I will die the Death: Sacrifice and Offerings thou wilt not accept; but a Body thou haſt given me. I will bear their Grief: I will carry their Sorrows. My Father, I am glad thou lay upon me the Iniquity of them all; they are thine and mine from Eternity: This was our Tranſaction before all Ages, That in the Fulneſs of Time, I ſhould lay down my Life for theſe, thou haſt given me out of the World; Therefore, Thou, O Father, doſt love me, becauſe I lay down my Life for my Sheep.

23. The Relations betwixt God and us, an everlaſting Amazement:

Who can ſearch into the Depths of thy boundleſs Love? Thou haſt delivered us from going down into the Pit; Thou haſt found a Ranſom: This is a Draught of infinite Wiſdom, the eternal Wonder of Men and Angels! Verily, thy Loves are incomprehenſible, matchleſs, boundleſs and unchangeable; which, tho' we ſometime doubted, in the Days of our Abſence, yet all are now evident, as the Noon-day Light; paſt, preſent and to come, preſent themſelves for ever. O then my Happineſs overflows its Banks! Am not I overjoyed, as at the firſt Entry? How familiarly and ſweetly do I converſe with thee, O excellent Weldbeloved! Myriads of Ages appear not a Moment in thy Preſence. This Diſpenſation is an eternal Wonder! Would not this have been thought a horrid Petition, before the Promulgation of the Goſpel? O that thou wert as my Brother, that ſucked the Breaſts of my Mother: when I ſhould find thee without, I could kiſs thee: His Left-hand ſhould be under my Head, and his Right-hand ſhould embrace me. I am my Beloved's, and his Deſire is towards me. Indeed our Dignity before our Fall was high and glorious: But, O this Diſpenſation of Love! Sirs, is not God our Brother, our Huſband, our Redeemer, our only Welbeloved? O our Happineſs! What ſhall we do throughout Eternity, but wonder? God manifeſted in the Fleſh, O ſtrange? Lord God Almighty, what couldſt thou do more to Creatures?

24. Men and Angels run themſelves in an eternal Circle, of beholding and admiring God viſibly manifeſted.

Shall I not behold and admire, admire & behold, and flame and love, while this immortal Being remains? The Vail is drawn aſide, and we behold clearly the Man, Chriſt Jeſus, filled with the Godhead! Indeed the Earth is full of a Divine Glory, the Heavens alſo in a more ſpecial Manner, Saints and Angels wonderfully & eminently; yet all in Meaſure: But Glory dwells in this Man above all Meaſure! He is God equal with the Father. No Nearneſs to the Fountain of all Glory, unto that Nearneſs of the humane Nature of our Welbeloved, with the Godhead! O then the Emanations of thy inexhauſtible Fulneſs! Even thy Glory, Beauty and Sweetneſs, ſhall overflow their Banks for ever & ever. We are ever filled and over-filled with thy Fulneſs; yet there ſtill remains as much behind. Infinite Worlds of Men and Angels couldſt thou ſatiate, and make to run over with thine overcoming Love and Sweetneſs. Upon whom may, and doth not thy Light ſhine? Thou art the Sun, we are the Stars: What ſhould we be, didſt thou draw in thy Glory? Wherever thy Glory is peculiarly manifeſted▪ there is Heaven. Let me be any where, ſo be thou ſhine upon me. They have the ſunny Side of the World, who behold thy Face in Righteouſneſs. A World of all Creature-Beauties and Delights, is a Hell without Thee: I ſhould count them a Maſs of Deformity, ſhould they for one Minute ſtand in betwixt me and thy raviſhing Countenance. None but JEHOVAH and the LAMB! Had I h •• this Sight but for one Moment on Earth, would I in the leaſt have regarded the gliſtering Vanities of Time? In thy Light I ſee Light; every Thing appears as it is: They are inlightned to the full, who dwell under the Beams of thy raviſhing Countenance. Bleſſed ones, what muſt He be, whoſe Glory and Beauty, darting in upon us, doth beautify us all? What were we, if this fair One were not amongſt us? By thy darting upon me, I am Partaker of Divine Nature, even transformed from Glory to Glory. O thy attractive, lovely Emanations! I cannot, will not, but follow thee, whitherſoever thou goeſt, tho' without the Borders of this great All, or thro' the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimſtone: Theſe then ſhould be no more what they are, but Worlds of Joy and Delights. O thy Glory, thy Glory, thy Glory! Curſed Monſters, who are under eternal Vengeance, for your Hatred to his Excellency, had you a Glimpſe of this tranſcendent Glory, ſhould not your Miſery and Torment be quite forgotten? But ye are baniſhed from his Preſence & Glory, and therefore you are unutterably miſerable. O my Happineſs? Is it not good to be here? Wonderful! was I ever loth to come here? My Lord is here, are not then all Things here? Was I ever loth to come here, becauſe ſilly harmleſs Death did ſtand in the Way? But what is it to paſs through Ten thouſand black Deaths, Ten thouſand Ages of all imaginable Torment? One Hour here, will do more than make up all. O maſſy, real, ſubſtantial, enduring Glory! Am I not happy, eternally happy? Happineſs is here in its full Bloom and Verdure. I have thee in my Arms, O Welbeloved; and is it poſſible I can be more bleſſed?

25. The Glorified only capable of underſtanding Glory fully: Mortality can conceive little.

By thy Blood, and only by thy Blood, have we entred theſe Oceans of unſpeakable Happineſs; Through Thee have we ſuch full Acceſs to the Father: Thou art our Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, all Things. O perfect Security for ever and ever! What Wonder this could not enter the Minds of Mortals? This is onl • to be conceived by manly Capacities. Before, we reſ • mbled thee, in Part; becauſe we ſaw thee by Faith, as •• ough the Glaſs of thy Word, but in Part: Now we are • pacious! now thou ſhineſt upon us in full Splendor, whereby thine Image is fully impreſſed upon us: We know thee Face to Face, as thou art, without the Benefit of interpoſing Creatures, and Ideas extracted from other Things. O immediate Viſion of God! O clear Diſcoveries of infinite Perfections! I ſee, I ſee the Infinite ONE Face to Face, as I am ſeen, and my Life is preſerved. I am fully ſatiated, raviſhed, overcome with thy lovely Image. What Wonder! I am like Thee, who partake of thy Nature, the Beams of thy Excellency every where darting upon me. O this Illumination! O the high, high Pitch of Glory! O the everlaſting Smiles of my Lord's Countenance! O Manifeſtations of more and more throughout Eternity! All the Enjoyments of Eternity are as one Moment; All Ages are as ſwallowed up in the infinite Depths of boundleſs Excellencies. Creature-enjoyments are empty, and may be received; but infinite Love raviſheth throughout Eternity: When more Ages are paſt than there are Atoms in the Creation then ſhall I be, juſt as I am now, ever ſwiming and diving in the Depths of thy infinite Perfections, and never attaining the furthermoſt. This is a Life! How ſweet to dwell under the Noon-day Beams of thy raviſhing Countenance? All Darkneſs and Ignorance are quite diſpelled; every Thing is known as it is, in its own proper Eſſence: Here Wiſdom flouriſheth in its higheſt Region; my former Attainments are ſwallowed up, like the • ight of a Candle beſide the Sun. O this light Day o • E • ernity! O Eternity, thou art not ſufficient, wherein I may delineate what my elevated Heart doth conceive! All are inexpreſſible: Myſteries are no Myſteries, and yet eternal Myſteries! How was I beſet with Darkneſs, & could not attain ſuitable Uptakings of thee? How was I vexed with low and unbeſeeming Thoughts of thy all-glorious Majeſty? Whence Deadneſs and Unfitneſs of Spirit for worſhipping of thee aright. Now I am inlightned with the full and immediate Beams of thy Glory: And O how great and precious are my Thoughts of thee! O this raviſhed Frame of Spirit! How am I all inflamed with divine Love? I am rendered Divine; therefore I bend to thee with an inceſſant and eternal Propenſion: Holineſs before was in Part, now the Copeſtone is upon it. How beautiful and comely are we become, through the Blood of the Lamb! I ſee, WELBELOVED, thou canſt waſh black Hell fair and white, till it become a Lump of Heaven and Glory. Sirs, are we not far changed? May not every one of us ſay, I am not I? Might we not miſken our ſelves, were it poſſible ſuch a Thing were compatible with Glory?

26. The beholding of God, in his Way of Subſiſtency, and Outgoings to Creatures, is endleſs Raviſhment.

The wonderful Myſtery of thy being One in Eſſence, yet Three in the Way of Subſiſtence, was only to be believed by Mortals, and not to be underſtood demonſtratively: But now I behold with a Noon-day Evidence, what I believed. Thou art One, in the moſt ſimple Manner; and yet there are Three in the bleſſed Godhead, every One of which is God, who are only diſtiguiſhed by proper Ways of Subſiſtence. I believed in the Land of Darkneſs, this, as all other Myſteries, ſhould be fully manifeſted in the Land of Glory: Now all, all is accompliſhed! My Hope hath not made me aſhamed: He hath fulfilled the Deſire of thoſe that fear him. O bleſſed I, for evermore! What a Life is this, thus to ſwim in the Oceans of Delights! O this Enjoyment! O my heavenly Father, firſt Perſon of this all-adorable, eternal, co-eſſential Generation! O thou Brightneſs of the Father's Glory, and expreſs Character of his Perſon! O Holy Ghoſt, the eternal Conſpiration of Love betwixt the Father and the Son! O raviſhing Sights? Shall I not behold, with an eternal overcoming Delectation? What is God? will take Eternity to anſwer; tho' we behold Thee as thou art, one View of thy infinitely amiable Eſſence, and Way of Subſiſtance, w • uld ſeal up innumerable Worlds of Men and Angels in everlaſting Raviſhments. Can I expreſs what I behold? Should I write new Volumes through Millions of Ages, until the Creation were filled, they ſhould contain nothing to that my Heart is filled with: Should I write to all Eternity new Songs of thine immortal Praiſes, ſhould I not be ever a beginning, and never fully begun? O ſweet, ſweet Fellowſhip with the Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt! O my Redeemer, do I not behold Thee! the Brightneſs of thy Father's Glory, the expreſs Character of his Perſon: his Efficacy and his Wiſdom, by which he made all Things? The Lord poſſeſſed thee in the Beginning, ere ever the Earth was; even then thou waft by him, as One brought up with him, and was daily his Delight, rejoicing always before him: Immortal Bleſſings and Praiſes to thee. O God the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, art thou not lovely, excellent, full of all Delights and Sweetneſs, who haſt begotten ſuch a matchleſs ſuper-excellent One, as Chriſt Jeſus, our excellent Welbeloved, our Redeemer, our Head, our Days-Man, our All in all! Thy ſubſtantial Image is lovely, O my heavenly Father! O then thy Lovelineſs! Men and Angels, you are but as ſo many painted accidental Draughts of God's Excellency; but Chriſt Jeſus is the ſubſtantial Image of God, his very Power, Efficacy, and Excellency, by which he doth all Things; his very Self. None but Chriſt! Is he the Father's Darling? and is he not ours? Is he his Wiſdom, Joy and Delight? and is he not ours alſo? O eternal Raviſhments! God hath given to, and for us, the Son of his everlaſting Love and Delights! Sent he not only his only Son and Heir into a Baſe and inhumane World, that he might ſave and gather together the Sons of his eternal Choice? O bleſſed Counſel from Eternity of the glorious Trinity! O happy we, that ever free, free Love bowed and condeſcended ſo! What could Jehovah do more for us, than he hath done? Hadſt thou any greater Gift, than the only Son of thy Love? Didſt thou give thy • oſom-Delight to be a Propitiation for us, the Off-ſcourings of all Things? Is not this Love infinitely tranſcending all finit • Capacities? That thou vouchſafed a Being on us, was a great Bounty; but more, that Thou created us after thy lovely Divine Image; yet more, thou condeſcended to enter into a Covenant with us; and yet higher, to be appointed thy everlaſting Minions! But what ſhall we think, Men & Angels, hath he not given unto us the Son of his everlaſting Delight? This Gift can never be enough admired & eſteemed! O Almighty Jehovah, Thou giveſt like a King! too great a Gift indeed, for us to receive, but not too great for Thee to give. Nothing can be too great for Thee; and this was the greateſt Gift that thou couldſt give: Hadſt thou given us Ten thouſand Worlds of Beauty, ſtored with all imaginable Paradiſes of Pleaſures, with innumerable created Heavens of Sweetneſs, with infinite Legions of Men and Angels, ſhould they not have been eſteemed rich and noble Gifts? But all is juſt nothing to matchleſs JESUS. It is a Shame to lay any Thing in the Ballance with him: One Ray of his Godhead would confound all poſſible created Excellencies to nothing. O thy Excellency! thy Excellency! Am I not overjoyed, am I not overjoyed, that I ſhall cry thee up thro' numberleſs Ages? Ye may hide your ſelves, Men & Angels: for all your Beauties and Glory, what are you to him? It is aſtoniſhing Condeſcendency, he admits you to ſtand beſide him! I can but extol Thee, before innumerable Aſſemblies of Men and Angels. My Heart is fixt, eternally fixt. Shall we not, as it were, contend, who ſhall extol Thee moſt? And ſaid thou, Amen, My Welbeloved, to the bleſſed, a Thouſand Times bleſſed Bargain of the New Covenant? Verily, that Love thou manifeſted in the Fulneſs of Time, did ſhow the Love that flamed in thy Heart, before all Ages: Tho' thou waft in the Boſom of the Father, ever delighting him, and delighting in him; yet didſt thou come down to baſe Earth, and converſed familiarly with ſilly, ſinful, frail Man! and was found to be a Man, that Thou might ſave him loſt and undone to the uttermoſt. Men and Angels, you are all looking in, with Aſtoniſhment: To behold God Perſonally, clothed with the humane Nature, is a Sight, we can never enough view and admire! The Mirror, wherein we behold the Love of God to Creatures, in its full Splendor. Waft thou never enough near and intimate with us, until thou becameſt Bone of our Bone, and Fleſh of our Fleſh? until thou becameſt one with us, who art one with the Father; For both he that ſanctifieth, and they that are ſanctified, are all one: For which Cauſe, thou art not aſhamed to call us Brethren. O eſſential Love; art thou not here manifeſted tranſcendently? That Sentence was comely in thy Mouth, Love your Enemies. Haſt thou not loved thy mortal Enemies, to the Death? Were we not Heirs of Wrath, born Enemies againſt thy Highneſs? but, in Deſpite of our Enmity, didſt thou love with an everlaſting Love. Nothing can ſtand in the Way of infinite redeeming Love. No Matter what I have been, ſince I am lovely in thy Sight: 'Tis wonderful Lovelineſs, to become the Object of thy eternal Love! and this only will I glory in. The more vile and lothſom I have been, the more doth the Lovelineſs, Nobleneſs, and Freeneſs of thy Love appear, which will neither be budded, nor hired. Sovereignty ſhines forth in all thy Actings. Who ſhall give thee, and it ſhall be recompenſed? Not unto us, not unto us, but unto him that ſitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb, be Glory forever end ever. O bleſſed Spirit of Grace, the eternal Aſpiration of Love, and Outgoing of the Father and the Son, thou great Jehovah, bleſſed for evermore, how ſweet a Co-operation haſt thou in this glorious Work of Redemption! This tranſcendent Manifeſtation of altogether free Grace! How ſweet haſt thou been unto us, in the Days of our Pilgrimage! How didſt thou convince, convert, enlighten and comfort! We ſhould have periſhed in our Journey to this goodly Land, hadſt thou not ſtrengthned us, in our inward Man. And waft Thou ſo ſweet in the Days of our ſinning? Art thou not now ſweet, infinitely more than ſweet? O the full, inceſſant, eternal Flowings of the Spirit of Love! This South-wind breathen ſtrongly, cauſing the Spices of the higher Paradiſe exhale a raviſhing Fragrancy every where: How, in every High-tide, nothing but raviſhing Perfumes? no Winds, but the Breathings of the Holy Spirit. O what Rivers, Oceans, Worlds of Conſolation! One Drop of this falling upon the Heart, appeared Heaven itſelf; but this is more than Heaven! Every Drop of this boundleſs Ocean of Sweetneſs, I am entred for ever into, would raviſh Ten thouſand Worlds of Men and Angels. This could not be conceived by Mortals, unleſs in a childiſh Manner; the firſt Fruits ſurpaſt their Apprehenſions, and yet had no Proportion conſiderable with the Harveſt. None can apprehend this, except they be experienced therein; and none can be capable of this Experience, but thoſe, who are raiſed to this wonderful Pitch of Glory. Theſe Floods of Sweetneſs would have undone us, in a Moment, had we entred them in our frail Mortal Eſtate. O miraculous Elevation of Glory, which can bear ſuch Sweetneſs! Are we not as ſo many Trophies, and Monuments of thy tranſcendant Power, in its high Victory? Much of thine Excellency was to be ſeen in thy Kingdom of Nature; much more in thy Kingdom of Grace, but moſt in this of Glory: Here ſhine forth thy infinite Excellencies, in their Noon-day Splendor.

27. Nothing but Rivers, Oceans of Joy, overflow Emmanuel's Land.

O Joy inexpreſſible, and altogether glorious: Now, now I find to the full, by ſweet, ſweet Experience, That in thy Face there is Fulneſs of Joy, and at thy Right hand are Pleaſures for evermore! In the Days of my Pilgrimage, Thou put more Joy and Gladneſs into my Heart, than in the Time, when Worldly Enjoyments abounded in Worldlings: Then have I been ſo raviſhed with the Glimpſes of thy Countenance, that earthly Joys could take no Place; ſo that I could not but imagine my ſelf in Heaven already; thinking that the Vintage had come in place of the firſt Fruits: Now, O now! I am in thy immediate Preſence. Thy Sweetneſs, O thy raviſhing Sweetneſs; The Floods, Oceans, Worlds of eternal raviſhing Delights treaſured up at thy Right-hand, wherein I am entred and ſwim for ever and ever! Thy Land, O Emmanual, overflows with Pleaſures. Never, never did I know what Joy was, until now. Now I feel, Light hath been ſown for the Righteous, and Joy for the Upright in Heart. Joy is come to its May blooming Vigour. O the Rivers of Pleaſures, that ſweetly run through all the Faculties of the Soul and Body! O the full Gales of the Spirit of Conſolation! Am I not almoſt Joy it ſelf? Are theſe the Joys that were ſo much ſpoken, and written of, on the other Side of the Water? Surely, Earth's Idiom hath come wonderfully ſhort! Thy Word was written to Children, and therefore did expreſs all in a Manner ſuted to childiſh Capacities; but nothing low and childiſh here! O Maſſie, Solid, Subſtantial, Enduring Joys! O Sublime, High, Manly Frame! None to the Joy of my Lord! Heretofore I was ſometimes filled with Joy; but now I am entred into Joy it ſelf. I live and dwell in Joy! Nothing, but Joy for evermore! Thou haſt brought me into theſe glorious Manſions of Glory: How ſhall we for ever be glad, and rejoice in Thee! As the Apple-Tree among the Trees of the Wood, ſo art thou among the Aſſembly of Men and Angels. O ſurpaſſing Delights, in ſitting under thy Shadow! The Sweetneſs of thy Fruits, the Fragrancy of thy Perfume, no Tongue can expreſs! They who come under the Covert of thy Wings, never deſire to remove from thence. Sirs, is not this a Life of unmixed Joy and Sweetneſs, to ſit under the Boughs of this Tree of Life? Is it not good to be here? Have not the Lines fallen unto us in pleaſant Places? Have we not a goodly Heritage? and after ſuch a World of Wo and Tribulation, to enter over Head and Ears, in theſe ſuper-abundant Joys! O ſweet Diſpenſation! firſt to be afflicted, and then comforted; to weep, and then to rejoice, to run, and then to reſt! O High-tide of overflowing Joys! which hath ſwallowed up all former Griefs and Sorrows. The firſt Sight of thy raviſhing Countenance, O my God, made me, as it were, forget that ever I was on Earth! This Land hath a ſweet-ſmelling Countenance: Pain and Sadneſs ſhould be converted here into Joy and Delight. Here is an eternal Spring; For the Winter is paſt, the Rain is over and gone, the Flowers appear on the Earth, the Time of the Singing of Birds is come, and the Voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land. Now we have everlaſting Joys for Sorrow, the Oil of Gladneſs for the Spirit of Heavineſs. We exceedingly rejoice with Jeruſalem, who have loved her! We ſuck, and ſatiate ourſelves with the Breaſts of her Conſolation: we milk and delight ourſelves with the Abundance of her Glory: For the Lord extendeth Grace to her, like a River. Our Eyes do ſee this, our Hearts do rejoice, and our Bones do flouriſh like an Herb. He hath made us an everlaſting Excellency, a Joy of many Generations: Sing, O Heavens, for the Lord hath done it: Shout, ye lower Parts of the Earth; break forth into Singing, ye Mountains; For the Lord Jehovah is my Strength and my Song, He alſo is become my Salvation: Therefore with Joy will I draw Water out of the Wells of Salvation. Cry out, and ſhout, O ye Inhabitants of the higher City; Let your Joys ſound throughout the whole Creation. O Sirs, is not our Lot far changed? Nothing on Earth was heard among us, but the confuſed Noiſe of Warriors, the Sighs and Groans of Men in an Agony. Now the Heavens of Heavens are filled with the joyful Melody of Heroick Conquerors. We ſowed in Tears for a Moment; and now reap in Joy for evermore! Thou haſt made us glad, unconceivably above the Days Thou hadſt afflicted us: Thou haſt ariſen, and thine Enemies are ſcattered, and all thy Haters are fled before Thee; as Smoke is driven away before the Wind, ſo are they evaniſhed before thy terrible Preſence: But all the Righteous are glad, and they rejoice before Thee; yea, they exceedingly rejoice.

28. This Land of Joys is filled with undone Dyvours. Glory, Glory, Glory to the Purchaſer of this everlaſting Bleſſedneſs! Let the Crown flouriſh on his Head throughout all Ages. O my Happineſs, who ſhall ever praiſe Thee. And was I elected before all Ages, to be the everlaſting Beholder, and Extoller of thy infinite Glory; Hadſt Thou ſuch wonderful Thoughts of Love to me, when I was not? Were I in the Place of my Deſerving, ſhould I not been even now Blaſpheming thine all-glorious and exalted Name? O thy free, free Love! O the unſearchable Riches of thy Grace! who choſe abominable me, out of the baſe and helliſh Maſs of Mankind, to be a Veſſel of Glory and Honour, in the high Hall of Glory. Lord, what haſt thou done? O Wonderful Bargain of the new Covenant! O the infinite Depths of all Wiſdom, Power and Excellency, to be ſeen in this great Salvation! O the Contrivance! O the Carrying on! O the Copeſtone thereof! Strange! how haſt Thou brought me hither? I ſee, thy Counſels cannot, in the leaſt, be fruſtrate by all the Power of Creatures. When I was a wretched, loſt Creature, lying in my Blood, and no Eye pitying me; then didſt Thou, in thy By-going, caſt a Look of Love on me, and ſaid unto me, Live: And that Time became a Time of Love. Free Love was the Rule thou walked by; not my Diſervings, or Willingneſs. Had I been left to my helliſh Will, I ſhould for ever have deſtroyed my ſelf: But Thou ſweetly and connaturally, ere ever I was aware, didſt raviſh Heart and all from me; So that my Will could not but ſtoop to thy overcoming Lovelineſs. When I was following after the monſtrous Imagnations of my evil Heart, debauching my Loves and Joys on Creature-enjoyments, deſpiſing the only Excellent Things, then didſt Thou diſcover thy irreſiſtible Lovlineſs unto me; which bowed, tranſformed, and enamoured all the faculties of my Soul; ſo that I could not but yield, moſt willingly yield: Connaturally did the Influences of thy Spirit work on the Powers of my Soul; So that I cloſed with Thee on thine own Terms, as freely as I had been abſolute Sovereign of myſelf; and yet as infallibly as I had been no intellectual Agent. Verily Thou, Thou alone, art the abſolute Sovereign of all Things. O thy wonderful Way of Working! who can trace thee in all thy Proceedings?

29. The Glorified, reflecting on the Way to the Kingdom, ſee it to be an inconceivable Draught of Divine Wiſdom.

O piercing Joys and Sweetneſs, that ever I heartily and ſincerely received thee, on thy own Terms! How well haſt thou kept, what I have committed unto thee, and preſented it ſpotleſs & glorious before the Father? Now I behold all thy Promiſes compleatly accompliſhed. Thou haſt ever held me in thine Hand, thro' all the dangerous Wilderneſs, I have overpaſt; Thou haſt guided me by thy Counſel, and at laſt brought me to Glory. How hath thy Strength been ſeen in Weakneſs? How many Temptations have I overcome? How many Croſſes have I wreſtled thro'? How many Floods have I overpaſt? How many boiſterous Storms have I ſet my Face againſt? How have I eſcaped thro' all the Aſſaults of the Devil, the World, and the Fleſh? And yet my Lord hath ſet me fairly above all Hazards and Difficulties! My Feet for ever ſtand now within the glorious Land of Emmanuel's bleſſed Conqueſt. All the united Strength of bleſſed Saints & Angels could not have bro't me hither. Sirs, ſhall we not be telling to one another throughout Eternity, what God hath done for us in Time? That Eternity may be filled with a Song to Jehovah, and the Lamb. Who ſhould exalt, and love, and fear, and obey, and ſerve Thee, if not we? Didſt thou love us from Eternity? And ſhall we not praiſe thee to Eternity? And can we but extol thee? Not ſo much becauſe thou art Good to us, as becauſe thou art Good in thy ſelf. But, O how is my Heart inflamed, to think, how thy Love from Eternity brake forth in Time! How didſt thou ſhew forth the Acts of thy free ſovereign Love? in that thou hadſt written my Name for eternal Life! How bravely have all Exigences, and croſs Diſpenſations conſpired to my Welfare? Now I ſee, All Things work together for the Good of thoſe that love Thee. The ſaddeſt and moſt croſs Junctures of Providence have been the beſt: When thou ſeemeſt to be ſmiting, thou waſt healing! When thou appeared to be deſtroying, thou waſt making up! Shall I not for ever declare thy wonderful Ways? Happy I, who ſhall ever have Eternity before me! Thy Ways to me in Time are the Matter of an eternal Song! All Exigences of Time did ſo jump together, as every one hath proved a Step to this inexpreſſible Glory. Free redeeming Love hath been written on all the Paſſages of my Pilgrimage! and moſt in the laſt Water; when I began to ſink, thou held me up in thy Arms, and put my Head in thy Boſom, and ſaid, Be of good Cheer my Love, thy Sins are forgiven thee; fear not, my Dove, but rejoice exceedingly; for thy God, thy Head, thy Lord, thy Husband, thy Saviour is here, holding thee in his Arms. Have I bought thee ſo dearly, ſuffered ſo many Griefs, and Woes and Pains, yea, Death it ſelf for thee? Carried thee through the hazardous Wilderneſs, ſo circumſpectly, and tenderly; and will I let thee periſh now? Never fear, my fair One; Am I not willing? Am I not able? Have not I overcome Death and Hell? I have dried up this River with the Soles of my Feet; nothing remains for thee to do, but enter in, and poſſeſs.

30. The Fellowſhip betwixt Chriſt and every one of his, as intimate and familiar, as if he had but one.

And hath not the Sound of thy Welcome, on this Side of the Water, an immortal Permanency on my Heart? The Impreſſion is indelible: In my firſt Landing on the Shore of this ſweet Land, did not thou run, and fall on my Neck, and embrace and kiſs me? Saying, Welcome a thouſand Times, with all my Soul, • this purchaſed Poſſeſſion: O my fair One, it raviſheth my Heart to behold thee here! With Deſire have I deſired thine intimate Fellowſhip, and could not reſt, till I had bro't Thee hither, that ſtrong Loves might be ſatiate with full and mutual Enjoyment. And now ſhall theſe Arms be exerciſed in embracing; We ſhal • for ever be twiſted in the neareſt Connexion of Love, and ſwim in the boundleſs Ocean of Delights. Haſt thou been faithful over a few Things? And ſhall I not make thee Ruler over all Things? Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord, thy Love: Seeſt thou not the Treaſures of all Joys and Bleſſedneſs, I have laid up for thee, even for thee, my lovely One? I had not forgot thee, while I was on Earth; and no Wonder, ſince from Eternity I loved thee. What are thy Thoughts of ſuch great Preparation? Is not this a raviſhing Place? How is it ſtored with all Manner of Delights, ſuitable to thy higheſt Capacity? Doth not thy Sight ſhew, That thy Imaginations of theſe on Earth was nothing? Lo, al • this is the Fruit of my Sufferings and Death: And now, how ſhall I entertain thee, ſince thou haſt come hither? Thou longed, in thy Pilgrimage, for the naked and immediate Enjoyment of me: And now enjoy me, as thy Heart can deſire. Thou art mine, & I am thine: We eternally feed among the Lilies. I will ſatiate thee with my choiceſt Love-dainties, & fill thee to the Full, with my eternal overcoming Sweetneſs. Theſe victorious Brows do I adorn with this maſſie Diadem of Glory: With theſe fair and reſplendent Robes of Righteouſneſs do I aray thee, that all the Spectators ſhall admire thy Majeſty & Glory. Thy Excellency on Earth was obſcured, by the Vail of Corruption and Mortality: Now have I removed all thy Infirmities, healed all thy Diſeaſes, raiſed up thy Faculties unto ſuch a wonderful Pitch, as thou art fit for converſing with me Face to Face. And didſt thou, my Delight, deſire nothing more than the immediate and full Enjoyment of me? & deſpiſed the World, in its moſt ſmiling Condition, in Compariſon of my matchleſs Excellency; looking on all Pains, Sufferings & Difficulties, for my Name's Sake, as delightſom; making my Glory and Exaltation thy chief Joy & Aim? And ſhall I not deck thee with paſſing Majeſty, & Glory? This, This is the Man, O my Friends, whom I have honoured, and will honour him; for he is worthy: Becauſe he ſet his Love upon me; therefore have I delivered him: I have ſet him on high; becauſe he hath known my great Name. This is the Man, O my Father, who hath been with me in my Temptations, who hath glorified me on Earth, and done great Things for me: Even this is the Man, who hath kept the Word of my Patience; Who hath known, that all Things, whatſoever thou haſt given me, are of thee; for I gave unto him the Words which thou gaveſt me, and he hath received them, and did know ſurely, that I came out from thee, and believed, that thou didſt ſend me. How great a Friend was he to me on Earth? When I was hungry, he gave me Meat; when thirſty, he gave me Drink; when a Stranger, he took me in; when naked, he clothed me; when ſick and in Priſon, he viſited me. Verily, in my Eyes he is worthy of eternal Glory. Whatever thou haſt been in my Sight, thou art worthy of eternal Glory and Renown. Heroickly done! Thy Sufferings and Actions for my Name's Sake, I heartily acknowledge excellent Service: Receive then theſe enriching Palms of of Victory into thy valiant Hands, as an everlaſting Sign of thy Conqueſt over the Devil, the World and the Fleſh: And thy majeſtick Head be graced with theſe Lawrels of Triumph, while thine Enemies ſhall for ever lie under thy Feet. All that thou beholdeſt are thine; for they are mine, & I am thine: And now thy Happineſs ſuperabounds, and overflows its Banks. Now do I reſt in my Love to thee, and thou doſt reſt in thy Love to me: I rejoice over thee; yea, I exceedingly rejoice with Singing. How ſhall we ever dwell in theſe everlaſting Love-embraces? How ſhall we be filled with Love through Eternity?

31. Viſible Things, a moſt imperfect Repreſentation of Inviſible.

O inexpreſſible Raviſhments of Love! O moſt holy, ſweet and condeſcending Nature of my Welbeloved! Every Hour of Eternity is like the firſt Hour: Thy Love is green and blooming through never-ending Ages. Is not this a ſweet Life, O Inhabitants? This Soil overflows with Milk and Hony. Have we not undergone an advantagious Tranſportation? The Outfields of this Land wonderfully excels the lower World! Indeed, the very Earth is full of thy Glory: What paſſing Delectation have I found in meditating on thy Works of the lower World? How did every Thing I heard, or ſaw, ſhew forth thy eternal Power and Godhead? But, O the Difference betwixt Heaven and Earth, could never enter within my Conceptions on Earth! O glorious World! ſhould we, in the State of Mortality, have ſtrained our Conceptions to the higheſt, and imagined all the Glory our Eyes could then behold, augmented and perfected more Stages higher than there are Atoms in the Creation; yet, ſhould ſuch a World have been a deformed Maſs to thee. Lower Excellency, gradually perfected, will never attain unto that Excellency, which is eſſentially of an higher Degree. I thought in my Childhood, that the lower World might ſomewhat reſemble the higher; howbeit I knew the Differance was inconceivable, and that here ſhould be no Ebbings or Flowings, Bloomings or Fadings, or what could imply the leaſt privative Imperfection: But now I ſee they have no Likneſs to one another, either in Whole or in Part; even as to the ſmalleſt external Reſemblance. No Beauties, no Comelineſs, no Joys, no Delights here, if we ſpeak according to Earth's Dialect; yet, here are all Things in an high and eminent Manner. O my God, how incomprehenſible art thou in thy Works? How raviſhing in that Reflex of thy Glory, which ſhall endure for ever? Thou ſhalt for ever rejoice in thy Works; every Work of thine is a Deepneſs, a raviſhing Wonder to my elevated Capacity! Might not the mediate Enjoyment of thee, through thy Creatures, render a Creature eternally happy? How excellent is thy Name in all the Earth! who haſt ſet thy Glory above the Heavens. What Wonders are written in thoſe Heavens of Heavens? The choice Maſter-piece of Thee, who art perfect in Knowledge, and excellent in working. This is a World ſtored with all Manner of Riches, the Inhabitants here inherit all Things.

32. All Excellency, ſpiritual or corporal, on Earth, is augmented in Glory, by Myriads of Stages.

We knew on Earth by the Word, that when the Clay-houſe of our Tabernacle ſhould be diſſolved, we were to receive a Building of God, an Houſe not made with Hands, eternal the Heavens: For in that we did groan, not deſiring to be unclothed, but clothed upon with our Houſe from Heaven; that Mortality might be ſwallowed up of Life. And now, every one of us, in our own Kind, appears the Perfection of Beauty! Whoſe very Clay-Tabernacles are now conformed to his glorious Body; and whoſe Souls are made perfect in Holineſs! And did our Bodies, when terreſtrial, ſo degrade? how doth the celeſtial, united to an elevated Soul, perfect with paſſing Excellency? Did our vile clubbiſh Bodies impede the ſublime Operation of our Heaven-born Spirits? How do theſe glorious Bodies perfect perfected Souls, in all their Outgoings? If, when ſown in Corruption, they rendred us frail and contemptible, in many Things like the Beaſts; how excellent, glorious and majeſtick are we now, when Vileneſs and Corruption is ſwallowed up of Glory? Yea, if it might been ſaid of our Souls, when darkned with Mortality and Sinning, They were in their Operation quick; what are they now, when exalted to ſuch a ſupernatural high Pitch of Excellency? Did we behold, by Faith, a raviſhing Fulneſs & Beauty in thy Face; what do we now behold, when made ſo capacious and divine? Were our Bodies, when animal, ſuch ſtupendious Pieces of thy unſearchable Wiſdom & Power, as every one of us was amazed, & ſaid, I am fearfully and wonderfully made! How excellent and curious are theſe heavenly Bodies, conformed to the glorious Body of the Son of God? Did our Wiſdom ſhine, in our mortal Faces? what Majeſty and Glory dwells in every Caſt of our Eye now? Where the Potſherds of the Earth ſo vigorous, ſtrong and valiant, that many of us through Faith excelled in theſe Perfections, which brutiſh men were only taken with, whereby we ſubdued Kingdoms, ſtopped the Mouths of Lions, quenched the Violence of the Fire, eſcaped the Edge of the Sword, waxed valiant in Fight, turned to Flight the Armies of the Aliens? O now, our wonderful Strength and Vigour, when our very corporal Parts become ſpiritual, and of a Divine Nature! Had ſome of us Hearts, in our dull earthly Condition, enlarged as the Sand on the Sea-ſhore? How capacious are our Hearts now, when widened above the Dimenſions of many Worlds? What is Earth to Heaven? What is Darkneſs to Light? What is Childhood to manly Eſtate? O high, high Capacity of Glory! O ſuperexcellent and only Glory in its Blooming! O the raviſhing Frame, that we are for ever into! Are we not the ſelf-ſame Perſons we were on Earth? and yet we are not the ſame! Every one of us is like our All-lovely and WELBELOVED! whom we eternally behold, with our bodily Eyes, according to our proper Meaſure; every one of us is at the higheſt Pitch of created Perfection: This is a wonderful Transformation indeed! O Sun, Sun of the lower World, I can look thee out of Countenance, and dazle thee with every Caſt of mine Eyes! Is this, ſometime poor, frail, deſpicable I? Surely this is I! this ſelf-ſame I, who was ſo ſilly in mine own Eyes, and the Eyes of all the Beholders. Wonderful! Am not I cruſhed under ſuch an exceeding Weight of Glory? But Glory, and only Glory, can ſuſtain it ſelf. Thy eternal Power and Godhead is manifeſted upon us, in a tranſcendent Manner; Thou haſt gone beyond, by almoſt infinite Degrees, the Limits of Nature: The natural World is quite aboliſhed; what now is natural, and agreeable to created Beings, before was miraculous and naturally impoſſible.

33. The higheſt Manifeſtations of God in Time, are but meer Emblems of the Noon-day Manifeſtation.

The moſt ſignal Foretaſte of this Glory on Earth, was thy Transfiguration, O Welbeloved, in the Days of thy Mortality, on the holy Mount, when thy Face ſhone as the Sun, and thy Raiment was as the Light; ſo that mortal Beholders were amazed, & confounded: Such an Unſuitableneſs there is betwixt Mortality and Immortality! Weak Heads would not be able to bear one Draught of this celeſtial Wine. And was thy Face ſo majeſtick and glorious, in the Days of thy Mortality and Sorrow? Is it not more than Majeſtick and Beautiful, now in the Days of thy Joy and Exaltation, when Thou haſt ſeen all the Travel of thy Soul, and art ſatisfied? More Lovelineſs is to be ſeen in every View of thy divine Countenance, than on infinite Numbers of excellent, beautiful Worlds. One Sight of thee, and no more, may ſet never ſo many Myriads of Men & Angels in the burning Flames of immortal Loves! Much was ſpoken, in Time, of thy Acts, and Glory, and Majeſty; but lo, the thouſand, thouſand Part hath not been told! Indeed thou art a Beloved, more than another Beloved. All Joys, that I ever took thee for my All, and only One! That ever I cried heartily, Amen, to the bleſſed Bargain of the new Covenant, & renounced my Vanities and came to thee! That ever I ſubjected myſelf to the Obedience of all thy Commandments! That ever I preferred a holy, heavenly, mortified Walking, in Time, to the fulfilling my vain fleſhly Inclinations! That ever I eſteemed the Reproaches of Chriſt greater Riches than the Pleaſures of Sin for a Seaſon! Now I clearly behold, That I have choſen the good Part, that ſhall never be taken from me. O happy I! that ever I ſold all, and bought this matchleſs Pearl of invaluable Price! O my Riches, my Riches! Since I have Thee, O Welbeloved, what can I have more? Strange! waſt thou deſpiſed by baſe Worldlings? But they knew thee not; thy raviſhing Lovelineſs was hid from their blinded Eyes; which if they had ſeen, how ſhould the whole Race of Mankind run after thee? Men and Angels, all Beauty, all Lovelineſs, all Excellencies are here to be ſeen: Much is to be ſeen in this viſible Fabrick of this great Creation; but no Manifeſtation of Glory to this! Who can deſire more, than to ſtand beſide thee? O Flower and only Beauty of Heaven, what are all created Heavens? Thou art only Heaven thy ſelf. No Wonder, Mary Magdalene, you inordinately deſired ſuch an Armful, as the dead Body of this lovely Lord Jeſus; ſince you knew it was, tho' a dead Lump of Clay, the Body of the Man, who is God, infinitely above the Value of innumerable, glorious created Heavens. What a ſweet Armful now, when exalted to ſuch an high Pitch of Glory?

34. The Saints are every Way like their WELBELOVED; ſince full Love muſt have full Similitude.

Love deſires the neareſt Similitude, and Conjunction: As Thou becameſt like us, aſſuming our Nature; ſo haſt Thou made us like Thee, both in Spirit and Body. We are in every Part transformed into thy lovely Image: Whatever before was Terreſtrial, is now Heavenly and Divine. Theſe Tabernacles were ſown in Corruption, Diſhonour and Weakneſs; Now they are raiſed in Incorruption, Glory and Power. They were ſown natural Bodies; they are raiſed ſpiritual: For as once we bare the Image of the earthly Adam, ſo now we bear the Image of the heavenly. O thy vivifying Spirit, that raiſed Thee from the Dead! By whom thou haſt made us uncapable of any the leaſt Change, tending to Corruption! And what tho' it were not ſo? Here is the Tree of Life, whoſe very Leaves are Medicines of Mortality. Thou art the Light and Life of the higher Houſe; thy ſweet, lively Influences can make dead Clay live eternally. O thy ſweet Shadow! Thy pleaſant Fruit! Thy raviſhing Perfume, filling all with immortal Vivacity! Is it poſſible any can die beſide Thee, O Fountain of Life! What Wonder, I am ſo lively, who have the Beams of Life ever darting upon me? The Inhabitants here cannot ſay, They are ſick. Here is perfect Security; our Iniquities are blotted out, and quite aboliſhed. O excellent Life of God, in its Perfection! rendering, not only the Spirit, but alſo the Body, every Vein, every Artery, every Sinew, active with immortal Vigour; for all is filled and over-filled with Joy. O my Beloved Thou art excellently termed, The Prince of Life, the Reſurrection and the Life. Verily, Thou waſt in good Earneſt when thou criedſt He that believeth on me, out of his Bell ſhall flow Rivers of living Waters. O the Power & Strength of Immortality! We are become mighty, we have the Strength of an Unicorn; The Lord Jehovah is become our Strength. We will walk upon the high Places of the Univerſe. He hath given Power to them that were faint, & to them, who had no Might, He encreaſed Strength. What was the Strength of Clay to heavenly Vigour? The Diſproportion betwixt the Excellency of the Terreſtial, and Celeſtial, cannot be told: And no Wonder we are ſo vivacious and ſtrong; ſince our earthly Part is become heavenly and glorious: Fleſh and Blood is done away, as incompatible with ſuch heavenly Majeſty. Theſe Bodies, tho' ſubſtantially the ſame, yet are they quite other as to the Qualities, which are Heavenly, Spiritual and Divine. Naked Beings, conſidered as ſuch, are endowed with no Excellency: It is only by ſupervenient Modifications they are rendered intrinſically more, or leſs, excellent, or baſe. What Wonder we are thus? Whoſe Eſſences are clothed over, and perfected, without and within, with ſuperexcellent Perfections, meerly heavenly and divine. O the Comelineſs and Beauty wherewith Soul and Body is adorned! O what Beauty, when two excellent Beauties are united in one! O ſweet Union! O pleaſant delightſom Fellowſhip! In the Days of Mortality, the Conſort betwixt them was, in a great Part, jarring and unpleaſant, the one did obſcure the Excellency of the other: But now the Soul in the Body, is like the Sun ſhining in its proper Sphere; or like the Light darting thro' a perſpicuous Body, adorned with various modifying Beauties, whereby the Rays are variouſly perfected, in their modified Out-goings: All the Properties, Perfections, Faculties, and Actions of Soul and Body, are modified and perfected by their ſubſtantial Connexion. Indeed, my Lord, we have gained wonderfully, by loſing our firſt Excellency; which was excellent in itſelf, and glorious and heavenly in Compariſon of our ſinful Condition, we precipitated ourſelves headlong into: But was earthly, 〈◊〉 Compariſon of this. Who could have imagined that an earthly animal Creature, ſhould have been exalted to the State of Angels? How ſilly is Man, in an earthly State? How excellent, in an heavenly? and all by the Power and Virtue of the Man, who is infinitely more than a Man.

35. Complete Bleſſedneſs is the complete Enjoyment of God, every Way, mediately and immediately.

We are bleſſed, and more than bleſſed, who enjoy thee every Way: We drink abundantly, both out of the Fountain and Streams, at once; being ſatiate with the reflex & direct Emanations of thy eternal Sweetneſs. Even thou thy ſelf art in an incomprehenſible Way delighted with the Reflections of thy Glory, where with this beautiful All, but eſpecially thy Spouſe, is adorned. Art thou not inamoured with thy raviſhing Image imprinted on her? So that thou crieſt out, Thou haſt raviſhed my Heart, my Siſter, my Spouſe; thou haſt raviſhed my Heart with one of thine Eyes, with one Chain if thy Neck: Thou art all fair, my Love, there is no Spot in thee. The Love of Complacency ariſeth from Similitude: O then ſhew thy Love to us; our Love to thee, and one another! We are become altogether fair, by waſhing ourſelves in thy moſt precious Blood. What can be our Exerciſe thro' Eternity, but ſweet Embracing? O our raviſhing ſweet Entertainments of Love, among theſe raviſhing Mountains of Roſes and Spices! O what Compellations! What Love-Kiſſes! O the overcoming Perfume of the vaſt Mountains of Myrrhe, and Hills of Frankincenſe! O the Smell of his Lebanon-Garments! O his fragrant Ointments! O his Soul overcoming Emanations! Every Hour here is Heaven, and more than Heaven. What Joy to ſee Chriſt, and all his Members together, in the royal Palace of Glory? Are we not all gathered up to theſe heavenly Paſtures? and none is wanting. We all longed to be here, ſought to be here, prayed to be here, ran to be here, groaned and wept to be here; and behold, we are all here for evermore! We helped and comforted one another in our Journey hither; & behold, we are here for evermore! Satan and the World, our Corruptions, yea, and oftentimes ourſelves ſtrove to hinder our Courſe hither; and yet we are here for evermore! Now we are perſonally all come to Mount Zion, and unto the City of the living God, the heavenly Jeruſalem; and unto an innumerable Company of Angels, to the general Aſſembly of the Church of the Firſt-born, which are written in Heaven; and to God the Judge of all, and to the Spirits of juſt Men made perfect; and to Jeſus, the Mediator of the New Covenant; to the Blood of Sprinkling, that ſpeaketh better Things than that of Abel. O ſweet Converſe! O excellent Fellowſhip! O the Frame of my Heart! O the high Motions of Joy and Love! O Eternity! is it poſſible thou canſt prove weariſom? Ten thouſand Ages ſeem not one Hour! Who can ſet forth the Sweetneſs of thy Land, O Emmanuel? Is it not an Houſe, an Orchard, a City, a Kingdom, a World, a Common-Wealth of a moſt comely Order? How good and how pleaſant is it, for them t • dwell together in Unity? It is as the everlaſting Dwellings of the Spirit, that dwells on theſe everlaſting Mountains of Zion; for here hath the Lord commanded th • Bleſſing, even Life for evermore.

36. Chriſt i • the everlaſting King, Prieſt, and Prophet of his People.

Friends of the Bridegroom, are you not overjoyed, becauſe of the Bridegroom's Voice? No Wonder it was ſaid of him, Never Man ſpake like this Man. How doth he raviſh us with his ſweet Compellations of Love? Our Souls fail us not when he ſpeaks; Mortality is ſwallowed up of Life. Sirs, is not our Welbeloved and we in theſe green Paſtures together? O his raviſhing Smiles! O his Looks of Love towards us! O his Voice, his Voice! I am inflamed! Is he not ſaying, in the boundleſs Joys of his Spirit, Father, behold me, and the Children which thou haſt given me, are forever in the moſt intimate Fellowſhip of one another, here in theſe higheſt Manſions, which I have prepared, wherein we might be ſatiate with Loves, throughout Eternity? According to thy Promiſe, I do ſee the Travel of my Soul, and am ſatisfied; for Thou haſt divided me a Spoil with the Great, and I divide a Portion with the Strong; becauſe I poured out my Soul unto Death. We all reap the Fruits of our Groans and Tears, Afflictions and Labours: My Choſen are comforted, & I am comforted. All the Children of our everlaſting Love are here, beholding my Glory, which thou haſt given me; for thou doſt glorify me with thine own ſelf, even with the Glory I had with thee, before the World was. Now the Cope-ſtone is put upon our everlaſting Contrivance of free redeeming Grace: Thoſe, whom from Eternity we choſe for our Minions, have I effectually called in to me, in Time; and cauſed them willingly and ſincerely to cry, AMEN, to the Bargain of the New Covenant: And I have brought them through a World of Temptations, Snares, Afflictions, and all imaginable Impediments, into this Haven of everlaſting Bleſſedneſs. As from Eternity I loved them; ſo to Eternity will I enjoy them: As I made them Sharers of my Sufferings and Sorrow; ſo have I made them Partakers of my Glory and Joy: As I have entred into the Oceans of boundleſs Joys; ſo have I made them to enter alſo. The Deſires of my Soul are fully accompliſhed: My fair Ones Joys are full: As their Afflictions were my Afflictions, their Sorrows my Sorrows; ſo their Joys are my Joys: For we are One, and they are One in us, even as we are One: For I have given them the Glory, which thou haſt given me; I in them, and thou in me; whence they are made perfect in one. As thou haſt loved me, ſo do I love them; and they eternally abide in my Love: And Thou haſt loved them; for they have loved me, in Deſpight of all Oppoſition, in a vain World. Behold, my Father, how fair, and beautiful, and lovely, and ſweet I have made my Spouſe! She is all deſirable, and comely; no Spot, no Blemiſh is to be found in her. Offended Majeſty hath nothing to ſay? I have redeemed her, I have waſhed her in my own Blood. Here I ſtand an high Prieſt for ever, after the Order of Melchiſedeck, as a Monument that Juſtice is pacified, and all is in ſweet Terms: As thou lookſt upon me with infinite Love and Delight, and art well pleaſed with all my Sufferings and Actings, for thy Glory, and on her Behalf; ſo art thou well pleaſed with her. Since of thine own good Pleaſure, from Eternity, thou accepted of the Bargain, Vengeance hath Nothing to exact: I was wounded for my Choſens Tranſgreſſions, I was bruiſed for their Iniquities; and in my Eyes they are worthy to walk in glorious Robes, up here with me, before the Throne. They kept their Garments clean in the Midſt of a filthy and polluted World; they accounted all the Glory and Excellency of Time, but Droſs and Dung, unto my Glory and Exaltation; and looked on all Afflictions and Difficulties, as eaſy, for my Name's Sake: They ſubjected themſelves to the univerſal Obedience of all my Commandments: They fought the good Fight, they finiſhed their Courſe, they kept the Faith. O how heroically have they done, for the Crown of Life, which forever adorne their victorious Heads! As thou, O Father, haſt ſet me down on thy Throne, ſo have I given unto them to ſit down on my Throne; for I have glorified and exalted them, as thou haſt highly glorified and exalted me: And now we are forever exalted, above all our Enemies; Thou haſt made them our everlaſting Footſtool: Death and Hell are caſt into the Lake, that burneth with Fire and Brimſtone. Our Joys are full, our Glory perfected, our Happineſs boundleſs, our Praiſes inceſſant for ever and ever.

37. An Aſtoniſhment, that the high and lofty One ſhould look on Creatures.

Men and Angels, are we not all amazed and confounded with this infinite Love of JESUS? What are we to Him, that he ſhould caſt one Look, either of Love or Hatred, upon us? What are our Tho'ts? O the wonderful Frame of my raviſhed Heart! He loves us, he delights in us, his Eyes are fixed upon us, his Heart is opened to us, his Arms are ſtretched forth to us, his Voice is of us, and to us; Who, but We! O my Lord, what haſt thou done? O Love of Jeſus! I will cry thee up again and again, and forever I will cry thee up. Bleſſed I, who have ſuch a glorious Aſſembly to help me, with an high, eternal Note of Praiſe! O this is Life! O more than Joy! more than Happineſs! more than full Satiſfaction!

33. Earth and Heaven quite oppoſite Things.

Yea, ſurely they are lovely, who are arayed with his Comelineſs; and what doth the Spouſe want, that the Bridegroom hath to give? O then ſhe is endowed with all poſſible Excellency! This is an Aſſembly of Kings and Prieſts; every one is a noble, magnificent and royal Perſon; all are Children to the King of Kings, all are Princes of the Blood-royal of Heaven, all are Poſſeſſors of all Things. Here is the Flower and Perfection of all Beauties connected together. This is the Company God hath choſen, and with which for ever he will dwell. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praiſed, in the City of our God, in the Mountain of his Holineſs. Beautiful for Situation, the Joy of all Nations, is Mount Zion: How compactly is it built together? It lieth four-ſquare. No Temple here; for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, is the Temple thereof. None needs teach another; we are all fil • ed with thy Fulneſs: We behold Thee, Face to Face. No more mediate Enjoyment, Shadows have fled away. Now, and never until now, are we lifted up above Ordinances: Prophecies have failed, Tongues have ceaſed, Knowledge hath vaniſhed away: We knew in Part, and propheſied in Part; But that which is perfect is come, and that which was in Part is done away. When I was a Child, I ſpake as a Child, underſtood as a Child, thought as a Child: But when I became a Man, I put away childiſh Things: For now I ſee Face to Face; but in my Childhood, I ſaw through a Glaſs darkly: Now I know, even as alſo I am known. And what Wonder? ſince our Minds are illuminated by the Rays of thy tranſcendent Glory. No need of created Light, Thou art become all and in all unto us. We wonderfully enlighten one another, Men and Angels; but all is Nothing to the infinite Light. O the Glory of Jehovah, which ever ſhall be admired, and never comprehended! How nearly and ſweetly is it communicated unto us through the DAYS-MAN, CHRIST JESUS? And how richly is thy City ſtored, O Emmanuel! Here are all Manner of Things, New and Old, which thou haſt prepared for thy Friends. Were they Fools, who forſook all, they poſſeſſed on Earth, to become Citizens here? Here is the Abundance of all good Things, all Joys, all Delights, all Beauties; all are here, in a moſt eminent and ſuperabundant Manner: Nothing like Imperfection here; no Darkneſs, the Sun is ever in his Meridian, the Light of his Countenance is ever lifted up upon us; for ever doth he look upon us, in a ſweet, ſmiling, loving Manner; for His Anger is turned away, and he comforteth us, O joyful, O white, O bleſſed, O radiant Day of endleſs Eternity! This is the Day, which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it: Even this is the Day, which hath taken its Birth from his infinitely amiable Countenance. O theſe Rivers of Conſolations, that make glad the City of God! O the eternal Emanations of All-fulneſs, flowing out from the Throne of God, and of the Lamb! No Mixture of Creature-imperfections, all proceed immediately from the Fountain! O my God, how was I tormented with Thirſt in the Wilderneſs? I was ever full of Wants, and Deſires: But O now! now I am drunk, raviſhed, filled and ſatiate with the eternal overflowings of thy ſurpaſſing Sweetneſs, which run over this vaſt Multitude of Men and Angels, like a mighty Inundation. In the Days of our Vanity, we ſat by the Rivers of Babylon, and wept; when we thought on the ſweet Life the Inhabitants of this higher Houſe, this higher Jeruſalem had, we could not but groan forth, When ſhall the Night be gone, and the Shadows evaniſhed? When ſhall Time be out of the Way, that I may enter into the pure River of the Water of Life. and ſatiate my ſelf with all the Fulneſs of God? My Soul thirſteth for God, the Living God; when ſhall I come to appear before God? How long ſhall I dwell in a dry and parched Wilderneſs, wherein there is no Water? Wo is me, that I ſojourn ſo long in Meſech; for my Days are conſumed like Smoke, and my Bones are burnt as an Hearth: By Reaſon of the Voice of my Groaning, my Bones cleave to my Skin, My Days are like a Shadow that declineth, and I am withered like Graſs. But O, now is the joyful and white Side of Providence turned up! My Youth is renewed like the Eagle's: I ſwim in the Ocean of Life. Who can tell what raviſhing Solace is under the Branches of the Tree of Life? Divine Vengeance cannot dart through: Yet behold I fully thy Countenance, O Jehovah! We are thy Servants, ever ſerving thee, and beholding thy Face; having thy Name written on our Fore-heads. I went mourning to the Grave, becauſe of my Unfitneſs for ſerving thee on Earth: But O! now I ſerve thee in as heavenly and divine a Manner, as I would: I am become altogether like thee! I am filled with thy Glory and thy Beauty: no Need to aſk, Shew me thy Glory: Thy Face inceſſantly and eternally do I behold, and live.

39. Nothing in Glory, but Songs to Jehovah and the Lamb.

This is Zion, the Perfection of Beauty the Joy of the whole World: This is the City which God hath made, even which he hath made in a peculiar Manner. O what Glory! O what Majeſty! O what Joy! O what Bleſſedneſs! As we have heard, ſo have we ſeen in the City of the Lord of Hoſts, God hath eſtabliſhed it for ever. The Lord our God doth ſave us this Day, as the Flock of his People; for we are the Stones of a Crown lifted up, as an Enſign, upon his Land: For how great is his Goodneſs, and how great is his Beauty! Sing, O Daughter of Zion; ſhout, O Iſrael; be glad and rejoice with all thy Heart, O Daughter of Jeruſalem: For the Lord thy God, in the Midſt of Thee, is mighty; He hath ſaved Thee, and rejoiceth over Thee with Joy; He reſts in his Love, He joyeth over Thee with Singing; He hath healed our Backſlidings, He hath loved us freely: For his Anger is turned away, and he comforteth us. He is as the Dew unto us, we grow as the Lily, and caſt forth our Roots as Lebanon. He hath made us, and the Places round about his holy Hill a Bleſſing, & cauſeth the Showers to come down in their Seaſon; even Showers of Bleſſing for evermore. And the Tree of the Field doth yield her Fruit, and our Land doth yield her Increaſe; and we are ſafe in our Land, and do know the Lord. Behold, He hath brought us from all Countries, and gathered us from the Coaſts of the Earth: For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ranſomed him from the Hand of him that was ſtronger than he; therefore are we come to, and ſing in the Height of Zion; and flow together to the Goodneſs of the Lord, for Wheat, and for Wine, and for Oil, and for the Young of the Flock, and for the Herd: And our Soul is as a watered Garden; And we ſhall not ſorrow any more at all: For behold, the Lord hath created a new Heaven, and a new Earth, and the former is not remembred, nor doth come into Mind. Our Gates are open continually, they ſhall not be ſhut Day nor Night; for Braſs we have Gold, and for Iron we have Silver, and for Wood Braſs, and for Stones Iron. Violence is no more heard in our Land, Waſting nor Deſtruction within our Borders. But we call our Walls Salvation, and our Gates Praiſe. The Sun ſhall no more go down, neither ſhall the Moon withdraw her ſelf; for the Lord is unto us an everlaſting Light, and the Days of our Mourning are ended. We are all Righteous, we inherit the Land for ever: We are the Branch of his Planting, the Work of his Hands, that He may be glorified. Our Light doth break forth as the Morning, and our Health ſpringeth forth ſpeedily: And our Righteouſneſs doth go before us, and the Glory of the Lord is our Reer-ward. We are ſaved of the Lord with an everlaſting Salvation; we ſhall not be aſhamed, nor confounded, World without End. O Lord, Thou art my God, I will exalt thee, I will praiſe thy Name; for thou haſt done wonderful Things; Thy Counſels of Old, are Faithfulneſs and Truth; for thou haſt been a Strength to the Poor, a Strength to the Needy, in his Diſtreſs; a Refuge from the Storm, a Shadow from the Heat: And haſt brought down the Noiſe of Devils and their Slaves, as Heat in a dry Place. And haſt ſwallowed up Death in Victory, and wiped away Tears from all Faces. Lo, this is our God, we have waited for Him; He hath ſaved us, we will be glad and rejoice in his Salvation: He extendeth Peace to us like a River, and our Glory is like a flowing Stream. Our Heart rejoiceth, our Bones flouriſh like an Herb: And the Hand of the Lord is known towards his Servants, and his Indignation towards his Enemies; for he hath puniſhed the World for their Evil, and the wicked for their Iniquity; and hath cauſed the Haughtineſs of the Proud to ceaſe; and hath laid low the Pride of the Terrible, and broke the Staff of the Wicked, and the Sceptre of the Rulers. Hallelujah, Salvation, and Glory, and Honour, and Power unto the Lord our God: True and righteous are his Judgments; for he hath judged all his Enemies; and the Glory of Avenging Juſtice is for ever diſplayed. Let Iſrael rejoyce in Him that made him: Let the Children of Zion be joyful in their King; for the Lord taketh Pleaſure in his People: He hath beautified the Meek with Salvation. Praiſe the Lord, O Jeruſalem: Praiſe thy God, O Zion; for he hath ſtrengthned for ever the Bars of thy Gates, He hath bleſſed thy Children within thee: He maketh Peace within thy Borders, and filleth thee with the fineſt of the Wheat: The Lord hath choſen thee for his Reſt, here will He for ever dwell; for he hath deſired it.

40. The Happineſs of the Saints ſuperabundant, ſince they have all Manner of Enjoyments.

Are we not more than bleſſed? United Happineſs hath the greater Force. O the ſweet Fellowſhip of Bleſſed Men and Angels! All Manner of Enjoyments are here! All our natural Propenſities are fully ſatisfied, and we are every Way filled with God: As our Fellowſhip with him was interrupted, imperfect, and at a Diſtance on Earth, ſo our Converſe with Creatures was of ſmall Profit: Vanity (as to us) was poured out on all Creature-enjoyments; ſince our Faculties were in a great Part, vitiate, was not our Fellowſhip on Earth oftentimes for the worſe, as well as for the better? for that our Converſe ſavoured ſtrongly of Earth, differing little from that of Worldlings. But, is not this a wonderful Change? We look like an Aſſembly of Kings and Prieſts indeed. Are we not all one, in Mind, in Love, in Joy? for we have the Mind of Chriſt. All of us reſemble advantageouſly that perfect and only Pattern of Holineſs, that infinite World of raviſhing Beauty, and boundleſs Ocean of overcoming Sweetneſs, that only Delight, Love, Satiſfaction, Wonder, and All, of Men, and Angels. I am like Thee, O my WELBELOVED: I am like Thee. O Joy! ſuperabounding Joy! This one Thought bears in its Boſom, Ten Thouſand Heavens. O Sirs, are not his Glory, his Excellency, his Sweetneſs diffuſed among us? We are one in Chriſt; and therefore one among our ſelves, being united by the Spirit of Love. Thou art the Head, we the Members: All Treaſures of Excellency are communicated from Thee, unto us, as from the Root to the Branches, which are the ſame Tree. We are one with thee; for both He that ſanctifieth, & they that are ſanctified, are one. Are you not excellent then, O ye Angels? Were not paſſing excellent, and only delightſom, O ye excellent Ones of the Earth, when incompaſſed about with innumerable Infirmities; and are you not now, ſo many Maſſes of Excellency and Delight? If, when clothed with Mortality, you were of ſublime and princely Spirits; what are you now, when Mortality is ſwallowed up of Life? Was our Converſe ſweet in the Valley of Tears and Sorrows? and is it not more than pleaſant in this Paradiſe of Joys and Delights? Was our Lamenting our Diſtance from God, to one another, ſweet? What Raviſhments in our mutual Congratulations of theſe overflowing Delights, and Happineſs, in the immediate Preſence of JEHOVAH and the LAMB? What a golden Life is this! As this full Enjoyment of Thee, O my God, doth ſwallow up all other Enjoyments; ſo doth it perfect them alſo. Until our Love to thee was perfected, never did we love one another perfectly. The more thou art loved, the more of thy Image. Thou art the Centre of all my Faculties; All my Love to Saints and Angels terminates in Thee; Thou haſt clothed them with thy Lovelineſs, and they are become Lovely: Yea, tho' they were not, yet, ſince they are the Object of thy Love; therefore will I love them: But, becauſe thou haſt loved them, therefore haſt thou made them wonderfully lovely; and therefore, how are we all kindled together, into an eternal Flame! O what a wonderful Sympathy! As we ſuffered in one another's Afflictions; ſo do we rejoice in one another's Joy. O this ſuperabundant Joy and Happineſs! Since all your Joy and Happineſs, Men and Angels, are mine; even me they affect; I am as filled with them: The Happineſs of Thouſands, and Myriads of Thouſands, are abridged into one Happineſs. And how diſcovering is the Light of thy Glory! I know every one of you in particular, as by Name, and what was your Lot on Earth. When our Converſe is more joyful, ſhall not our Fellowſhip now be paſſing excellent? The Faculties are great, the Objects are great, and great is Eternity, which we have ever before us in our Fellowſhip: We are not confined, as on Earth, to Days, Hours and Years; but ſhall ſpeak to one another of his infinite Excellencies again and again and more and more, and for ever ſpeak: And what new Delights, ſince Earth's childiſh Dialect is done away! Words, Sentences, Orations, and Volumes, were as dark Shadows, of little or no Signification: But O the profound Idiom of Immanuel's Country! Every Word is like a Talent, repreſenting more than Ten thouſand excellent Volumes, in Earth's Language. How admirably do Mortality and Immortality differ in all Things! Cry out then his matchleſs Praiſes; Shall we not contend, who ſhall ſpeak moſt excellently of his Glory? ſhall we not be for ever recounting his wonderful Goodneſs to us, in Time and Eternity? O raviſhing Fellowſhip with Men and Angels! O more • han raviſhing Voice of the Son of God! Were it not the Prerogative of Glory, that one Enjoyment cannot divert from another, I ſhould for ever ſhut all my Faculties againſt you, O Fellow-Creatures, that they might only be filled with JESUS my only WELBELOVED, whatever I enjoy, ſtill I enjoy thee perfectly and fully; with whomſoever I converſe, continually I am with thee. Thou art the Beginning, Middle, and End of all. O the eternal high Tides of Joys in my Heart! Nothing can ſeparate me, in the leaſt, from this immediate Enjoyment of thee. The Members are not hindered from receiving Influences from the Head, becauſe of their mutual Commerce among themſelves; reflex Rays hinder not the direct; the enjoyment of the Thing included eminently, hinders not the Enjoyment of that which includes. I enjoy Thee; and therefore I enjoy all Things; and my Enjoyment of Creatures, is no new Enjoyment, but another Manner of enjoying of Thee; like the beholding the Light of the Sun darting from the Moon: Every one of us reflects the Beauty, wherewith thou adorneſt us.

41. All the Attributes of God contribute to our eternal Bleſſedneſs, but His Unchangeableneſs is the Crown of all.

How do all ſmile with a raviſhing Countenance, whether we view in Time on Earth, theſe preſent Enjoyments; or their Flouriſhing throughout Eternity? The Conſideration of God's wonderful Providence in Time, will fill the Thoughts with enleſs Admiration. And am I not raviſhed, in looking back into infinite Perfections, before all Ages? Here there is ever a Further; but 'tis according to finite Conception, to look upon Thee, as paſt, preſent and to come. Thou art eminently all Things, yet not formally, and in their own proper Nature: We change every Moment, and have ſtill new Actings; becauſe we are finite Beings: But with thee there is no Variableneſs, nor Shadow of Turning. Whatever thou doſt, from Eternity thou doſt it: Thy Actings have neither Beginning, Middle, nor Ending; Which are but one ſimple Act, the ſame with thy Self, tho', virtually and equivalently, it contains in its Boſom innumerable Actions; even as thy Everlaſtingneſs, innumerable Days, Years and Ages. Who can admire enough thy Simplicity? All thy Excellencies are but one Excellency, equivalent unto infinite Worlds of Excellencies. O what a bleſſed Life have we, Men and Angels, in dwelling in God, the Almighty, Alſufficient JEHOVAH! in whom is contained infinite Varieties of all Joys, all Pleaſures, all Sweetneſs, all Contentments, all Beauties, all Glories, in a tranſcendent, eminent, and moſt perfect Manner. O happy I! who have ſuch an infinite One, boundleſs One in all Perfections, to be my Portion! O thou 〈…〉 , eternal, unchangeable in thy Wiſdom, Power, Holineſs, Juſtice, Goodneſs and Truth. Everlaſting Raviſhments! He, who loveth us, is unchangeable; He, in whom we truſt, is the Rock of Ages, whoſe Goings forth have been from Eternity. O then! thy Smiles are everlaſting. Our Happineſs is eternal; it is Joy upon Joy, to conſider, this Life can have no Period: It hath neither Middle, Progreſs nor Ending; But ſhall ever be a Beginning, and ſhall be ever, ever alike far from the Period of my Joys and Happineſs, ever in this ſame raviſhed unſpeakable Frame of divine Love and Joy, I am juſt now into! Shall it ever be high Tide? O more than Happineſs! It overflows its Banks: It is much I bear this Joy! O my Joys, my Joys, you are of an immortal Duration! O my excellent Welbeloved, now haſt thou with Eternity crowned all my Happineſs! To think ever to be disjoined from thee, would imbitter all the preſent Sweetneſs: The greater the Enjoyment, the greater the Loſs. Temporary Enjoyments nothing affect me: What will end, will be as if it had not been. Never ſo many Ages are nothing in the Minds of elevated Creatures: Only Fruits are taken with Time. Nothing is real and ſubſtantial, but what is enduring. Nothing vain and empty now: All Things here ſhall be ever in the ſelf-ſame State, we are now in. So are all Things in Hell alſo. The Faſhion of this World ſhall never paſs away: All are now ſolid and enduring: Vanity is for ever baniſhed out of the Univerſe; all Things ſhall be for ever as they are. O • y Joys! tho' you were low, yet the Thoughts of your e • ernal Permanency may cauſe you to ſwell over your Banks. O Glory, Glory! how maſſie art thou? Not a Thing gliſtering now, and anon evaniſhed. O the more enduring Subſtance! The Kingdom immoveable! Theſe everlaſting Arms incircle us eternally! For the Lord ſhall reign for ever, even thy God, O 〈◊〉 , to all Generations. We that truſt in the Lord, are like Mount Zion, that cannot • e removed, but abideth for ever. The Glory of the Lord ſhall endure for ever: He ſhall rejoice in all his Works. The Children of thy Servants ſhall continue, and their Seed ſhall be eſtabliſhed before thee: With long Life doſt thou ſatisfy them, and ſheweſt them thy Salvation. Thou art the Strength of their Heart, and their Portion for ever. O real, ſolid, ſubſtantial, enduring Portion! Indeed, thou art the Rock of Ages. All the innumerable Ages paſt, preſent, and to come, do roll upon thee, as their Foundation. Thy Years are throughout all Generations: Of old didſt thou lay the Foundations of the Earth; and the Heavens were the Work of thine Hands: They did periſh, but thou ſhalt endure; yea, all of them waxed old, like a Garment; as a Veſture thou changed them, and they were changed: But thou art the ſame, and thy Tears ſhall have no End. O my paſſing Happineſs ſhall have no End! O Life, and Marrow of Joys! I ſhall be ever with thee, O moſt lovely WELBELOVED! Some tranſient Glimpſes of thy Lovelineſs upon my Soul, was an Heaven upon Earth: But O, the permanent and full Outlettings of thy Beauty, Sweetneſs, and all Excellencies, are more than Ten thouſand Heavens of Happineſs! I am here dwelling within the boundleſs Circle of Eternity! O ſweet for evermore! only becauſe of my ſweeteſt Welbeloved, whom I fully & eternally enjoy! What Good would my Life do unto me, were I not to enjoy him, throughout eternal Ages? Not, that I account it not an invaluable Happineſs, to receive one Love-kiſs, and no more, from thy ſweeteſt Mouth: Should not its wonderful Impreſſion leave a paſſing raviſhing Sweetneſs, throughout endleſs EVERMORE? One Sight of thy only excellent Beauty, one Smell of thy raviſhing fragrant Garments, one Love-ſmile of thy overcoming lovely Face, tranſcendently excels the Height of all Creature-Enjoyments. Any Thing of Thee, my matchleſs ONE, is of incomparable Excellency: Thy very Frowns are inconceivably ſweet, becauſe thine.

42. That we are altogether Chriſt's and not our own, is our only Happineſs.

Thy Kingdom, O Emmanuel, is an everlaſting Kingdom; the Sceptre of Glory doſt thou ſway to all Generations. Indeed, when Time and Days come to a Period, and thou hadſt put down all Rule, and all Authority and Power, thou delivered up the Commiſſion of governing the Church, and (in Part) bringing the World back to thy Father; and art ſubject as Days Man betwixt God and Creatures, that God may only fill the Faculties of Men and Angels, with his uncreated Sweetneſs: Yet, as Days-Man, thou art for ever King, Prieſt and Prophet of thy Choſen; the eternal Head of Men and Angels; The Firſt-born among many Brethren, having the Preheminency in all Things: Thou art the great Lord Mediator, the crowned King of Zion, for ever and ever: We are under Thee ſo many crowned Kings in Zion: But thou art exalted above all; upon the Throne of thy Father David doſt thou ſit; and of thy Kingdom there ſhall be no End. The Lord hath laid Help upon One that is Mighty, he hath exalted One choſen out of the People; He hath made Him his Firſt-born, higher than the Kings of the Earth: His Mercy doth he keep for him, for ever; and his Covenant ſtandeth faſt with him: His Seed alſo hath he made to endure for ever, and his Children as the Days of Heaven: All Kings fall down before him; all Nations ſerve him. There is an handful of Corn in the Earth, on the Top of the Mountains; the Fruit thereof doth ſhake like Lebanon: And they of the City do flouriſh like the Graſs of the Earth. O PLANT of RENOWN, Men and Angels are as ſo many Branches ingrafted in Thee eternally! or elſe we ſhould in a Moment wither. To all Eternity we ſtand in Need of a Days-Man; we are not able eternally to ſtand on our own Legs; neither are we able to behold God ſo fully and familiarly, as in the Face of EMMANUEL, the White and the Ruddy! And what amazing Dignity, Men and Angels, for us to reign over all, as Co-heirs with this eſſential Heir of all Things? Do I reign with thee, O KING of Kings? Wonderful! Thou haſt given me Power over the Nations, and I do rule them with a Rod of Iron; as the Veſſels of a Potter are they broken in Shivers; even as he received of his Father! What were earthly Kingdoms and Principalities, but evaniſhing Vapors, Night-dreams and Vanities? What were the Shields of the Earth, but Bits of half-dead Clay, breathing for a few Hours, Days and Years, at the moſt, and then returned to Duſt again? No Wonder he loaded the baſeſt of Men with the greateſt Portion of thick Clay: Such a Dunghil was a fit Portion for Dunghil-worms: No wonder he gave ſo little of Earth to his Choſen; ſuch Gifts are below ſublime, heavenly and Divine Spirits. Sirs, have we not been ordained for far better, and more excellent Things than Earth's ſilly Glory? It was not our Father's Will we ſhould be troubled with many Nothings: Much Clay would have clogged us, in our Way. He knew beſt what was for us, who cut us ſhort of Creature-Enjoyments. What have we loſt, who have received Gold for Clay, Diamonds for common Stones, ſolid Satisfaction for vexing Vanities, Heaven for Earth, Eternity for Time, all Things for nothing? All Glory to him, that ſits upon the Throne, and the Lamb. Let the Crown eternally flouriſh on the Head of the Purchaſer of ſuch ſuperabundant Happineſs. O the great Things we have eſcaped? O the great Things we have attained! And were theſe Joys purchaſed by Sorrow? This golden Life, by a ſhameful and cruel Death? This Glory, by Shame and Contempt? This Reſt, by Labour and Wreſtling? This Exaltation, by Lowlineſs and Submiſſion? O the Price, the Price! Every Sight of the Man who is God, would overvalue, and overbuy Ten thouſand excellent Worlds. O my Happineſs! Art thou not of infinite Value, tho' thou wert not, in the thouſand Part, what thou art? What can we render unto the Lord for his wonderful Goodneſs? What can we, thy eternally bound Dyvours, do but cry aloud, Thy Excellency? And, the more we praiſe thee, the more our Obligation grows upon our Hand. O, let us ever, in this Manner, run our ſelves into thy Debt. No greater Liberty, n • higher Prerogative, than to be eternally obliged Debt on to thy free Grace, redeeming, exalting Grace. O then! ſhall I not praiſe thee, my Redeemer, my Exalter? Shall not boundleſs Eternity be filled with thy Praiſes? Is my Happineſs, Life-immortal? And ſhall not my Praiſing be immortal alſo? O this high, high praiſing Frame! Nothing but raviſhing Hallelujahs throughout Eternity. O Sirs, is not this Frame altogether inexpreſſible, wholly inconceivable?

43. The Manifeſtation of God, in Time, nothing to that of Eternity; and that of Eternity, nothing to what dwells hidden in Himſelf.

Even the ſmall Breathings of theſe full Gales of the Spirit, that blow ſtrongly in this higher Region, falling down upon the Land of Grace, filled my Heart with ſuch paſſing Sweetneſs, that I could not but cry out, Lord, my Heart is fixed, my Heart is fixed, I will ſing Praiſe unto thee. O let all Creatures, in all Places of thy Dominion, ſing forth thy Excellencies. Let me behold thy Name ſet on high, and the Deſires of my Soul are accompliſhed. I am raviſhed, I am raviſhed with thy ſurpaſſing Sweetneſs, thy overcoming Lovelineſs! Is not this Heaven, even Glory come down to Grace's Region? Or, what can Glory be more? But now, now I clearly find, theſe have been but the firſt Fruits, ſome Drops falling off this boundleſs Ocean; and no Wonder little ſeemed exceeding great to a little Child; then I could not be capable of Glory, in the Perfection and Bloom thereof. The Ground ſufficient to bear a Tree, in its firſt ariſing thro' the Earth, would not be able to bear the leaſt Branch when it attained its perfect Pitch. Yet the Remembrance of thy Ways to me, in my Childhood, is full of Delectation. How thou haſt bro't thy Sons to Glory, is an eternal Wonder! O to think of the wonderful Diſcoveries of thy ſelf to weak Mortals! whence Thou evidenced, that thou couldſt ſhew forth thine Excellency by Weakneſs and Emptineſs, Did I not ſometimes, even when a blockiſh Mortal live rather by Sight, than Faith? O the ſtrange Diſcoveries of thy infinite Beauty! from whence aroſe high flaming Love, then Zeal, for ſetting Thee on high, far above all. Continually were thy Praiſes in my Mouth; I deſired, that all I tho't, ſpake, or did, ſhould tend to thy Glory, for whom are all Things. How tormented was I, to ſee ſo few on Earth, for extolling Thee! To ſee almoſt All minding their own Things, and very few Thine. How vexed was I, that my Heart was ſo ſhallow, and my Faculties ſo unfit for glorifying Thee? Therefore did I long to be here, for nothing more than to praiſe Thee aright, before this glorious Aſſembly of Men and Angels. How oft have I been crying out, O to be an Inſtrument of his ſuperexcellent Glory! Let me be eternally confounded, (abſtract from ſinning) if thereby his Excellency may be manifeſted. What are all Creatures to him? Let him be exalted, let him be praiſed, tho' we all ſhould be abaſed for evermore. O the inexpreſſible Sweetneſs, my Soul finds in praiſing Thee! In the Boſom of this Divine Exerciſe is contained a great Reward. It is both the Work and the Wages. It is Happineſs to extol Thee; it is only Hell, not to be for thy Glory. O praiſe him, for ever praiſe him, all his Works. It is a light Thing that thou alone ſhouldſt praiſe Him, O ſilly I! O when ſhall I ſtand among the innumerable Aſſembly of Praiſers, and tell, and hear told over thine Acts, and Glory, and Wiſdom, and infinite Excellencies forever and ever! Verily all thy Promiſes are Yea, and Amen, to thoſe who put their Truſt in Thee. Thou haſt given unto me all the Deſires of my Heart: Now, O now, I am in the Land of Praiſes, in to Midſt of you, O glorious Creatures, who for ever ſing forth Hallelujahs, to Him that ſits upon the Throne, and the Lamb. It was but the Weakneſs of mortality cauſed ſmall Stirrings to appear high and mighty Overflowings. O Glory, Glory! Thou art indeed ſubſtantial and maſſie. Since Glory cannot fully delineate thy Excellency, I behold thy amiable Countenance to the full, O God of Glory; and O then the Enlargement of my Heart! O then, the wonderful Flames of Love! Nothing was known, was felt; until now: I have heard ſome Rumor of Thee; but now I behold and perceive, that all poſſible Creatures, exalted to the higheſt Pitch of Excellency, can never be able to praiſe thee to the full: Even becauſe of this, I will praiſe Thee, that Thou art infinitely above all Praiſes. Were thou not infinite, Thou ſhouldſt not be the eternal Object of my Praiſes: Created Enjoyments cannot ſatiate for ever. How am I overjoyed, Thou haſt thus fitted me for ſetting Thee on high! How am I lifted up in my Capacity, almoſt infinite Stages above the higheſt Pitch of Mortality! Sirs, This is another Manner of Praiſing than was to be found within Mortality's Tents: Our Songs can only be learned by theſe who have attained the Height of wiſdom; even who are filled with all the Fulneſs of God. What are finite Things in the Way of our Conceptions? We are paſt from the low Conceptions of Mortals: Earth's putid Idiom, in its higheſt Strain, compoſed & divided by all poſſible Ways, or portrayed down in as many Books as would fill the Creation, ſhould not expreſs in the thouſandth Part, ſo much of the Excellency of our never-enough exalted One, as one Sentence of this Song of Glory. What is expreſſed by dull Sound, or tuned out in Black and White, is not now worth the Noticing; yet, had I no other Way of expreſſing thy Excellency, before Men and Angels, I ſhould for ever and ever be writing Songs of thy matchleſs Praiſes, that all the Beholders might, in ſome Meaſure, conjecture the high Tho'ts of my Heart. Were there Oceans of Ink greater than Ten thouſand Worlds, and Paper and Pens conformable thereunto, I ſhould ſoon exhauſt them, in writing new Songs of thy matchleſs Praiſes; and yet the Thoughts of my elevated Heart ſhould not in the leaſt be diminiſhed; but ſhould be, like an eternal Fountain, ever inditing new Matter, ever ſending forth new Streams of Praiſes. What Wonder? I am filled with thine Image: I behold thee Face to Face, and therefore ſee more and more of Thee to all Eternity. Ever, ever ſhall I have new Diſcoveries, & yet for ever ſhall I have the ſame; for I behold Thee as Thou art. What Wonder we are in ſuch an high praiſing Frame, O bleſſed Ones! who, being framed ſo capacious, to receive the full Emanations of his infinite Glory and Sweetneſs, ſtand continually in his immediate Fellowſhip? Are we not raviſhed in praiſing? 'Tis the only Happineſs to be thus exerciſed; The only Miſery, to have the Faculties exerciſed in other Things. No Monſter to a Creature careleſs of thy Glory! You abominable Prodigies of Nature, who are not for extolling your Creator, Preſerver and Benefactor, Can the Deſperateneſs of your State be told? Should you not praiſe him, eternally praiſe him? He is the Potter, you are the Clay; He is the abſolute Sovereign, you his eternal bound Vaſſals: All that you are, and have, is of him: If you are miſerable, it is only of your ſelves: Nothing from Him, but that which is good. He is a pure Maſs of Holineſs, Excellency and Deſirableneſs. O curſed! O deſperate! O aſtoniſhing Frame! to have the Heart hardned againſt the Original of all Joys and Bleſſedneſs. Thouſand Times happy I, who am thus, thus conformed unto the Divine Nature! O this ſweet, ſweet Frame of Heart I am altogether for Praiſes: This is the Land of Praiſes; the whole Aſſembly reſounds with Praiſes. O my bleſſed Ears! which are eternally filled with the melodious Raptures of Emmanuel's raviſhing World. Is it poſſible Sorrows can enter here? All is filled with ſuperabounding Joys: Every where thy Beauty is fully manifeſted. Let us dive deep, and look, and look again, ever ſhall we find new Matter for Love-Songs. Doth not a ſweet willing Conſtraint lie upon us to praiſe Thee? Inundations of all Goodneſs do flow out from thee, O inexhauſtable Ocean of all Excellency: And muſt they not inceſſantly run back to Thee again? Yea, who can but extol Thee, O alſufficient JEHOVAH? becauſe Thou art eſſentially beautiful and excellent. What tho' little of thy Goodneſs were let forth on Creatures? the Manifeſtation of thy Goodneſs to Creatures adds juſt Nothing to Thee: Whether Thou create or not create one Creature, on a World, or Millions of Worlds, all is the ſame to Thee. Thou art infinitely above the Praiſes, or the Blaſphemies of Creatures. Thy Glory is unchangeable; before all Ages did thy infinite Perfections ſhine forth, in the ſame infinite Splendor; So that, in the Fulneſs of Time, when it pleaſed Thee, to ſhew forth thy Glory, in the Production and Adorning of finite Beings, nothing in the leaſt was added to thy boundleſs Excellency: Thy Creating was the Manifeſtation of what was from Eternity; not the bringing forth of what was not at all: As when the Sun ſhould dart forth his Light, which before he kept within himſelf; or a Box of precious Ointment, when broken, exhales a Perfume, which before lie hidden.

And what haſt Thou manifeſted on Creatures, to that which thou might'ſt, if ſo it had pleaſed thy Sovereign Will! What is this World exiſtent, but as a vaſt Ocean ſhould let forth one Drop, when it might pour forth M • ll • ons of Millions of Showers for ever and ever? What are theſe Handful of Creatures, unto theſe vaſt numberleſs Armies, eminently contained within the Compaſs of thine infinite Power? whence, thy Dominion over Things that are not created, is greater, than over Things that are. From all Eternity hadſt Thou the Sovereign Diſpoſition of all poſſible Beings, and they are for ever at thy Beck. Hadſt Thou never determined to create any Creature, Thy Power and Sovereignty ſhould ever have ſhined forth in as full a Splendor, in order to theſe ſelf-ſame Creatures exiſtent, as now it doth: To reſtrain a Being from exiſting, or to cauſe it exiſt, are alike Acts of infinite Sovereignty. Men and Angels, ſhall we not cry up the Incomprehenſible Excellency of our God? What can we contribute even to his declarative Glory? Are we any Thing, to the Infinite Armies in the Womb of his Omnipotency? and yet hath He appointed us the only Criers up of his Praiſes; the only Spectators, throughout all Ages. O how inconceivable are thy Ways! Haſt Thou choſen theſe few out from among innumerable Armies of Excellent Creatures, contain'd within the Boſom of thy Excellency? Might'ſt Thou not have Numberleſs Worlds of Men and Angels juſt now ſerving Thee, and not one of us exiſtent? How is abſolute Sovereignty, and free Grace to be ſeen every Where? Creation is an Act of free Grace and Goodneſs. O thou whole Handy-Work of God, how oughteſt Thou to praiſe thy Sovereign Lord? You Sun, Moon and Stars, for ever exalt him, who conferred upon you an everlaſting Being, paſſing by infinite Numbers of others; and only you hath He choſen, as never-ending Monuments of his tranſcendent Excellency. Thou Earth, with thy various Beauties, praiſe thy bountiful Creator, who hath appointed thee an eternal Monument of his Juſtice and Mercy, paſſing by innumerable poſſible Ones. O thou glorious and majeſtick Heavens, ſing forth the high Praiſes of thy Almighty Former; tho' thou art the Top and Flower-excellency of this vaſt All, what art thou to theſe innumerable poſſible Heavens, Jehovah could produce? Thou whole Creation, tho' thou art exact in Number, Weight and Meaſure, what art thou to what Incomprehenſible Jehovah can effect? What are you, O all ye Creatures? you are infinitely every Way within the Limits of his infinite Power; yea, tho' it were not ſo, one Blaſt of his Noſtrils, could confound you to nothing in a Moment. Down with your Glory before Him, all Creatures; acknowledge your eternal Sovereign: Shall not Eternity reſound with his inceſſant Praiſes? ſhall not this great All be ever in a rejoicing, praiſing Sound? ſhall not the Earth clap its Hands, the Heavens leap for Joy, before Him, who hath formed them eternal Monuments of his ſuperexcellent Glory? This is the only World God hath been pleaſed to make; from Eternity to Eternity there is no other; neither ſhall this undergo Changes any more: How ſweet a Savour doth the Almighty ſmell? pronouncing that the Viciſſitudes of Day and Night, Seed-Time and Harveſt, Winter and Summer ſhall for ever ceaſe; and that an eternal Spring-tide, an endleſs Summer, an inceſſant Harveſt ſhall remain. This is the golden World; all Things have a ſmiling Countenance: Wickedneſs ſhall triumph no more. It was but for a Moment, they opened their Eyes, and behold they are not: But the Righteous are in everlaſting Remembrance. Thou lower World, how art thou looſed from that bitter Servitude to the Filth and Off-ſcourings of all Things? being the Stage of horrid Rebellion againſt thy great Former; the Place where created Enjoyments were preferred before that Fulneſs of all Sweetneſs in the Alſufficient Jehovah. Our Eyes behold what we believed, and hoped for: O glorious new Heaven, and new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteouſneſs! Are we not now Maſters of all? through the Heir of all Things, do we inherit all Things? All Things before were ours in Title, now they are ours in full Poſſeſſion; for our Minority is expired.

44. All the Promiſes are in Part fulfilled in Time, and fully in Eternity.

Your Folly is even manifeſt to your ſelves, curſed Worldlings, who imagine • us Fools, who laid our Hope and Confidence on the great Promiſes of the Almighty: Lo, all that ever he promiſed unto us, he hath performed, to the Full, & more than to the Full. Lo, we inherit Heaven and Earth, and all Things, and delight our ſelves in Abundance of Peace. We behold the Floods of Hony and Butter, and heap up Gold as the Duſt: Yea, the Almighty is our Defence, & we have plenteous Silver: Our Eye is clear, as the Noon-day; we ſhine forth, and are as the Morning: Our Fleſh is freſher than a Child's, and we return unto the Days of our Youth. The Lord is our Keeper, the LORD is our Shade, on our Right-Hand. The Sun doth not ſmite by Day, nor the Moon by Night. And the Lord preſerveth our going out, and our coming in, from this Time forth and for evermore. Behold, we eat, curſed Wretches, but ye are hungry: Behold, we drink, but ye are thirſty: Behold, we rejoice and triumph, but ye ſorrow and are aſhamed. Lo, He that ſitteth upon the Throne, hath made all Things new; and the former Things ſhall not come into Mind. Behold, a new Heaven and a new Earth! for the firſt Heaven, and the firſt Earth are paſſed away; and there is no more Sea. Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with Men, and he doth dwell with us, and we are his People, and he is our God: And he hath wiped away all Tears from our Eyes: And there is no more Death, nor Sorrows, nor Cries, nor Pains; for the former Things are paſſed away. Vile Wretches, tho' your everlaſting Dungeon be ſituate within the Verge of that Dunghil, you adored heretofore; yet ſhall you never ſet your Head within this glorious Fabrick, but ſhall abide for ever, in utter Darkneſs: Ye poſſeſſed the Earth for a Moment, and carried your ſelves, as all had been yours, bearing down the excellent Ones of the Earth: But now, we have you under our Feet for evermore. Now, it is manifeſt, who were the true Heirs of the Earth: Now it is clear, who were really Excellent. What think ye now of your Pleaſures of Sin for a Seaſon? Have ye not built your Houſe, as a Moth, and a Booth that the Keeper maketh? As Drought and Heat conſume the Snow-water; ſo hath the Grave conſumed you. Your Triumphing hath been ſhort, and your Joy but for a Moment. Tho' your Excellency might ſeem to mount up to the Heavens, and your Heads reach unto the Clouds; yet are you periſhed for ever, like your own Dung: You are fled away, as a Dream, and are not found; all Darkneſs is hid in your ſecret Places, a Fire not blown hath conſumed you. Your Strength is Hunger-bitten, and Deſtruction is ever at your Side, it doth devour the Strength of your Skin; even the Firſt-born of Death doth devour your Strength: Brimſtone is ſcattered upon your Habitation, your Root is dried up beneath, and above your Strength is cut off: You are driven from Light into Darkneſs, and chaſed out of the World; for God is jealous, and revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious, and will not at all acquit the Wicked: The Mountains quake at him, and the Hills melt, and the Earth is burnt at his Preſence; yea, the World and all that dwelleth therein: With an overflowing Flood doth he make an utter End of the Wicked; and Darkneſs doth for ever purſue his Enemies. The Lord is good to all, and his tender Mercie • are over all his Works: He hath fulfilled the Deſire of them that fear him, he hath heard their Cry, and ſaved them. All thy Works ſhall praiſe thee, O Lord, and all thy Saints ſhall bleſs thee. Thou haſt delivered us from our Enemies. We have fled unto thee, and under the Shadow of thy Wings we ever rejoice. Thou haſt led us unto the Land of Uprightneſs: And as for the Head of thoſe that compaſſed us about, the Miſchief of their own Lips hath covered them; burning Coals have fallen upon them, they are coſt into the Fire, into deep Pits, that they riſe not again. But the Righteous give Thanks unto thee; the Upright for ever dwell in thy Preſence: Many a Time have the Wicked afflicted us from our Youth, yet have they not prevailed: But all that hated us are confounded, and turned back, and are as the Graſs on the Houſe-tops, that withereth before it be grown up. When the Wicked did ſpring as thee Graſs, and all the Workers of Iniquity did flouriſh, it was that they might be deſtroyed for ever. The Lord is a Sun and Shield; He hath given Grace and Glory; no good Thing hath he withholden from thoſe that walked uprightly. Bleſſed is the Man that truſted in thee! We truſted in thee, and were delivered; For thou haſt conſidered our Trouble, thou haſt known our Soul in Adverſity, and haſt not ſhut us up into the Hand of the Enemy: Thou haſt ſet our Feet in a large Place. We were in Trouble, our Eye was conſumed with Grief; yea, our Soul and our Belly: Our Strength failed becauſe of our Iniquity, and our Bones were conſumed: We were a Reproach to our Enemies, a Deriſion to a phanatick World. But we truſted in thee, O Lord; we ſaid, Thou art our God: And lo, Thou haſt delivered us, for ever, from the Hand of all our Enemies: Thou haſt made thy Face to ſhine, in its full Splendor, eternally upon us; Thou haſt ſaved us, for thy Mercies Sake. O how great is thy Goodneſs, which th • u haſt wrought for them that truſted in thee, before the Sons of Men! O love the Lord, all ye his Saints; for the Lord preſerveth the Faithful, and plenteouſly rewardeth the proud Doer: His Anger endureth but a Moment; in his Favour is Life. Weeping may endure for a Night, but Joy cometh in the Morning. Surely Goodneſs and Mercy ſhall follow us all the Days of our Life, and we will dwell in the Houſe of the Lord for ever.

45. All the Attributes of Jehovah, eſpecially his Juſ • ice and Sovereignty, are ſeen evidently in the Damnation of the Wicked.

All Joys! How doth the Glory of Mercy and ſpotleſs Juſtice ſhine forth before the Eyes of all? Within the Limits of Time, ſome ſmall Forerunners there were, of what we now moſt evidently behold. How didſt thou drown almoſt a whole Generation for their Iniquity? How didſt thou make thine Earth to devour & ſwallow up thy rebellious Blaſphemers? Yea, in all Ages thou broughtſt down ſignal Strokes of thy Diſpleaſure on a vile World; burning up their Cities, deſtroying their Fields, & making their curſed Carcaſſes to be like Dung upon the Earth: So that thy moſt impious Enemies could not but ſay, Verily there is a God that judgeth in the Earth. And every Stroke of thy Vengeance was Mercy to thy Choſen; for, how often haſt thou compelled thy ſworn Enemies, to come bending unto thy People? Such were ſmall Skirmiſhes, and partial Victories over Parties of thy Foes. Since Earth, by thine Appointment, was the Place, where every one was to act their Part, in order to Eternity; and the Wicked to fill up their Cup of Wrath againſt this eternal Day of Wrath; Is not Hell a Part of our Heaven? Is not the diſplaying of the Banner of Juſtice, Matter of Eternal Exultation? By the horrid Rebellion of wicked Men and Devils, thou appeared to be rob'd of that Honour and Glory due to thee, from all thy Creatures. How doth thy Excellency for ever break out from under the Clouds, that ſeemed to darken it heretofore? Thy vile Enemies, through thy Long-ſuffering, did paſs on in their Rebellion, ſome Time unpuniſhed: Nay, in their abominable Ways, through thy wonderful Providence, they proſpered, they lived, they become old, yea, were mighty in Power: Their Seed was eſtabliſhed in their Sight, and their Offspring before their Eyes: Their Houſes were ſafe from Fear, neither was the Rod of God upon them: They ſpent their Days in Wealth, and in a Moment went down to the Grave. Yea, one Event happened to all: He deſtroyed the Perfect and the Wicked; when the Scourge ſlew ſuddenly, he did laugh at the Trial of the Innocent. In the Place of Judgment Wickedneſs dwelt: Yea, there were juſt Men, to whom it happened according to the Work of the Wicked; Again, There were wicked Men, unto whom it happened according to the Work of the Righteous. No Man knew either Love, or Hatred, by all that was before him. The Wicked were buried, who had come and gone from the Place of the Holy. O golden Year of Jubilee! wherein every Thing is reduced to its proper Order; every Man rewarded according to his Work; the moſt hidden Things of Darkneſs are laid open: The Innocency of the Righteous, and the Perverſneſs of the Wicked, are laid open, before all. All Things are in a right Order now. No more to be ſeen exalted Folly, or debaſed Wiſdom: The hiſtrionick Fancies of Riches, and titular Honours, are quite done away; Fools ſhall no more rule over the Wiſe. Heroick Spirits eternally poſſeſs the State of Princes; and ſlaviſh Spirits are bound in everlaſting Chains of Darkneſs. How doth the Equity of thy Proceedings appear, O righteous God! What tho' monſtrous Reprobates roar out their horrid Blaſphemies againſt thy ſpotleſs Holineſs? Thou art of purer Eyes, than to behold Iniquity; and wilt not at all acquit the Guilty. What Joy! to behold Truth vindicated from all the horrid Aſperſions of Helliſh Monſters. I'm over joy'd, in hearing the everlaſting Howlings of the Haters of the Almighty; what a pleaſent Melody are they in mine Ears? O eternal Hallelujahs to JEHOVAH & the LAMB! O ſweet! ſweet! My Heart is ſatisfied. We committed our Cauſe to thee, that judgeſt righteouſly; and behold, thou • aſt fully pleaded our Cauſe, and ſhalt make the Smoke of their Torment for ever and ever to aſcend in our Sight: For Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and juſt in all thy Ways. Curſed Creatures, your Conſciences tell you the Equity of Jehovah's Ways. Are you not the Creatures, that baniſhed God out of your Thoughts? And it is moſt equal you are baniſhed eternally from the Preſence of God, and the Glory of his Power; Being given up to a Reprobate Mind, hardned againſt your great Former and Preſerver. Are you not all moſt worthy of divine Vengeance, who hate your Creator, and preferred your baſe ſelves before him; who in the Midſt of his Bounty, when he gave you Abundance of created Enjoyments, contemned and abhorred Him? Who are ſo deſperately mad againſt that infinite Original of all Goodneſs, that tho' he ſhould remove from you his juſt Puniſhments, and reſtore unto you your former Enjoyments; yet ſhould you ſtand out ungratefully againſt him? O horrid Monſtroſity! That which might be known of God, was manifeſted unto you; For the inviſible Things of him from the Creation of the World, were clearly ſeen, being underſtood by the Things which were made; even his eternal Power and Godhead: So that you were without Excuſe; becauſe that when you knew God, you glorified him not as God, neither were thankful: But became vain in your Imaginations, and your fooliſh Heart was darkned: Profeſſing your ſelves wiſe, ye became Fools, and worſhipped, ſerved and loved the Creature, more than the Creator, who is God bleſſed for evermore. Even your own ſelves being Judges, vile Wretches, is not your Lot ſuitable to your abominable Nature, which ſhewed it ſelf, in your Way of walking in Time? The Characters of a Deity were ſo written on your Heart, as it was impoſſible to cancel them; yet ye ſacrilegiouſly ſtrove to eradicate ſuch noble Draughts, written by the Finger of God, and baniſhed from your Minds the Thoughts of his Mercies, or Judgments: Self, and only Self, was the ultimate Centre of all your Deſigns and Projects: Whence you preferred the Enjoyment of Creatures, before that of the Alſufficient Creator; eſteeming it a more deſirable Lot, to live eternally in the Midſt of earthly Riches, Honours and Pleaſures, than in an immediate Fellowſhip with God. And is it not moſt juſt, he remove theſe Enjoyments, you baſely placed in his Room? Your own Glory was more deſigned by you than his; and ſhould not he confound, and put to Shame the Nothing-beings, you adored, and ſet above him? What ſhould he otherwiſe do unto you, monſtrous Wretches? Should he reſtore the Enjoyments you uſed againſt him? Should he cut you off to Nothing, who have deſired to be his eternal Enemies, and would have eſſential Eternity deſtroyed? Did you not care to ſee his Cauſe and People debaſed? and is it not moſt juſt, you be Spectacles of Shame and Vileneſs, throughout Eternity? Would you be above the Moſt High? And ſhould ye not ly under his Feet, while his Glory remains? Are you ſtated Enemies againſt him? And may not your Adverſary uſe his Power againſt you, and tread you under his Feet, as you would do to him, if your Power did anſwer your monſtrous, abominable Will? Do you curſe him, and want a relenting Heart to acknowledge your Madneſs; And are ſo dreadfully hardned againſt him, that ye would deſpiſe and blaſpheme Mercy, even Mercy offered unto you? And is it not moſt juſt, you continue for ever, in that moſt terrible Condition? No wonder your Conſciences gnaw you ſo fearfully: You cannot but be dreadfully affrighted at your monſtrous ſelves; God in his Equity having ſo wonderfully ſharpned your Faculties, as that you are able to underſtand your own Wickedneſs moſt clearly and fully. Your Wickedneſs, in Time, was in its Bud, now it is at its Height; the Smell of Hell was upon you even then, but now you are ſo many black Lumps of Death and Hell, caſt into the Lake of Fire. You were not afraid to ſpeak irreverently of him; now you directly (O monſtrous Madneſs!) curſe him to his very Face. The Sentence is now fully accompliſhed, To him that hath, ſhall be given; and from him that hath not, ſhall be taken away, even that which he hath. Did you hate the lovely Image of God? And is it not moſt juſt, the Remainders thereof, you had on Earth, be quite aboliſhed? Some Lovelineſs, ſome Excellency you are endowed with, through the Creator's Bounty: Now you are ſtript of all, and are nothing but vile Lumps of Deformity. Your Torments on Earth might have raiſed Compaſſion in the Hearts of Fellow-Creatures, but now your Malice and Deformity is ſo monſtrous, as you cannot become Objects of Compaſſion: No, the beholding of the Smoke of your Torment is a paſſing Delectation. O my GOD, Thou art holy in all thy Ways, and righteous in all thy Works: Thou art not the Cauſe of their everlaſting Ruine, tho' they blaſphemouſly father it upon thee. Curſed Wretches, who hath turned your Hearts againſt God? Hath he turned them againſt himſelf? This is repugnant. Or, was he obliged to hinder your Rebellion; or to turn your Minds again towards him, when you fought againſt him, with all your Strength, Soul and Mind.

46. Sovereignty the firſt Mover of all Things.

How gloriouſly doth thine abſolute Sovereignty ſhine forth in all thy Ways? Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive Glory, and Honour and Power; For thou haſt created all Things, and for thy Pleaſure they are and were created. Becauſe, ſo it pleaſed thee, will abundantly anſwer all Queſtions concerning thy Proceedings. Why are we here ſuch and ſuch by Name? Becauſe ſo it pleaſed thee. We, that are praiſing thee, might have been thine eternal Blaſphemers; and thoſe who are curſing thee, might have been thine eternal Praiſers; But abſolute Sovereignty would have it otherwiſe. That all Things are thus, is becauſe of thy free Will: Theſe Creatures might have been in another State; or others in their Room, or none at all; if ſo it had pleaſed thee. All the external Lots, in Time, the moſt contingent Things, were eternal Draughts of abſolute Sovereignty. Is not the eternal Reſound of our endleſs Songs, Not unto us, not unto us, but unto Thee, O abſolute Sovereign of all Things, be the Glory forever! Wicked Men & Devils have mightily endeavoured, to obſcure the Glory of thy abſolute Sovereignty, by aſcribing undetermined and abſolute Sovereignty to intellectual Agents over their Actions: Stupid Madneſs! Are not all Things at thy Beck? Whatever pleaſed thee, haſt thou done, in Heaven and on Earth: The Hearts of Men are in thine Hands, as the Rivers of Waters, thou turneſt them whither ſoever thou wilt. Thou removeſt the Mountains, and they know it not; Thou overturneſt them in thine Anger; thou takeſt away the Heart of the Chief of the People of the Earth, they grope in the Dark without Light: Tho' thou art not the Cauſe of ſuch a Monſter as Sin; yet, Sin could never have entred within thy Creation, without thy infinite Counſel: Its Exiſtency, or not Exiſtency was at thy Diſpoſing; for Thou wilt have Mercy on whom thou wilt have Mercy; and whom thou wilt, thou hardneſt. Haſt thou not Powet over the ſame Lump, O great Potter, to make of it any Veſſel thou pleaſeſt, either of Honour or Diſhonour? Mayeſt thou not do, in thine own Things, what thou wilt? Blaſphemous Miſcreants, your Blaſphemies redound to his Glory; for this were you created, that his abſolute Sovereignty might be clearly manifeſted over you, the Veſſels of Wrath fitted to Deſtruction: And that Sovereignty is caſt in Juſtice-mould; So that ye moſt deſervedly undergo eternal Wrath: He ſhall have eternal Glory over you, O Haters of his Glory! Theſe Beings of yours are ſo many ever-ſtanding Monuments of his raviſhing Perfections. O the Depths of the Riches, both of thy Wiſdom and Knowledge! How unſearchable are thy Judgments, and thy Ways paſt finding out? For who hath known thy Mind? Or who hath been thy Counſellor? For of thee, and thro' thee, and to thee are all Things. Here is my Heart ſatisfied; ſince the Diſputers of thy Ways are eternally confounded. Rore out now your Blaſphemies, vile Creatures; you are indeed in your Enemy's Hand, Divine Juſtice hath overtaken you. Every Billow of Vengeance, that runs over Soul and Body, might daſh to nothing ten Thouſand Worlds; But he holds you up with one Hand, and daſhes on with the other. Strong Influences, for ſuſtaining a Being, are ever ſhower'd down upon you. Why ſtrive you againſt him, ſilly Bits of Nothings? For He gives not Account of any of his Matters: Far be it from him, that he ſhould do wickedly; for the Work of a Man is rewarded unto him. For He layeth not upon a Man more than right, that he ſhould enter into Judgment with him. Can a Creature be more juſt than God? Can a Creature be more pure than his Maker? Behold, He putteth no Truſt in his Servants, and his Angels he chargeth with Folly: Behold, he taketh away, and none can hinder. Who may ſay unto him, What doſt thou? Can we by Searching find out him? Can we find out the Almighty unto Perfection? Shall Creatures ſhape thee out, according to their finite Conceptions? Shall they think to comprehend thy Ways? Art thou not altogether wonderful in thy Working, O Infinite? What comprehendeth infinite Excellency, except an infinite Underſtanding? Shall we not be ever diving further and further, and ever a beginning to dive? Wert thou, and thy Goings out from Eternity, comprehenſible by us, then wert thou not GOD, the infinite JEHOVAH: Thou dwelleſt in Light, which no Man can approach unto; Thou art he, whom no Man hath ſeen, or can ſee. Can we ſtoop low enough before thy Throne? What are Beings of Yeſterday to thee? What are never ſo many Worlds before thee? Shall empty Nothings quarrel at what they cannot comprehend? Thy Tho'ts are not as our Tho'ts, neither are thy Ways as our Ways. Who hath directed thy Spirit? or, being thy Counſellor, hath taught thee? Who inſtructed thee, and taught thee in the Path of Judgment? Behold, all Creatures are before thee as nothing, leſs than nothing, and Vanity. O boundleſs Ocean of all Perfections! We are forever ſwallowed up in thy infinite Fulneſs. O Super-abundancy of all Happineſs and Joys! O more than perfect Satisfaction, in the full Accompliſhment of all Deſires! O more than Sweetneſs, ſurpaſſing all Sweetneſs! O Heaven! O Glory! how maſſie, ſolid, real, ſubſtantial and enduring art Thou? O only Life: O Marrow, Flower and Vigour of all Lives! O Life of Beholding, Praiſing, Rejoicing, Wondering! O Life of Raviſhments? O Life of Living! O Life of Lives!

47. A World of free redeeming Grace, the moſt excellent World poſſible.

What ſpeak we, Men and Angels, of the Limits of divine Power? What talk we of his manifeſting his Excellency in one, or many, or innumerable Worlds? Is it not manifeſted to the uttermoſt? The Production of never ſo many Armies of Creatures can add nothing thereto: Since the Manifeſtation of God in the Fleſh is the principal Deſign of Eternity; And all other Manifeſtations are in order to this. There ſtands One among us all who is the Firſt-born of every Creature exiſtent, or poſſible: Here is the Man, in whom is viſible to be ſeen, ſuch Glory, Majeſty, Lovelineſs, Sweetneſs, Compaſſion, Mercy, Juſtice, Wiſdom, and all Treaſures of overflowing Fulneſs of Excellency, in ſuch an incomprehenſible, tranſcendent eminent and ſuperabundant Manner, as all the Beholders are overwhelmed in a Sea of delightſom Raviſhments for evermore. Couldſt thou, O my God, manifeſted thy ſelf more clearly, familiarly, ſweetly, condeſcendingly? Away with other Worlds, tho' they were; this is the only one, ſince my all-lovely WELBELOVED dwells here. Thy Beauty, my fair One, darts round about thee, and fills this World with paſſing Glory; yea, were this World Myriads of Myriads of Stages, and never ſo many Times greater than it is, one Ray of thy Countenance, one Glance of thine Eye, would enlighten and adorn it all. What tho' we could view and comprehend at once Thouſands of Thouſands of created Paradiſes of Beauty? one Sight of thy God-like Viſage would ſwallow up all. Angels, had you ſuch a ſweet Manifeſtation of Divine Beauty in the Beginning, as now! Is not our Heaven now two Heavens? Since the eſſential Image of God ſtandeth here, clothed with the humane Nature, as our everlaſting King, Prieſt and Prophet, the great Lord Mediator of the new Covenant, the boundleſs Treaſure of all Fulneſs, out of which we ſhall all be filled and ſatiate for evermore. Are we not, as it were, conſtrained betwixt ſtanding back, and drawing near? Thoſe who behold thee, what can they think of themſelves? Yet, who can ſee, and take Reſt until they be folded in thy raviſhing Embraces? Verily thou art both the Shame and Glory of Creatures: Created Excellency is exalted in thee, to the higheſt Pitch; and all created Excellency is beautified and obſcured before thee. This is the MAN (Men and Angels) by whom all Things in Heaven and Earth do flouriſh and bloom: This is the Tree of Life, the great Vine of Glory, into which we are all ingrafted, as ſo many Boughs and Twigs: All the Glory of his Father's Houſe hangs upon him; the Offspring and the Iſſue, as ſo many Chips & Pieces, darting out from him. This is he, in whom we have been ordained to this Bleſſedneſs from Eternity: This is he, who was promiſed to the People, under the firſt Diſpenſation of the Goſpel; who was held forth by Types and Shadows unto them: This is he, by whom the carnal and beggarly Elements of the World were deſtroyed; the clear, evident Goſpel-Diſpenſation was brought in; the Hand-writing of the Law cancelled; the Vail betwixt Jew and Gentile was rent aſunder; the Nations were ingrafted into the old Stock of the peculiar People; the abſtruſe Secrets of Eternity were opened; the Kingdoms were ſhaken, the Princes of the Earth were ſet up, and pulled down; the Church was preſerved, and flouriſhed, in Deſpight of all the World. This is the Man, who wounded the Heads over many Countries; who trode the Wine-preſs alone, and trampled the People in his Fury, until all his Raiment was ſtained with Blood. This is he, whoſe Name is called Wonderful, Counſellor, the Almighty God, the everlaſting Father, the Prince of Peace: Of the Increaſe of his Government and Peace there is no End. This is the Stone cut out without Hands▪ which ſmote all the Power, Strength and Might of Kingdoms, Nations and Languages: And lo, all Principalities, and Thrones, & Powers, and Dominions are broken to Pieces together, and become like the Chaff of the Summer Threſhing-Floor, that the Wind hath carried away. And behold, this Stone, which hath ſmitten to nothing all tranſitory Glory, is become exceeding great, & filleth all in all. This is he, whom nothing could overcome: He entred the Liſts with Death and Hell, and gave them an eternal Foil; So that they ly under his Feet, & the Feet of his Choſen, for ever and ever. Could Ten thouſand Deaths overcome Him? Were not Devils & wicked Men Fools, that imagined to bind him with any Ties? What would Chains greater than many Worlds; What would infinite Numbers of Mountains of Braſs, be to hold him down, that he riſe not again? How did this Lion of the Tribe of Judah, rouſe himſelf from the Sleep of Death, like a mighty Man after Wine; & made Heaven & Earth, and all to quake? Who but the Standard-bearer among Ten thouſand; Who, but the Prince of the Kings of the Earth; Who but the mighty Captain of the Lord's Hoſts, could have done ſo valiantly? Thou only haſt done heroically, O Welbeloved. You little Heroes of Time, your Magnanimity and heroick Acts vaniſh here; Even tho' ye had done all you did, in your own Strength, and not by his: What tho' you ſubdued Kingdoms, wrought Righteouſneſs, ſtopped the Mouths of Lions, quenched the Violence of Fire, through Weakneſs became ſtrong, put to Flight the Armies of the Aliens? All theſe were done thro' Faith in him. Yet, what have ye done? Could you have trode the Wine-preſs alone, and drunk the Cup of the Wrath of the Almighty, from Brim to Bottom? Could you have ſtood in the Gap, when infinite, eternal Vengeance, like a mighty Flood, was ruſhing in, upon rebellious Mankind? Who elſe could have turned back the mighty Current of ſuch Floods of Wrath, and pacified offended Majeſty, bringing Rebels to ſtoop, and be received into Mercy and Favour again? Who other could have given Hell ſuch a Blow, as it ſhall never be able to riſe; and raiſed Men and Angels to ſuch a Pitch, as that they ſhall never fall? Who other could have led Captivity captive, and purchaſed Gifts for Men, even for the Rebellious? Who other could have opened the Gates of this celeſtial Paradiſe, ſhut upon baſe, ungrate Man; and exalted him, by thouſands of Stages, to more Glory, & Excellency, than he fell from? Thou art All in all, thou art Marrowleſs, O WELBELOVED! No more Compariſons betwixt Thee & Creatures. Hide your ſelves, and be confounded, all lower Excellencies: Be ye ſilent, all Creatures, when he begins to ſpeak; cover your Faces, all you little Glories and Beauties, when he doth ſhew his Face: You are nothing, you are Vanity, compared to him; He is all Things. Verily in him dwells all Fulneſs. Thou art not, O Heaven of Heavens, worthy to be a Foot-ſtool for his glorious Feet. Infinite Worlds, erected above one another, were low for him to tread upon. What are you, Men and Angels, that you ſhould thus ſtand beſide him; That you ſhould ſet your Head within that World he is pleaſed to dwell in? Did he not wonderfully condeſcend, you might run out without the very Creation? What is our Strength and Beauty? On whoſe Legs do we ſtand? Are we able, for one Moment, to perſevere in our Integrity without him. Should we not all become deformed, and fall a-ſinning, did he draw in to himſelf what he darts forth? How is this Paradiſe of God planted with goodly Trees, bloſſoming and flouriſhing with an eternal Verdure? But, did they not receive Sap and Life, and all, from this golden Branch of the Stem of Jeſſe; how in a Moment ſhould their golden Bloſſoms wither, their Fruit fall off, their Leaves decay, and their Root dry up? It is ten Heavens of Joy, O Welbe▪ loved, to know that thy Love is unchangeable, and that theſe that are united to thee by Faith in Time, and immediate Beholding in Eternity, ſhall never be disjoined from thee, but ſhall ever remain cloſe locked in the Arms of eternal Love. What are your Thoughts, O ye Ranſomed Ones, of this aſtoniſhing Diſpenſation? What an inconceivable Tranſportation is this; that any of the curſed Stock of Mankind ſhould be adopted Co-heirs with the eſſential Heir of all Things! Of him are we in Chriſt Jeſus, who of God is made unto us Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, Sanctification, Redemption, and all. Thouſand Times bleſſed Counſel of Eternity! that choſe us in him before the Foundation of the World; having predeſtinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jeſus Chriſt unto himſelf, according to the good Pleaſure of his Will, to the Praiſe of the Glory of his Grace; wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved: Having made known unto us the Myſtery of his Will, according to his good Pleaſure, which he had purpoſed in himſelf; that in the Diſpenſation of the Fulneſs of Time, he might gather together in one all Things, in Chriſt, both which are in Heaven, and which are on Earth. It was not thy Purpoſe, Dread Sovereign, that any ſhould inherit Glory, through their own Obedience: A World of Working was but for a Time that this of altogether free Grace might ſhine forth more gloriouſly. Free Grace's Banner is the only Pavilion, we ſhould for ever abide under. How greatly did the Devil befool himſelf, in endeavouring to obſcure the Glory of his Maker, by the Rebellion of Man? Was he not herein an Inſtrument in the Hand of the great Sovereign, whereby He made Way for his chief and only Purpoſe? What ſhould our Bleſſedneſs have been, to what now it is, if we had wanted thee, O EMMANUEL, the Man of God's right Hand, the very Breath of our Noſtrils? Our eternal Songs ſhould not have been ſo melodious; the Praiſes of free redeeming Grace ſhould not have been heard here: Glory to the Lamb, that was ſlain, and lives for ever, ſhould never have been ſung. No Worlds to this World! No Happineſs to this Happineſs! This is the Flower and Top of all poſſible Diſpenſations! Here is a Confluence of innumerable Providences, that ſhall never be comprehended. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful Works, which thou haſt done; and thy Thoughts which are to us-ward, they cannot be reckoned up in Order to thee. How evidently do I now ſee, that thy Love paſſeth all Underſtanding; that thy Ways are innumerable, and thy Thoughts unſearchable? My Eyes are eternally fixed upon thee, O Flower of all Beauty and Lovelineſs; thou art the Centre whereto all Deſirableneſs and Excellency betakes itſelf: In beholding thee, I behold all Things. Art thou not Love, diſcovered to the Full? Mercy manifeſted, in its higheſt Perfection? Judgment and Righteouſneſs viſibly, in its full Splendor? What have we, which is not in thee? And what can Creatures want, which is not in thee? Shall we not, O Enjoyers, be ſatiate, beautified, raviſhed, bleſſed, for evermore, with that infinite Fulneſs of all Excellency, which dwells in him? We behold, to the Full, thy Glory, as the Glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of Grace and Truth: And of thy Fulneſs have we all received, and Grace for Grace. We have received thy Teſtimony, have ſet to our Seal that God is true; That thou, whom he ſent into the World, ſpeakeſt the Things of God: For He giveth not the Spirit by Meaſure unto thee. O how great is the Myſtery of Godlineſs, God manifeſted in the Fleſh, juſtified in the Spirit, ſeen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the World, received up into Glory! If this was wonderful in Time, is it not ten thouſand Times more now, when the bright Day of Eternity hath broken up? If a Sight of this, by Faith, was raviſhing; am I not now paſſed all the Limits of ſuch Motions? O this Frame! O Glory, Glory! thou art maſſie indeed!

48. The Work of Salvation, a never-enough admired Draught, and all drawn through the Channel of Exigencies.

Immortality, Glory, Praiſe, and Dominion to the Higheſt, that ever it pleaſed Him, thus to communicate himſelf to Men and Angels; That ever he purpoſed in himſelf to give unto us the eternal Son of his Delights, as our everlaſting Days-Man, Redeemer, Huſband, Head, Lord, and all Things. To have enjoyed thee, according to the firſt Diſpenſation, had been unſpeakable Happineſs; but to be choſen in Chriſt, is overflowing Happineſs! O! were we predeſtinate to be conformed to the Image of the Son, which in Time was begun, and now is perfected? Any Tincture of thee, O Welbeloved, any Perfume of thy Garments, is paſſing glorious and excellent. O then, thouſand Times bleſſed I! who am clothed with the Robes of thy Righteouſneſs, the Garments of thy Beauty; who am ſatiate with thy Likeneſs, filled with thy Sweetneſs, adorned with thy Lovelineſs, decked with thy raviſhing Graces. I am like thee, I am like thee! Here is all my Happineſs. This, thy raviſhing Image, was beg • n in me, in Time; and now thou haſt brought it to the high Bloom and Perfection. What paſſing Joys! to think how thou haſt made me grow up, from my Childhood, to this manly Conſtitution: How haſt thou been making me grow up until thou tranſplantedſt me from thy lower Garden of Grace, to thy higher Paradiſe of Glory! Once I was a ſmall Shrub, ſcarce diſcernable from the baſe Thorns and Briers, that overgrew the Earth: But now I am thro' thy infinite Excellency, a mighty and flouriſhing Cedar, in this higher Lebanon. Strange! now, thou haſt brought me to this glorious Condition; and ſtill from leſſer to greater, until I have arrived at Perfection! Is it not moſt evident, that the Path of the Juſt is as the ſhining Light, that ſhineth more and more, until the perfect Day? Tho' our Beginning was ſmall, yet our latter End is greatly increaſed: Our Beginning was full of Ignorance and Infirmity; now our Age is clearer than the Noon-day. We ſhine forth as the Morning! Thou haſt brought forth our Righteouſneſs as the Light, and our Judgment as the Noon-day. And thus hath been thy Way, in all thy Proceedings. How ſmall was thy Church in the Beginning? How few in Number among the numerous Multitude of Mankind? Yet, how didſt thou increaſe and multiply her, as the Sand in the Sea-ſhore, in Deſpite of Devils and wicked Men? And appearedſt thou not, O Welbeloved, as a ſmall Stone, cut out without Hands? And yet haſt become great and filled all. Thou ſhewedſt thy ſelf, at thy firſt Manifeſtation in the Fleſh, unto the Sons of Men, in the Form of a Servant; So that thou waft of no Reputation in the Eyes of a ſtupid World, who are only affected with external Shews: How didſt thou make thy Goſpel to go through the World, without any earthly Pomp or Obſervation? So that the wiſe Men of the World, for a long Time, did little notice it; yet, did thy Name break forth before all Nations: The whole World ſpake of thy Glory. It had been a light Thing, that thou ſhouldſt only have raiſed up the Tribes of Jacob; but thy God did alſo give thee for a Light to the Gentiles, that thou mightſt be his Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth. When Darkneſs did cover the Earth, and groſs Darkneſs the People, thou filledſt them with thy Glory, and madeſt the Place of thy Feet glorious: For the LORD ſent the Rod of thy Strength out of Zion, and cauſed thee to rule in the Midſt of thine Enemies, and made thy People willing in the Day of thy Power; and at thy right Hand did ſtrike through Kings in the Day of his Wrath: Thou judged among the Heathen; Thou filled the Places with the dead Bodies; Thou woundedſt the Heads over many Countries. How vain hath the Judgment of Worldlings proved, who deſpiſed the Seeds of Glory, ſown in the Hearts of the Choſen? They conſidered not the Noon-day Brightneſs, ſucceeding the Dawning. Fools! were only taken with what filled the external Senſes: Tranſitory Glory was a dying Blaze. It is gone, eternally gone! The Baſtard's Portion did flouriſh, and ſeem to eclipſe the Childrens for a Moment; becauſe it was then the Baſtard's Harveſt, but the Children's Seed time: Becauſe thou wouldſt ſhew thou couldſt lead thy Choſen, in their weak and childiſh Eſtate, into this Kingdom through Fighting, and Wreſtling, and great Oppoſition of all Kinds: Whereby our eternal Song is drawn up higher, in exalting thy Wonderful Providence, in bringing us to Glory. What aſtoniſhing Things do I behold, concerning my Pilgrimage, which then I could not perceive! O Time! Time! thou fills Eternity with Admiration. Wonderful! thou brought us not hither at the firſt Production of our Beings: And was an Inch of Time a Prelude to Eternity? Did a Moment's Fighting uſher in an eternal Triumphing? A Life of Faith, a Life of Beholding? A ſmall Intercourſe by Letters and Love-tokens, an eternal, full, and naked Enjoyment? O wonderful! O ſweet Diſpenſation! O pleaſant Conſpiration of divers Providences, and all linked together in the moſt comely Order! What an excellent Connection, between Time and Eternity? What Joy, to be viewing them both at once, and comparing them together? It is wonderful! to conſider the Difference betwixt the Workings of thy Spirit upon me now, and then, together! Was it not the Day-ſtar, that aroſe then in my Heart? Now all is fully illuminated. I am placed under the full Rays of thy Glory. How is this Being of mine filled with thy Divine Nature? All is perfected! O my elevated Faculties! All my Accompliſhments in Time, are ſo perfected, as they are ſwallowed up; And ſo may be ſaid to be done away, as a ſmall Drop, by the Approach of a vaſt Ocean. What higher Happineſs, than thus to reſemble thee, O Fulneſs of all Happineſs! O everflouriſhing Eſtate of Joys! Every Moment is a golden Life, every Day is ten thouſand Heavens of Bleſſedneſs.

49. Our Bleſſedneſs, one eternal Act of Marrying, Feaſting, Triumphing, Solacing in the Bed of Love.

This is the Day of our King's Eſpouſals, and the Day of the Gladneſs of his Heart: This is the Day we longed, prayed, ſighed, weeped and wreſtled for. And may not every Minute obliterate Millions of Millions of Ages of Sorrow and tormenting Labour? This is the Day wherein it is ever Morn, ever Noon-day; but never a declining Shade. You Sorrows, you Griefs, you Labours, you cannot enter this thrice bleſſed Day of Eternity! It is our Marriage-Day, the Day of the Gladneſs of our Hearts. No Nights, Weeks, Months, or Ages; all is after the ſame. Eternity is but one Day; the Day of the great Conſummation of the Match betwixt our glorious Bridegroom and us. In Time we were betrothed unto him, by the Mediation of his Ambaſſadors, and there paſſed Love-tokens as a Seal of the Willingneſs of Parties, and ſuch were ſufficient until the full Accompliſhment. Now, O Now! are we met together, in this majeſtick Marriage-hall of Glory, prepared for the Solemnizing of this eternal Marriage. All are now in the Marriage-robes. Attendants of the Bridegroom, you are majeſtickly arrayed, as it well becomes the Miniſters of ſo magnificent a Prince. O how doth the Father of the Prince, the Bridegroom, appear in his Glory, and Majeſty! What wonderful Manifeſtations of JEHOVAH are here? and how is the BRIDEGROOM adorned? O my Head and Huſband! How haſt thou arrayed thyſelf in thy royal and gorgeous Apparel? Thou appeareſt indeed like a Prince, in his Marriage-day! O but thy Raiment is far changed! Thou haſt caſt from Thee the baſe Garb of Mortality, that in a great Part obſcured thy matchleſs Glory and Lovelineſs, and haſt decked thy Self with raviſhing Divine Majeſty and Lovelineſs, as with a Garment. Thou ſought and wooed thy Bride in a low and contemptible Equipage; Thou madeſt it known thou couldſt draw Hearts to Thee in the moſt low and deſpicable Condition: It would not have been ſo wonderful, if thou hadſt allured, and gained Conſent, appearing in thy royal and majeſtick Eſtate. But here is the Wonder! yet, no Wonder: Since Lowneſs, Weakneſs, Shame and Contempt, cannot but change their Nature, and become Exaltation, Vigour, Glory and Renown; if once Thou aſſume them. But now, Thou art altogether gloriouſly arrayed, ſutable to the Perſon and the Day. O the Beauty! O the raviſhing Perfume of thine Apparel! All thy Garments ſmell of Myrrhe, Aloes & Caſſia, out of the Ivory Palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. The very Perfume of his Raiment is two Heavens! What Sweetneſs then, to ſtand within the Place filled with ſuch raviſhing Fragrancy. But O! to be ever thus, in an eternal Act of Marrying, Eſpouſing, Embracing, Kiſſing, and full Communications of Love, is ten thouſand Lives of Satisfaction, ten thouſand Worlds of perfect Bleſſedneſs, all beaten in one Maſs. Who but CHRIST, and US! How hath he arrayed us, according to his Grandeur and Excellency? All is embroidered with Gold and Gems; every Diamond, every Rubie, every Sapphire tranſcends, by innumerable Stages, the Sun of the lower World, ſhining in his Strength. And doth not this great ALL appear in joyful Apparel, as befitting the Eſpouſals of ſo glorious a COUPLE? All Things dance and ſound forth melodiouſly, our Epithalamium. What a Life is this? ever to be Marrying! ever to be at the Marriage-Feaſt! ever to be entring the Bed of Love! This Feaſt is furniſhed with all Delights, it raviſhes every Moment, and throughout all Eternity! O what Variety! O what Efficacy in every Delicate! Every one doth forever ſatiate: and yet Delights are ever renewed! This Land is nothing but a Table furniſhed with all Abundance of Fruits always. All Milk, all Spices, all Delights, every where ſuperabound eternally. And in what a raviſhing Manner art thou ever inviting! Eat, O Friends, drink yea drink abundantly, O Beloved: Drink and drink again, and forever drink. This is a Day of Gladneſs and Rejoicing; this is the Day of the Accompliſhment of all our Deſires. The POMP of this Day is glorious indeed! Verily, my GOD, Thou haſt made us as happy as can be! This Diſpenſation tranſcends inconceivably all other! This Delight and Love is ever blooming and green! O this ſweet and delightſom Bed of Love! One Sight and Smell of it, afar off, is raviſhing. How is it all ſtrewed over with ever-flouriſhing, and overflowing Roſes and Lilies; with infinite Kinds of odoriferous and beautiful Flowers of infinite Virtues? All my Faculties are filled, and overfilled with all Manner of Delights and Sweetneſs! Is not this Wine of Glory, O Enjoyers, of wonderful Efficacy? who can endure to pull the Cup from the Mouth? and yet every Draught doth ſatiate to the full. And is it not endowed with all poſſible Vertues? Do not its Spirits fill all the Faculties and Powers with an immortal Vigour; an unſpeakable Sweetneſs, and ſurpaſſing Joys? Great Things haſt thou prepared, O WELBELOVED, far above all our Conceptions! What ſhall be my never-ending Exerciſe, but to be ſatiate and raviſhed with thine uncreated Sweetneſs? If my Cloſing with Thee, tho' abſent, was paſſing joyful, how ſhall I now rejoice, and exult, in ſolemnizing the BARGAIN, in ſatiating my ſelf for ever with fully-manifeſted LOVES, in this Bed of Love? The Wooing-time ſeemed ſmall and inconſiderable; O the Marriage is wonderfully glorious and excellent! What eſteemed a baſe World of thy great Call, when thou ſent thine Ambaſſadors to call them unto this everlaſting Supper? How did they ſlight ſuch an aſtoniſhing Diſpenſation, as a well-invented Fancy, and turned themſelves wholly to their Earthly Enjoyments, as being the only real Things, which affected their brutiſh Minds? Do you not now ſee your deſperate Madneſs, O vile Worldlings? Is not your Apprehenſion wonderfully changed? Did you ſlight the ſweet Invitations of the Almighty, to ſuch boundleſs Happineſs? Well, you ſhall never taſte it, through all Eternity. You have gotten your Choice, a momentany Enjoyment of Earth have you received: This boundleſs Joy you never cared for. If you have done wiſely, rejoice therein throughout Eternity. O happy I! that ever I gave up my Name into the Number of thy eſpouſed Ones! That ever Thou inclined my Heart to take Thee, for my Lord, Head and Huſband! O bleſſed Choice! thouſand Times bleſſed Choice! Had I known in Time, how happy a Bargain I had made, ſhould I not have been overjoyed unto the Death? And was there ſuch Difficulty, to get the Children of Men to ſay, Amen, to ſuch an advantagious Bargain? Didſt Thou knock, and knock again, O Welbeloved, at the Doors of our Hearts, before we would heartily accept? didſt Thou argument, beſeech, threaten and weep for a Conſent? Who would have thought, but one ſerious Invitation had been enough for all Mankind! O blockiſh Mortality! O ſtupid brutiſh Madneſs! Thou haſt not Cauſe here to exalt thy ſelf, O empty Self, who deſpiſed, and overlooked, ſo much this glorious Match: Who ſtood more out againſt theſe glorious Offers? Didſt thou not play faſt and looſe with JESUS, as all others? When He ſaw, he could not prevail with thee, more than others, (all Mankind being alike in their Orignal) He put in his Hand by the Hole of the Door, and then cauſed thy Bowels be moved for him: He filled thine Heart, ere ever thou waſt aware, with his overcoming Love and Sweetneſs. Thou waſt hearing the Sound of this Goſpel in a dead and natural Way, but he breathed upon all thy Faculties, and ſaid unto thee, Live; and thou aroſe from the Dead, and heard, and ſaw Wonders in the Goſpel, that blind ſtupid Worldlings could never perceive. Had he ſuffered thee to follow thy natural Inclinations, thou hadſt marched on, to endleſs Deſtruction, contrary to all his loving Invitations. Nay, but ſince from Eternity he had choſen thee, of his own good Pleaſure, out of the Maſs of Mankind, He could not but manifeſt his Love to thee, in Time, in a ſpecial Manner; and therefore he paſt from Intreaty, to Raviſhments, and drew thee with ſuch ſtrong Cords of Love, that thou couldſt not but yield. O my holy One, no Creature can reſiſt thy overcoming Beauty: When thou darteſt forth thy Love, all is ſet in a Flame; Hell and Death could not reſiſt thee. Ever haſt thou been drawing Sinners up to Heaven after thee, unto this great Marriage; and now we are all within the Bed of Love. Love! Nothing but raviſhing Love! O what Looks of Love! Nothing but Kiſſes, but eternal Embraces! Men and Angels, is it poſſible we can be more happy? What can Creatures have more? Is there any more ſweet and lovely than the Chief of Ten thouſand? Can there be any greater and nearer Fellowſhip with him than this? He is our Friend, our moſt intimate Friend; we ſpeak with him Face to Face. Nay, He is our Brother, near of Blood unto us; we will kiſs, eternally kiſs, and ſhall not be aſhamed. Nay, He is our Huſband, One with us, as he is One with the Father, One in Nature, Spirit, Mind and Affections: He is ours, and we are his. O what great Communications of Love ſhall we eternally be filled with! Are you not chanting forth Marriage-Songs, O ye Angels? are ye not foe ever inventing Love-Songs of your matchleſs Bridegroom, O ye Saints? O thou whole Creation of God, art thou not in a ſmiling exulting Poſture? And is not all this Glory and Bleſſedneſs the Object of your Grief and Sorrow, vile Miſcreants? are you gnaſhing your Teeth, through Torment and Sorrow, and Envy, when the whole Creation claps its Hands, for exceeding Joy? Is it not moſt juſt, that you are the Curſe and the Deriſion of all? You judged your ſelves unworthy of this boundleſs Happineſs, and are you not juſtly ſhut out from this joyful Marriage-Supper of the Lamb? No more crying, Come unto the Marriage: All is paſt and done, nothing to do; all Things continue in this very Condition they are in. O now, who but JEHOVAH and the LAMB! Who but the Lamb and his Spouſe! who are now Maſters of all, who are now the eternal Triumphers. Behold, Men and Angels, behold your King and Head, and Welbeloved, in his Robes-royal, with ſuch a maſſie Diadem of Glory on his Majeſtick Head, as would cruſh in Pieces Ten thouſand Myriads of Worlds: Every Ruby of his Crown tranſcends all Valuation; the Diamonds and Pearls for ever dazle the Eyes of the Beholders: All the Spectators are amazed & confounded; they ſparkle and ray forth Beauty and Lovelineſs thro'out all Generations. Is it poſſible you can reſtrain your Eyes, O Spectators! muſt not all your Faculties bend thither eternally? Who can expreſs the Thoughts of his Heart? who can tell what he clearly beholds? who can behold enough what appears moſt evident? This is the SIGHT, the only Sight: What greater Happineſs, O Prince of Glory, than to follow Thee, whitherſover thou goeſt! What Glory, to run after thy Chariot, in this Day of thy Glory and Power! What Honour, to bear up thy Train, in this thy Marriage-Day! Follow thee! Could we but follow thee, tho' it were but through innumerable Worlds! Never, never, ſhall we be disjoined from Thee. O ſtrange World! O wonderful Eſtate, ever to be triumphing! ever to be marrying! ever to be ſolacing in the Paradiſe of Loves! ever to be riding in the Chariot of Honour! This Chariot is of the Wood of Lebanon, the Pillars thereof are of Silver, the Bottom of Gold, the Covering of Purple; the Midſt thereof being paved with Love for the Daughters of Jeruſalem. Is not this a Majeſtick Chariot, that contains ſuch a great Company of Kings and Prieſts? What a Life is this, thus to ride in the Chariot with the great King of Glory, whoſe Goings forth have been from Eternity! Is this the Honour of the Saints? Is this the Glory we heard, and ſpake ſo much of, on Earth? Is this the Accompliſhment of my Expectations? This is more than ever I could aſk, or think; thus to triumph, in at the Gates of this golden City, up and down its golden Streets, along the Border of this pure River of living Water, overſhadowed with this delightſom Tree of Life! O aſtoniſhing Exaltation! O ſilly I, art thou not highly exalted! It was much thou couldſt expect this, but more thou can bear it. One Beam of thine infinite Excellency, O my excellent Welbeloved, hath a wonderful Efficacy, that can render Dunghil Wretches of ſuch ſublime royal Spirits, as that they can carry, bravely, the higheſt Exaltation and Glory! Thou art worthy, O Flower of Excellency, thus for ever to ride gloriouſly, and all thy redeemed Ones after Thee! Thou fought and overcame; and ſhall not all be crowned with immortal Glory and Honour, thou art pleaſed to caſt thy Favour upon? Thou wooed and ſought thy Bride through Labour, and Shame, and Pain, and Sorrow, and Death, tho' deformed and vile, ſlighting all the Manifeſtations of thine infinite Love; and ſhalt thou not deck and beautify her, and be delighted in her eternally? O this ſweet, ſweet Union & Communion! O the mutual Compellations of vehement and mutual Love! Nothing but, O thy Fairneſs, thy Beauty! Behold, thou art fair, my Love; behold, thou art fair! Behold, Thou art fair, my Beloved! Thou art all fair my Love, there is no Spot in Thee! Thou haſt raviſhed my Heart, my Siſter, my Spouſe; thou haſt raviſhed my Heart with one of thine Eyes, with one Chain of thy Neck! O the Fairneſs of thy Love, my Siſter, my Spouſe! The moſt rejoicing Liquors, the moſt refreſhing Fragrancies, are nothing comparable thereunto! O thy honied Lips! O thy raviſhing ſweet Tongue, paſſing all Rivers of Sweetneſs! O thy Lebanon Garments! they ſmell like a Field, which the Lord hath bleſſed. I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine; he feedeth among the Lilies. Come, my Beloved, let us enter the Bed of Loves, and eternally ſatiate our ſelves with overcoming Delights: O then, I will be ſatisfied with Love-kiſſes and Embraces! I will cauſe thee to drink of all my Delicacies: Thy Left-hand ſhall be eternally under mine Head, and thy Right-hand ſhall embrace me. I ſhall be for ever a Seal upon thine Arm, upon thine Heart. Strong burning Love requires the neareſt Enjoyment. O what a green and blooming Love is this! We are raviſhed with the Love of Eſpouſals! thro'out Eternity, every Hour is the firſt Hour, every Enjoyment as the firſt Enjoyment! All is like the Lilies, Roſes, Paradiſe-Flowers round about us, that laugh and ſmile with an immortal Verdure! Dance, and dance eternally, thou whole Creation of God; let the Manifeſtations of thy Joy be for ever manifeſted: Rejoice, even rejoice for ever, in theſe wonderful glorious ESPOUSALS of the LAMB; for upon every Part of Thee hath its Excellency an Influence. Had JEHOVAH ſo admirably adorned Thee, O thou Heaven of Heavens, were it not for the Glory and Majeſty of theſe everlaſting Eſpouſals? Would he have adorned thee with ſuch glorious Manſions, if it had not been for the Glory and Delights of his Bride? Would the Mountains of Myrrhe and Frankincenſe been filled with ſuch paſſing Raviſhments; all the Gardens of Love with ſuch Rarities of Beauties? Would the Walls, the Houſes and Streets be made ſo wonderfully excellent and delightſom; were it not for the Honour and Delight of ſuch a glorious COUPLE? Wouldſt thou been renewed after ſo glorious a Manner, O thou lower World; were it not that thy Maker will have all to ſmile, and appear in a ſweet, joyful and Marriage-apparel, in this Day of the boundleſs Joys of his Heart? O joyful Creation of God! O my Heart, thou overflows with Raviſhments! O Flower and Excellency of all Lives! O higheſt Top of all Felicity! O boundleſs Oceans of eternal Raviſhments!

50. The full Enjoyment of God, conſiſts in the neareſt mutual Conjunction.

O bleſſed Self, that reſts ſo ſweetly in the Arms of thy only WELBELOVED! Thy Head eternally lies in his Boſom: The Heat and Life ariſing from his flaming Heart, hath a Vertue, would cauſe Death and Sorrow to live and be cheerful. Hell and Devils, tho' I were in the Midſt of you all, I could not fear you, who reſt within theſe invincible Arms. You Flower and Excellency of all Creature-beauty and Lovelineſs, you could not allure me, to leave, for one Moment, this raviſhing Repoſe. This was a Counterpoiſe in all thy Difficulties through the Valley of Tears: The Fore-thoughts of this, added Strength and Courage in all thy Faintings and Infirmities: The Hope of this ſweet Reſt hath not been vain. Had I had ſuitable Apprehenſions thereof, how valiant had I been for the Truth upon the Earth? How ſhould I ever contended to the uttermoſt, for the ſmalleſt Things of my WELBELOVED? How ſhould I raiſed up againſt me the Tongues and Opprobries of the moſt excellent Saints on Earth? How ſhould I have been ſo couragious, and zealous for his Intereſts, as that I ſhould have proved a Man of Contention, in the pureſt Times? The Threatnings, Opprobries and Mockings of either Friend, or Foe, ſhould have been Nothing regarded by me: But I ſhould have ſo carried, that I ſhould have ſcarce eſcaped capital Puniſhment, in the beſt of Times. How ſhould I have acted to Admiration? How ſhould I have run and fought, and fought and run, ever with Joy unſpeakable and glorious? Can there be greater Bleſſedneſs, than to dwell within theſe Arms of Love; My Labour, my Grief, my Sorrow, hath been juſt nothing: One Moment's Repoſe in thy Boſom, ſweeteſt Welbeloved, might ſwallow up Ten thouſand Ages of all Labour, Pain and Sorrow. Now I need no more pray for Kiſſes; and I will alſo kiſs, and be ever drawing Sweetneſs from theſe bleſſed Lips; for we ſhall never change this bleſſed Poſture. No Need to charge any, That my Beloved be not provoked to ariſe till he pleaſe. I am overjoyed, that all Sinning and Vanity is done away, which did much ſeparate us a ſunder! O ſweet, ſweet, that thou haſt made me pleaſant and deſirable in thine Eyes! What can I deſire more, than that I am lovely and delightſome in the Eyes of my Lord the King? Rejoice and be glad, in what is thine own: Even rejoice over me with Singing, and reſt in thy Love towards me. Drink and drink again of that Sweetneſs, wherewith thou haſt filled me: Be delighted always with this Lovelineſs, I am Partaker of by thy Bounty and F • vour. Let mine Eyes for ever raviſh thee, for ever da •• forth Rays of Lovelineſs upon thee; and be ſatisfied with my Breaſts at all Times. My Bleſſedneſs can be no greater; Thou art mine, and thy Deſire is towards me. Wonder, and be greatly amazed, O all Creatures, the eternal ONE, and Yeſterday-beings are for ever in the mutual Delights of Love, in the raviſhing Solaces of one another! Dive, and dive eternally, Men and Angels, you ſhall ever be infinitely from the furthermoſt of this Abyſs of Wonders. Who can comprehend this Exaltation? Who can conceive this Condeſcendency? What think you, That GOD and Creatures converſe ſo familiarly together! What think you, That he is our Brother, our Huſband, One like us, One with us, One for us, One raviſhed with our Fellowſhip, for evermore! Who can ſhow the Thoughts of his raviſhed Heart? Who can fully reflect on the aſtoniſhed Apprehenſions of his elevated Mind? Haſt thou not ſhown, what infinite Power can do? How low infinite Love can ſtoop! How highly infinite Bounty can exalt; How wonderfully infinite Excellency can make beautiful and excellent! O my Faculties! you ſhall be ever filled with Aſtoniſhment: Ever ſatiated with his uncreated Sweetneſs! Can I ſuffer any Want in thy Boſom, O Fountain of Excellency? Shall I not be filled, whom am ſet down beſide this Well of living Water, under the Boughs of the Tree of Life, whoſe delicious Fruits are ever falling upon me? I am ſatiate with thy Love, my fair One; ſome Glimpſes thereof on Earth, were raviſhing, wonderfully above what the Abundance of Corn and Wine could produce: The Report of thine Excellency and Glory filled the Heart, with paſſing Sweetneſs: Thy raviſhing Emanations cannot be contained within this large Land: but had Influence upon the lower World, cauſing many of the Inhabitants to be deeply in Love with thee, whom they never ſaw; ſo that they renounced the Love of all Things for thee, ſtrove exceedingly to be like thee, and pleaſe thee in all Things: Fought againſt all Oppoſition, endeavoured to the uttermoſt, for exalting thy Glory, and continued in a longing Frame, to behold thee Face to Face: And ſo remained faithful unto the Death. Thy Lovers are never ſatiate, till they have thee in their Arms: The Enjoyment of thee afar off is raviſhing ſweet, & cannot but cauſe the Beholder to run with all his Might, until he be at thee, even innected in thine eternal Embraces. O my Life, my Life! O ſweet, ſweet, ſweet for evermore!

51. The Life of Glory, the only Life, that overtops all other Lives, and ſwallows them up.

All Creatures live according to the Capacity of their Being, but no Life to that which is Divine! The Animal Life is dead and dark, and without Efficacy and Beauty; the Intellectual is a low and baſe Thing: But this Life of Glory doth only excel all other Excellencies. All other Lives are ſwallowed up here! That which is in Part, and imperfect, is done away, by that which is the Perfection of Excellency. O my Lovely One, thou art indeed the Prince of Life! Thou art the Life of all the Inhabitants of this majeſtick City: Didſt thou withdraw what thou haſt communicated, ſhould we not be ſo many Lumps of Death and Deformity? Thou art my ALL in all, my fair One! Thou art my Life, and Vigour of all my Joys and Deſires. That divine Life, by which thou eternally liveſt, haſt thou breathed into me; ſo that I am become inconceivably above a living Soul, or an intellectual Creature: This noble divine Life didſt thou communicate unto me, in my dead and ſenſual Condition, but in a ſmall Meaſure, that it was much obſcured by Sin and Corruption; then being the Time of Childhood and Wreſtling: But how hath it grown more & more, until it hath overtoped, and ſwallowed up all other Lives; ſo that now I am filled with all thy Fulneſs? Even thy Nature, thine Image, thine Excellency haſt thou fully impreſſed upon me: So that, as thou art, ſo am I. O ſecure Eſtate! I Chriſt is my Life; is not then my Life eternal? My Life lies in the Fountain; and ſhall it not be ever in its Vigour and full Strength? Other Lives are like ſmall Drops, ſeparated from the Ocean, and may vaniſh: How ſoon did animal, rational and intellectual Lives fall from their native Conſtitution? Nothing permanent, which is not Divine; nothing everlaſting, which lies not immediately without the Mixture of Creature-imperfections; The nearer thee, the ſafer; the further off thee, the more dangerous; to be quite cut off from thee, is perfect and only Miſery. Curſed Men and Angels have no other Influence from the Fountain, but that which conſerves their natural Beings, in their natural Operations. O Welbeloved, not only in thee do I live, move and have my Being, but thou art my All in all! I am filled with all thy Fulneſs. O my Life, my Life! Do I not live for evermore?

52. No Neceſſity of Creatures in Heaven: Jehovah is eminently all Things.

All Things are ſwallowed up in thine infinite Excellency! Created Enjoyments are cried down, Times and Days are for ever fled away: All Things are immediately ſubjected to JEHOVAH, even the SON himſelf. All Rule, all Authority is put down; no Subordinations among Creatures; one Thing ſtands not in Need of another; every Thing would be, as it is, tho' all other Creatures were done away: All flouriſh by the immediate Rays of the Sun of Righteouſneſs; GOD doth maintain all Creatures without the Concurrence of Creatures: No Connections of ſecond Cauſes, no Dependencies of one Creature upon another: Nature's World is quite aboliſhed; the Conditions of Beings are altogether changed: Yet, in how ſweet an Order do all Things agree? All are independent; yet, all conſpire in one; the Bond of Love betwixt all, is ſtrong and immortal; the mutual Aſpects of all are pleaſant, and ſuperabounding, in Beings accompliſhed, every one in their own Meaſure, immediately from the Original of all Perfections. You Creature beauties, the full Emanations of your Lovelineſs and Sweetneſs are ever darted upon me with Delight; yet, am I happy to the uttermoſt, whether I enjoy you, or not: Time was when I could not well have wanted you; But now, whether I enjoy you, or not, I am ever the ſame; being filled and ſatiate with his eternal Sweetneſs: You are the Adornments, Outfields and Pendicles to my great Inheritance, and no Addition thereunto. And art thou, O my GOD, become All unto me? The Want of all my temporal Enjoyments is a Gain, that cannot be told! How have I been vexed, and wearied, with being occupied about vain, empty, unſatisfying Nothings; So that I was glad of a borrowed Viſion of thee, of a reflex Manifeſtation of thy Glory and Excellency; and was ſo covered over with Shadows, that I could neither order right Expreſſions, nor Conceptions, becauſe of Darkneſs. How oft have I bemoaned, When ſhall the Day dawn, and the Shadows fly away that I may be filled immediately with his Glory? This Sight of his Beauty, this Taſte of his Sweetneſs is tormenting, as well as delightſom: I cannot reſt, until I get full Enjoyment: Still I would have more and more of GOD, until I be filled with all his Fulneſs: But Oh! I cannot; Ten thouſand Things ſtand in betwixt me and him, through this earthly and ſinful Eſtate; ſo that I am oftimes ſo confuſed and diſordered, that I can deſire nothing at all: How doth this poor Life depend every Moment, on ten thouſand Things? Here am I diverted, through Mortality, by every Thing that comes in my Way; innumerable Creatures having a commanding, diverting Influence over me: Muſt I be ever ſleeping, eating, drinking, converſing in this and that Trifle? Muſt I draw Conſolations from this, and the other, and the third Creature; and have a Fellowſhip with my GOD, by Benefit of Means and Ordinances, which ever have the Tincture and Savour of Imperfection? And are not the Conduits oftimes ſo corrupt, as that they imbitter my Enjoyments? And are they not ſo ſtopt, as that I am almoſt dead ſon Want? How am I drawn aſide hither and thither; this feeble Fleſh being apt to receive new Impreſſions, every Moment, from every Thing that comes in the Way! And how vexing are all theſe Enjoyments, tho' moſt neceſſary? What a nauſeating Round do I run, ever toſſing the ſame Stone? That which hath been, is that which ſhall be, and there is no new Thing under the Sun. What Profit hath a Man of all his Labour? For tho' the Eye is not ſatisfied with Seeing, nor the Ear with Hearing, ſo that new Enjoyments are ever required; yet, muſt the ſame Things be run over, and over again: And what might ſeem more excellent, than by the ſerious Search and Study of Things, to have the Heart filled with great Experience of Wiſdom and Knowledge? Yet, I perceive, that this alſo is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit; for in much Wiſdom, is much Grief; and he that increaſeth Knowledge, increaſeth Sorrow. Run faſt, O Time, and Days, that this World may be cried down for ever, and God may become All in all. Silly Worldlings deſire to have theſe Enjoyments eternally; becauſe they know no better: Something the Faculties muſt be exerciſed with, tho' with vexing Vanity. O but I have a Sight of the only ſatisfying Object! O to have all theſe out of the Way! Were it not thy good Pleaſure I ſhould continue thus for a Time, I could not but die through longing for the immediate Viſion of God. Scattered Streams, and Drops are become bitter; When ſhall I enter, Body and Soul, into the Ocean, and be filled, and ſwallowed up for ever and ever? When ſhall I receive the direct Rays of all Excellency from the Sun of Righteouſeſs; no Clouds intervening throughout Eternity? O Flower of all Bleſſedneſs! O golden Life of all my Deſires! I am paſt from the Light of the Sun, and of the Moon; I am paſt from the neceſſary Help of Shadows, and Nothings. The LORD JEHOVA His my only Strength, and Light, and Life, and Joy, and Song, and all Things. Is it not ſweet living thus, in the immediate Preſence of Jehovah and the Lamb? O Emmanuel's World, thou art an excellent Habitation! How ſweetly and commodiouſly art thou ſituate, directly againſt the SUN, and ORIGINAL of all Light, and Life, and Joy, and Sweetneſs? Who can but be lively and joyful here? Indeed, this is the ſmiling World, the roſy, and ſunny Side of the Creation. What more can be ſaid of my overflowing Happineſs, than that I am here for evermore?

53. Glory is an eternally blooming Thing.

Is not the Fountain of Life deep? Men and Angels, is it poſſible you ſhall ever draw it dry? Nay, is it poſſible you can draw ſo much, that leſs remains behind? Yea, what could Millions of Millions of Angels multiplied do here? Not only drink, and for ever drink; but enter in, and you ſhall be, as ſo many Nothings, ſwallowed up, as it were, and loſt forever. What infinite Springs of Sweetneſs, and Conſolation ly hid? Dig further and deeper for ever, and ſtill you ſhall find new Springs: Still there remains as many hid, as at the firſt Searching. What boundleſs Varieties of Joys and Sweetneſs? Every Draught, every Taſting may eternally raviſh: yet, every Moment, every Inſtant is filled with new Delights, new Raviſhments: For what can exhauſt infinite Delights and Sweetneſs? We may feel, and taſte, and enjoy it, as it is; but can we comprehend it, and ſearch it out unto Perfection? When we are all filled, the boundleſs Ocean is nothing diminiſhed. And ſince we are ever drinking, ever drawing in Floods of increated Sweetneſs, are not our Delights infinitely various, and renewed every Moment? Which is an Enjoyment of the ſame, after diverſe Manners, according to its infinite Varieties of Perfections, which eminently and virtually dwell therein. O then, the various and wonderful Conceptions of Men and Angels! O the ever green and flouriſhing Communications of raviſhing Loves, and Joys! Shall there not be, every Moment, a new Love-ſong of Praiſes? Shall not infinite Perfections, more and more ſeen, ſupply forever with new Expreſſions of the Excellency, Glory, Lovelineſs, Sweetneſs and Kindneſs of HIM, that ſits upon the Throne, and the LAMB? We are paſt from augmenting of our Knowledge, by borrowed Viſions; or perfecting it, by ſtriving to know more, and more evidently, and diſtinctly: All Confuſion and Darkneſs is done away; Error, Ignorance, and falſe Uptakings, are no more: We know as we are known, even nakedly, immediately, and Face to Face; without a proſpective Repreſentation, or Clouds interveening: So that, as to Kind, Knowledge is perfect; yet, ſhall we not ever be ſearching into the unſearchable Riches of this bottomleſs Mine, filled with all Varieties of Silver, Gold, Gems, Diamonds, Rubies and Sapphires, of inconceivable Value and Excellency? Are we not as ſo many Divines, ſearching, preaching, diſcourſing more and more of the tranſcendent Excellency of that Fountain of all Fulneſs! Do we not, in this raviſhing Exerciſe, run over again, in the ſame Round? O then, throughout all Eternity our Happineſs ſhall ever be increaſing. In the very firſt Entry, all ſuperabounds and overflows its Banks; ſo that nothing is wanting, in the leaſt, to perfect Happineſs, Satisfaction and Fulneſs: Yet ſhall theſe overflowing Tides of Loves, and Joys, and Raviſhments for ever ſwell higher and higher; ſo that the ſucceeding Moment ſhall be more ſuperabounding than the immediately preceeding. O then, the Growth and Flouriſhing of ten thouſand Myriads of Ages! And doth not this River increaſe proportionable to its Greatneſs? O then! after Myriads of Ages, according to the Number of the Atoms of the Creation; how ſhall it be augmented above the Number of all theſe Atoms, thouſands of Times multiplied by themſelves? So that, to all Eternity, we are ever changed from Glory to Glory, and ever aſcend higher and higher, and ſtill the Steps become wider and wider; the Faculties ever are more and more clear and extended; and the Diſcoveries more and more wonderfully raviſhing. This infinite World of all Perfections is beheld clearly and immediately as it is; yet, who can comprehend all the Beauties, Delights, Excellencies and infinite Perfections, wherewith it is ſtored? Or, who can reach the infinite Number of Paradiſes, Mountains, Vallies, Rivers? Yea, who can reach the ten thouſand thouſandth Part of its Immenſity? So that eternally we ſhall follow the LAMB, through new Gardens, Orchards, Paradiſes, Mountains, and ever be going directly forward, making greater and greater, and more wonderful Diſcoveries. All the Powers and Faculties become more and more powerful and vigorous; ſo that Joy, and Delight, and Love, and Raviſhment, ſhall ſwell more and more in Height, and Breath, and Length, and Depth throughout Eternity. Men and Angels, is not our Inheritance inconceiveably large and fertile, rich and beautiful, and delightſom? Can we among us all but reckon over our Palaces, Cities, Paradiſes, Countries, Kingdoms and Worlds? O what high Stretchings of Mind! and what further and further Stretchings, to let in theſe boundleſs Inundations of increated Sweetneſs, that overflow inceſſantly, rapidly, and eternally? O my God, this Happineſs is more than ſuperabounding! Who can expreſs? who can conceive, what a Life it is, to be received into the Boſom of thy infinite Excellencies? to be admitted into the eternal Enjoyment of thy incomprehenſible SELF! O what eternal Manifeſtations of the GODHEAD, to Men and Angels, in the Face of CHRIST! What Outlettings of new and various Influences from the Sun of Righteouſneſs! What inceſſant Showers of the Dew of our WELBELOVED's Youth! What high, full, conſtant, lively and cheriſhing Gales of the ſweet raviſhing Breath of JEHOVAH! What Wonder then, all the Trees of this Paradiſe of Glory aſcend higher and higher, ſpread their Branches further and further, and increaſe eternally in their Strength, Verdure and Blooming and Fruitfulneſs? Poor Life, that depends on Creature-influences and Creature-enjoyments! Neither are they ſatisfying in themſelves; nor can they yield new Sweetneſs eternally. Was it not the higheſt of all Madneſs and Folly, to forſake the eternal Fountain of living Waters, and reſt an broken Ciſterns, that can hold no Water? O Joy of all Joys, that ever I reſted upon Thee, as my only Portion! O my Happineſs! my Happineſs ſurpaſſeth all Expreſſion!

54. Emmanuel's Land is altogether of free redeeming Grace, yet is it given by way of Reward.

And what is this great Aſſembly of ſuch glorious and majeſtick Creatures, but a Number of bound Debtors to the free Grace, altogether free redeeming Grace of JEHOVAH and the LAMB? Are ye not, O bleſſed Creatures, ſo many Monuments of the free and undeſerved Bounty and Love of Him, whoſe Love paſſeth all Underſtanding? Away with Deſerving and Merit! what can Creatures do to Thee? what can their Acting, or Suffering for Thee, merit at thy Hand? If any have any Thing of its own, or can do any Thing of it ſelf, then may it glory in what is its own. If all Creatures are not eternally obliged to love, and obey, and ſerve Thee, with all their Might and Vigour; then let them aſk Wages for obeying. Yea, is it not an eternal Wonder, Thou ſhouldſt make Men, or Angels Actors, or Witneſſes of thy infinite Glory and Excellency? What are all Creatures to thee, that thou ſhould open thine Eyes upon them? what unſpeakable Dignity, to be allotted to the loweſt Piece of Service for Thee? The more Creatures adore, and love and obey Thee, the more they are run into the Debt of thy free Grace: Yea, tho' Creatures could deſerve, the very active Glorifying of thee carries in its Boſom full and overruning Recompenſe. And what Proportion imaginable is there betwixt the Acting or Suffering of a finite Creature, and one Moment of theſe boundleſs Joys? The Service is finite, but the Reward is invaluable. Tho' it had been poſſible for Creatures to perſevere under a Covenant of Works; yet could they not have deſerved, nor earned Wages, except by Virtue of Paction, a Product of wonderfully free, and condeſcending Grace: Which Way of Earning is under this ſecond Covenant, and that in a more ſublime and glorious Manner. Perfect Obedience was the Condition of the Firſt; Sincerity of the Second. Continuation of a national Life, in an earthly Paradiſe, ſo long as the Creature perſevered, was the Reward of the Firſt; Eternal Duration of a divine Life, in this celeſtial Paradiſe, the Reward of the Second. The Firſt was made with the earthly Adam, as the Head, and principal Perſon of the earthly Ho • ſe; the Second, with the heavenly Adam, as Head & principal Perſon of the heavenly: But the Firſt ruined both himſelf and his; not being able to fulfil the Bargain: The Second hath made up both himſelf, and his, for evermore, by perfect Obedience, and full Satisfaction, and Excellency of Power, in transforming his Children into his heavenly Image, and bringing them all infallibly to Glory. The Covenant was principally made with our WELBELOVED; all the Promiſes of the new Covenant were made to him, as the Chief and Firſt-born of many Brethren; So that it was impoſſible, that any of his Choſen from Eternity could be loſt; being put into ſo ſure an Hand, who was countable to the Father for every one of them; having from Eternity received them from Him, as his Spouſe, his Children, his Brethren, his Co-heirs, his Pupils, to be guided and tutored by Him, in Time and Eternity: So that all the Streſs and Care of our Salvation was laid upon our great Lord Redeemer's Shoulders; according to which Truſt, He hath Called, Juſtified, Sanctified us, Inabled us, kept us from falling away, in the midſt of Infirmities, Difficulties, Temptations; and preſented us without Spot, or Blemiſh, before his Father. Our firſt earthly Father played the Bankrupt with all, and left us poor, vile, miſerable Wretches, lying in our Blood, and no Eye pitying us; our Nature being in his Loins, as the Root and Original of us all. Did he not degrade and debaſe; So that from excellent rational Creatures, created after the raviſhing Image of our Maker, we became Brutiſh, Vain, Fooliſh and Vile? But in came our Welbeloved, and aſſumed our Nature, in its low and baſe Condition, with all its Infirmities and Paſſions, yet without Sin, and raiſed it up to a far, far higher Pinnacle of Excellency, than ever it fell from. Before, its Excellency was natural, but now it is ſupernatural; before earthly, now heavenly and divine. What are our Thoughts of the inconceivable Rays, and raviſhing Reſplendencies of free, free, free Grace, ſhining from the Godhead, in the Face of Chriſt, to undone Creatures? What could we do for our ſelves, when broken and loſt? was not our Condition on moſt deſperate-like? We could not keep our ſelves in our firſt Condition, when intire and in our full Vigour; What then could we do, when broken in Pieces and deſtroyed? Had we not been obliged to Him, who had reſtored us to our former Eſtate, or meerly ſaved us from eternal Wrath, tho' no more? But O! what aſtoniſhing Bounty, Love, Mercy, Condeſcenſion, Compaſſion, Kindneſs, Patience, and infinite Wonders ſhine here! Sirs, what have we loſt, by our great and unſpeakable Loſs? Our Fall was abominable, dreadful, monſtrous, ungrate and aſtoniſhing; yet what have we loſt? Ah! no Thanks to us, that we are not eternally undone: Utter Deſtruction may be aſcribed for ever to us, tho' the Guilt thereof is eternally cancelled; let all the Glory and Praiſe reſt upon his Head, unto whom it doth alone appertain; even on his glorious and majeſtick Head, who is the Author and Finiſher of this great Salvation. We are thine! we are thine, O excellent WELBELOVED; even thine upon all poſſible Accounts! In our firſt Condition we were thine by Creation, thine by Covenant, & theſe were ſweet! But O now! Now we are alſo thine by Redemption, thine by Purchaſe, thine by a better Covenant-Foundation, a better Foundation than by Conqueſt; thine by a new Creation, thine by Exaltation to this glorious & divine Eſtate. O ſweet, ſweet! we are altogether thine, and nothing our own! O boundleſs Joys! I am eternally tied to thee, by all Obligations! O my inconceivable Happineſs! Self hath not the leaſt Occaſion to boaſt of itſelf: No Creature, Man or Angel, hath any Thing to glory in, before thy Preſence. O thou Heaven of Heavens, ſhalt thou not be filled with Songs of free redeeming Grace? What ſhould we do with our Diadems, our Sceptres, our Palms, our Robes, our glorious Adornments? What ſhould we do with all that we are and have, but caſt them down at the Feet of him, who hath created, redeemed, and ſanctified us? even at the Feet of him, who hath redeemed us to God, by his own Blood, and made us to our God, Kings and Prieſts? and we ſhall reign for ever and ever. O excellent! The leſs our own, the better; the more thine, the more bleſſed Condition! We are altogether thine; all our Excellency, all our Actings, all our Sufferings, all our Glory, is only thine. This Kingdom thou alone didſt purchaſe, without the Help of any: All, all are the Product of free, eternally free Love; all is given to us moſt freely! From Eternity were we choſen to all this Bleſſedneſs, moſt abſolutely, without Reſpect of foreſeen Excellency, or Deſerving. All is moſt free to us; but dear to our WELBELOVED! What couldſt thou give more, my deareſt Lord, than thy Life, thy Blood, thy very Self? Couldſt thou lay down a greater Pawn for our Salvation, than thy noble, ſuper-excellent, and glorious Self? Could Love have been manifeſted in a more tranſcendent, glorious and excellent Way? What couldſt thou have done more than thou haſt done? Is not this in excellent Inheritance, Men and Angels? Is not this Land a beautiful, rich and pleaſant Land indeed? Doth this look like the Field of Blood? Our Emmanuel conquered all this by his Blood and Death: He rode over Hell and Devils, and vanquiſhed all the Oppoſers of this boundleſs Bleſſedneſs. Thouſands and ten Thouſands were nothing in his Way. He made Nations and Languages Sacrifices to divine Juſtice. He rent the Heavens, and came down; the Mountains flowed down at his Preſence: He trod down the People in his Anger, and made them drunk in his Fury; and did bring down their Strength to the Earth. He gave Egypt for our Ranſom, Ethiopia and Seba for • s. Were not theſe great Things: Hath he not redeemed Zion by Blood? Hath he not made a noble Conqueſt? Yea, He ſlew Death it ſelf; He went to the Land of Death and Deſtruction, and vanquiſhed his ſtrongeſt and moſt cruel Enemies, in their own native Soil. O wonderful! He led Captivity captive, by being led Captive! By undergoing Shame, and Pain, and Grief, and Ignominy, He conquiſhed boundleſs Joys and Delights, and Glory, and Renown: By dying, he vanquiſhed Death, and him that had the Power thereof. Here, O here is the invaluable Price! The Life, the Life, the Blood of God! Wonder, and ſtand in an eternal Amazement, all Creatures! The Life of the Lord of Life, was laid down a Ranſom for us! as the Price of our eternal Bleſſedneſs. Who can value the Life and Blood of the Man, who is GOD, bleſſed for evermore? Shell we ſpeak of Ten thouſand Millions of Millions of Excellent Men, of glorious Angels? That is juſt nothing. Shall we ſpeak of Myriads of Myriads of Worlds, more excellent every one than another? That is juſt nothing alſo: So many Creatures, ſo many Nothings. Never ſo many Worlds are ſo many Shadows, in Compariſon of the enduring Subſtance. O the Price, the Price! Do not the Thot's thereof heighten the Conceptions of Men and Angels beyond all Conception? What ſtrange Flamings of Love! What high Motions of Joy! What overflowing Tides of Admiration, at every Thought of the wonderful Way, wherein God hath done all this to us! All this Honour ſaith, Behold the Son of God ſhamed! All this Glory ſaith, Behold eternal, eſſential Glory obſcured! And this joyful and flouriſhing Life ſaith, Behold the Prince of Life in a great Agony, bleeding to Death, even the ſhameful and painful Death of the Croſs? O higheſt Manifeſtation of infinite Love! All is come thro' the Bowels of our deareſt Lord Jeſus, whoſe Love to us was ſo ſtrong, that nothing could in the leaſt quench it: He laboured thro' Love, ſorrowed thro' Love, wept thro' Love, He died of Love. When cold Death began to ſeize on his Heart, he found it all flaming with the Love of his deareſt Spouſe; neither could he deſtroy theſe immortal Flames, which flaſh and dart forth their overcoming Rays, throughout Eternity. O thy incomprehenſible Love! Bend hither all your Faculties, Men and Angels, and be amazed for evermore! O my heavenly Father, by thy infinite Gift, thou haſt loſt nothing; the Son of thy everlaſting Love and Delights is ever in thy Preſence. O my Redeemer, thou haſt loſt thy Life, yet thou haſt not loſt it; behold, Thou art alive for evermore. The Price of all doth eternally remain, elſe ſhould the Things bought be nothing. Let no Creature ſpeak of its Excellency, or Acts; what can they conqueſt? What can they purchaſe? Our Emmanuel hath purchaſed all Things: Indeed by Birth-right he is the eternal and eſſential Heir of all; yet hath he added a new Right, and made all his over again by Conqueſt. Not unto us, not unto us; but unto Thee be all the Glory, Dominion, and Praiſe, for ever and ever: Yet, O wonderful Bounty, Condeſcendency and Love! Thou haſt put on our Heads the Crowns of Conquerors, the Laurels of Triumph: Thou haſt put in our Hands the never-fading Palms of Victory: Haſt thou done all? And ſhall we bear the Honour of, Well, and Heroically done, for the great and maſſie Diadem of Glory? Haſt thou conquered? And ſhall we triumph, as Purchaſers of Heaven and All? Haſt thou ſuffered? And ſhall we enter into this Glory, as having undergone all the Aſſaults of Hell and Death, in our own proper Strength? This is a ſweeter, more condeſcending and wonderful Diſpenſation, than it thou hadſt brought us immediately out of the State of Nature into this State of Glory; or created us in the Midſt of this incomparable Happineſs. O ſweet, ſweet! to think, That Grace hath uſhered in Glory; a L • fe of Believing, a Life of immediate Viſion; a Life of Labour and Difficulty, this Life of eternal Repoſe; a Life of Shame and Reproach, this Life of immortal Glory and Renown; a Life of Fighting, this Life of everlaſting Triumphing; a Life of Tears, Pain and Sadneſs, this Life of boundleſs Joys and Delights; a Life of Fears and Weakneſs, this Life of perfect Security and Might! How wiſely hath my Lord connected all Things together? that our Glory might be more than Glory; our Happineſs more ſuperabounding Happineſs. This Glory, this incomprehenſible Glory, and Renown will he have to reſt for ever upon our Heads. Words of Amazement! to hear my LORD ſay, in the Preſence of all, to every one, Well done, good and faithful Servant, thou haſt been faithful over a few Things, I will make thee Ruler our many Things; enter thou into the Joy of thy LORD: Heroically done, for this maſſia Diadem of Glory: Worthy art thou to walk with me in White; for thou haſt kept clean Garments, in the Midſt of a polluted World: Thou haſt valiantly fought and overcome; and art thou not worthy to triumph with me, throughout the vaſt Ages of endleſs Eternity? As I have done, ſo thou haſt ſuffered patently, even unto the Death; and therefore, it well becomes thee to enter into this unſpeakable Glory. What, Lord! muſt I, poor ſilly I, once baſe, ſinful, wretched and undone I, muſt even I poſſeſs this undefiled, incorruptible, never-fading Inheritance? What have I done? Or, what have I ſuffered for thy excellent Name? Yea, what have I not done, endeavoured and deſired againſt thy Holineſs? Yet, even I muſt enter here, as worthy of all! I muſt wear the Conqueror's Crown! I muſt bear the Palms of Victory! Even thus it muſt be, thus it ſhould be; ſince it is the good Pleaſure of my LORD the King. When our Bridegroom hath made his Spouſe the Perfection of Beauty; How is his myſtical Body compoſed of various Members, every one endowed with its own proper Beauty? Every one is not graced with the ſame Meaſure of Excellency; ſince every Member conduceth to the beautifying of the whole: Varieties of Glories in the ſame is wonderful, raviſhing and pleaſant. Even on Earth, the Spouſe was adorned with various Excellencies, chiefly for Beauty, and not for Neceſſity: Nay, the Heavens and the Earth are not defective herein: Were every Star like the Sun; or all the Stars of equal Glory; or, the whole Expanſion adorned with equal Glory; or were every Part of the Earth covered over with the ſame Beauties, ſo that nothing did excel another; Were all Heaven, or all Earth; or were Earth of equal Glory with Heaven; or were all a Sun; or were the higher and lower World nothing differing in Glory; all would be every Way the ſame; and ſo nothing ſo beautiful as it is. Indeed the Head is loving to all the Members, and is alike affected with them all; yet, every Member is in its own Order, According to his good Pleaſure, which from Eternity he purpoſed in himſelf. As he diſtributed, after divers Degrees and Manners, his Gifts and Graces, to his Choſen in Time; ſo doth he make the Harveſt correſpondent to the Seed-time, the manly Conſtitution to the Infancy, the Vigour and Blooming to the Budding and firſt Springing forth. According to the Grace given unto us in Time, and the Improvement thereof, in acting, or ſuffering for his Glory; accordingly is every one of us rewarded: As he did promiſe and teſtify, That as every Man ſhould receive according to his Works; So they that are wiſe, ſhall ſhine as the Firmament, and they that turn many to Righteouſneſs, as the Stars forever and ever. The Connection betwixt Time and Eternity here, is not natural, from the Nature of Things, as if ſo much Grace deſerved ſo much Glory; ſo much, or ſo long Acting or Suffering, ſuch or ſuch a Diadem of Honour: But meerly from his good Pleaſure, who diſpoſeth all Things moſt abſolutely and freely: I • ſo it pleaſed him, he might have diſpoſed otherwiſe; but this is the moſt excellent, becauſe he hath done it. All our Excellency, and all our Acting, or Suffering, was only of him, and not of our ſelves: He alone did work in us both to will, and to do, of his good Pleaſure. The more we were graced, the more we were enabled, the more we were obliged: Only it hath pleaſed his infinite Bounty to perfect in Eternity, according as he did begin in Time; and to give us the purchaſed Poſſeſſion, by Way of Reward. In our LORD's Diſtribution of his Rewards, he conſiders the Multitudes of Talents, and the Improvement of them, and Way of Improvement; as, if with Vigour and great Sincerity; alſo Perſeverance therein, and Duration, with more and more Magnanimity unto the Death; alſo the Greatneſs of the Oppoſers is conſidered: Alſo the Effects, and extending of Talents, for the Good of others; as when the Man acts bravely, before Sun and Moon, whereby great Glory doth redound to him, for whom are all Things; and many are ſtrengthned, and converted unto Righteouſneſs: Suffering is conſidered in itſelf, as ſuch, excelling Acting; which is more or leſs excellent, even as acting according to other various Circumſtances. O the wonderful Way thou haſt taken to beautify thy Spouſe! How doth the Head ſhine moſt eminently above all the Members; and every Member, according to its Meaſure, aloted from Eternity? Every one of us was appointed, before the Foundation of the World, to this Meaſure of Glory, moſt abſolutely and freely, without any Reſpect to Excellency, or good Works in Time: And yet, O eternal Admiration! He hath rewarded every one of us, according to our Righteouſneſs; according to the Cleanneſs of our Hands he recompenſed us: For we kept the Ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from our GOD: For all his Judgments were before us; and we did not put away his Statutes from us; we were alſo upright before him, and we kept our ſelves from our Iniquity: Therefore hath the LORD recompenſed us, according to our Righteouſneſs, according the Cleanneſs of our Hands in his Eye-Sight: For with the Merciful thou haſt ſhewed thyſelf merciful; with the upright Man, thou haſt ſhewed thyſelf upright; with the Pure, thou haſt ſhewed thyſelf pure; and with the Froward, thou haſt ſhewed thyſelf froward: For thou haſt loved the afflicted People, and haſt brought down the high Looks. All thy Promiſes to the Overcomers haſt thou perfectly accompliſhed. Boundleſs Happineſs for evermore!

55. All Things are fully diſcovered in Glory, which lay hid in Time.

All Things are laid open before the Eyes of all: How paſſing clear and evident is the Light of Glory? Do I not know you all, and every one? not only according to your proper Eſſences, and Weight of Glory; but alſo, what Manner of Perſons you were in Time, as to all theſe Circumſtances, by which Men were differenced from one another: So that we may ſay, This, and this is the Man who was ſuch and ſuch an Inſtrument in Time, for the incomprehenſible Glory of our never-enough exalted Redeemer; who will manifeſt all the good Works, and Excellency of every one before his Father, and before his Angels. He from Eternity knows by Name, and hath manifeſted the Name of every one, before the whole Creation. Are you not eternally ſhamed and confounded, you Haters of the only excellent One? You are declared by Name before all, and every one in ſingular; the moſt hidden Things of Darkneſs are now laid open for ever and ever: All your Thoughts, your Words, your Deeds; All your Inclinations, your Purpoſes, your Projects, your Impieties are made known perfectly to the Conſciences of every one of you, to one another, and to us all. Hide your ſelves now, if you can; neither your ſelves, nor your Wickedneſs, ſhall ever henceforth eſcape our View. Now we are inconceivably elevated above all natural Sagacity! Natural Illumination was wonderful diſcovering, as the Sagacity of Man in his firſt Eſtate did ſhew; the Light of Grace was more piercing, as diſcerning Things far above the Reach of Nature; but all are ſcarce Emblems of this Light of Glory. How juſt and holy art thou in all thy Ways, O my holy ONE? Thou haſt for ever unmaſked the two great Companies of Men an Angels; all now appear in their genuine Colours: Our Innocency is manifeſted; and their Wickedneſs is laid open. How many Things did we refer unto this Day? as indiſcuſſable by dim-e • ed Mortals, who judged according to Externals, Conjectures and Probabilities; and not according to the Things as they were in themſelves; Whence the condemning of the Innocent, and juſtifying of the Guilty: Whence many went off the Stage of the World, branded with the opprobrious Name of Hypocrites, New-goſpellers, Traitors, Seditious, Factious, Phanaticks, and what not? who were the Glory, Flower and Excellency of the Generation: How many of the moſt excellent of the Earth were cried out againſt on every Side, becauſe of their ſingular Holineſs, and Fervency of Spirit for the Intereſts of Chriſt and Power of Godlineſs, above others; becauſe of their Teſtifying againſt the proper Sins of their Generation; that even ſome of the weakeſt of the Saints did caſt abroad ſoul Aſperſions on them; did hate, and perſecute them, as Troublers of the World? And how many were accounted, by the Generality, true and ſincere Saints, becauſe of their ſelfiſh prudential Way of Carriage, in all Exigencies, and among all Sorts of Perſons; becauſe of their larger Recommendation of all, and Baſeneſs of Spirit, in the publick Intereſts of God; tho' rejected, deſerted, blaſphemed, and troden upon by almoſt all; becauſe of their Compliance with the Humors of moſt, and inſinuating of themſelves upon both by Good & Bad, in an humble and loving Manner; becauſe of their ſinful Reſervedneſs, in the Matters of God, in a declining Time; becauſe of their keeping themſelves free from groſs Outbreakings; becauſe of their Counterfeiting of real Saints, by acquiring a fine outward Carriage, and a huge literal, notional Knowledge of divine Things; that they might pray, write and diſcourſe like Men, much in the intimate Fellowſhip of Jeſus: As alſo, becauſe of their outward Proſperity, which gave Men a brave Luſtre in the Eyes of dull Mortals. All, all is now unmaſked! Now, now it is manifeſt, who were excellent, who were not; who have been the real Friends of the Bridegroom, and who have been counterfeit. How ſweet is the Righteouſneſs of God, now vindicated! What Delectation, to behold all Things drawn out of Darkneſs! My Hatred to Impiety and helliſh Madneſs is ſo great, and my Zeal for the Glory of my never-enough exalted Lord and Redeemer, is ſo violent and ſtrong, that all natural Affections, in their higheſt Benſ •• , would here be ſwallowed up to Nothing: To ſee the Glory of Divine Vengeance manifeſted on Father, Mother, Siſter, Brother, Son or Daughter, now black and ugly Lumps of Hell, and Haters of the Fountain of all Lovelineſs and Sweetneſs, is a Sight eternally delightſom.

56. Among the many Pendicles of the fair Inheritance, the ſweet Fellowſhip of Men and Angels, is very conſiderable.

O how ſweet a Diſpenſation! How wonderful is divine Providence! You who were ſweet and profitable Company to me in my Pilgrimage, for ever walk with me on the Tops of glorious and majeſtick Mount Zion. Sirs, I eſteemed and loved you above all then, as the only excellent Ones of the Earth, in whom was all my Delight; But now, Love is in its Bloom and full Perfection. What a golden Life would I have eſteemed it on Earth, to live in the Company of the moſt wiſe and excellent in all Ages? O now! all the Excellent of the World are my Companions; every one of which tranſcends, by Millions of Stages, in Wiſdom and Excellency, the moſt excellent meer Man on Earth, O ye beloved Ones, is not your Fellowſhip far changed? Old Things are paſt away, all Things are become new. All earthly Ties are broken aſunder, which did much hinder the Fellowſhip of Saints on Earth: We are every Way free! Spiritual Relation hath ſwallowed up all other. No Obligation betwixt us, but that of Love: We hold not any Thing mediately; Jeſus, the Firſt-born of the Almighty King, is our immediate Superior in all Things. O glorious magnifick Kingdom! O let the Crown for ever flouriſh on the Head of the Conqueror; What tho' all this Aſſembly of Men and Angels ſhould be abaſed, if he be exalted? What tho' all ſhould decreaſe, if he increaſe? What is the Flower and chief Excellency of all created Glory? He is the Beauty and Triumph of all Creatures, the Head and Firſt-born of every Creature, infinitely more than all Creatures; He is Jehovah.

57. The Saints are eternally acquitted; and all their Faculties are filled up with his raviſhing Voice.

All Things are eternal: The Saints are eternally acquitted and juſtified; and all the Wicked are ever impanelled and condemned. In how raviſhing a Manner doth our Welbeloved ſmile upon us? Forever doth he ſtretch forth the Arms of his Love to embrace us? O the Sweetneſs of his Lips! The Lovelineſs of his Voice; Hony and Butter is under his Tongue, and the Smell of his Noſe is as the Smell of Lebanon: His Eyes are ever fixed upon us; every Look, every Beckning of the Hand manifeſts a Love, ever to be admired, and never to be comprehended. O his Voice, his Voice! Is he not ſaying, Behold, and for ever behold your Lord, your Head, your Huſband, your King, your Maker, your only Welbeloved, who loved you with an eternal Love; waſhed you, when polluted, in mine own Blood; and made you Kings and Prieſts to my Father, and your Father? Did I love you, when vile and abominable? and ſhall I ever hate you, when made fair and lovely, through my perfect Comelineſs? Come my faireſt Spouſe, come my lovely one, let us ſatiate our Selves with raviſhing Loves, while the Heavens remain. Behold theſe Arms, that were ſtretched out upon the Croſs, for your Sakes, are ever ready to embrace you: With Deſire have I deſired this golden Day of mutual Loves and Delights, even this Day of my Eſpouſals and Gladneſs of Heart; and therefore I have put on my Marriage-Robes, arrayed my ſelf with Glory and Majeſty, as with a Garment: And you alſo have I decked with paſſing Glory. And can we be but raviſhed! Thou haſt raviſhed my Heart, my Siſter, my Spouſe! Even when thou waſt black, thou waſt precious in my Eves: Sin and Vileneſs is Nothing in the Way of my infinite Love. I loved thee, becauſe I loved thee: And becauſe I loved Thee, therefore haſt thou become exceeding lovely. Are you not dear unto me? are you not my Delights and Rejoicing? You are the Fruit of my Labours, Sufferings, ſad Hearts, Tears, Sighs, Groans, Fear, Pain, Shame, Reproach: In ſeeing you I behold my Seed, the Travel of my Soul, and am ſatisfied: Enjoy me now, as much as your Soul deſires. All Mountains are removed, all Shadows are fled away. The Occaſions of your Doubtings, Jealouſies, Diſpondencies, are no more: We ſhall enjoy one another to the Full. Love ſhall be no more pain'd and ſick of Delays. Have I not haſted to this eternal Day of Enjoyment: How have I diſpatched much in a ſmall Time? I have come ſkipping over the Mountains, leaping over the Hills. I ſwimmed through Seas of Blood, Oceans of Tears, Worlds of Woes and Griefs; trod the Wine-preſs of the Wrath of God Almighty; cruſhed the People in mine Anger, and trampled them in my Fury; made my Name to ſound throughout the whole World; filled the Earth with the Knowledge of my Name; erected a glorious Church on Earth of Jew and Gentile; put away Time and Days; cried down for ever all earthly Pleaſures, Pomps, Glory, that we might enjoy this eternal Day of Love's fulleſt Manifeſtations: And behold, I am become All in all unto you for evermore. Reſt, my deareſt Spouſe, in my Boſom: Reſt in your Love unto me; behold, I reſt in my Love unto Thee, and rejoice over Thee with Singing. Haſt thou laboured with me? Here is an eternal Repoſe. Hadſt thou mourned? Partake of my boundleſs Joys. Haſt thou ſuffered for my Name's Sake? Thou ſhalt eternally ride with me in my majeſtick, triumphant Chariot of Glory: Thou ſhalt no more be ſick o • Love through Abſence and Want of the Light of my Countenance; whence ill Thoughts, and Doubtings of mine unchangeable Love. Kiſs, and kiſs for ever, and take thy Fill of Love-embraces. His Banner of Love ſhall ever overſpread us! 'Tis Nothing what thou haſt been; ſince I have elected Thee, and waſhed Thee, and made thee paſſing beautiful and excellent; and thou haſt become mine. My Life, my Blood, my Soul did I give for thee: I have become like thee, and made thee like unto me; that our Fellowſhip might be moſt intimate, and ſweet. And what, my fair One, could I have done more, to make thee ſuperabundantly bleſſed? Have I not fitted thee for my Fellowſhip? Have I not adorned thee with ſuperexcellent Beauty, Glory and Majeſty? Nothing can ſhew forth thy Pleaſantneſs, thy ſurpaſſing Excellencies: All Trees, all Flowers, all Roſes, and Lillies, all the Beauties that adorn the ſpangled Heavens, would bluſh, to contend with thy ſurpaſſing Beauty; all their Perfections are but Emblems of that ſubſtantial Excellency, wherewith I have beautified Thee. Thine Eyes would overcome me, I could not look upon thy Beauty, if thou didſt not draw near; that Love may be ſatisfied with full Enjoyment. Can there be greater Bleſſedneſſ? can there be more intimate Fellowſhip? O what Love-embraces! What Love-kiſſes! What overcoming Smiles! We bathe ourſelves in the Oceans of pure unmixed Love! The very Smell of thy Garments, my fair One, raviſh my Heart; they exhale a Fragrancy, like a Field which the Lord hath bleſſed! Even my Father hath bleſſed thee, and thou art bleſſed for evermore. All, who have curſed thee, have been curſed; and all, who have bleſſed thee, have been bleſſed. The eternal God is thy Refuge; and underneath are everlaſting Arms: And he hath caſt out the Enemy from before thee; and hath ſaid, Deſtroy them. Thou dwelleſt in Safety, alone; the Fountain of Jacob is open unto thee. O People ſaved of the Lord, the Shield of thine Help, and who is the Strength of thine Excellency: And thine Enemies have been found Liars unto thee; and thou haſt troden them, upon their high Places. O are you not bleſſed, eternally bleſſed, who have been appointed to ſo great Things? Glory, Excellency, Strength, Beauty, Honour and all are yours! Behold, behold, ye Children of my everlaſting Loves and Delights, theſe precious Crowns, theſe Garlands of Glory, wherewith I adorn you! Behold, behold, all Creatures, Devils and wicked Men, thus is it done eternally unto the Men, whom the King delighteth to honour. This is the Majeſty I clothe them with, who have loved, feared, and obeyed me, unto Death, in their Generation. This is the Kingdom, theſe are the glorious Manſions, I have ſet them down into. I ſpake not to you, my fair Ones, of earthly Kingdoms, and Poſſeſſions: Theſe celeſtial Habitations were you ordained unto, as your everlaſting Country. I told you of Worlds, and Kingdoms, and Crowns, and Sceptres, and Cities, and glorious Manſions; and behold, inconceivably more than I promiſed: Yea, did you not inherit Time alſo? Did you ever want Journey-bread, as long as on the Way to this Country? Tho', for your Good, I did not laden you with the thick Clay of the Earth, I ever cut out that Lot, which was beſt for you; which was not a Life of earthly Abundance: If it had been otherwiſe, I ſhould have made you the only Sharers of Earth, the only Potentates of Time; But Dunghil Earth, was far below your Divine Minds. How degrading had it been, to ſee my Fellow-heirs vexed, tormoiled, and diſtracted with Dunghil-Concernments? No, your generous Spirits were exerciſed with high and excellent Things, and were not brought down by the empty Concernments the Sons of the Earth were only occupied with. My Way to this unſpeakable Glory, was thro' Contempt, Reproach, Afflictions, Poverty, Shame; I could not dignify you, more than by making you Partakers of my Lot, my excellent Ones: If I had plunged you in the Midſt of earthly Proſperity and Abundance, you ſhould have miſſed the greateſt Glory, which is Suffering for my Name's Sake; your Crown ſhould not have been ſo maſſie and glorious: And where would have been the Exerciſe and Trial of all your Graces? Your Patience in Tribulations, your meek, quiet and contented Spirit, when the vileſt of Men were exalted, and did abound in Temporal Enjoyments, ſharing the Earth among them, as if they alone had only derived their Pedigree from Adam? Where had been manifeſted your Confidence in your heavenly Father, if Senſe had not ſeemed to contradict the Promiſes? Thus was the Draught of my infinite Wiſdom, that your Way to the Crown ſhould be through all Manner of Trials, Afflictions, and Oppoſitions. Great was your Agony with Devils, with wicked Men, with your inbred Corruptions, with many external Diſaſters; even unto Hunger, Thirſt, Nakedneſs, and ſore Trouble for your Daily-bread▪ And ſhould it not have been thus? For, if no Enemies, no Fighting; if no Fighting, no Victory; and if no Victory, no Triumphing: Is not here a golden Chain of wonderful Wiſdom and Love? Poſſeſs for ever this glorious Kingdom, my valiant Ones: a Kingdom ordained for you moſt freely and abſolutely without Reſpect to Work or Excellency; yet, poſſeſs it by Way of Conqueſt: My free Grace, given to you in Time, do I crown with this eternal and exceeding Weight of Glory: All this Kingdom is for every one of you, as if there were none elſe; all of you are Poſſeſſors of all Things. I have redeemed you from eternal Wrath, Miſery and Sinning; I have purchaſed all Things for you; I have prayed to my Father, that you, whom he had given me, might be for ever with me, where I am, to behold my Glory, which he hath given me; for he loved me, before the Foundation of the World. Theſe, lo, all theſe are your Portion. Earth was a Portion for the Baſtards only; and therefore, I divided it moſt largely amongſt them, caſting Crowns and Principalities, and the greateſt earthly Things of Time, to the vileſt of them: To indulge your Childiſhneſs, I gave ſometimes to ſome of you large Portions of the Earth; for many Ends, known only to my ſelf; and for giving you a breathing Time, beſt the Spirit that I had made ſhould have been brought to nothing: But earthly Portions were only fit for baſe Spirits; poor and empty were the Donations I vouchſafed upon them, in Compariſon of this. When I give to you, I give like a King indeed: When I have aſcended on high, and led Captivity captive, I ſhare no leſs among my Friends than everlaſting, ever flouriſhing Kingdoms and Principalities; and this is the Manifeſtation of free Love, before the Corner-ſtone of the Earth was laid: Here, as every where doth my abſolute Sovereignty ſhine. I am Alpha and Omega. No Cauſe of my Actings without my ſelf: By me, through me, and for me are all Things: For you have I choſen Veſſels of Glory and Honour, that on you I might ſhew forth that infinite Bounty, Love and Compaſſion that dwelleth in me.

58. Reprobates are already judged and condemned; and all their Faculties are filled with the dreadful Roarings of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

How doth our holy One fill the Senſes of curſed Reprobates with his dreadful Voice, wherewith Ten thouſand Worlds might be ſhaken to nothing! How doth the Lion of the Tribe of Judah roar forth! Be eternally confounded from my amiable Preſence, vile Wretches, you are a Smoke in my Noſtrils, a Fire that burneth all the Day long. Your Soul abhorreth me. O prodigious Monſters! and my Soul abhorreth you. Betwixt us this unquenchable Hatred ſhall increaſe, thro'out Eternity: As your helliſh Violence, and monſtrous Abominations do increaſe, eternally will I kindle the Flames of my Fury upon you; ſo ſhall I be eaſed, refreſhed and comforted. I have been wearied with refraining: Now is this unquenchable Fury, that burned in my Breaſt, broken forth, and my Soul is delighted. Did ſuch an helliſh Madneſs poſſeſs you, as to think you might eſcape my avengeful Hand? And knew ye not your ſelves, Bits of Creatures, rebelling againſt me, the Omnipotent Sovereign of all Things? Let your own ſelves accuſe your ſelves of your horrid Villany againſt me, the boundleſs Original of all Excellencies, Lovelineſs and Sweetneſs; which you experienced, ungrate Wretches: Did you prefer, and love and deſire only your ſelves? Shall the Creature be ſet up above the Creator? The Monſtroſity of this doth eternally affright you! your ſelves are intolerable Torments to your ſelves; for you behold your Vileneſs, as it is. Did you not think, becauſe of my Silence, that I was like to baſe you? But now I will eternally reprove you, and ſet your Sins before your Eyes: Now you ſee your Wretchedneſs. What think you of your holding the Truth in Unrighteouſneſs? So that you become vain in your Imaginations, and your fooliſh Heart was darkned; profeſſing your ſelves wiſe, you became Fools, and changed the Glory of the incorruptible God, into the vain Fancies of your deſperately deceitful Hearts; ſtill looking upon him, as one like your ſelves. What think you of delighting more in created Enjoyments, than in me, the Fountain of all? Your Affections bended moſt to Nothings and Vanities; the Fountain of all Bleſſedneſs you abhorred. Did you not ſay, Let him depart from us; for we deſire not the Knowledge of his Name? What Profit is there in ſerving him? What Pleaſure in being in his Fellowſhip? Yea, what a Wearineſs is it? Let us have earthly Enjoyments, and we deſire no more; theſe are the only Things we delight in. What think you, that you are born Enemies, Haters of me from your very firſt Original? With your firſt Breathings of Life, did you breathe forth Malice againſt your Creator, Preſerver and Benefactor; and what can you do eternally, but roar with your malicious Blaſphemies? But what availeth either your Malice or Goodneſs? I am infinitely above all Creatures. What is that to me, whether Creatures obey, or diſobey? What are you, that I ſhould be mindful of you, and bring you into Judgment? What are you, that my Anger ſhould burn eternally againſt you? Yet is it my Pleaſure, that upon you be manifeſted the Glory of my avenging Juſtice: As I have ſworn, ſo have I performed, That every Knee ſhall bow to me. You, ſtiff-necked Wretches, would you not yield to the Sceptre of my Government? I will make you ſtoop, and lick the Duſt, like Serpents, under my Feet, and the Feet of my Choſen, whom you hated and deſpiſed in a vain World. I alone will be exalted, and my Glory will I not give unto another. Would you not be the actual Inſtruments of my Glory? I will eternally make you the paſſive Proclaimers thereof: Your Curſings and Howlings ſhall ſet me on high, even proclaim the Glory of my ſpotleſs Holineſs, throughout all Ages. Curſed Creatures, whom my H •• ds formed to ſerve, and obey, and glorify me; Shall I not recompenſe your Hatred and Rebellion upon your own Heads? Shall not my Soul be fully avenged upon you? You are the Abomination of my Soul; and therefore Vengeance ſhall be my eternal Delight. I am of purer Eyes, than to behold Iniquity: Triumph I not? I, the righteous Lord, love the Righteous; my Countenance doth behold the Upright: But the Wicked, & him that loveth Violence, my Soul abborreth. According to my abſolute Sovereignty, might I have made out of you any Thing I pleaſed; but thus have I done, that the Glory of my ſpotleſs Holineſs might eternally ſhine forth: But as I ſaid, ſo have I done; and it is known, whoſe Word ſtands, yours or mine. Said you, in the Stoutneſs of your Hearts, Our Tongues are our own, who are Lords over us? We are Lords, we will no more come unto thee? And ſhall you not find, to your eternal Miſery, who is the great Former, and abſolute Sovereign of all Things? And you the vileſt of all Vileneſs, of whom moſt lovingly I offered my Heart, my Blood, my Life, my Kingdom and all Things; and yet you ſlighted and neglected all; as Things of no great Excellency: O mine Enemies, mine Enemies! ſlain and deſtroyed ye ſhall be eternally before mine Eyes: I have no Enemies like you, unto whom I moſt condeſcendingly revealed my Will, appointing your Lot within the Pale of the Church. I have found you, O mine Enemies, you Haters of my Holineſs, and Deſpiſers of mine Excellency, who at the moſt loved a Form of Godlineſs, but denied the Power thereof. Did I riſe up early and late, crying unto you? Did I beſeech, intreat, proteſt, obteſt, ſigh, weep and groan over you, that you would come out from your vain Converſation, & partake of a bleſſed Communion with my Father and Me? And ſhall I not cauſe you to howl, and roar, and weep, and gnaſh your Teeth, in utter Darkneſs for ever and ever? Have I not intreated long? ſhould I wait for ever upon Creatures, madly ſerious againſt me? I have ſworn by my Holineſs, That after Death no more Forbearance; the Word hath gone out of my Mouth, it cannot be recalled: I am not a Man, that I ſhould change. I appointed a Time for every Thing; a Time of Forbearance, and a Time of Puniſhment: This is the eternal Day of Wrath; the endleſs Day of Vengeance is in my Heart; The Year of my Redeemed is come: I curſe you, bitterly curſe you; all the Woes that ever I pronounced, fall upon you; let them be written upon your Foreheads, and on your Hands, and fill all the Powers and Faculties of Soul and Body: Wo, wo, wo! World of Woes & Curſes fall down inceſſantly and eternally upon you all, according to your Wickedneſs: As every one of you hath ſown, ſo ſhall you reap. Wo unto you, who have joined Houſe to Houſe, and Field to Field, extruding Adam's Fellow-Heirs. Wo unto you that have mingled ſtrong Drink. Wo unto you that have drawn Iniquity with Cords of Vanity; who have called Good Evil, and Evil Good. Wo unto you who were wiſe in your own Eyes, and prudent in your own Sight. Curſed be you, that placed your Confidence in Creatures, and not in the Lord Jehovah. Wo unto you, that ſhut Heaven both upon your ſelves and others: Wo unto you, who devoured the Needy, and for a Pretence made long Prayers: Wo unto you, who compaſſed Sea and Land, to draw others unto your Faction, under the Pretence of the Salvation of Souls: Wo unto you, who, by your fooliſh Subtilties, did caſt a Miſt upon all the Duties of Religion: Wo unto you, who were ſtrict in the Circumſtantials and Externals of Religion, and careleſs of the Power and Life thereof: Wo unto you, who pretended Love and Reverence to the dead Saints, becauſe they could not teſtify againſt you; But maligned, perſecuted and contemned the living Ones, becauſe of their ſtanding out againſt the Sins of the Generation wherein they lived. O curſed Wretches, the Flames of my Rage ſhall feed themſelves upon you: Try your Stoutneſs and Magnanimity now; the Threatning of my Fury and Indignation did little affect you: You gave me the Lie, and ſaid, It is not the Lord, neither ſhall Evil befal us. When my Hand was ſtretched out, you would not ſee; but now you ſee, and feel, and are everlaſtingly aſhamed: Your Atheiſm is quite done away; know ye not now, that I am a God of Truth and Equity? Have I not performed all upon you, that ever I ſpoke? Are you not filled with Wrath? Is not Soul and Body tormented with the dreadful Flames of my Fury? Shower I not down upon you inceſſantly Fire and Brimſtone, and an horrible Tempeſt of all Manner of Pains, Griefs, and Torments? Devils and wicked Men, tear & torment, and curſe one another; you concurred bravely in ſinning, concur in your puniſhing; you loved the Fellowſhip of one another, be eternally together: Companions in Time, and Companions in Eternity. The Fellowſhip of any holy Ones you little eſteemed; I have made betwixt them & you a vaſt Gulf of eternal Separation: Had you known their Dignity, you ſhould have wondered, that I ſuffered you to abide in the ſame World with them. What think you now of provoking me, vile Wretches? Are you the Creatures, that tho't highly of ſinning? Are you able to deſpiſe and mock at the juſt Puniſhment thereof? No more vain Laughing and Jollity; the Fewel of your baſe ſinful Delights have I taken for ever from you: Not one Smile of Joy from henceforth. All the Mercies I vouchaſed upon you, did ye uſe againſt me; the more I continued my Bounty, the more you rebelled and vexed my holy Spirit; tho' in me you lived, moved and had your Being, yet you forgat me, and minded your own worldly Things, more than my Glory and Intereſts through the World. All your Actions were ſubordinate to baſe Self; even your moſt excellent-like Actings and Sufferings for my Cauſe, were ever out of one ſelfiſh Deſign or other: I will fill you with your own Ways. You ſhall not be troubled with Offers of Mercy any more, or with the Exerciſes of Godlineſs any more: Nothing but Blaſphemy fills your helliſh Mouths. You ſhall not be vexed with the Company of my Saints any more: You ſhall have your Fill of one anothers helliſh Fellowſhip throughout Eternity: Your Choice and Delight ſhall not be taken from you. Know you not who I am? Am I not he, whom you deſpiſed and forgot? Am I not he, whoſe Yoke ye brake aſunder from your Necks? Am I not he, whom you defied, and proclaimed War againſt? Gird up now your Loins, like Men, and maintain your Quarrel valiantly; ſhew, by your magnanimous Deportment, the Juſtneſs of your Enmity againſt Me. Deſperate Wretches, you have not the Heart to ſubmit; neither are you able to ſtand againſt one Billow of my Indignation. It was plainly manifeſted unto you, all would come to this; but your Minds were filled with Vanity: I am free from the Ruin and unſpeakable Miſery of you all; only your ſelves have deſtroyed your ſelves: Madly and deſperately have you run to your own Deſtruction; and who was obliged to ſtand in your Way? Who hath ſtruck you with ſuch a monſtruous Hatred to all Good, and Inclination to all Evil? Are ye not naturally wicked, and abominable? Are you not Haters of my Holineſs and Excellency? Had ye not from the Beginning a ſtrange Averſeneſs from my ſpotleſs Holineſs? Blaſphemous Wretches, you ſee my Ways are equal, to your eternal Torment and Confuſion; your Mouths are for ever ſtopped, and you are found guilty: Nothing have you to ſay for your ſelves, your monſtrous helliſh Frame is as a thouſand Witneſſes againſt you. Should not I alone be exalted? Should I not cruſh to Pieces all the Deſpiſers of my Glory? Shall I not for ever cauſe you to drink the pure and unmixed Wrath of the Almighty, that is poured forth without Mixture? That ye may be filled with my Fury and Indignation, and may be drunk, and made mad, and torment and tare, and devour and curſe yourſelves, and one another; that every Thought may bring in a dreadful Horror, and helliſh Pangs. O mine Enemies! mine Enemies, whom I made the Shields of the Earth, who became greater in Wickedneſs, than in your worldly Greatneſs: You Ringleaders of Iniquity, Betrayers of the great Truſt I dignified you with; the Ruin of thouſands ſhall fall on your Heads. Did you tyrannize, without Law, or Reaſon? Alledging, You were accountable to none for Outrages, but unto me; that you might fulfil your wicked Deſires without Countroulment? O vileſt of Wretches, whom I ſet over my Church, to defend Her from all external Damages, to hold her in all her glorious Privileges, that I left her, in my Legacy; and to hold the Crown, upon my Head, in Deſpite of the Oppoſers: Did you make Havock of her? Did you rob her of her Adornments? Did you pull the Crown off my Head, and put it on your own? Did you neglect the Affairs of my Church, and ſubordinate them to your own temporal, vain, tranſient Affairs? Did you put the Sword in the Bowels of my Choſen, which I gave you to protect them with? O mine Enemies! I will neither fight with ſmall or great, in Compariſon of You; even you, I will ever be avenged upon; you, and all your Paraſites, Executors, Applauders, Connivers and Conſulters to your horrid Rebellion. Durſt you, you baſe, you vile Wretches, be ſo monſtrouſly audacious, as to uſurp my Prerogatives? Durſt you deſtroy, impriſon, baniſh, torment, and be as Thorns in the Sides of my excellent Ones? What you did to every one of them you did to me; I will recompenſe it. It had well become you, to ſtoop and lick the Duſt at the Feet of my Brethren: It had well become you, to hold up the Train of my Robe-royal, in the Day of my Wounding: It had well become you, to have honoured, and reverenced every one of them, from the higheſt to the leaſt: Had you conſidered their Dignity, you would have wondered I permitted you in my Providence to dwell in that World they inhabited; far more to have had any Manner of Superiority over them. Here I meet you, my curſed Enemies; know you with whom you contended? Am not I He, whom you contemned, deſpiſed, impoveriſhed, impriſoned, baniſhed, maligned, and ſpewed out the Venom of Hell againſt? I am He, whoſe Blood you eſteemed as Water; my Brethren you hated, becauſe they bare my Image; for my Sake, even for my Sake, you perſecuted them; whatever was your Pretenſions, the Power of Godlineſs was the Butt of your Malice: Durſt you malign the Exerciſing of my Spirit of Grace, in its higheſt Actings, as a Spirit of Sedition, and rebellious Combinations? Did you take it upon you, to ſhape out the Government of my Church according to your fooliſh Fancy, as an indifferent Thing? As if I had left any Blanks in my Teſtament, for you to fill up according to your helliſh Pleaſure: You, even you, with the Betrayers of my Intereſts and People, will I place eternally in the Brunt of my Fury. Be eternally confounded, all mine Enemies together; Sects, Ranters, Civilians, devout Naturaliſts, Formaliſts, carnal Goſpellers, Latitudinarians: You have I choſen, before all Ages, Veſſels of Wrath and Diſhonour, fitted to Deſtruction; that over you I might ſhew forth my abſolute Sovereignty, Long-ſuffering, Power of my Wrath, Purity of my Holineſs, and infinite Perfections.

59. All the Creatures are Sharers of this eternal Day of Joy: Except reprobate Men and Angels.

Clap your Hands, and be exceeding joyful, O thou Creation of God, who art forever looſed from Vanity and Bondage: This is the Day which the Lord made, rejoice and be glad in it: This is the eternal Day of the Reſtitution of all Things: Shout, and cry aloud, ye lower Heavens, and dance thou Earth; Sing melodiouſly, O ye heavenly Hoſts, Sun, Moon and Stars: O ye Mountains, are ye not eternally ſkipping, like Lambs? You Valleys, you pleaſant Fields, are you not ever ſmiling, and ſhouting for Joy? You have been wearied, and worn out, in ſerving ſinful Creatures; you have been defiled, and written over with Vanity; But now are you renewed, and made pure and clear. How earneſt was your Expectation of the Manifeſtation of the Sons of God! for you were made ſubject to Vanity, not willingly, but by Reaſon of him, who had ſubjected you in Hope: Becauſe you were alſo to be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption, into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God. O fair, beautiful and delightſom Creation, all Things now are Thouſands of Stages more excellent, than at the Beginning! Nothing dwells here, but Righteouſneſs! Thou art not now, O Earth, the Stage of all Wickedneſs & Rebellion againſt thy Creator; thou groans not under the Weight of ſinful abominable Wretches. You Fields, you are not divided, and poſſeſſed by the vileſt of Men, who, by the Benefit of the Revenues caſt out of your fruitful Womb, were, in their own Eyes, and in the Eyes of ſilly Fools like themſelves, excellent and conſiderable Perſons; you furniſh not Fewel for their ſtinking Pride, tyrannizing, and villainous Pleaſures: It was by you, under the Appointment of your Creator, the vile Worms of the Earth appeared ſomewhat; being clothed over with the ſcenical Garbs of Riches, and titular Honours, elſe they had been vile in one anothers Eyes, as now they are to all Eternity; having no internal, real, or perſonal Excellency worthy to be accounted of. Out of thee, O Earth, do not come the precious Fruits, for filling the bellies of wretched Miſcreants, who did eat and drink largely, and wallowed in all earthly Delights; when the only Excellent of the Earth, thro' Oppreſſion, were ſometimes pinched in the Neceſſaries of a mortal Life: Out of thee do not come Inſtruments of Cruelty the Weapons of War, with which the Seed of the Serpent did kill, and torment, and perſecute the Blood-royal of Heaven: Out of thee do not come the Beaſts, wearied with ſerving, and holding up the Filth and Off-ſcourings of all Things: The Horſes are not groaning under Lumps of Death and Hell, riding in a brave and gallant Manner, with a fine Train; joining Battle with the Camp of the Saints, that they might deſtroy the Righteous from the Earth, and have none to ſtand in the Way of their helliſh Endeavours, their monſtrous Triumphing and Tyrannizing, as abſolute Sovereigns of all: The Sheep are not wearied in furniſhing Coverings, and ranting Apparel for the vileſt of Creatures: Now they have not a Rag to cover their Nakedneſs; No Silk, and brave Embroideries for the vile Carcaſes of helliſh Monſters: The excellent Creatures are not now ſlain to hold in the Life of baſe Miſcreants, Ten thouſand Stages below the loweſt of Beaſts. Thou Air, thou art not an Inſtrument any more, whereby the wretched Souls and Carcaſes of curſed Sinners are kept together, in a tolerable Condition; baſe and treacherous Enemies to GOD and Man, do not now defile thee, by drawing thee in, and out, for the Conſervation of their abominable Life. Thou Water, thou art not now uſed by the Devil and his Slaves, as Inſtruments of their Cruelty againſt the only princely and noble Perſons, the Co-heirs of Heaven and Earth, and all Things. Thou art not, O Fire, compelled violently, againſt thy Nature, to reduce to aſhes, with great Torment, the precious Bodies of Zion's Children, comparable to fine Gold. You Sun, Moon and Stars, you ſhall not ſhine upon the Wicked, as well as the Righteous, my more: You do not loſe your ſweet Influences upon the Abomination of Heaven and Earth, and all Things: Are you not in your own Kind happy, by being freed from ſuch grievous Bondage; more grievous, than to be corrupted, deſtroyed and broken in a Thouſand Nothings: O what Joys! all dance, and rejoice! all are in a melodious Frame! the Virtue of my WELBELOVED's Suffering and Exaltation extends by Superabundance to all Things. No Wonder, we are plunged in the Oceans of unſpeakable Joys and Delights! Tho' all were in a mourning Apparel, we could not but eternally ſuperabound in Joys! This is the eternal Day of our Redemption, the Day of the Reſtitution of all Things.

60. All Things are renewed, and glorified; Nothing anihilated.

O thou lower World, thou art made new indeed! O ſuch a majeſtick, glorious Fabrick out of the Aſhes of a Dunghil! O heavenly Earth! or earthly Heaven! Wonderful! not a new Creation, but a renewing of the Old, that periſhed by the Fire of his Indignation! O my LORD, thou canſt make any Thing out of any Thing thou pleaſeſt: Beings, & no Beings, are all alike to Thee! Verily this is a Change, wherein infinite Excellency is highly manifeſted. What Joy, to behold the Face of all Things! Our Seeing of the firſt Temple will not cauſe us to weep, becauſe of this Second: Here is a magnificent Royal Palace reared up, in the Place of a Dungeon; A ſtately Majeſtick City, in the Place of a few poor Cottages. Was the former Fabrick real? or was it not rather imaginary? Were they not Fools, who were only delighted with it? Were they not bewitched, and led away with Fancies, Night-Dreams and Vanities? I thought the former Earth, in the Days of my Mortality, full of the Glory, Bounty, Riches and Excellency of the great Former; and was it not? Yet, was it a dark Shadow, to what mine Eyes behold. This is a Change could never have entred within the Conceptions of the moſt excellent Creatures; This is materially the Former, and yet not the Former. It is manifeſt, my ALMIGHTY ONE, thou canſt create never ſo many Worlds, differing altogether in Excellency from one another: But thou haſt done it, becauſe it ſo pleaſed Thee: Juſt, and holy, and wiſe, and true art thou, in all thy Ways. This is the Stage whereon thou actedſt moſt wonderful Things, as a Prelude to this endleſs Day of Eternity: Whereon thou ran an inconceivable Maſs of various Diſpenſations, which will fill Eternity with Admiration: Here didſt thou diſplay the Banner of thy Mercy, and Juſtice, in the very ſame Traces of Providence, as the wiſeſt of Mortals could not trace thy Footſteps; Here thou wroughtſt the never-enough admired Work of our Redemption; here thou wooed thy Bride; here thou prepared thine Enemies for the Time of Vengeance; here thou madeſt all Things ready for this everlaſting Day; and therefore in thy Wiſdom haſt thou continued it, an eternal Monument. Oh! thy Sovereignty runs in the Channel of thine infinite Love and Bounty! Thou mightſt return all Things back to their Original again: But thy Goodneſs is for ever extended over the Works of thine Hands: Thy Glory endureth for ever; Thou doſt rejoice in all thy Works; Shall I not then rejoice in them? ſhall not I, conſidering them, be eternally raviſhed? Might it not render a Creature eternally bleſſed, to conſider thy infinite Glory, and Perfections, written on thy Handy-work? Even in the Days of my Childhood, I could not open mine Eyes, on the moſt ordinary Productions of thine Excellency, without ſtrange Stirrings, Love, Joy and Admiration. O the raviſhing ſweet Sights, that even then I have ſeen of Thee, through the Glaſs of the Creature! How have my Thoughts run a Maze of raviſhing Delights and Sweetneſs, in conſidering the Vaſtneſs and Expanſion of the Canopy of the lower World! the Beams of thy Chambers, laid in the Waters; the Clouds, thy Chariots, whereon thou didſt gloriouſly ride; the Winds the Pavement whereon Thou walkeſt; Thy Omnipotent Power, in laying ſo firmly the Foundations of the Earth, that it cannot be moved; The prodigious Overflowing of the Waters, when they overwhelmed the Earth; The unſearchable Manner of bounding the boiſtrous Waves of the raging Sea, by ſandy Bulwarks; Thy Wiſdom, in watering the Vallies from the Mountains, and the Mountains from the Sea and Heavens; that the Fowls of the Air, and the Beaſts of the Field might drink abundantly: The Excellent Vertues of baſe Dunghil-Earth, manifeſted in its rich, pleaſant, ſweet, various and lively Off-ſpring; as, Graſs, Herbs, Flowers, Shrubs, Trees, and innumerable Multitude of Beauties, filling all the Senſes with paſſing Delectation, and ſubſervient to all the Defects of indigent Mortals; as Nutriment, Medicine, Clothing, and Habitation: The wonderful Eye of thine omniſcient Providence over the moſt inconſiderable Creatures; as, the Conies, and Goats, who were provided of fit Refuges from all Danger: The exact Ordina ••• s of Sun, Moon and Stars; The Viciſſitudes of Light and Darkneſs, for the ſeveral Exigencies of Men and Beaſts. In the Midſt of ſuch raviſhing Thoughts of thy Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs, how have I been filled, according to the Meaſure of Mortality, with inexpreſſible Joy and Sweetneſs? So that I could not but cry out, with raviſhing Aſtoniſhment, O LORD, how manifold are thy Works? In Wiſdom haſt thou made them all! The Earth is full of thy Riches! And again fell into the deep Contemplation of the Greatneſs of the Sea, its innumerable Progeny of ſmall and great Animals; Thy Wiſdom, in Appointment of Navigation; and Power, in the Leviathan's playing there; thy rich Bounty, in holding a well-furniſht Table, to ſo numerous a Family, as the People of Heaven, Earth, and Sea; Their neceſſary Dependence on thee, every Inſtant, in their Living, Moving, Being; ſo that they are not, if Thou draw in thy Self and the Vivifying Spirit thou communicates unto them. Have I not, O my GOD, been in many ſuch ſweet Meditations, until I have been wrapt up in a Frame of Spirit inutterable, inexpreſſible? and ſung forth in the midſt of ſuch Sweetneſs, The Glory of the LORD ſhall endure for ever; The LORD ſhall rejoice in all his Works: I will ſing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will ſing Praiſes unto my God, while I have my Being; my Meditation of him ſhall be ſweet; I will rejoice in the Lord. How oft have I thought, Is the Wilderneſs ſo ſweet and pleaſant? What muſt the In-land be? Is there ſuch raviſhing Variety of Beauty, Glory, and Sweetneſs, all along in my Pilgrimage? What can I imagine to behold in my Native Country? Is the Habitation, where Devils, wicked Men and Beaſts inhabit, ſo excellent and glorious? What can I think of the Place where JESUS, the EMMANUEL, with his fair white Company of Saints and Angels, everlaſtingly abides? Is my God's Footſtool ſo glorious? What muſt his Throne be? Is the under Vault of this baſe Dun ••• ſo Majeſtick? O the higher Hall of Glory! where the glorious King, and his magnificent Court remain! Doth the Habitation ſymbolize with the Inhabitants? The higher World muſt inconceivably tranſcend this lower. And is this Earth ſo ſweet, when curſed, and defiled, becauſe of its abominable Inhabitants? what ſhall it be, when renewed, and made only an Habitation of Righteouſneſs? Shall not every Place excell Eden? and Eden the Celeſtial Camps? Indeed, O lower World, we might, in our Mortality, conceive ſomething confuſedly of thy Renovation; but could never have imagined, thou ſhouldſt have been thus: O Earth, thou appeareſt to be placed after the former Manner, to be of the former Magnitude, and Figure, as to every Point correſponding to the ſame Points of the Heaven of Heavens; alſo the lower Heaven differs not in Magnitude, Situation, and Number of Tapers, from the former; and only herein do the old and new World agree: Now, the ſmalleſt Star would have confounded the Inhabitants of the old, and made the very Sun to evaniſh in its Light: The Beams of Light darting every where are ſubſtantial; filling not only the Eyes, but all the Senſes with paſſing Delight; it containing innumerable Perfections and Vertues, not to be perceived by Mortals; their Senſes being few, and capable of little: But now, every Senſe is equivalent to Ten thouſand thouſand differing in Kind from one another: The Light of one Luminary confounds not the Rays of another, tho' all are united and made one: The Moon appears to change Faces, by the nearer, or further, Approach of, or Diſtance from her King; yet ſhe is ever more glorious than the Sun in his former Condition: Every Star ſhowers down Millions of Millions of various Influences, which in a Moment would convert the former Earth to a Lump of Gold and Gems: All are tranſparent, even the Sun, Moon and Stars, though compact ſolid Globes of Light: No Vail drawn betwixt the higher and lower Habitation: No ſmoky Fumes betwixt Heaven and Earth: No Winds, nor Storms, Tempeſt • , pinching Cold, nor pierceing Heat: No Viciſſitudes of Summer and Winter: Nothing but an eternal Spring-tide, and endleſs Summer, a conſtant Harveſt: All are in their blooming Eſtate, and fulleſt Perfection. What Wonder! Is it not the Centre of infinite Influences? the ſweet Influences of Pleiades are never bound up, but are every Minute ſhowered down; the Bands of Orion are ever looſed: And is not the heavenly Earth ſo impregnate, with ſuch infinite Vertues? Is it not ſo lively and vigorous; ſo full of the Seeds of innumerable Excellencies, as that, in it ſelf, it is beautiful, fruitful and excellent, without Influences from Creatures of an higher Nature? In its own Nature doth it contain the Vertue and Operations of Sun, Moon and Stars. How infinitely various are the Senſitive Vegetables? What Beauty, and Glory, and Vertue is to be found in every One? The ſmalleſt Pile of Graſs might alone baniſh Darkneſs from the whole Univerſe. O the Roſes and Lilies! every one like a Star in its proper Orb: All Things are like Lamps of Light; yet, nothing hindering the Varieties of Colours, which are infinitely various, and wonderfully lively: All the Rays of ſuch innumerable Beauties and Excellencies, tho' united in one, are nothing troubleſom, through their Intenſity, but the more delightſom: And all Lights, all Colours, all Excellencies as infinitely intended. O then! their paſſing Pleaſantneſs! every Thing appears endowed with all Manner of Excellencies, as Colours, Figures, &c. and ſo to be a little World. What may be ſaid of this, in compariſon of the former? This is Beauty, the former was Deformity: This is Light, the other Darkneſs: This is Livelineſs and Activity, the other Deadneſs & Lazineſs: The former was a confuſed, deformed and lothſom Chaos; out of which is made this excellent, beautiful and glorious Fabrick. Who can behold, and not ſmile and le • p for Joy, at the Bounty and Power of JEHOVAH, ſo viſibly manifeſted? And what ſweet, cheering Breathings do ſo harmoniouſly ſound among the ſtately Trees of this univerſal Paradiſe? O what Diffuſing of delightſom, odoriferous Exhalations! One Gale would cauſe Death it ſelf to be lively; being a thouſand Times more excellent, than the moſt pure and refined Animal Spirits of Mortals: One Gale of this, would have rendered the former Earth a fertile Eden for many Ages: Eyes and Ears, and all the Faculties, are loſt in an endleſs Maze; To find a Beginning, Middle and Ending, is a Taſk for Eternity. All is one Orchard, one Paradiſe, one Field, one Garden of Delight! The moſt curious Artifice of Cities, Palaces, or what elſe, would be Deformity. Nature now cannot be bettered by Helps: JEHOVAH hath ordered all, in an Order above the Invention of all Creatures: Eden here would be like a black Spot on a fair and beautiful Face. Every Drop of Dew, that dangleth on theſe Trees of God, excels Rubies and Carbuncles. All the Rivers run Liquors above the moſt precious Quinteſſential Extractions of the former World. May it not be called indeed, The Golden Age? They who behold Thee, ſee the Floods of Hony and Butter. May they not heap up Gold, as the Duſt; and Gold of Ophir, as the Stones of the Brook? How excellent is thy Loving-kindneſs, O God! therefore the Children of Men put their Truſt under the Shadow of thy Wings. We are abundantly ſatisfied with the Fulneſs of thy Houſe; And Thou makeſt us drink of the Rivers of thy Pleaſures. Thou viſiteſt the Earth, Thou watereſt it, Thou greatly enricheſt it with the Rivers of God, which are full of Water; Thou crowneſt the Year with thy Goodneſs; and all thy Paths drop Fatneſs: The Hills, the little Hills and Valleys ſhout for Joy, and ſing, The Lord is our Keeper, the Lord is our Shade, on our Right-hand; the Sun doth not ſmile us by Day, nor the Moon by Night; We are ſecure for ever and ever: All thy Promiſes are more than fully accompliſhed. Men and Angels, the Product of his everlaſting Counſels is all brought forth: It is done, thus it is becauſe it thus pleaſed him. Holy, holy, holy LORD GOD Almighty, which was, and is, and art to come! Thou art worthy to receive Glory, and Honour, and Power; For thou haſt created all Things and for thy Pleaſure they are, and were created.

61. The Triumphing over the Wicked, is a Part of the Saints Glory and Happineſs.

O beautiful, glorious and joyful World! All have been ſad-like until now: Who can open their Eyes, and not be over-joyed, tho' they extracted their Delights only from Creatures mediately? But what is this to you, Loſt Wretches, ſhut up in utter Darkneſs? Your beſt World hath eternally vaniſhed: This is a black miſerable World to you. What have you to do with this fair Creation? It is ours, only ours; for we are Chriſt's, and Chriſt is God's. Even the former Earth, you took for your Country, Heaven and Happineſs, was only yours by Uſurpation and Oppreſſion; but now you ſhall uſurp no more: If any Thing be yours, it is that bottomleſs Lake, wherein you crawl, like ſo many filthy Toads, Snakes and abominable Vermine: To behold you, would confound any Creature, not indowed with Immortality. O monſtrous Sights! O the Infinite Power of JEHOVAH! that can ſhape-out after this Faſhion: Your Structure ſymbolizeth with your Vileneſs; your Countenance correſponds excellently to your helliſh Minds; and you cannot but affright one another with your deſperate helliſh Looks and Minds; Blaſphemy, and horrid Deſperation is written on your Fore-heads, even the Wrath and Fury of JEHOVAH and the LAMB: One of your gaſtly Looks would affright Millions of Mortals out of their Wits: You are, O dreadful Vileneſs; extremely miſerable; yet, not Objects of Pity: You might ſtirr'd-up Compaſſion in the moſt zealous Breaſts on Earth, becauſe then you were endowed with ſome ſmall Relicks of the Image of your Creator; but how fully is the Saying of our WELBELOVED accompliſhed on you? From him that hath not, ſhall be taken away even that which he hath. All the Spunks of Goodneſs are evaniſhed; and what can remain, but a Maſs of all Impiety, & direct Hatred of God? Nothing like this was ſeen on Earth. Now you appear in your own Colours; God hath ſtripped you naked of all. Where are all your excellent Gifts, your Prudence, and Civility, your fine natural Diſpoſition; your Love to God, you ſo much talked of? Now it appears, That the Heart of Man is deceitful above all Things, and deſperately wicked, above Imagination. On Earth, becauſe of natural Ties, we could not but love you; your eternal Rebellion not being manifeſted to us: But now you are for ever our Lord's ſtated Enemies; that tho' he would offer you Pardon, your curſed Hearts would no leſs riſe againſt him; your Hatred is unquenchable, and augments thro'out Eternity. Fools, are you belching out the Venom of Hell againſt him, who for ever tramples you under his Feet? Doth not your Curſings and horrid Blaſphemies ſound forth the Juſtneſs of his avenging Wrath? Not becauſe of his Wrath, and Diſpleaſure againſt you, are you mad againſt him; in the midſt of his Bounty did you continue in your Enmity. His Holineſs, his ſpotleſs Holineſs is the Butt of your helliſh Malice: Your Wickedneſs is come to its Perfection: Mortality was not capable of outing the ten thouſandth Part of what is now manifeſted: Ever were you averſe from the Fellowſhip of the ever-bleſſed God: Now you directly avouch your Enmity, as juſt and equitable, in Deſpite of your Conſciences, ſhowing Right and Wrong. Know you not, That he againſt whom you have eternally ſworn your ſelves Enemies, may uſe his Power over you? And you would do ſo over him and his. What would you do with his holy Ones, if you had their everlaſting Lot at your Diſpoſing? Is not his Mercy over all his Works? Since he layeth not upon you the ten thouſandth Part of that Puniſhment he could, and his Sovereignty and Diſpleaſure carves out the Meaſure of your Puniſhment: But is there any Meaſure, which he might not in Juſtice inflict? When it is augmented with never ſo many Ages, and your Strength augmented to bear it; never can it be ſaid, He inflicts more than is meet; ſince Your Rebellion is againſt an infinite Majeſty, and is of an endleſs Nature: Since You are ever ſinning more and more; therefore are You obliged to his everlaſting Mercy and Bounty. O my GOD, what a delightſom Change is this! I will rejoice, yea, I will for ever rejoice in beholding! What now, you Some bodies of Time, where is your gay Clothing, your fine well-pampered Carcaſſes? What think you of theſe vile, abominable, ugly clubbiſh Bodies, which You only cared for, and would have ſo finely deckt, as if they had been made of ſome celeſtial Subſtance, and not of the ſame Lump, that all Mankind was made of? What is come of the excellent Majeſty and Reverence, ſilly flattering Fools made you believe, had been enſtamped upon your very bodily Viſage? Where is your brave Attendance, you imagined followed You, for Your real Excellency? Where is that Admiration, had of you, beaſtly Wretches, becauſe of Advantage? What think ye, baſe Sycophants, of the Men you truſted to, and adored above God alſufficient? See you now any Majeſty, or Excellencies in ſuch poor, baſe, trembling Catives? Are they not the ſame, that they were? only the Fig-leaves that covered them are taken away. They imagined themſelves Some-bodies, while they poſſeſſed earthly Abundance: How highly did they look: becauſe they ſeemed to have ſome more Shovelfuls of Earth than others? But now the lofty Looks of Man are humbled, and the Haughtineſs of Man is bowed down; and the Lord alone is exalted in this Day. What now, Tyrants, ſilly Catives; are you the very ſame Men, that made the Earth to tremble? The Lord hath broken the Staff of the Wicked, and the Sceptre of the Rulers: Your Pomp is brought down to the Grave, and the Noiſe of your Viols ceaſeth the Worms are ſpread under you, and the Worms cover you; Are you not deſpiſed in the Eyes of all, whether in Heaven or Hell? The Almighty hath laid open Your Nakedneſs, he hath diſcovered Your ſecret Parts: Fools, were you never thinking that it would come to this? Did you imagine, That the vileſt of Men ſhould domineer over the moſt Excellent, and no more of it? That the Wicked might oppreſs the Man more righteous than himſelf, and yet no more of it to all Eternity? Did the Almighty create Man after his Image, to eat and drink, and paſs away an Inch of Time, and no more? Was it the Purpoſe of the wiſe Diſpoſer of all Things, that Men ſhould be ranked according to the Fancies of Riches and titular Honour acquired by Vanity, and maintained by Folly? What think you now of thoſe You contemned not long ago, whom You eſteemed as the Filth and Off-ſcourings of all Things, whom You thought unworthy of Your excellent Preſence, becauſe they were not laded with the thick Clay of the Earth? What Diſtance & Reverence looked You for from Fellow-Creatures, as if they had been made for ſo baſe an End, as to hold up Your Yeas and Nays? As if Caping and Cringing, & ſuch hiſtrionick Vanities had been requiſite for the Sons of Wiſdom? O joyful Day of Eternity! wherein all Things are unmaſked; all Odds are made Even. The Fore tho'ts of this held up my Heart, in my ſad Pilgrimage. Now, Wretches, 'tis evident, who on Earth ſhould have been moſt honoured and eſteemed, who ſhould have had the chief Place among Men; Who ſees not now, That Wiſdom is the principal Thing? How vain was the Eſteem of the World! Were they not Fools who in the leaſt regarded it? Who conſidered Things only according to their external Shews. Catives, what think you of your Fools-paradiſe? Your golden Dream hath miſerably beguiled you: Earthly Riches are cried down; the vain Denominations of Time are fled away. Only Wiſdom for ever remains. What then, are you, poor wicked Wretches, expoſed to the Shame, Contemp • and Mockery of all the World? Are you not made a Gazing-ſtock to God, Angels and Men? You ſnatched at Fancies, and neglected Wiſdom, which would have rendered you excellent for ever and ever. They that practiſed beſt your fooliſh Modes and Inventions; that could comply beſt with your fooliſh Humours; that knew beſt, how to ſcrape together the Pelf of the Earth, were eſteemed wiſe and accompliſhed by you: As for the truly Wiſe (who were ever very rare, and the Wonders of their Age) you contemned, and reproached them, as the Dregs of Mankind. How did you triumph over the Poor, and Meek of the Earth? while your World remained, which was but for a Moment. An everlaſting World is now come; May we not triumph Time-about? Which of us have choſen the better Part? Judge ye: Preſent Things you eſteemed only real; and wondered at our Folly, that lived upon the Hope of Things to come; yea, and to come after Death, and the Diſſolution of all Things: And are you not Fools, who neglected Immortality and Glory, and Honour, tho' you had a miſerable, pining Life on Earth, earning your daily Bread by ſore Labour and Grief? Could not a frowning vexing World looſe your baſe Minds from it? O vile Wretches, eſteemed you Earth, in its Wintergarb, before the eternal Enjoyment of the Fountain of all Bleſſedneſs? Verily your Mouth is eternally ſtopped. Wretches of Wretches, who were endowed with the Knowledge of the only excellent Things; who ſpake, and wrote to the Good and Admiration of others: Wonderful! knew you ſo much of the Alſufficiency of JEHOVAH, the Emptineſs of all Things below him; and yet did not put your Truſt in him, did not care for a near Fellowſhip with him, but placed your Love and Delights on Vanities? You are to be doubly puniſhed, who knew your Maſter's Will, and did it not: Good had it been for you, vileſt Wretches, that you had been Idiots and Sots: How did you deſpiſe ſome of the Excellent Ones of the Earth; becauſe of your more ſagacious Nature, in uptaking? Your Heart hath not been upright before GOD; your Knowledge puffed you up; Charity hath been away; your Gifts and Abilities have you not uſed to his Glory for whom are all Things: But Self hath been the End of all your Endeavours. What a glorious Luſtre had you then among weak Saints! The Rottenneſs of your Heart was overvailed with a Multitude of natural Gifts, and Education: But he, who knoweth all Things, hath found you out; he hath weighed you in an even Balance, and ye are found wanting. Now, it is manifeſt, who is the Searcher of the Hearts, and the Trier of the Reins: Were they not wiſe, who overlooked the Approbation of Men, and gave all Diligence to be approved to thee? What thy Tho'ts are concerning a Creature, that it is indeed. Many Hypocrites have paſſed off the Stage of Time, with the Paſport of many of the Saints; but thy Well done hath only landed fair in thy bleſſed Kingdom. Indeed, LORD JESUS, in Time thou madeſt a brave Separation betwixt the Righteous and the Wicked; how oft haſt thou ſifted thy Church over, and over again, with ſmaller and ſmaller Sieves? So that the Difference betwixt the Wheat and the Chaff was very diſcernable. How oft haſt thou drawn the Controverſy betwixt thy Friends, and thy Enemies, to ſmaller and ſmaller Concernments? So that many, who, for Shame, could not, inpalpably groſs Things, comply with the Devil and his Slaves; yet in Matters that ſeemed of leſs Conſequence, did they ſide with them; whence their Hypocriſie and Luke warmneſs in the Matters of GOD did appear. O Apoſtates and Betrayers of the Intereſts of Jehovah and the Lamb, your Mouth is eternally ſtopped! Many fine Excuſes did your helliſh Minds invent,in the Midſt of your Villany: Your fine Subtilties, drawn from Prudentials and Politicks, are now laid open before Sun and Moon. You were too wiſe and prudent to take the plain Way, and come to the Streets for GOD: You were of too meek a Nature to hold the Devil and his Slaves at long Weapons: You were of too fine and ſubtile a Spirit to ſpeak in plain Terms of the Controverſies of the Time, and Sins of the Generation you lived in; You were too courteous and ſubmiſſive to contend with the very Shields of the Earth, in every Concernment of the Prince of the Kings of the Earth: No, You were not ſuch Fools, as to incur the deadly Fewd of thoſe, who had Authority and Power in their Hands: Yet would many of You been ranked in among the Camp of the Saints; whereby you were eſteemed as excellent amongſt ſome of the weaker Ones: Now it is evident, You were baſe Traitors, playing with all Hands, for your greater Security and Advantage; and that you have been lukewarm and indifferent in the royal Prerogatives and Honor of the great and mighty LORD of all Things, and the Welfare of his Spouſe. You ſtated Enemies againſt JEHOVAH, and the LAMB, what think you of your deſperate Madneſs? Thought you to conquer and deſtroy the Friends and Darlings of the high and mighty One? Imagined you, that you were triumphing, when you proſpered in perſecuting of his Church? Fools, that was one of the great Ends, that the Almighty raiſed you up for; that you might ſcour and rub the Veſſels of his Temple: Uſeful Inſtruments were you in the Hand of the great Actor; by you he hammered & poliſhed the Stones of his Houſe; by you he cleanſed it of Filth; by you he pulled it down, in Order to a more excellent Fabrick: You, you did the Almighty uſe, as Slaves in all ſervile Employments; and when he had fulfilled his Intentions with you, he caſt you into the Fire. Vile Wretches, is it not a dreadful Torment, to look our LORD JESUS in the Face? How doth his Preſence and the Preſence of his holy Ones abaſh you? Where are Your high and lofty Looks now? What fear'd and aſtoniſht-like Countenances! Are you the Men that ſpoke ſo highly againſt the Work and People of GOD? Are you the Men, who mocked his holy Ones, or not? Are you the Men, who cared not for our Fellowſhip; but thought the World might be well enough without theſe heavenly Creatures? Were you weary of our Neighbourhood, as troubleſom; becauſe of our ſtoick (as you fancied) and • eciſe Principles, contrary to your looſe and worldly Way of walking? Now you have your Will, you are no more troubled with our Fellowſhip; the Tares and the Wheat are eternally ſeparate: Now your Hatred and Envy cannot reach us; we tread you for ever, as Dung among our Feet. What are your Curſings and Blaſphemies to our LORD, and us? Could a filthy Toad defile the Sun by ſpitting Venom upwards? Could the Smoke of the lower Region darken that Lamp of Light? Could the bluſtring Winds make the Stars to tremble? Could the proud Ocean, with its turbulent Swellings, beat down the pearly Foundation of the higher Houſe? Your Envy and Malice is a vehement Flame, burning up eternally your Soul and Body: Your own Wickedneſs is poured upon you, and it burneth as the Fire; it devoureth the Briers and the Thorns, and kindleth in the Thickets of the Foreſt, and they mount up, like the lifting up of Smoke. Wickedneſs containeth its Puniſhment in its Boſom. All our Deſires are fulfilled: The Zeal of our GOD's Houſe did eat up our Heart, in the Days of our Pilgrimage; but now we are overjoyed in beholding of the Vengeance: Much of the Vengeance of the Wrath of our GOD did we, with exceeding Joy, behold, when we lived within Time. How oft did he appear, for the Salvation of his People, with Garments rolled in Blood? How did he overturn a whole World by an univerſal Inundation of Waters? How did he burn up Countries and Cities in one Hour? How did he make Earth's devouring Jaws ſwallow up many of thoſe, that it was burdened with? By Sword, by Famine, by Peſtilence, by the Beaſts of the Field, how hath he made the Carcaſſes of his Enemies to be ſpread like Dung upon the Face of the Earth? What ſtrange Judgments have we ſeen upon Families, and Perſons, conform to their Iniquities? How ſignal was his Providence over the Children of Men? So that Men were convinced, and could not but ſay, Verily there is a GOD, that judgeth righteouſly in the Earth: Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous and Wicked; a Difference 〈◊〉 twixt him that feareth GOD, and him that feareth hi • not But all was Emblems, Types, Shadows and Repreſentations of what now we behold: All the Vengeance inflicted on curſed Wretches, was juſt nothing. What was Mortality capable of? All the Wrath inflicted in Time, compounded in one, was nothing, to one Moment of this everlaſting Day of pure and unmixed Vengeance: The inflicting of Puniſhment in Time, was only for the Sake of the Spectators, that the Inhabitants of the World might learn Righteouſneſs. Vile Creatures, do you not know, whom you ſhould have feared? What think you of your prodigious Madneſs, who feared feeble nothing Creatures, like your ſelves, and forgat and deſpiſed the Threatnings and Judgments of the infinite ONE? What could all Creatures do? All their Wrath and Fury, compared to the Vengeance of the Almighty, is like a ſmall Drop to a boundleſs Ocean. Find you not now, that it is a fearful Thing to fall into the Hands of the living GOD? O what Billows of divine Vengeance! What Oceans of Wrath hath he treaſured up at his Right-hand! Every Drop whereof might confound ten thouſand Worlds. The Lord hath come out of his Place, to puniſh the Inhabitants of the Earth, for their Iniquity: The Earth alſo hath diſcloſed her Blood. For behold, the LORD, a mighty and ſtrong One, who, as a Tempeſt of Hail, and a deſtroying Storm, as a Flood of mighty Waters overflowing, doth caſt down to the Earth with the Hand: The Name of the Lord is come, burning with his Anger; and the Burden thereof is heavy. His Lips are full of Indignation, and his Tongue as a devouring Fire, and his Breath as an overflowing Stream, doth reach unto the Midſt of the Neck. How doth the LORD go forth, as a Mighty Man? How doth he ſtir up Jealouſy like a Man of War? He crieth, he prevaileth againſt his Enemies, I have long Time held my Peace, ſaith the Almighty, I have been ſtill, and refrained myſelf: Now will I cry, like a •• avelling Woman: I will deſtroy and devour, at once Multitudes, Multitudes in the Valley of Deciſion; for the Day of the LORD is in the Valley of Deciſion. He hath come down, and trod upon the high Places of the Earth; and the Mountains were molten under him, and the Vallies were cleft: As Wax before the Fire, and as Waters that are poured down a ſteep Place. The Nations ſaw, and were confounded; they laid their Hand upon their Mouth; they licked the Duſt like a Serpent, they moved out of their Holes like Worms of the Earth; and were greatly afraid, and confounded becauſe of the LORD our GOD: For he is jealous, and revengeful; He revengeth, and is furious; Who can ſtand before his Indignation? And who can abide in the Fierceneſs of his Anger? His Fury is poured out like Fire; and the Rocks are thrown down by him. O thou Enemy, Deſtructions are come to a perpetual End: But the LORD's Anger endureth forever: He hath prepared his Throne for Judgment. Sing Praiſes unto the Lord, that dwelleth in Zion. When he maketh Inquiſition for Blood, be remembreth them: He has not forgotten the Cry of the Humble; the Needy have not always been forgotten; the Expectation of the Poor hath not periſhed for ever. Upon the Wicked thou raineſt Snares, Fire and Brimſtone, and an horrible Tempeſt: This ſhall be for ever the Portion of their Cup. O love the Lord, all ye his Saints; for the LORD preſerveth the Faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud Doer. The LORD is righteous, and all his Works are done in Truth. All my Bones ſhall ſay unto the LORD, Who is like unto thee? who delivereſt the Poor from him that was too ſtrong for him. Thy Mercy, O LORD, is in the Heavens, and thy Faithfulneſs reacheth unto the Clouds: Thy Righteouſneſs is like the great Mountains, thy Judgments are a great Deep. Many, O LORD my GOD, are the wonderful Works, which thou haſt done, and thy Thoughts, which are to us-ward, they cannot be reckoned up in Order unto thee; If I would declare and ſpeak of them, they are more than can be numbred. Sing Praiſes, unto GOD, ſing Praiſes, ſing Praiſes unto our King, ſing Praiſes. The Heathen raged, the Kingdom were mov'd; He uttered his Voice, the Earth melted: The LORD of Hoſts is with us, the GOD of Jacob is our Refuge; Selah. Through GOD we do valiantly; for it is he that treadeth down our Enemies. Surely Men of low Degree were Vanity, and Men of high Degree were a Lie; To be laid in the Balance, they were altogether lighter than Vanity. GOD hath ſpoken once, twice have I heard this, that Power belongeth unto GOD; alſo unto thee, O LORD, belongeth Mercy; for thou rendreſt unto every Man according to his Work. Thou haſt aſcended up on high, thou haſt led Captivity captive; thou haſt received Gifts for Men: Thou haſt broken Rahab in Pieces, as one that is ſlain: Thou haſt ſcattered thine Enemies with thy ſtrong Arm: But mine Horn haſt thou exalted, like the Horn of the Unicorn; I am anointed with freſh Oil: Mine Eyes ſee my Deſire upon mine Enemies, and mine Ears have heard my Deſires of the Wicked, that roſe up againſt me. Who is like the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himſelf to behold the Things that are in Heaven? He raiſeth up the Poor out of the Duſt, and lifteth up the Needy out of the Dunghil; that he may ſet him with Princes. I will exalt thee, my God, O King, I will praiſe thy Name for ever and ever: I will ſpeak of the Honour of thy Majeſty, and of thy wondrous Works: Thy Kingdom is an everlaſting Kingdom, and thy Dominion endureth to all Generations: Bleſs the Lord all ye his Angels, that excel in Strength; Bleſs the Lord, all ye his Saints: Bleſs the Lord, all ye his Works, in all Places of his Dominions: Bleſs the Lord, O my Soul. Hallelujah.

62. Reflections upon the victorious Power of Faith, and on the Folly of faithleſs Worldlings.

I, thus to triumph over Death, and Hell! am I eternal Victor over ſo ſtrong and numerous Enemies? O ye Gates of Hell, could ye not prevail againſt me? Might ye not have deſtroyed Ten thouſand Worlds of the like of me? What hath come of all your Boaſtings, when you have not been able to deſtroy Poor ME, when aſſiſted and helped by my Welbeloved? Strange! have not I overcome you in the midſt of great Weakneſs and Infirmity? O the Strength of Faith! I laid hold on him, who is mighty; I truſted in him, and therefore I could not be moved: I took hold on the Rock of Ages; and what could Ten thouſand raging Seas have done unto me? Theſe who hold Grips of Him, may ſwim ſafely through the Lake, that burneth with Fire and Brimſtone. Devils, and wicked Men, you were Fools to aſſault us: Did you think, becauſe of our Weakneſs and Mortality, to vanquiſh us, and carry away the Day? If you might have overturned the Rock of Ages, then might you have overturned us; for we relied upon Him: and it was a Repugnancy, to imagine, He might fail us. No Wonder, Devils, that you ſtrove to bring us to Doubtings, and Diſtruſt; for in Faith did our Strength lie▪ Had you ruined our Faith, and brought us to Diffidence, or preſumptuous, fooliſh Boldneſs, ye had ruined us for ever: but our WELBELOVED prayed to his Father, that our Faith ſhould not fail us; and he is greater and dearer in his Father's Eyes, than to be ſaid Nay, in ſo earneſt a Requeſt. Now it is manifeſt, that all Things have been done by Relieving; It hath been the Sun, Original, and King of all other Graces: Becauſe I believed, therefore I ſpake and did for him on Earth; Therefore did I place the Flower and Vigour of my Love upon him; Therefore did I contemn all the Glory and Excellency of Time, for my Portion; Therefore did I exceedingly endeavour to do the Things that are Well-pleaſing in his Sight, and to be more and more like him; Therefore did I long to ſee him Face to Face. Men and Angels, through Faith in his Name, am I entered this bleſſed Place: Not by my Holineſs, not by my Strength, and Integrity, is this wonderful Thing come to paſs; but by laying hold on him, who is mighty to ſave unto the uttermoſt. Wicked Men and Devils, I have vanquiſhed you; I have thrown you eternally to the Ground; not by the Excellency of mine own Vigour and Courage, but by laying hold on his Strength, who ſuſtaineth all Things. Faith was the Subſtance of Things hoped for, the Evidence of Things not ſeen. For by it we have all received an everlaſting Name. We believed, that what he had promiſed, He would perform, tho' we ſaw them not, either intuitively, or rationally; tho' we had not received the Promiſes, but only had a View of them afar off, yet were we perſwaded of them, and embraced them, and confeſſed our ſelves Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth; Declaring plainly to Worldlings, that we were ſeeking a Place of eternal Abode, overlooking the Wilderneſs, as a Wayfaring Place. O faireſt WELBELOVED, how was I enamoured and raviſhed with thy very NAME, when I had not ſeen thee! How was I perſwaded of the Truth of all thy Promiſes and Threatnings, as if I had beheld them fully accompliſhed? How gladly and cheerfully did I looſe my Heart and Love from all temporal Concernments, that they might be ſet wholly upon the great Things to be revealed? I believed all thou ſpoke; becauſe I counted thee both Faithful, Willing and Powerful to accompliſh: I conſulted not with Fleſh and Blood, to go and reaſon, Is it poſſible ſuch a Thing can be? Nay, I overlooked all Objections, tho' never ſo plauſible and ſtrong; and ſtopped the Mouth of all earthly, ſenſual and deviliſh Wiſdom, with, The Mouth of the LORD hath ſpoken it. But, O my fair One, how doth Beholding inconceivably tranſcend Faith! I truſted Thou wouldſt perform above all I could aſk, or think; but how confuſed, general and childiſh were my Conceptions of what now I enjoy? The higheſt I could bend my Conceptions, was, to imagine, that Eye hath not ſeen, Ear hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the Heart of Mortal, what thou hadſt prepared for thoſe that waited for thee: All I could conceive of this boundleſs Happineſs, was, to conſider it, as paſſing all Conception. How have I been vexed with the Baſeneſs and lowneſs of my Apprehenſions? and have endeavoured to ſtrain them above their proper Meaſure; not conſidering that childiſh Eſtate was not capable of manly Conceptions; and that Mortality muſt be ſwallowed up of Life, elſe the Creature cannot behold thy Face, and live. It was Wiſdom to long for this Day of immediate Fellowſhip; but Folly to deſire it within the Tents of Mortality: All I could then have of Thee, was thy Portraiture, Thou ſet down in thy Teſtament. Love-letters I received from Thee, in Earth's childiſh Dialect: Thou told me of Kingdoms and Cities, Diadems & Honours, Riches & Pleaſures: Thou told me of thy Greatneſs, and Majeſty, and Lovelineſs; all which were Things of the lower World much eſteemed: But here are neither Kingdoms, nor Diadems; but Things tranſcendently above all ſuch Trifles. How ignorant have I been of my Happineſs? Wonderful! that the Hope of this made me not overjoyed to the Death. O ſilly, hungry Wilderneſs, when I caſt back mine Eyes upon thee, Can I but ſmile at the childiſh Folly of Worldlings, who only deſired, endeavoured, contended for Portions, and Inheritances out of thee? They that purchaſed moſt, have acquired Nothing; and they who purchaſed leaſt, can be in no poorer Caſe. What have you gained, baſe Worldlings? Enjoy the Fruit of your Expectation and Labour; Now, when the End of all Things is come, gather together your Purchaſe, and rejoice for ever in it: What! have you provided Nothing for the laſt Days? Laid you up no Treaſures for this Time? Were you not thinking on this endleſs Day of Eternity? Have you been all ſuch brutiſh Fools, as to provide Nothing for the laſt Day? Strange Folly and Madneſs! Had none of you but that much Conſideration as to think, Poſſibly there might be a LIFE after an Inch of Time? Were ye Wiſe, or were ye Fools, who conſumed all your Time, in providing for Time? Baſe Fools, did God create you for an Inch of Time? Thought you his Wiſdom made you only to eat and drink, and mind your baſe ſelves, to provide only for your ſenſual decaying Life, and never to aim at his Glory, To whom, and through whom, and for whom are all Things? Did you imagine it juſt, that the lower Creatures ſhould ſerve you; and yet you to neglect the CREATOR? Did you forget him; and ſhould He have minded you, and given your Rain and fruitful Seaſons, filling your Hearts with Food and Gladneſs? O ingrate Wretches! O abominable Fools! ſhall we not tread you eternally under our Feet, as the Droſs, and Off-ſcourings of all Things? Droſs you have coveted and deſired, as your Portion; Droſs you have loved, feared and ſerved; and therefore baſer you are than the baſeſt Droſs. Did you not conſider what lay beyond Time? and was Earth your only Deſire? Then have You judged your ſelves unworthy of any more. Did you ſeek for no higher Life, than the dying, evaniſhing, natural Life? and have you not excluded your ſelves this ſublime, excellent and immortal Life? Would you not believe the faithful and true Witneſs, who teſtified unto you, of what excellent Things were laid up in Store for thoſe, who feared, loved, obeyed, and walked with God, in their Generation? Would you not rely upon him, for Time and Eternity; but laid hold on a preſent vain World? yea, and in ſuch a baſe and brutiſh Manner, as you did not acknowledge him, and depend upon him, in your earthly Enjoyments; but truſted to your Wiſdom, your Labours, and a Thouſand Vanities? Reap the Fruit of your own Sowing; you have received your Choice, and what would you have more? Had you choſen this endleſs Happineſs, you had gotten it; and immortal Life would have been, by Ten thouſand Times, more ſweet than it was. And did you mock, in your Hearts, at our Folly, who overlooked all viſible Things, and placed our Hope, our Joy, our Portion, our Bleſſedneſs on Things, that neither Eye could ſee, nor Heart conceive? And ſhall we not for ever inſult over You now, when your Folly is manifeſt, even to your ſelves? Our Hope hath not made us aſhamed: But what hath come of all your Aims and Hopes? Now, we have you eternally, as Duſt under the Soles of our Feet. O Death and Hell, we have vanquiſhed you for ever; Never ſhall you be able to riſe again. O Grave! O Death! • how the Trophies of your Victory. Through God we have done valiantly; for he it is that hath beat down our Enemies. You ſeemed to overcome us, and hold us in Priſon; but, through his Strength, we have broken all your Bands, and ruined You utterly. The Victory was ever ours: But all now is fully accompliſhed; not once Enemy is able to ſhake a Weapon any more. Everlaſting Hallelujah to our God, who hath given us the Victory, through our LORD JESUS CHRIST. O what an endleſs Triumph; Wicked Men and Devils, you were ordained for the Pomp and Glory of this Day. Our WELBELOVED has made our State every Way excellent and glorious; therefore hath he ordained Enemies for us to combate with, vanquiſh, and triumph over, for ever and ever. That our State might want nothing of the Top, and Flower, and Perfection of Glory and Exaltation; you have we, as a Foot ſtool, for ever to trample upon; All Things are ours, and for our Honour and Glory. Now it is evident who were the really great Ones. Now doth appear what Manner of Perſons we are. Who but the LAMB, and his Followers! Who but the FIRST-BORN, and his Brethren! O the Height, and glorious Dignity of a Saint! Sirs, What think you? are we not made great Perſons? Knew we our Dignity, when we were on Earth? Surely not in the Ten thouſand thouſandth Part: Mortality could not have born it. Have we not been like young Minors, who conſidered not the Glory and Majeſty of our vaſt Inheritance, we were coming unto? and therefore, we ſometimes degraded our ſelves with the familiar Converſe of baſe Worldlings, and crouched ſo creepingly as if ſuch Beaſts had been fit Companions for us: But in our Childhood we could not conceive theſe ſuperexcellent Royalties. Indeed, I ever looked upon all the Saints, as the only Excellent of the Earth; and was oft-times ſtruck with Reverence and Admiration, at the Sight of the leaſt of them: Yet, then I knew them not; Mortality could conceive little. Worldlings, know you not now, whom you have deſpiſed? Time was, when a Saint, as a Saint, was a deſpicable Nothing in your Eyes: Pelf, worldly Grandeur, and Applauſe, rendered Perſons only excellent in your Eſteem. What was a Man's Holineſs to you, but ſome imaginary Fancies & Opinions, he had learned by Education and Teaching, and entertained through Conceitneſs and Fancy? Some preciſe Tenets, which were needleſs and ſuperfluous: For Religion, in your Judgment, was an eaſy and trivial Matter; the Generality were Saints: A large and wide Charity had you for every one, not tranſgreſſing the Limits of common Humanity; Civilians, Moraliſts, Formaliſts illuminated, were all, in your Opinion, fit for the glorious and majeſtick Kingdom; fit for entring this golden CITY, & converſing familiarly with JEHOVAH and the LAMB, in this royal Hall of Glory: Us you reproached, as Cenſorious & Uncharitable; becauſe we looked upon Holineſs, as a difficult, rare, and excellent Thing: becauſe we counted the Way to this unſpeakable Glory ſtrait, and travelled by few; becauſe we looked upon the Saints, as ſo many miraculous Signs and Wonders. Who have judged right, is now manifeſt to the whole Creation. We have ſought, we have vanquiſhed! Glory, Glory, immoral Glory to the CAPTAIN, the Author and Finiſher, for evermore.

63. What appeared on Earth, is really in Heaven; for there are really all Things.

O pleaſant and melodious World! The former was jarring, every Part in Oppoſition to another: All Things were full of Labour, Groaning and Travelling, until this glorious Birth was brought forth. It could not ſtand, being divided againſt it ſelf, being full of inteſtine Wars, and Deſolations; it could not but come to • ought, and this fair Fabrick ariſe in its Place. Behold, nothing now but Peace and eternal Friendſhip: Nothing is out of Order; Every Part agrees with the whole, for ſounding forth an eternal Hallelujah to the great Former. All Contention and Violence are baniſhed out of this bleſſed World, into utter Darkneſs: Nothing but deep Peace and Security; all Things ſeem to kiſs and embrace one another; theſe eternal Gales have no Flux or Change, tho' they are for ever blowing. Sirs, is not this gentle Breathing paſſing delightſom, after ſo ſore and hot a Battle? All is perfumed with Myrrhe and Frankincenſe! One Blaſt might cauſe Ten thouſand Worlds to live. What a Life haſt thou, O bleſſed Self? Who art filled with, and draweſt in theſe full Gales of the Spirit, that bloweth where it liſteth thro'out Eternity. O theſe Wells of Salvation, infinitely tranſcending the Pools of Baca's Vail! One Drop is more delightſom and ſatisfying, than the Oceans of all earthly Sweetneſs. What were the broken Ciſterns, that Fools were drinking of? They were inflaming, not quenching; more fantaſtical than real. O Fools! were you not imagining, you were ſwallowing down huge Varieties of all Manner of Sweetneſs? But you awaked and behold it was a Dream. Are you not confounded, when your Eyes are opened, to perceive ſo deep a Deluſion? Were you not imagining your ſelves enjoying Riches, and Honours, and Pleaſures? But now the glorious Day of Eternity is broken up, and where are they? Here are Realities: This Land is filled with eternal Springs of living Waters of all Sweetneſs and Satisfaction; Strange! ever drinking, and never cloyed and ſurcharged: the deeper, & more Draughts, the greater Delectation! O my Conceptions on Earth! O my Enjoyments now! I did not in the leaſt conceive them. O my eternally preſent Enjoyments: And yet, I have all I could conceive. Whatever Pleaſure, Satisfaction, and what can conduce to a Life filled with all Manner of Excellencies, Delights and Sweetneſs, is here in the Top and Flower of all Perfection. When I ſtrained my Conceptions to the higheſt Pitch of Mortality, and imagined Glory, Excellency and Sweetneſs, augmented and perfected, by Myriads of Myriads of Stages, above all the Glory I could perceive or imagine; ſtill I have fallen wonderfully below this: And yet my Conceptions, in Part, repreſented this; for all Things are here: Here is an eternal Confluence of all Manner of good Things: Who can imagine any Thing, which might be here, and is not: What want we, O Inhabitants of this wealthy City? Is not this the Centre, whither all Glory and Sweetneſs run, like a flowing Stream? And what Wonder? This is the City-royal of the eternal KING Here, here He manifeſteth, immediately, and in open View, his unſearchable Riches, tranſcendent Glory, infinite Power, boundleſs Goodneſs, and the infinite Varieties of his unconceivable Excellencies. Were they Fools, who overlooked baſe Earth, and laid out their whole Strength, for acquiting a Right to the glorious Poſſeſſion, and the unſearchable Treaſures of this Ten thouſand Times bleſſed Land of EMMANUEL? Poor Earth, with thy gliſtering, nothing Enjoyments, whither art thou gone? O real, ſolid and ſubſtantial Enjoyments! all the Glorious, Beauties and Excellencies of Time were meer Shadows and Reſemblances of what I behold. What, there, was in Appearance, is here indeed; the real Spring-tide is here: Here are the true Gardens and Orchards of Delights: Here are the ſubſtantial Roſes, Lilies and Violets: Here are the true Pearls, Rubies and Diamonds; all the former were but Counterfeit, and in Appearance ſuch. I ſee the Difference betwixt Things here, and what were in Time, is ſuch, as is between the bare Shew, and the Subſtance. I thought, I ſaw Crowns and Sceptres, Honours and Renown; but they were Vapours, gliſtering after their Similitudes, which are now evaniſhed eternally to nothing; and behold the real Diadems, Sceptres, and Honours; I thought, I found ſome Pleaſure and Delight; I thought, I beheld great Varieties of all Kinds: But the Night is gone, and the Day is broken up, that diſpelleth gliſtering Shews and Vapours, in diſcovering the real and ſubſtantial Things: All Things are here in Subſtance, which in Time were in Appearance. Here are the real Dwellings, Cities, Orchards Hills of Frankincenſe, Mountains of Spices. We were far miſtaken, O Inhabitants, to ſpeak of any Thing, as exiſtent any where elſe than here; elſe all our Speech and Conceptions, within Mortality's Region, were meerly figurative: For, to conceive of Things properly, as they were on Earth, there was neither Sun, Moon nor Stars; neither Lilies nor Roſes, nor Beauties, nor Excellencies; they are here, and only here for evermore. Were they wiſe, who placed their Delights on Shadows, and evaniſhing Nothings? Were they Fools, who overlooked all the vain Fancies of Time, and fixed their Minds only on this enduring Subſtance? I have found the Subſtance, for the Shadow: I, even I am Poſſeſſor of the World of eternal Joy and Satisfaction.

64. A frowning tormenting Time, the Prelude of Eternity.

All Shame, and Sorrow, and Vexation, you are eternally gone, as if you had not been: Sometimes you poſſeſſed us, but the fair and white Side of Providence is turned up for ever. I ſee, it was the Ordination of Eternity, That the Head and Members ſhould be every Way conformed: All that are here, were of no Beauty or Deſireableneſs ſometime in the Eyes of Mortals; but were deſpiſed and rejected of Men, Perſons of Sorrow, acquainted with Grief; being deſtitute, and afflicted, and tormented: Many Moraliſts, and Formaliſts, and lukewarm Chriſtians, went for Saints, in the Eyes of almoſt all: But one Thing among a Thouſand, might have diſcovered what they were, even that they underwent not the Lot of him, whom they profeſſed to be following; the World ſmiled upon them, becauſe they were of the World: Other Entertainment did they meet with, in their Progreſs through Earth, than the Chief of Ten thouſand, in the Days of his Fleſh: Tho' my Lord could have brought his Choſen to this unſpeakable Glory, through the Abundance of earthly Eaſe, Peace, Glory, Joy and Del • ght; yet, this hath been the Way of his infinite Wiſdom. O ye Angels, could you have found out ſuch a noble Draught! Could you have invented ſuch an admirable Way, of bringing poor, feeble, ſinful Mortals to Glory? O ſweet, ſweet Diſpenſation! Baſe Earth, that is now for ever evaniſhed, was not my Country, but the Place of my Exile; not my Abode, but my Pilgrimage; and therefore it was well it frowned upon me, and appeared like the Thing that indeed it was, a vain, empty, gliſtering Nothing. My Lord hath been tender of his Darlings, and could not ſuffer Night-Dreams and Fancies to beguile them; which they might, they being in their childiſh and mortal Condition, if they had appeared with a ſmiling pleaſant Countenance. O my God, the greateſt Snares that ever thou rainedſt upon thine Enemies, was when thou gave them the Deſires of their Heart: Earth they deſired, and Earth thou madeſt to look kindly upon them; and therefore they are ruined for evermore. I ſee the Diſpenſation, that moſt croſſed my own natural Diſpoſition, hath contributed moſt for my Advantage: My Lord hath withheld no good Thing from me: It was beſt I ſhould have had a Life of Sorrow, Torment and Vexation; it was well I was cut ſhort of earthly Enjoyments. My only Deſire was to finiſh my Courſe, for this unſpeakable Happineſs, and that it ſhould be ſwift and vigorous; and how excellently haſt thou fulfilled the Deſire of my Heart!

65. Glory cauſeth a total Change in all the Powers, Faculties and Vertues.

O my Heart, thou art changed indeed! How tormenting a Burden haſt thou been unto me, in the Days of my Abſence! even when I kept moſt obſervant and ſtricteſt Watch over thy Frame, thou plaid me a Slip, and bended oft from the Original of all Bleſſedneſs, unto Vanity, How waſt thou drawn hither and thither, by all Diſpenſations? When I imagined, I had got thee wrought up to a ſublime heavenly Frame; how ſoon didſt thou become carnal and earthly again! When thou ſeemed all in a Flame of Divine Love and Zeal, how didſt thou become cold and indifferent, ere ever I was aware? When I rejoiced in finding thee, in a lively, tender, Goſpel-frame, how quickly didſt thou become dead and ſenſeleſs like a Stone! When I could not but cry out, O my Heart is fixed, my Heart is fixed; I will ſing; yea, I will forever be altogether for Praiſes: How ſoon waſt thou unſettled, and toſſed up & down with the Winds of Vanity! When I could ſay, I will truſt in him, and not be afraid; I will not fear, though the Earth be removed, though the Mountains be caſt into the Midſt of the Sea, the Lord Jehovah is my Strength and my Song, and He alſo is become my Salvation: How ſoon didſt thou become deſpondent and fearful, afraid of Worms and Nothings, and forgetting the Lord thy Maker, that ſtretched out theſe Heavens! When thou waſt in ſo ſweet a Frame, as I could not but wiſh, When ſhall I be in the WELBELOVED's immediate Imbraces: I value not that ſmall Brook that lies betwixt me and him; Though I walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no Evil; for he is ever with me: Yet, how ſoon waſt thou overclouded, and darkned with Doubtings and Confuſion; ſo that thou wouldſt have given Ten thouſand Worlds, if at thy diſpoſing, for the fixed Perſwaſion of a CHRIST, and a BLESSEDNESS! How waſt thou ſometimes in a ſtrong, enlarged and cheerful Frame, running the Ways of the Lord's Commandments! Thy Cry was, What is the Will of my Lord? All his Commandments are eaſy, becauſe his: Anon, thou wouldſt neither lead nor drive; His Worſhip and Service was a Burden. O my Heart, thou art now as I would! O all my Faculties, you are altogether heavenly and divine: All, all is ſwallowed up in full immediate Beholding: After him do ye go, with an uninterrupted, eternal Benſil: It is impoſſible for thee, my Soul, now in thy Lord's immediate Embraces, to fall away from this divine Frame; thou cannot but inceſſantly ſerve and glorify him with unſpeakable Joy and Alacrity, ſince thou eternally beholds his raviſhing Countenance: Can Doubting enter this Noon-day VISION of Glory, when we have attained the Height and Perfection of Evidence? Who can fear, that is incircled within theſe everlaſting Arms? This City of Refuge is ſituate above the Reach of Ten thouſand Worlds of wicked Men and Devils. Who can dwell thus, with an infinite Love, and not be all inflamed with unquenchable Fires? The firſt Sight of thy goodly Viſage, my fair One, hath captivated all my Faculties unto Thee.

66. Heaven the ſweeter, the more Dangers we have eſcaped,

How have I been choked with the peſtiferous Contagion of a vile World? So that I had almoſt loſt my Life. The helliſh Sights and Sounds, that have entred my Faculties, againſt my Will, made Hell and Death familiar unto me: I found it one of the moſt difficult Commandmen • of my Lord, To ſtop m • •• ars from hearing of Blood, and ſt • t • • i • te Eyes from ſe •••• o • Evil: Even when I ſet a Guard upon all my Senſes, my inbred Wickedneſs betrayed the Fort-royal, and ſenſibly received the Sparks that fired up all. How could feeble, mortal I, but be confuſed, and diverted, and deadned with the Hurry, and Noiſe, and Vexation of an helliſh World? How oft have I complained, Fearfulneſs and Trembling is come upon me, and Horror hath overwhelmed me? O that I had Wings like a Dove; for then would I fi • e away, and be at Reſt: Lo, then would I wander far off and remain in the Wilderneſs: I would haſten my Eſcape from the windy Storm and Tempeſt! Ah! my Senſes are filled with Vanity and Miſchief: The Beholding, and Hearing of Blood and Evil, hath vitiated my Faculties, and made Folly and Madneſs ſeem common and ordinary to my Apprehenſions; ſo that I cannot attain unto any ſutable Abhorrence of Wickedneſs, when my Love and Deſire after God is faint and weak; being high, or low, according to my Abhorrence & Hatred of Evil. 'Tis wonderful, O my Lord, it is paſſing wonderful, how I have landed in this choice happy Place with my Life! The humane Nature in its Integrity, might have been corrupted and deſtroyed, in ſuch a noiſom and peſtilential Air, as filled the lower World; while it was the proper Habitation of Devils, and their baſe Slaves: But, who can ſuffer Hardſhip, whom thou once takeſt into thy Tutorage? Theſe whom thy Father hath given thee, haſt thou ſafely preſerved, and none could be able to pl • ck them out of thine Hand. The moſt intire and excellent Nature, committed wholly to its own Guidance, could not have been able to perſevere, through the Ten-thouſandth Part of the Difficulties and Temptations I have overpaſſed: But what cannot thy infinite Excellency do? No Security, but in being altogether thine, and Nothing our own, which happy I have experienced, to my eternal Sweetneſs. O now the Danger is paſt! O lively and delightſom Air of Emmanuel's Country! Nothing dwells in this World of my Welbeloved's Conqueſt, but Righteouſneſs! You Off-ſcourings of all Things, I am not vexed with your abominable Vileneſs any more: Sometimes you vexed and tormented me, that the wonderful Efficacy of my WELBELOVED's Graces might be the more evidently manifeſted; but you are evaniſhed, unto Smoke are you evaniſhed away. O now my Senſes, you are only filled with the only ROSE and BEAUTY of this everlaſting, raviſhing Paradiſe! No Sweetneſs, no Fulneſs, no Excellency, but that of the BRANCH: Yea, could the abominable Smoke of ten Thouſand Hells aſcend this ſweet Region, it would not be perceived; but be loſt, like a ſmall Drop of Bitterneſs in a boundleſs Ocean of Sweetneſs. And O the delightſom Aſpect of the Lamb's fair and white Company, that follow him whitherſoever he goes! What a golden Life, in ſo raviſhing a Fellowſhip! Nothing, but the mutual Emanations of ſurpaſſing Sweetneſs! Nothing but ſublime Hallelujahs to him that ſits upon the Throne, and to the Lamb, thro'out Eternity: O my bleſſed Senſes, you are no more filled with Vanity and Vexation! Now, Devil, and his Slaves, what can you do? Your tempting vexing World is evaniſhed for ever: Yea, tho' it were not, what are you to us! Like baſe Cowards, you aſſaulted us in our childiſh Eſtate; but what are you all, to one of us in our manly Vigour? Were you all drawn up in Battle Array againſt me, whom once You tho't unworthy of the leaſt of your Aſſaults, ſhould I not with one Lifting-up of mine Arm vanquiſh You for ever? Nothing in me can yield to Hell; Sin and Mortality is ſwallowed up of Life.

67. The Inhabitant ſhall not ſay, I am ſick.

All thy Infirmities and Sickneſs, O my Soul, are quite eradicated; ſince I am in the Arms of all Life, Joy and Satisfaction. How have I been, in the Days of mine Infirmity, ſick of Love for my only Welbeloved? Strong Love was like to die for want of full & perſonal Enjoyment, even when I had the greateſt Manifeſtations on Earth: And no Wonder; the clearer Diſcoveries of Lovelineſs, the more ardent Deſire of the neareſt and fulleſt Enjoyment. O my raviſhing Welbeloved! no ſooner I ſaw thee afar off, by a borrowed Viſion, than I longed and deſired for nothing more, than to have thee in my Arms, & be eternally incircled in thine immediate Embraces: No ſooner did I embrace thee, as thou offered thyſelf and was eſpouſed to thee; but I longed with exceeding Longing for this bleſſed Day of eternal Marriage. Letters, Love-tokens, Intercourſes by Ambaſſ • dors, and all Manner of mediate Fellowſhip could not give full Satisfaction: Nothing but Faintings, Longings and Deſires, until I have thee in my naked Embraces. Apples and Flagons of Wine could ſcarce hold up my ſwooning Heart in thy Abſence: The moſt excellent Enjoyment could do no more than hinder an eternal Deliquium: Only thy Self could cheer up the fainting Soul. O thy SELF, thy All-excellent Self! What, but thy noble-Self, i • worthy of Deſire? None but Thee, none beſide Thee! O Flower of my Deſires, I am well, eternally well! My fair One, ſince I have Thee in my Arms, my tormenting Love-ſickneſs is quite aboliſhed from my Mind! The beholding of thee Face to Face, hath ſwallowed up all former Things. I enjoy Thee fully, and am I not at the furthermoſt of all my Deſires? Thou haſt for ever, my deareſt Lord, cut off all Matter of Complaint. Sirs, I need now be a Supplicant to none of you, for the Uſe of your Moven with my Royal Welbeloved, that ye tell him my Love-ſickneſs, through his ſeeming Unkindneſs. Can there be greater Intimacy, than now, betwixt my Lord and me for evermore? I have entred thy very Heart, I lie betwixt thy BREASTS. Can Sickneſs, or Sorrow, or Infirmity dwell within the Circle of thine Arms? Were there any Sickneſs, it ſhould be through Superabundance of overcoming Loves; but the Veſſels are fitted for the ſuperabundant Oil of Gladneſs, and Overflowing of Joys. If this Ambroſia and Nectar of Glory be ſtrong and ſprightly, the Bottles are new, and of a durable Structure. What can I ſay more of my Happineſs, than that I cannot conceive and expreſs the full Emanations of thy infinite Love and Sweetneſs?

68. Grace an excellent Prelude to Glory, yet the Difference betwixt them inconceivable.

Whatever Sweetneſs and Delight I enjoyed in Time, is now augmented, Myriads of Myriads of Stages: By my leaving of Earth, I have loſt no Enjoyment, not only becauſe of Recompence, and Enjoyment of an higher Nature; but alſo becauſe all Kinds of Enjoyments are here in an eminent and divine Manner. Thy Land, O EMMANUEL, is ſtored with all Manner of precious Things, New and Old, which thou hadſt prepared for thy Choſen, before all Ages. All the Joys and Delights that I met with in Time, were as ſo many light Eſſays and ſmall Preludes of theſe ſubſtantial and enduring Pleaſures; All have been ſlight Fore-taſtes of this ſuperabounding Harveſt of Eternity: What was then in Drops, is now in Oceans; for I am entred for ever into the FOUNTAIN of all Fulneſs and Satisfaction: And what Sweetneſs, before, I experienced blockiſhly and in Part, I find now in the moſt evident, ſublime and vigorous Manner: Even my moſt refined Enjoyments of thy bleſſed Self, were but low, childiſh Motions, ariſing from ſhallow improper Apprehenſions, raiſed by the Contraction of a Multitude of borrowed Ideas, extracted from lower Objects; which indeed were paſſing glorious and ſweet for the Time, filling Mortality almoſt above its Meaſure, appearing Childhood-Glory fallen down on Grace's Country: But O the vaſt Difference betwixt Mortality and Immortality! Who can but ſmile at his former Apprehenſions! No Wonder earthly ſtupid Creatures apprehend this unſpeakable Glory in a ſtupid earthly Manner. Every Extraordinary may appear above what Eye hath ſeen, the Ear hath heard, or Mind can imagine. Unto the Mind that hath known this more by Faith, than Sight: more by certain Report, than evident Experience; for what can the Mortal imagine higher, than by the ſweet Outletting of the Glory and Deſire of Men and Angels, to be filled and overfilled with Joy unſpeakable and full of Glory? But a Drop that would overfill a Veſſel of the narroweſt Size, would be as juſt Nothing to one of the Capacity of many Worlds. Yet, what Delight and Admiration, to look back and conſider, how my Lord made Bits of half-dead Clay to be raviſhed with the higheſt Objects, far above the Reach of an earthly, mortal Condition! But Creatures of all Conditions are enamoured, raviſhed, ſatiate and over come, when once Thou beginneſt, in the leaſt, to diſcover thy matchleſs Lovelineſs. What Delights, to conceive Bits of childiſh Nothings enamoured with Thee they never ſaw! and chanting forth their Love-Songs of Praiſes in the midſt of the ſaddeſt Diſpenſations, which were able to torment, bear down, and cruſh low, feeble Mortality! O what Jo • , to conſider (with the ſame Eye) my Converſe ſometimes with THEE in Time, and now in E • ernity; and to parrallel them together! How excellently doth the Eſpouſing agree with the Marriage? How nobly doth Walking with thee by Faith, uſher in the perſonal Following of thee whither ſoever thou goeſt? I find thy Dealing to the Saints, in Time, is a M • ſtery above the Reach of Nature in its higheſt Pitch, as well as thy Way with them in Eternity. Little did, or would the World conſider, what a golden Happineſs I had in the Days of my Pilgrimage, in thy Fellowſhip: The choiceſt of their Religion was a formal out-ſide Homage they mocked thee with; but a familiar Converſe with thee, was a Thing they had no Experience of: They worſhipped thee as a dumb Idol; for no mutual Intercourſe did they know, or deſire: Thou waſt near in their Mouth, but far from their Reins. O the golden Hours I have had, in thy raviſhing Fellowſhip, within the • e •• s of Sorrow, in Abſence! Eternity cannot cancel the Memory of thy paſſing Kindneſs to me, in my low and deſpicable Condition: I have moſt ſenſibly found thy ſtrengthning, cheering Preſence, in all Afflictions and Difficulties; I found thee another Manner of GOD, than the fooliſh World imagined thee to be, even a preſent Help in Times of Trouble, and that gave Ear to my Prayers, and anſwered them ſpeedily; both by the Influences of thy Spirit on my Heart, and thy Diſpenſations. Tho' then I was a Child, yet didſt thou teach me to diſcern betwixt thy Frownings, and thy Smiles; the Light of thy Countenance lifted up, and the turning away of thy Face: Thou madeſt thy ſelf familiar unto me; So that I approached unto thee, in all Exigencies, as unto a near & intimate Friend, of whoſe Kindneſs and Help I was perſwaded, and truſted accordingly: I depended and truſted on Thee as a Father, caſting all my Cares upon Thee; ſo that I was careful for nothing: I learned to know my Duty, and the Way of its Performance, and committed the Event of all to my LORD and Sovereign abſolutely, without the leaſt Reſervation; being perſwaded that he would completely fulfil all Things fully committed unto him, becauſe he had promiſed; and would not make them aſhamed, who placed their Confidence in him. And now I may teſtify before the whole Creation, that thou haſt been better to me, in my Pilgrimage, than I could imagine, or deſire; and that the Lot Thou carved out for me, in Time, hath been beſt for me: I would not for Ten thouſand Worlds it had been otherwiſe, as to the ſmalleſt Diſpenſation; the moſt croſs and Ruin-like Diſpenſations, as to Senſe, have been the ſweeteſt, having had the nobleſt Effects, and neareſt Manifeſtations of thy Love and Sweetneſs accompanying them: If any have proved any Thing bitter and diſadvantagious, it was becauſe I brought them on my own Head, by my ſacrilegious Boldneſs, in diſpoſing of my Self, and what concerned me, without his Approbation and Conſent: Yet, even theſe he turned to my Good; his Power being ſo tranſcendently excellent, as to bring Light out of Darkneſs; and his Love being ſo boundleſs, to thoſe whom he had choſen from Eternity, that he would ſuffer no Harm to befal them, but make all Things to contribute to their Good. O! can we but wonder at, and rejoice in the incomparable Condeſcendency, Wiſdom and Excellency of our LORD, who hath contrived and effected our eternal Happineſs after ſo ſtupendious a Manner! Could we ruin our ſelves, ſince it was his Will to ſave? Could we in the leaſt ſtand in the Way of our Happineſs, ſince it was his ſovereign eternal Pleaſure, to make us as happy as can be? O eternal Aſtoniſhment! the more we have undone our ſelves, the more he hath made us happy; the more we have degraded our ſelves, the higher hath he exalted us; the more we have hated and provoked him, the more kind and intimate is he become to us! Men and Angels, could you have found out ſuch a Way to manifeſt the Glory and Excellency of FREE GRACE? Is it not here manifeſted in the higheſt Manner?

69. Praiſes to Jehovah for the Accompliſhment of his Promiſes to his People, & of his Threatnings againſt the Wicked.

Is it not an eternal Queſtion, Men & Angels, whether the Excellency of our WELBELOVED manifeſted, or lying hid, be more aſtoniſhing? But ſure each of them is an everlaſting Raviſhment, which would plunge never ſo many Worlds in an Ocean of never-ending Aſtoniſhment: One Ray of his divine Excellency, now immediately beheld, doth implicitly diſcover, that more and more eternally may be ſeen; What then ſhould be our immortal Exerciſe, but to bend all our Faculties to ſearch, and look in, and admire, and flame in Love, and extol the tranſcendent Excellencies of HIM that ſits upon the Throne, and the LAMB, throughout all Ages? JEHOVAH, altogether excellent, lovely! JEHOVAH is a Deep, we have for ever loſt our ſelves in! What are we, Men and Angels, that we ſhould ſet Him on high? What contribute we to the Declaration of his infinite Glory? Tho' we ſhould wear out, to a Period, endleſs Eternity with our inceſſant Hallelujahs, could we, Bits of nothing, conceive in the leaſt this infinite One? Did he not bow and humble himſelf infinitely below himſelf, that he may be apprehended, as he is, by our finite Capacities, with his increated Lovelineſs and Sweetneſs. 'Tis ſtrange! He ſhould ſatiate Nothings with all his Fulneſs! This is a Myſtery, a Wonder! Nothing but Wonders upon Wonders! Every precedent Act is the Admiration of the following, and ſo thro' out Eternity. What Stretchings of Capacities! What Bending of all the Faculties! O the Beauty, the Goodneſs, the Sweetneſs, that dwells from Eternity to Eternity in HIM! O the full Outlettings upon us! Tho' He were not excellent to us; yet, are we not conſtrained to love, and adore, and extol him, who is an infinite Maſs of all Excellency? Tho' he be infinitely above all the Praiſes of all poſſible Creatures; yet can we but cry him up, to whom all Glory is due? Are we not conſtrained, who ſee his Face, to expreſs, and again and again throughout Eternity, to expreſs his INFINITE PERFECTIONS? As Creatures, we are bound to be all for him; but theſe ſtupendious Obligations ſuperadded, above all Production and Preſervation, have elevated unto ſuch a Frame, that common Tyes are almoſt ſwallowed up and evaniſhed. O his Goodneſs, his Goodneſs! How great is his Goodneſs! and how great is his Beauty! Every Ray, every Outletting would raviſh never ſo many Creatures. I will extol Thee, my GOD, O King, and I will bleſs the Name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praiſed; and his Greatneſs is unſearchable. I will ſpeak of the glorious Honour of thy Majeſty, and I will declare thy Greatneſs. Yea, all thy Works ſhall praiſe Thee, O Lord, and all thy Saints ſhall bleſs Thee. While I •• ve, I will praiſe the Lord; I will ſing Praiſes to my God, while I have my Being. Praiſe him, all ye his Angels; praiſe him, all his Hoſts; praiſe him, Sun and Moon; praiſe him, all ye Stars of Light; praiſe him, ye Heavens of Heavens, ye Waters above the Heavens: Let them praiſe the Name of the Lord; for he commanded and they were created; He hath alſo eſtabliſh • d them for ever and ever. O Sing unto the Lord a new Song; Praiſe him in the Firmament of his Power; praiſe him for his mighty Acts; praiſe him, according to his excellent Greatneſs: For in this Day is the BRANCH of the Lord beautiful and glorious; and the Fruit of the Earth excellent and comely: For them that are eſcaped of Iſrael, and that are left in Zion, and that remain in Jeruſalem, are called Holy. There hath come forth a ROD out of the Stem of Jeſſe, and a BRANCH hath grown out of his Roots; and the Spirit of the Lord doth reſt upon him, the Spirit of Wiſdom and Underſtanding, of Counſel, Might, Knowledge, and of the Fear of the Lord: With Righteouſneſs doth he judge the Poor; and reprove with Equity, for the Meek of the Earth: And he ſmote the Earth with the Rod of his Mouth; and with the Breath of his Lips did he ſtay the Wicked. And Righteouſneſs is the Girdle of his Loins, and Faithfulneſs the Girdle of his Reins. The Wolf doth dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard doth lie down with the Kid and the Calf, the young Lion and the Fatling together, and a little Child may lead them; for the Earth is full of the Knowledge of the Lord, as the Waters cover the Sea. O Lord, Thou art my GOD, I will praiſe Thee, for thou haſt done wonderful Things; thy Counſels of old are Faithfulneſs and Truth: For thou haſt brought down all thoſe, that r • ſ • up againſt Thee; and art for a CROWN of Glory and a DIADEM of a Beauty to thy People. Judgment doth dwell in the Wilderneſs, and Righteouſneſs remains in the fruitful Field; and the Work of Righteouſneſs is Peace, and the Effect of Righte • uſneſs Quietneſs and Aſſurance for ever. An high Way is here, and it is called the Way of Holineſs: No Lion is here, no ravenous Beaſt goeth up thereupon; But the Redeemed walk therein, and the Ranſomed of the Lord do return, and come to Zion with Songs, and everlaſting Joy upon their Heads; They have retained Joy and Gladneſs, and Sorrow and Sighing have fled away. We are the everlaſting Witneſſes of thy Glory and Excellency, O dread Sovereign, and thy Servant whom thou haſt choſen: Before Thee there was no God formed, neither ſhall there be after Thee: Thou, even Thou art the Lord, and beſide Thee there is no Saviour: Before the Day Thou art He; and there is none that can deliver out of thine Hand: Thou workeſt, and who ſhall let Thee? We remember not the former Things, neither conſider the Things of old: Behold, Thou doſt a new Thing, and it ſpringeth forth and we underſtand it: Thou doſt even make a Way in the Wilderneſs, and Rivers in the Deſert. The Beaſts of the Field honour Thee, the Dragons arid the Owls; becauſe Thou giveſt Water in the Wilderneſs, and Rivers in the Deſert, to give Drink to thy People, thy Choſen. Us haſt thou formed for thy Self, we ſhall ſhew forth thy Praiſe. Thy Righteouſneſs it near, thy Salvation is gone forth: And thine Arm did judge the People; The Iſlands did wait upon thee, and upon thine Arm did they truſt. The Heavens evaniſhed like Smoke; and the Earth did vax old like a Garment; and they that dwelt therein did die in like Manner: But thy Salvation is for ever, and thy Righteouſneſs ſhall not be aboliſhed: The Mountains did depart, the Hills were removed; But thy Kindneſs hath not departed from us, neither ſhall the Covenant of thy Peace be removed from us. I will mention the Loving-kindneſs of the Lord, and the Praiſes of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath beſtowed upon us. Thou rent the Heavens, and cameſt down, the Mountains flowed down at thy Preſence; and thou trod down the People in thine Anger, and made them drunk in thy Fury; and didſt bring down their Strength to the Earth. Tho' many of the Earth heaped up Silver as the Duſt, and Raiment as the Clay; yet the Juſt put it on, and the Innocent divided the Silver: Terrors have taken Hold on them, as Waters; a Tempeſt hath ſtolen them away in the Night: For thou haſt caſt upon them, and not ſpared; they would fain flee out of thy Hand. We clap our Hands at them, and have hiſſed them out of their Place. But thou haſt delivered us in ſix Troubles; yea, in ſeven no Evil hath touched us. In Famine he hath redeemed us from Death, and in War from the Power of the Sword; we have been hid from the Scourge of Tongues; neither were we afraid of Deſtruction when it came: At Deſtruction and Famine we did laugh; we knew alſo that our Seed ſhould be great, and our Off-ſpring as the Graſs of the Earth; and that our Enemies ſhould for ever be made our Footſtools: For thou haſt deſtroyed them for ever, O GOD; and haſt made them to fall by their own Counſels: Thou haſt caſt them out, in the Multitude of their Tranſgreſſions; for they rebelled againſt thee. They are brought down, and fallen; but we are riſen and ſtand upright; for thou haſt ſaved the afflicted People, and haſt brought down high Looks. We will extol thee, O Lord; for thou haſt lifted us up, and haſt not made our Foes to rejoice over us: Thou haſt brought up our Souls from the Grave; thou haſt kept us alive, that we ſhould not go down to the Pit. Sing unto the Lord, O ye Saints of his, and give Thanks, at the Remembrance of his Holineſs; for his Anger endureth but for a Moment; in his Favour is Life. Weeping may endure for a Night, but Joy cometh in the Morning. We have delighted our ſelves in the Lord; and he hath given us the Deſire of our Hearts: We have committed our Way unto him, we have truſted in him; and He hath brought it to paſs; and hath brought forth our Righteouſneſs as the Light, and our Judgment as the Noon-day. We have not fretted our ſelves, becauſe of him that proſpereth in his Way; becauſe of the Man that bringeth wicked Devices to paſs: But we have waited patiently, and behold the Wicked are not; they are for ever baniſhed unto utter Darkneſs: But we inherit the Earth, and delight ourſelves in Abundance of Peace. Many have been our Affl • ctions, but the Lord hath delivered us out of them all: He hath kept all our Bones, that one of them is not broken: But Evil hath ſlain the Wicked, and they that have hated us are deſolate: We were not afraid, when one was made rich, when the Glory of his Houſe was increaſed: for when he died, he carried nothing away, his Glory did not deſcend after him: The Way of the Wicked was their Folly; like Sheep they were laid in the Grave, Death did feed upon them; we have now Dominion over them in the Morning; and their Beauty did conſume in the Grave from their Dwelling. But God hath redeemed our Soul from the Power of the Grave; for he hath received us. Selah.

O ſing unto the Lord a new Song; for he hath done marvelious Things; his right Hand, and holy Arm hath gotten him the Victory. The Lord is God, his Mercy is everlaſting and his Truth endureth to all Generations. The Right hand of the Lord is exalted, the Right hand of the Lord doth valiantly. Praiſe ye the Lord, O Jeruſalem; Praiſe thy GOD, O Zion; for the Lord ſhall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, to all Generations. Hallelujah.

The CONCLUSION.

1. We ought to write of ſuch Things with a trembling Hand.

AH! WELBELOVED, I am beginning to be afraid that I have • a • kned Counſel by Words without Knowledge. Ah! has this been the Effect of my raviſhing View of thy ſuperexcellent Glory to be revealed, to talk ſo poorly and childiſhly of ſuch great and excellent Things! A ready Way to bring down the low Thoughts, that the Sons of Men have of Thee, much lower! A Deſtruction to my Deſign here, — the Flower of my Deſire, which is only to raviſh the Judgments and Affections of the Sons of Men, concerning the Excellencies of thy PERSON, the Greatneſs of thy Kingdom, and the Glory of thine Inheritance in the Saints, in Light. My deareſt One, let this never ſee the Light, if it be apt to produce any other Effect. Pardon, dear LORD, my childiſh Boldneſs, and accept the Will for the Deed: Thou knoweſt, it is my Deſign, to ſet thee on high! But ah my Stupidity! Ah my childiſh Ignorance! I may ſay, in thy Sight, I am more brutiſh than any Man; and have not the Underſtanding of a Man: I neither learned Wiſdom, nor have Knowledge of the Holy. When ſhall my Childhood be gone? When ſhall I come to my manly Eſtate? How long ſhall my Faculties be ſtupid, marred and out of Order? If, even now, I am wondering at my childiſh Expreſſions of ſuch ſuperexcellent Things, what will my Reflections be, when attained to the Fulneſs of the Stature of Chriſt? It quiets my Mind ſomewhat, that I have expreſſed more, and aſcended higher, than the Conceptions of moſt; and that all Expreſſions, and Diſcourſes of ſublunary Excellencies ſhall bluſh and think Shame to appear here: And that tho', whatever I ſhall be able to ſay, be unw • rthy of the meaneſt of thy Saints; yet, may it be an Occaſion, to ſome of them of ſtirring themſelves up to a more heavenly Frame of Spirit, and more ſerious and profound Apprehenſions of the Things that are inviſible.

2. The Eſſence of a Saint conſiſts much in Heavenly-Mindedneſs.

Heirs of Glory, What think you of your goodly Inheritance? the delightſom Countries, the pleaſant Habitations, the unſpeakable Joys, the everlaſting Pleaſures, the inconceivable Felicity, that ly a little before you, and to which you are poſting? Are you not amazed with the Conſideration of your wonderful Prerogatives? Is it poſſible you can bear the Fore-tho'ts of what you are coming to? Shall you ever be able to pluck your Minds down from ſuch raviſhing Things? Have not all ſublunary Excellencies diſappeared in your Sight? What are the Stars, when the Sun doth appear? I think I hear every one of you ſay, I have done for ever with the painted Clay-Images; for I have ſeen and found the only real and ſubſtantial Things. O Joy unſpeakable and full of Glory! You Delights, you Sorrows of Time, you are much overlooked by me, while I ly thus, within the View of eternal Raviſhments. One Moment's immediate Converſe with JEHOVAH, and the LAMB, ſhall eradicate all the Impreſſions of Sorrow and Grief, that I can poſſibly undergo. Shall I not ſee him, as he is? Am I not to ſee him Face to Face? Theſe Arms, even theſe very Arms, ſhall embrace the Chief of Ten thouſand: I ſhall be for ever ſatiate with his infinite Sweetneſs; even drunk and overfilled with his overcoming Loves. O the Frame of my Spirit! I can ſay nothing; Expreſſions fail me, for repreſenting the high Thoughts of my Heart! Where am I now? Am I not almoſt in Heaven already? Heart, and Love, and all have fled thither; nothing remains here, but this vile Clay tabernacle; and, ere it be long, it ſhall be there alſo. Verily I am come to Mount Zion, to the City of the Living GOD; my Converſe is no more here.

3. Earthly-minded Creatures might be convinced of the Reality and Deſireableneſs of heavenly Things, by due and deep Conſideration.

Silly Worldlings, what think you of our World? Speak Men, I appeal unto your own ſtupid ſelves, which of us are wiſeſt, wealthieſt, merrieſt, moſt renowned and excellent? Are you not beginning to conſider your deſperate Folly and Madneſs? Are you not admiring the Fooliſhneſs of your by paſt Vanity, in ſpending your Strength for tranſient, evaniſhing Shadows? Are you not almoſt beginning to fall in Love with our bleſſed Country? Yea, are you not content to renounce the Love of your Dunghil for it? Are you not come to ſuch a bleſſed Change, in your Tho'ts? Come hither, the Bargain is done, Heaven is yours; for it is, Love, and have it. What mean you Sirs? Why ſhould any of you thus ſtand wavering? Muſt you not have Heaven? If you loſe it, what can you purchaſe? Is there any Impediment? Be willing, and welcome. Dare any of you doubt of the Reality of the only real Things? What, becauſe they fall not under your brutiſh Senſes? Then you may doubt whether you conceive, or not. Are ye ſuch Brutes, as to think, there is no Up-taking but ſenſual, when the mental are Myriads of Stages more evident and real? Sirs, can there be any ſo mad, as deny all the Countries he never ſaw with his Eyes; when atteſted by Multitudes of Eye-witneſſes, of diverſe Sorts and Ages? And have not Numbers, of all Ranks and Conditions, of the moſt Excellent in all Ages, atteſted their moſt excellent Diſcoveries of this happy World? One of whoſe Atteſtations is more worthy, than the Teſtimony of Ten thouſand of ordinary Men. O Sirs, want of Conſideration cauſeth you to look upon the only ſubſtantial Things, as uncertain Fancies. But conſider Eternity ſeriouſly, and you ſhall find your ſelves moved in another Manner, than thoſe, who are led away with Enthuſiaſms. Sirs, enter into your own Hearts, enquire at your Conſciences, and you ſhall find Heaven and Hell written upon them. Speak never ſo much, Worldling, againſt our happy World, thou but manifeſts thy Deſires, not thy real and ſerious Thoughts; thou fights againſt thy Conſcience: The Way of thy Blaſpheming bewrays thee.

4. Tranſient Thoughts of Glory, ſignifie nothing.

Ah! Sirs, I fear many of you have taken but a View of our WELBELOVED's Country, on the by, and no more: Will ye not bend hither all your Faculties, and conſider profoundly again and again what you have ſeen, until an enduring Impreſſion be left upon your Spirits? What! ſhall your Thoughts be ſo ſuperficial and tranſient, as you ſhall undergo no Transformation in the Spirit of your Minds; but ſtill remain earthly? What, ſtill earthly? and preſently back to Earth again! Are you like earthly Exhalations, which by Benſil of a ſlight fiery Impreſſion, tho' ſeen while aloft, yet ſtill retaining the droſſie Nature, they fall down again. Shall Glory be ſo ſoon forgotten, as if it were like a Nine-Days Wonder? How are you affected? Are you not in ſome heavenly Frame? And will you ſuffer it to evaniſh by Negligence, vain Conceits, worldly Thoughts and Words, and fleſhly Luſts? Shall Dunghil-earth eclipſe the raviſhing View, you have gotten? Will you become as low and creeping in your Conceptions, as you have been? May ſuch a ſad Sentence be ſai • of you, The Glory you have ſeen to Day, you ſhall behold no more? W ••• • e prove like Balaam who tell to his accuſtomed Baſeneſs, after the elevated Sight of Iſrael's comely Tents? Shall you be ranked with the fallen Angels, who fell from the higheſt Places of the World to the loweſt? Keep your Situation, if you be wiſe; fallen Stars are moſt ab • minable: The higher Pitch, the lower Fall: Better you had never known ſuch excellent Things, than to ſlight and to forget them; and be as baſe and earthly, as if the Sound of ſuch aſtoniſhing Things had never come to your Ears.

5. An Invitation to exchange earthly for heavenly Things.

Launch out further and further into the Depths of infinite Excellencies: Ah! what can we ſpeak of ſuch maſſie, ſublime Things? Tho' we ſhould write as many Volumes, as would fill the whole Creation; Earth's ſhallow Dialect is inſignificant in ſuch ſubſtantial Things; Words here are but ſilent Shadows, of no Efficacy: Come and ſee, and taſte, would tell the Matter. Sirs, have you any Thing to ſay? Is not the Buſineſs paſt all Debate? Need we ſay any more? Can you be ſo mad, as to be indifferent & inconſiderate in ſuch a weighty Concernment? Sir, How long ſhall you halt betwixt two Opinions? Stand no more back: O come, come, come away, and be everlaſtingly bleſſed! Are you not out of Conceit with Time's Worm-eaten Glory? Are you not lamenting your former Vanity and Madneſs? Are you not wearied in the Things, that cannot profit? Are you conſidering Things, never entred within your Conception before? What lets you then, that you become not heavenly and divine? Are you not altogether in Love with our WELBELOVED, the Author of all? Are you not cloſing with him, on his own Terms, as he hath offered himſelf, in his Teſtament? Are you not heartily embracing, and ſtriving to grow more & more conformed to his lovely Image, until you ſhall grow up unto the perfect Stature of his Fulneſs? O then! welcome, a thouſand times welcome unto this glorious World of Emmanuel's Conqueſt: You are come unto the joyful & lightſom Side of the Creation. I dare pawn my Salvation, you ſhall never repent of ſo ſweet a Tranſlation: Your Light ſhall more and more break forth, unto the perfect Day; Your Progreſs, through all the Difficulties of Time, even Death it ſelf, ſhall be cheerful and ſweet.

6. The Hope of Glory ſwallows up all imaginable Sorrow.

Be of good Courage, ye Saints of the moſt High, you Princes of the World; all are yours; for ye are Chriſt's, and Chriſt is God's. It is all one whether Dunghil Worms contemn, or eſteem you: It is below you to fear ſuch feeble Beaſts. Overlook the ſcenical Graduations of Time; it is below Princes, born to ſo great Things, to take Notice to ſuch Trifles: Stand to your royal Prerogatives; fall not down from your ennobling Exerciſe; Set the Lord always before you, and you ſhall never be moved: Let the World reel to and fro; Let the Mountains be caſt into the midſt of the Sea; Let Thouſands, and Ten thouſands fall on every Hand; yet can you undergo no Harm. Death, in any Garb, is Gain unto the Perſon, who is in Heaven already.

7. Earth-Worms, who will be ſuch, have nothing to do with Heaven.

You, who will ſtill be grovelling upon baſe Earth, who tho' ye ſhould read and hear never ſo oft, of the only excellent Things, will back to the Dunghil again, and will vex and torment your ſelves with the Cares and Vanities of a tranſitory Life; who will endeavour and deſire to be laden with thick Clay; we have only this to ſay unto you, He that is filthy, let him be filthy ſtill. You have made a brave Choice, poor Fools, your Paradiſe is baſe, empty, hungry and tranſient, well befitting ſuch noble and high Spirits as you: In whatever Account you ſeem to be, in the Eyes of a baſe World, you are vile deſpicable Worms: Craul, and ſet up your Criſt, on your ſtately Dunghil: But know, if ye can underſtand, that theſe vile Bodies and Souls of yours ſhall never aſcend higher; under our Feet ſhall we eternally trample you; your Kingdom being the Office-houſe of our Palac • -royal. Fill your ſelves with Duſt, as the Serpents; le • your Day-thoughts, and Night-thoughts run out upon Dunghil Concernments; add Houſe to Houſe, and Land to Land heap up Treaſures for many Days; and when you encounte • Death, or a Day of ſad Affliction, caſt up your grea • and precious Gains: Have you accounted your ſelves unworthy of ſuch unſpeakable Bleſſedneſs? you ſhall ne •• taſt it; but be everlaſtingly ſhut up, in that horrid, abominable Lake; a ſuitable Dwelling-Place for ſuch 〈◊〉 Wretches: This dark ſmoky Region you only affect, and to utter Darkneſs ſhall you be driven, Where there is Weeping and Gnaſhing of Teeth.

8. Chriſt alone to be exalted and eſteemed, who is the Purchaſer of this noble Inheritance.

Let Glory and Renown remain for ever upon the Head of the Author and Purchaſer of ſo great a Salvation! Can Angels ever enough admire Him? Can the Saints ever enough praiſe Him? Where ſhall we get a Throne to ſet this Majeſtick One upon? All our Glory and Excellency is too baſe and low a Footſtool for his Feet: Thouſands of thouſands of excellent Worlds, erected above one another, were too baſe and low a Foundation for him to trample upon. Men or Angels, what have you, or can you ſay worthy of him? Were your Hallelujahs tuned up never ſo many Stages higher; yet, ſtill they ſhould fall infinitely below his matchleſs Worth: What can we do, in extolling ſuch a lofty One? For ever is he infinitely exalted above all our Praiſes; yet praiſe him we ſhall, eternally ſhall we praiſe him: All our Strength, Soul and Might muſt be fully let forth to his Glory; tho' all we can do be juſt nothing: Who is worthy of Glory, except our Welbeloved? Whom ſhould we love, but Him? Whom ſhould we praiſe, but Him? Whom ſhould we admire, but Him? Who but He! None but Him. O let all our Powers and Faculties be eternally filled with Him. Ah! its black Shame the Sons of Men ſhould think, and ſpeak, and write ſo much of empty Nothings; and ſo little of this only excellent One! When ſhall our Welbeloved be great among all Nations? Ah, he is Nothing, or little known among the Sons of Men: little do they diſcourſe of him; and what they diſcourſe is cold and common. Alas! Men talk of him, as if he were a common Beloved! Men eſteem JESUS, ſome ordinary One: They hear of one JESUS that was ſlain at Jeruſalem; and they are as little affected, as if they read, or heard of ſome common Hiſtory: The News of his excellent Kingdom have ſmall Impreſſion upon them; they think they hear of new Worlds, never ſeen, or travelled to by any. CHRIST is an unknown Perſon to the moſt; the Sound of his Name hath filled the Ears of all; the Letters of his Name are well known, and no more: But who have been raviſhed with his good Ointments? Who hath been filled with the odoriferous Emanations of his Lebanon Garments? who has taſted of his Soul overcoming Sweetneſs? Who had him, as a Bundle of Myrrhe all Night betwixt their Breaſts? Who have found him, and held him, and would not let him go? Who have been led into his Chambers of Preſence? Who cannot live (tho' in never ſo great Abundance of earthly Things) without a familiar and intimate Fellowſhip with Him?

9. Religion is another Thing than ſtupid Wordlings imagine. Cloſe Walking with GOD, if an hid Myſtery unto them.

Poor Worldings, the beſt of you are but Formaliſts, occupied about the Outſide and Shell of Religion: Thro' Cuſtom, and a natural Conſcience, you go thro' all the Bulk of the Exerciſes of Godlineſs; you hear, you pray, you read, you confer, you meditate; you perform Duties betwixt Man and Man, through Cuſtom and Formality, through Shame of others, through vain Glory, through the Gnawings of a natural Conſcience, which you muſt ſomewhat quiet, one Way or another. But know you what it is, to do all Things to the Glory of our WELBELOVED? To be afraid, that in the beſt of your Performances, you offend Him, and stir him up before he pleaſe? Know you what it is, to look more to the Manner of your Duties, than the Bulk of them? To the Principle, from whence they flow, than any Thing elſe? To the Intention and Frame of your Heart, in Duty? Know you what it is, to watch over your Heart? To have a ſtricter Eye over your Thoughts and Intentions? To be moſt troubled with, and in guarding againſt theſe ſecret Sins of the Thoughts and Intentions, which no Creature can ſee, but your ſelves? Know you what it is, to keep up a near and intimate Communion with Jeſus? To have a mutual Intercourſe with him? Know you what it is, to wreſtle with, and to lay hold upon him, and to conſtrain him, in a Manner, to bleſs you? Know you what it is, to account all Things Droſs and Dung unto the Knowledge of the Excellency of JESUS, the only WELBELOVED? Are you indifferent to all Things, but CHRIST? Is the World, in all its Glory, Pleaſure and Profit, a dead and crucified Thing in your Eyes? Is the Cry of your Heart, CHRIST, CHRIST, and only CHRIST; give you Him, and you deſire no more? O Sirs, have you ſeen Him? have you heard him? have you found him? Know you his Smiles, the Lifting-up of his Countenance, his Love embraces? Ah! Worldlings, I am ſpeaking of ſtrange Things, unexperienced by you!

10. The Saints only know the Life and Myſteries of Godlineſs; and Strangers intermeddle not with their heavenly Delights and divine Joy.

You Saints of the moſt High, you are Witneſſes of the Truth of all we have ſpoken: Have we not ſpoken poorly and childiſhly of ſo great Things? It is nothing we have ſaid, to that which even you experience in the Land of Abſence. O then! ſincere One, hath not thy WELBELOVED written more of this his tranſcendent Beauty, Sweetneſs and Excellency upon thy Heart, than all the Learned of the World can put down, in Black & White? What can be written, or ſpoken of ſuch great Things? Come ſee, and taſte and feel, will manifeſt the Buſineſs Beſt. It was not our Intention, O ye excellent Ones of the Earth, to write to you of Things which are in other Manner of Characters imprinted on your Faculties; but only to put you in Mind, leſt you ſuffer ſuch noble Impreſſions to decay, in the Midſt of wordly Affairs, Temptations and Difficulties: That you may perceive the vaſt Difference between all Expreſſion, & Feeling; that you may be ſtirred up to acquire the noble Gift of Utterance; that you may manifeſt to the Ignorant the Excellency and Lovelineſs of your WELBELOVED, and what he hath done to your Soul. We have written to you, Babes, who are young Students in Chriſtianity; even to you, O Daughters of Jeruſalem, who are enquiring after our matchleſs BRIDEGROOM, having only heard the raviſhing Sound of his Name, but never have ſeen hi • amiable Countenance, nor entred his pleaſant Beds of Spices. O might we be eternally honour'd, in leading you in by the Hand unto him! Draw near, O draw near! And ye ſhall ſee more, Ten thouſand Times more, than even you heard tell of; you ſhall begin to laugh at your putrid and childiſh Talking of ſuch wonderful Things.

11. The woful State of Worldings, Excellency of Holineſs, and Neceſſity of Converſion, with Marks thereof.

We have written unto you, Worldlings, what we have ſeen and found, that you may know that there are excellent Things indeed, which never fell under your brutiſh Senſes; and to let you know that Godlineſs is another Manner of Thing, than ever entred within your Conceptions, that you may enquire after the Reality of ſuch excellent Things, and ſtrive to get a Sight of him, who is inviſible; that in ſeeing, you may love him; & in loving, may be bleſſed for evermore. Poor Worldlings, we cannot but pity you, who cannot pity your ſelves: You ſee not your own baſe and low Condition; for if you could, your Condition were changed. Were it poſſible to demonſtrate your Vileneſs and Miſery? Are you affected with nothing ſo much, as what falls under your Senſes? What Preheminence have you above the Brutes of the Field! The Joys and Deſires and Intentions of both are confined within an Inch of Time: Both are earthly, Loth are temporal, both decay in a Moment, and come to Nought. I appeal to your ſelves, baſe Worldlings, If they may be termed high-ſpirited, whoſe Thoughts and Projects are only upon Earth, the Faſhion of which paſſeth away; as you cannot but perceive with your very bodily Senſes. Ah Sirs, is it not even ſad? Earth is the Centre of all your Love and Deſires; earthly Glory, earthly Riches, earthly Delight affects you moſt; let you have Abundance of Earth, and that eternally, and eternally you can live without the Enjoyment of JEHOVAH and the LAMB: The Kingdom above theſe viſible Heavens appears ſtrange Utopian-like Inventions, which, tho' ye give an hiſtorical Faith to, yet you are affected little or nothing with the News of ſuch aſtoniſhing Things; and labour and endeavour, and project more for theſe periſhing Things: Which ſnows, You are baſe Earth-worms, who have choſen this Dunghil for your Country; deſpiſed and undervalued the enduring Subſtance; and have not ſtirr'd up your ſelves, to the deep Perſwaſion of the Truth, and Reality of ſuch wonderful Things; but embrace Earth, and confeſs your ſelves its Natives, and home-born Slaves. May you not at laſt ſee your own Baſeneſs and Slavery? Are you not aſhamed of your former Vileneſs? Are you not beginning to perceive, that the Saints are the only excellent and noble Perſons? Are you not looking upon it, as the greateſt Miſery and Baſeneſs, to be earthly in your Mind and Affections? Are you not accounting it the only Dignity and Accompliſhment, to be humble and divine? Again, we beſeech you to be ingenuous, and not to lull your ſelves aſleep, in Security's Lap, with a Number of careleſs Will-bees, and May-bees. What, Sirs? Confeſs you the Reality of theſe wonderful Things to come? Confeſs you, that Heaven and Hell is the eternal Lot of all Mankind? Which of them are you making for? You know, according to your Preparations here, ſo are you hereafter to be; as you ſow, ſhall you not reap? If you ſow to the Fleſh, ſhall you not reap Corruption? And if you ſow to the Spirit, ſhall you not reap eternal Life? Whether will you travel the Way to the one or the other? Chooſe you: GOD ſets Life and Death before you; beguile not your ſelves; God will not be mocked. Will you remain earthly; and yet think to enter the pure heavenly City? Is there a Foot-breadth for Earth-worms there? If earthly-minded Creatures, remaining earthly, may expect to enter the fair and clean Jeruſalem, then ſhall Heaven be filled with all Sorts of Cattle, and Hell ſhall be for ever empty; which is indeed the Opinion of ſtupid Worldlings, whoſe extenſive Charity reaches all Men that ever were, or ſhall be: Who are of ſo ſweet and mild a Diſpoſition, as that they dare not, cannot judge any, and are not aſhamed to ſay of the baſeſt Dunghil Worldling, It may be he has ſomewhat Good. But, believe it, Earthly-mindedneſs is a palpable groſs Vileneſs, to all, who have their Senſes, in the leaſt, exerciſed. Enter your own Hearts, poor Wretches, and behold your own Practice, and the Practice of the Generality of all who are about you; and you ſhall perceive your ſelves ſmell ſtrongly of Earth. Do not all your Aims and Projects tend Earth-ward? Are not your laſt Tho'ts in the Evening, your firſt Thoughts in the Morning, the moſt of your Thoughts all the Day long, running upon lower Concernments? Earth, only Earth, fills your baſe Minds: Few, tranſient and brutiſh are your Conceptions of Things above: Eternity you make your By-aim, and Earth your chief Deſign. Do you not eſteem earthly Glory and Riches moſt? Are not theſe, who are moſt ladned with the thick Clay of the Earth, greateſt in your Eyes? Had you not rather have wealthieſt, the Men of moſt Account and Power in Time, to be allied to you, than the afflicted People? Can you not converſe familiarly with Dunghil-worldlings, without any Trouble or Antipathy? Yea, have ye not the curſed Heart, to become one Fleſh with a black Lump of Death and Hell, if ſo be they be laden with the Earth's worm-eaten Traſh, or pleaſe your carnal Inclination, and fooliſh Fancy? Are you not more taken up with your own private, petty affairs, than with the great Concernments of Chriſt, and his Church? Have you not more Delight in earthly Enjoyments, than in the Exerciſes of Godlineſs? Are you not more ſenſible of your temporal Loſſes, than of your ſpiritual? Do not your Joys ebb & flow, according to the Ebbings and Flowings of worldly Things? Are you not ignorant of Rejoicing in Tribulation, becauſe of the Smiles of Jehovah's amiable Countenance? And of Sorrowing, in the midſt of earthly Abundance, becauſe the WELBELOVED hath frowned, with dawn himſelf, & is gone? Worldlings, Is it not even thus with you? Let your Conſciences ſpeak, Men and Women; O hear them, that God may hear you. I ſay, Is it not moſt evident to your ſelves, that thus it is with you? And are you for Glory? Are you for the clean and holy City? Are you for dwelling with everlaſting Burning? Are you for walking with the Lamb, clothed with the white and beautiful Garments of Holineſs? Are you for ſtanding among the fair delightſom Aſſembly of Saints and Angels, who eternally ſurround the Throne of Jehovah and the Lamb? Are you? Ye baſe Worldlings, as long as ye are what you are, you have nothing to do with Glory: Stand aback, touch not the Mount. Beaſts are not to meddle with ſo great Things: Heaven is only for holy Ones; for without Holineſs no Man ſhall ſee the Lord. Believe it, Sirs, you are Ten thouſand Miles from Holineſs: Holineſs is a ſtrange, unknown Thing in the World: The moſt refined Moraliſts, Civilians, Carnal Goſpellers, and brave Formaliſts, have ſcarce heard the Sound thereof: There is a Path that no Fowl knoweth, and which the Vulture's Eye hath the ſeen, and the Lion's Whelps have not troden it, nor the fierce Lion paſſed by it. But, where ſhall Wiſdom be found? And where is the Place of Underſtanding? Man knoweth not the Price thereof; neither is it found in the Land of the Living: The Depth ſaith, It is not in me; And the Sea ſaith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for Gold; neither ſhall Silver be weighed for the Price thereof: No Mention ſhall be made of Coral, or of Pearls; for the Price of Wiſdom is above Rubies.

Believe it, Holineſs, or Wiſdom, is a rare Thing: A Saint is a Wonder. God hath placed them among the numerous Multitude of Mankind, like ſo many Signs and Wonders: So many Saints in the World, ſo many Miracles of Nature: A Saint, in the Kalender of the Generality of Profeſſors, is an ordinary Perſon; but, in Chriſt's, moſt extraordinary. There are fewer real Chriſtians, than the moſt preciſe, and ſtricteſt in their Cenſures, can imagine. If the Nature of Holineſs were well known, we ſhould wonder, that there is, among all Mortals, one holy One; for, in very Truth, a Saint is nothing elſe, but a Piece of Heaven, a new Creature, transformed from the Image of Hell, into that of Glory, One whoſe Converſation is only above, who is come unto Mount Zion, and unto the City of the living God: A Saint hath not the Stamp and Faſhion of this World; his Heart and Love are quite gone from him to another Place; his Words, his Actions, his Deportment manifeſt he ſeeks a Country above, and that he deſpiſeth and overlooks all Things here, as Things inconſiderable, dead and crucified in his Eyes: His Joys, his Pleaſures, his Contentments, his Treaſures lie not here: His Torments, his Griefs, his Miſery lies not in temporal Things; his Mind is elevated far above the Laughings or Frownings of a tranſitory World: Its Ups and Downs, its Ebbings and Flowings cannot affect him: His ſublime Mind is ſet upon higher Objects; for he looks not to the Things that are ſeen; but to the Things that are not ſeen: For the Things that are ſeen, are temporal; but the Things that are not ſeen, are eternal. Heaven is his Soil, his Element, the Centre of his Love and Deſires: He longs, he prays, he greatly deſires, he weeps to be there. The Deſi • e of the full and naked Embracements of The Chiefeſt of Ten thouſand, overtops, and ſwallows up his Deſire and Love to all other Things. What tho' he hath fair, pleaſant Poſſeſſions of Earth, many dear Friends, and pleaſant Companions? What tho' he have an excellent Wife, and hopeful Children? All theſe are but Droſs and Dung, unto the very Knowledge of the Excellency of JESUS his LORD: They are good and pleaſant, but nothing to the only WELBELOVED. He can leave them all gladly, to be with him. O my Comfort, my Children, my Friends, my Poſſeſſions, my Hopes here away, my Life, I could not but with exceeding great Grief, be thus ſeparate from you, were I not going to One, who is ſweeter, dearer and more lovely to me, above all Expreſſion, than you all: The Loſs of all Things is no Loſs; if I go to the full Enjoyment of Him, whom my Soul loveth. Whom have I in Heaven, or on Earth, but Him? Whom do I love and deſire, but Him? No Enjoyments whatſoever • n quench my Longing to be with Him: He is my All, and only One. Farewel, all lower Enjoyments, the Love of my faireſt WELBELOVED ſwallows up all other Loves. Be cloſed, my bleſſed Senſes, from receiving any more ſublunary Objects, that ye may be everlaſtingly filled with his tranſcendent Lovelineſs, Sweetneſs and Excellency. And no Wonder the Saint cannot want Chriſt, ſince he is transformed into his lovely Image, a Partaker of his divine Nature; one, who is endued with the ſame Mind that was in him; one, who hath Chriſt dwelling in him; one, who hath the Kingdom of Heaven within him: So that it is natural unto him to tend God-ward, and Heaven-ward; even as it is natural for the Worldling to tend Earth-ward and Hell-ward. Every Thing hath a Propenſity and Love to its own Centre and Like; and bends off from its Oppoſite: The Fire aſcends towards the Centre and great Glob of Fire; every Bit of Earth disjoined, tends back to the whole again. Tho' there were neither Reward, nor Puniſhment; yet a holy One muſt love, ſerve, obey, praiſe and adore his God; for Heaven muſt operate like Heaven, even neceſſarily, tho' freely, ſweetly, and without Compulſion. Again, Worldlings muſt tend Earth-ward, tho' they ſhould find never ſo much Vexation, Torment and Grief in it; tho' he ſhould never be ſo often threatned, and perſwaded of all the Miſeries that follow an earthly, ſenſual and brutiſh Way of living; ſince he is all Senſe, Earth and Corruption, altogether deſtitute of the Divine Nature: In a Word, a Worldling is a viſible incarnate Devil; a Saint, a viſible incarnate Angel: Only Hell, on this Side of Time, is not fully accompliſhed in the one; nor Heaven fully perfected in the other. The holy One ſmells ſtrongly of Glory; and the nearer he approacheth to his Journey's End, the more reſplendent a Luſtre hath he of Heaven: The Path of the Juſt being as the ſhining Light, that ſhineth more and more unto the perfect Day. O Tincture of Heaven! Their Actions have ſtill a greater Smell of Glory; but all is nothing to the Glory and Excellency of their inviſible and inward Operation: Little or nothing appears without, in Compariſon of that which is within. O the noble and ſeraphick Thoughts! O the ſtrange Motions of Love, and Joy, and Admiration, above all poſſible Expreſſion! O the raviſhing Perfumes of paſſing Joys and Sweetneſs, wherewith the Beloved fills the Heart! It is impoſſible for the Saint, to put down in Black and White, what he feels on his Soul: All the Tongues of Men and Angels cannot manifeſt his ſweet and noble Thoughts of his only WELBELOVED. He would gladly expreſs them to all that are about him, but he finds it impoſſible. He is ſometimes contending with his narrow Fancy, that it cannot find out a more ſublime, clear and excellent Way of expreſſing the matchleſs Worth of his Welbeloved: Other whiles, he is angry at the cold, ſhallow and putid Manner of others Diſcourſing: He would have all Men ſpeak nobly, write nobly, do nobly, for Jeſus. Nothing vexeth him more than to perceive the Generality of Men forget him: Or, when they ſpeak of him, to talk ſo coldly and creepingly, as if he were a common, ordinary Beloved. He would have his Lovely One filling the Hearts and Mouths of all: He hates the Fellowſhip where he is not highly eſteemed, loved, praiſed and adored: He greatly honours, and loves that, (tho' otherwiſe never ſo low and deſpicable) where he is praiſed, worſhipped and much accounted of. It is his continual Torment and Affliction, he hath ſo low and unbeſeeming Thoughts of him: He is in great Rage at his Heart, that it ſhould, at any Time, go aſtray, from ſuch an excellent Object, after Vanity: He lays Bands on, watcheth over, and commands his Heart, that it have noble and excellent Thoughts of him; and entertain no other Beloveds beſide him: He deſires Nothing more, than to have his Heart wholly ſet upon him, and forever raviſhed and overcome with his Love. And no Wonder; ſince Chriſt, and he are One; One in Nature, Mind, Affections, Spirit, and all Things: As the Lord Jeſus is, ſo is he, in a great Part. Every one of the Saints reſembles the Children of the King of Kings: Among all the Sons of Adam, there are none their like; for they are a choſen Generation, a royal Prieſthood, an holy Nation, a peculiar People; that they ſhould ſhew forth the Praiſes of him, who hath called them out of Darkneſs unto his marvellous Light. The Generality of Mankind hath, ever from the very Beginning, looked upon them, as ſtrange Manner of Perſons, & nick-named them with various and ſtrange Sorts of Names, according to the Iniquities of the Times and Places they lived in, becauſe of their Rareneſs in Number, Singularity in their Way of Living and Practice, Preciſeneſs in their Principles, and oppoſing the Sins of the Times their Lot is caſt into.

Ah! poor Worldlings, do ye not ſee, that a Saint is another Manner of Perſon than you imagined? Do you not perceive, that you are as far below real Holineſs, as Earth is below Heaven? Is it not manifeſted to yourſelves, that you are not the Creatures, whoſe Minds and Affections are heavenly and divine? that you are not of a more noble and excellent Spirit than your Neighbours? True, your own deſperate, deceitful Heart will cauſe you to imagine your ſelves rare Pieces of Excellency; yet it will give you no Demonſtration, but only cauſe I, as ſuch, appear great; and ſo confound every Thing, as you may evade us, one Way or another. So deſperate are Worldlings, that they cannot abide to examine their Conditions; and when others hold out the Light, that they may diſcover them, they wink, leſt they behold their own Miſery and Vileneſs. But, Worldlings, may you not ſee your Nakedneſs, If you will but aſk ſeriouſly, at your ſelves, a few ordinary Queſtions, and ſolve them faithfully, according to the anſwer of your Conſcience?

Firſt, Have you ever felt the Pangs of the new Birth? Are you Strangers to this? Know you not, Except a Man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven? This is ſtrange! A Saint, a regenerate Creature, a Man born over again; and yet without Pain, or Labour! Such a great Mutation, without great Symptoms and Concomitants, cannot be. Ah! moſt Men's Religion hath come to them in a Night-dream.

2dly. Were you ever at What ſhall I do to be ſaved? Here, bleſſed Jeſus, I ſubſcribe a Blank, put in any Thing thou wilt; and, in thy Strength, I will gladly endeavour the Performance of all; only ſave me; O ſave me, elſe I eternally periſh. It is ſtrange, you have not come this Length that many Reprobates have come, and yet imagine your ſelves Saints.

3dly. Hath the great Salvation appeared ſo great, in your Eyes, filled ſo your Minds, that it hath overtopped, and ſwallowed up the Thoughts of all other Concernments? Are you not come this far, that ſome Reprobates have, for a Time, attained unto? And can you imagine your ſelves Partakers of the great Salvation? Ah, mad Deluſion!

4thly. Were you ever ſick of Sin? Have you been more burdened under your Iniquities, than ever you were under an earthly Affliction? Do you not find the grievous Weight of a Body of Death? Yea, go you not lightly under your Iniquities? Only ſome of the groſſeſt of them torment your natural Conſcience; As for Original Sin, your know it more by Speculation, than by Feeling: This doth ſhow you are dead in Sins and Treſpaſſes, alienated from the Life of God. Can you then imagine your ſelf ſuch a noble Creature as a Saint?

5thly. Were you ever ſick of Love for JESUS? Were you ever running after him, with the Tear in your Eye, with your Hands upon your aking Sores? Were you ever weeping, and groaning, and ſighing at his Feet, for Mercy, and Pardon, and Reconciliation, and the Lifting-up of his amiable Countenance? Were you ever wreſtling with Sin, as for your Life, and ſaying, Bleſſed Jeſus, I muſt have Thee; Thee to be my Lord, my Head, my Advocate, my King, my Prieſt, my Prophet, my only Beloved, or I cannot live? Ah! Sirs, you, who know not experimentally what I am ſaying, have your Religion to ſeek yet.

6thly. Were you ever crying, as it were, O Daughters of Jeruſalem, I charge you, if you ſee my Beloved that you tell him, that I am ſick of Love? Have you been fainting, becauſe of an abſent and withdrawing Lord? Have you had a weariſom Night without Sleep for Chriſt, becauſe you could not find him? Know you not, by Experience, what I am ſaying? O then! you are Strangers to Chriſt.

7thly. Are not your Thoughts of Chriſt ſo high, that you cannot, in the thouſandth Part, expreſs them to others? Are not all Things Droſs and Dung to you, in Compariſon of Chriſt? If you can expreſs all your Thoughts of him, you want the Mind of a Saint.

8thly. Though an eternal Enjoyment of all poſſible created Paradiſes of Joy and Delight, filled with all Smells, all Taſtes, all Sights, all Melodies, all Delights the Heart of Man can imagine, were placed on the one Hand; and the eternal Enjoying, Praiſing, and Adoring JEHOVAH and the LAMB, on the other; which of theſe two Lives would your Heart moſt affect, and run after: It may be, you will ſay, I had rather enjoy Chriſt, than all Things. How then comes it to paſs, you long not to be with him? How comes it to paſs, you have more Delight in earthly Enjoyments, than in the Exerciſes of Godlineſs? Why is Meditating on him, the Excellency of his Perſon, and the Glory of his Kingdom, ſo melancholious, and ſeldom an Exerciſe! Why are you not making it your Study and Delight, to keep up a near and intimate Fellowſhip with the Father, and the Son? Ah! poor Things, you are altogether ignorant of your ſelves; and therefore you talk, and you know not what.

9thly. Find you in your Soul a ſtrong and ardent Longing and Deſire after God, and ſtill to have more and more of him, till you be filled with all his Fulneſs? Have you a greater Thirſt after him, than ever you had after cold Water in an unquenchable Thirſt, through a burning Fever, or great Heat, Labour and Wearineſs? Surely, if you be Partakers of his Nature, you cannot but bend to him with a ſtrong Benſil. Are your Deſires after him cold and indifferent, and broken Ciſterns can quench your Thirſt! Be aſſured, you are dead, and have not your Senſes exerciſed.

10thly. Can you diſcern betwixt the Exerciſes of Godlineſs, and God in the Exerciſe? Are you ſometimes ſeeking him, and cannot find him? Are you not calling unto him, and he gives no Anſwer? Are you ignorant of a mutual Converſe with him? Find you not him ſpeaking into your Heart, as really as you ſpake up to him? Know ye not what it is, to receive an Anſwer of Prayer? Ah! ye are Strangers to the Myſtery of Godlineſs.

11thly. Find you more Delight in his Fellowſhip, when you are alone, than ever you found in all your earthly Enjoyments? Have you not been brought into his Chambers of Love, and rejoiced and been glad in Him? Have you not found his Love better than Wine, and the Savour of his good Ointments moſt cheering and refreſhing? Nay, found you not, in ſome Meaſure, to your own ſweet Experience, all the Intercourſes written down in the Song of Songs? What ſay you? Are you Strangers to theſe Things; and yet, an eſpouſed Soul to Chriſt? That cannot be.

12thly. Have you not a Reſpect to all his Commandments, ſince you have reſigned your ſelf wholly over to him, without Reſervation? Dare you contradict a known Precept, and can ſacrilegiouſly cut and carve upon his Latter will, and put your own carnal Gloſſes upon his clear Commands, for your own worldly and carnal Ends? And yet Saints! and yet Lovers of JESUS! That's impoſſible.

13thly. Doth your Goodneſs reach the Saints, the Excellent of the Earth, in whom is all your Delight? Is there any in your Eyes, by a thouſand Stages, ſo great, as a Saint? Is not a Creature the more lovely, excellent and eſteemed in your Eyes, the more wiſe he is, the more he is like All-lovely Jeſus? As for the ſeveral Fancies of Riches and Honour, you value them not, theſe are not the Things that heighten and depreſs Perſons in your Account: But on the contrary, are you the People, that eſteem Perſons, according to Gay-clothing, Multitude of Traſh, much of earthly Honour, Power, Authority and Renown? Affect you more to have a really honourable Conſort, Children, Kinſmen, and Friends, than to have them wiſe and holy? Art thou ſuch a Creature, that thou loveſt the Converſe of the Wealthy and Proſperous; and can take a Wordling, known to be ſuch, to be the inſeparable Companion of thy Life, becauſe of worldly Advantages; And can converſe familiarly and merrily with Worldlings, without any Antipathy, or Hurt to the Frame of thine Heart? Art thou ſuch an one, and yet a Saint? Ah! poor Thing, thou art a Stranger to Holineſs. It may be thou art a Formaliſt; that is, a Perſon illuminated, who hath a Cuſtom of reading, and conferring, and meditating, and praying; and it may be, weeping, and hearing the beſt, it may be with Jeopardie; but the Life and Marrow of Religion thou art altogether ignorant of.

14thly. Do not the Affairs of Chriſt's Church through the World, and eſpecially through the particular Church He doth moſt own, lie nearer your Heart, than all other Things? May you not ſay, If I forget thee, O Zion, let my Right-hand forget her Cunning; If I prefer not Jeruſalem to my chiefeſt Joy? Are not your own Affairs oft-times forgotten by you; ſo much are you taken up with the Affairs of CHRIST? That Chriſt may be great, his Intereſts glorious, and his People exalted, is the Flower and Top of your Deſires. You are exceeding angry againſt, not only his open perſecuting Enemies, but all who are indifferent or luke-warm in his Matters; Thou canſt abide none, but the zealous Ones; Art thou not, as it were, burnt up with Zeal for the Glory of the only excellent ONE? So, that thou art crying out, Let the Sinners be conſumed from the Earth; Let the Wicked be no more; Let all his Enemies periſh; but let thoſe, that love Him, be like the Sun, going forth in his Strength. But on the contrary, do thine own Affairs ſhare largeſt of thy Thoughts? thou art oft-times ſo occupied with them, that the Affairs of Zion are almoſt forgotten: It may be, thou wiſhes well unto her, and had rather ſhe did ſwim, than ſink; yea, would undergo a conſiderable Loſs, upon Condition ſhe might be exalted: But wouldſt thou have the Affairs of Chriſt great, meerly out of Deſire to his Glory and Exaltation? Doſt thou deſire the Riſing of his Intereſts, tho' it were upon thy Fall and Ruin? Are thy great Affairs, even what concerneth Life, and the greateſt Affairs of thine own, ſmall, and of no Conſideration in thine Eyes, in Compariſon of the ſmalleſt Things of CHRIST? Yea, art thou not One, who can overlook, and cede many Things to the Enemy? Not an Hoof, is too great Preciſeneſs to Thee. And is not thy Hatred, and Indignation, at his Enemies, weak and indiſcernable? Thou canſt hear his Work and People ſpoken Evil of, unconcernedly, and be little or nothing moved: Thou art a very meek and moderate Man in his Cauſe; and art thou one of his? Hath he the Flower of thy Love? Is that Love burning in thine Heart, which many Waters cannot quench? Art thou a genuine Son of Zion? Never think it; poor deluded Creature, thou haſt Religion yet to ſeek.

15thly. Do all earthly Things appear dead and crucified-like unto thee? Doſt thou look upon this Earth as a melancholick Wilderneſs? And haſt thine Heart and Eyes ſtill upon thy Country? Yea, doſt thou look with a diſdainful Eye upon this baſe World, ſo full of Wickedneſs, Vexation, and Vanity; wherein thy Lord, and all his Followers, have got ſo bad Entertainment? But, on the contrary, doſt thou look upon thine Enjoyments in a lovely and warmly Manner, and haſt ſweeter and more pleaſant Thoughts of them, than of the Life to come? When the World ſmiles upon thee, doſt thou ſmile upon it again; and canſt eaſily bear the Want of the full Enjoyment of GOD; being ſo well pleaſed with an eaſy, earthly Life, either in Reality, or in Imagination; as thou art ſaying to thy ſelf, It is good to be here? Art thou thus, and yet a Saint, a Pilgrim, who is travelling heaven ward, a Creature, whoſe Heart and Love is in another Country, and not here? This is a Repugnancy; never think it, Man: Think thy ſelf the Thing thou art, an Home-born Slave; and then thou art a Step in the Way to true Liberty.

16thly. Art thou longing to be in the immediate Embraces of the Chief of Ten thouſand? To behold him Face to Face, and be ſatiate with his immediate Fellowſhip? Is it oft the Cry of thy longing Heart, When ſhall I ſee him as he is, and that white and beautiful Company following him whitherſoever he goes? When ſhall I ſee the Bridegroom and the Bride kiſs and embrace one another? When ſhall he ſet his majeſtick Head thro' theſe viſible Heavens, and appear in his royal Marriage-robes, before the whole Creation? Ah! the envious Heavens, that hide him from my longing Eyes! Ah! the longſom Days, that ly betwixt me and him! When ſhall we be eternally in others immediate Embraces? But on the contrary, canſt thou live contentedly, in the Midſt of earthly Abundance, with ſmall or no Deſires of his immediate Fellowſhip? Is this the ordinary Frame of thy Spirit: And yet a Saint! It cannot be. Can the chaſte Spouſe not long for her abſent Bridegroom? Can the true Lover live patiently, without beholding the Beloved's Face? Ah! Sirs, you have not been really eſpouſed to him. Have you not received his Love-tokens, nor been raviſhed with the Smell of his fragrant Ointments? and what Wonder, you are as you are?

17thly. Are you depending on God in every Thing? Acknowledge you him in all your Ways, and in every Exigency that befals you? Caſt you all yours Cares upon him, and truſt in him for all Things in Time and Eternity? So that you find your Mind greatly eaſed; as having One to your Father, who is both able and willing to carry you thro' all Difficulties and Afflictions? Are you endeavouring to do his Commandments, and commit the Event of all abſolutely unto him, who, you know, brings all to a good Iſſue? Have you renounced the Diſpoſing of your ſelves, and reſigned that, with all your Concerns, even unto him? And dare not do any Thing without his Approbation? Or, on the contrary, do you rely on this Thing, and that Thing? If there be Money in the Purſe, or Calves in the Stall, then you hope, you ſhall not want: You truſt in hu • ane Probabilities; but if thoſe fail you, you are diſpondent; Thou haſt not the Confidence in GOD, that may hold up thy Heart, in as cheerful a Condition, as when Corn and Wine abounded unto Worldlings. Thou cannot lay as much Weight on the large Promiſes in the Book of GOD, as Worldlings on their Charters in earthly Poſſeſſions; and therefore, thou art ever anxious about the event, and commits not the Diſpoſing of thy ſelf to him: Thou walkeſt by the Compaſs of Riches, Eaſe, Reputation, &c. And whether it be the Will of Chriſt, is thy laſt Conſideration: Whether it be a Courſe, that will moſt glorify him, and make thy Progreſs ſwifter to Glory, doth not ſo much trouble thee; as whether it be a Courſe, will render thee proſperous, full of Eaſe, Wealth and Eſteem in a World. Doth thine Heart dictate unto thee ſuch an Occupation, ſuch a Marriage, and ſuch an Interprize will bring in great Wealth, much worldly Joy, a Multitude of Friends, greater worldly Honour, &c? Therefore it is to be followed. Ah! deluded Wretch, walkeſt thou by earthly, carnal Rules; and yet ſuch a noble Creature, as a Saint? Never entertain ſuch Fancies: The Saints walk as Chriſt walked, He is their Fore-runner, and Captain.

The Difference between a Saint and a Worldling, may, in ſome Manner, be apprehended from what we have ſpoken. Aſk ſeriouſly, at your ſelves, ſuch Queſtions; reflect upon your Way of Walking; ſee what is the conſtant Frame of your Heart, and what your Heart affects moſt; what your have been, and what you are aiming at, and ſeeking moſt; what you rejoice moſt in; what the Thoughts and Intentions of your Heart run out moſt upon. O Sirs, be not beguiled in ſo weighty a Concernment: If you err here, you are eternally undone: It is Satan's great Endeavour, to hinder you from conſidering your ſelf, or your Condition; he delights to ſee you paſs away your Time, in conſidering your natural Abilities, your corporal Endowments, your Eſtate in the World, &c. But he is afraid you conſider your ſpiritual Eſtate, how it ſtands betwixt God and you; whether you be in friendly Terms with him, or not: If not, how you may attain unto a near Fellowſhip; and how you may keep your ſelf in his Love and Favour, and grow more and more familiar with him. He loves, and endeavours to divert your Mind off eternal Concernments to temporal. But, Sirs, ought you not to give Eternity the firſt Place, the Firſt, and Flower, and Choice and Might of all your Endeavours? Make ſure Work in ſo great, great a Matter: Thy eternal Weal, or Wo, is upon the Wheels, Man; what ſhall be your Lot throughout endleſs Ages, is a Concernment above all you can conceive, or endeavour. Knoweſt thou not how the Matter ſtands? Is not the Time ſhort, thou haſt to prepare thy ſelf i •• o? Is not thy Life moſt uncertain? Is not the Work of Salvation a great, a long, a difficult Work? Is it not moſt ordinary, that Men die, as they live; and moſt certain, that their eternal Condition is, as they die? Knoweſt thou not, that it is written, To Day, if ye will hear my Voice, harden not your Hearts? Thou knoweſt not what a Day may bring forth. Come, O come, and embrace ſo friendly a Call. Have you any Excuſe? Are you about any Buſineſs of ſuch Concernment? Is any ſucceeding Hour better than now? Doth not thine Heart draw on a new Scruff of Hardneſs? Why then, fall to Work in good earneſt, as for Life and Death: Make ſure Work, build not upon Sand, but on the Rock? Never reſt, till you have Chriſt indeed, and not ſome Fancy in his Place; be ſure you get an Intereſt in him. Never think your ſelves right, until you have a familiar and lively Fellowſhip with the Father and the Son; until there be mutual Communications of Love betwixt Chriſt and you; until you have heartily, and for ever, given your ſelf wholly over to him, and taken him wholly over to you, to be your King, Prieſt and Prophet; to be your All, and only One; until you be enamoured with his matchleſs Beauty, overcome with his paſſing Sweetneſs; until Earth, in its beſt Condition, be an empty Nothing, and Vanity in your Eyes; until Heaven become your native Country, were Heart, and Love, and all do ly; ſo that it ſhall be as natural for you to be heavenly-minded, as for Earth-worms to be earthly. O then! we ſhall greet you, by the excellent and princely Name of Saints. O then, you ſhall be no more Beaſts, but Creatures of an high and ſeraphick Nature, the Sons and Minions of the High and Lofty One; the Princes & Heirs of Heaven, and Earth, and all Things; for then all Things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the World, or Life, or Death, or Things preſent, or Things to come: All are yours, and ye are Chriſt's, and Chriſt is God's.

A Soliloquie to GOD, Prayer-ways.

DIſpatch, O WELBELOVED, and haſten the Day of our eternal Marriage; put Time, and Days out of the Way: Great Things haſt thou to do, before thou deſcend viſibly to this lower World: Thou haſt been making great Diſpatch, ſince thou aſcended; and ſtill the nearer thy ſecond Coming, thou ſtill haſteneſt thy Work the more: Theſe few Years immediately preceeding, How haſt thou put many and great Things through thy Hand? And now thy Kingdom is upon the advancing Hand; tho' it ſeem almoſt all tottering and decaying. That great and glorious Work, thou promiſedſt of old, is juſt now in the Birth, and near the breaking forth: Thy grand Enemies have begun to fall before Thee, and have ſtill loſt Ground; and tho' now they ſeem to have the Advantage, it is but in Appearance: Thou art but making thy ſelf to flee before them, that thou mayeſt draw them all out after Thee; but, ere ever they ſhall be aware, thou wilt make thine Ambuſhcado's to aſſault them on the Reer; and in a Trice thou wilt environ them on every Side, give them an irreparable Rout. Thou art, O mighty Captain, as it were, retiring thy ſelf, that thou mayeſt come back on thine Enemies with the greater Force: Thou art at the crying out, Ah! I will eaſe me of mine Adverſaries, and avenge me of mine Enemies: For, behold, thou makeſt the Earth empty, and makeſt it waſte, and turneſt it up-ſide down, and ſcattereſt abroad the Inhabitants thereof: Thou art coming out of thy Place, to puniſh the Inhabitants of the Earth, for their Iniquity; for, Thou ſhalt riſe up, as in Mount Perazzim; Thou ſhalt be wroth, as in the Valley of Gibeon; that thou mayeſt do thy Work, thy ſtrange Work; and bring to paſs thy Act, thy ſtrange Act. At the Noiſe of the Tumult, the People ſhall flee; at the Lifting up of thy ſelf, the Nations ſhall be ſcattered, and their Spoil ſhall be gathered, like the Spoiling of the Caterpillers; as the Running to and fro of Locuſts, ſo ſhalt thou run upon them; for thy Sword ſhall be bathed in Heaven, it ſhall come upon Idumea, and upon the People of thy Curſe, unto Judgment: Thy Sword ſhall be filled with Blood, and ſhall be made fat with Fatneſs: For, Thou haſt a Sacrifice in Bozra, and a great Slaughter in the Land of Idumea: And the Unicorns ſhall come down with them, and the Bullocks, with the Bulls; and their Land ſhall be ſoaked with Blood, and their Duſt made fat with Fatneſs: For the Day of Vengeance is in thine Heart, and the Year of thy Redeemed is come. Thou art looking, and there is none to help; and thou wondereſt that there is none to uphold; therefore thine Arm ſhall bring Salvation unto thee, and thy Fury it ſhall uphold thee: Thou wilt put on Righteouſneſs, as a Breaſt-plate, as an Helmet of Salvation upon thine Head: And Thou ſhalt put on the Garments of Vengeance for Clothing, and ſhalt be clothed with Zeal as a Cloke: And Thou wilt tread down the People in thine Anger, and make them drunk in thy Fury; and wilt bring down their Strength to the Earth. Gird thy Sword on thy Thigh, O moſt Mighty, with thy Glory and thy Majeſty; and in thy Majeſty ride proſperouſly, becauſe of Truth, Meekneſs, and Righteouſneſs; and thy Right-hand ſhall teach Thee terrible Things: Be thou a Refuge for the Oppreſſed, a Refuge in Times of Trouble. When thou makeſt Inquiſition for Blood, remember them: Forget not the Cry of the Humble; that they may ſhew forth all thy Praiſe, in the Gates of the Daughter of Zion: That thou mayeſt be known by the Judgment thou executeſt, when the Wicked is ſnared in the Works of his own Hands: Let not the Needy always be forgotten: O! let not the Expectation of the Poor periſh for ever. Ariſe, o Lord, let not Man prevail; put thine Enemies in Fear, O Lord, that they may know themſelves to be but Men: Behold, they travel with Iniquity, and have conceived Miſchief, and have brought forth Falſhood: They have made a Pit, and digged it; Let them fall into the Ditch, which they have made: Let their Miſchief return upon their own Hand, and their violent Dealing come down upon their own Pate: But thoſe that truſt in thee, let them rejoice, let them ever ſhout for Joy, becauſe thou defendeſt them. Even let the Righteous rejoice, when he ſeeth the Vengeance; Let him waſh his Feet in the Blood of the Wicked; ſo that a Man may ſay, Verily, there is a Reward for the Righteous: Verily, thou art a God, that judgeſt in the Earth. Remember this, that the Enemy hath reproached, O LORD; and that the fooliſh People have blaſphemed thy Name. O deliver not the Soul of thy Turtle-Dove unto the Multitude of the Wicked: Forget not the Congregation of thy Poor for ever: Have a Reſpect unto thy Covenant; for the dark Places of the Earth are full of the Habitations of Cruelty. O! let not the Oppreſſed return aſhamed; Let the Poor and Needy praiſe thy Name: Forget not the Voice of thine Enemies; the Tumult of thoſe, that riſe up againſt Thee, increaſeth continually. They have taken Crafty Counſel againſt thy People, and conſulted againſt thine hidden Ones: They have ſaid, Come let us cut them off from being a Nation, that the Name of Iſrael may no more be in Remembrance; for they have conſulted together, with one Conſent; they are confederate againſt Thee. O make them like a Wheel, O my GOD, as the Stubble before the Wind; that Men may know that Thou, whoſe Name alone is JEHOVAH, art the moſt High, over all the Earth. O LORD GOD, to whom Vengeance belongeth; O GOD, to whom Vengeance belongeth, ſhew thy ſelf: Lift up thy Self, Thou Judge of the Earth, render a Reward to the Proud. O LORD, how long ſhall the Wicked, how long ſhall the Wicked triumph? How long ſhall they utter and ſpeak hard Things? and all the Workers of Iniquity boaſt themſelves? They break in Pieces, thy People, O LORD, and afflict thine Heritage: Yet, they ſay, The Lord ſhall not ſee, neither ſhall the GOD of Jacob regard it. But Thou ſhalt ariſe and have Mercy upon Zion; for the Time to favour her, yea the ſet Time is come: For thy Servants take Pleaſure in her Stones, and favour the Duſt thereof. For thy Mercy is great above the Heavens, and thy Truth reacheth unto the Clouds. Be Thou exalted, O GOD, above the Heavens; and thy Glory above all the Earth, That thy Beloved may be delivered, ſave with thy Right-Hand. Wilt Thou not give us Help from Trouble; For vain is the Help of Man. Through Thee we ſhall do valiantly; For Thou art He that ſhall tread down our Enemies. Our Mouth ſhall be filled with Laughter, and our Tongue with Rejoicing: Thou ſhalt put a new Song in our Mouth; Each one of us ſhall ſing forth, O LORD, Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee; I will praiſe thy Name, for Thou haſt done wonderful Things; Thy Counſels of Old are Faithfulneſs, and Truth: For thou haſt been a Strength to the Poor, a Strength to the Needy in his Diſtreſs; A Refuge from the Storm, and a Shadow from the Heat, when the Blaſt of the terrible One is as a Storm againſt the Wall. Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will ſave us: This is the LORD, we have waited for him; we will be glad and rejoice in his Salvation. We have a ſtrong City, Salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bulwarks. Open ye the Gates, that the righteous Nation, which keepeth the Truth, may enter in. I cannot but ſmile, and leap for Joy, through the Fore-tho'ts of the glorious Days we ſhall ſee a little hence. Verily, WELBELOVED, Thou haſt perſwaded me with a ſtrong Hand, that the Glory of the ſecond Temple ſhall far ſurpaſs the Glory of the firſt; and that ſuch a Day of thy Power and Excellency ſhall ariſe very ſhortly upon BRITAIN, as ſhall dazle the Eyes of all the Beholders, confound and put to Shame all thy Adverſaries, rejoice exceedingly the Hearts of thy now ſadned and fainting Friends, and have a ſtrong Influence and Reſplendency throughout all the whole Earth. We are thy covenanted People, thine in a more peculiar Manner, than any People, Nation, or Language throughout the Univerſal World: Thy Name is called moſt ſignally over us, thy Glory and Renown is moſt eſpecially concerned in our Affairs: Greater Mercy, Power, Wiſdom and Sovereignty haſt Thou not manifeſted on any People, ſince Thou aſcended on high: How majeſtick and glorious have thy Outgoings been among us? As if here had been the chief Place of thy Dwelling on Earth. Such majeſtick Banners of Mercy and Juſtice haſt thou erected among us, as have amazed the Nations about: And tho', ere it be long, Thou wilt pour out our Blood like Water, by the Force of the Sword, becauſe of our horrid Apoſtaſies and Inventions; Yet, Thy Loving-kindneſs ſhalt Thou never remove from us, but ſhalt erect a Banner of Love over us, until the Day of thine Appearance. Thou haſt manifeſted, that Thou art well pleaſed with thine Eſpouſing of us, and that thou ſtandeſt to the Bargain, by thy begetting a Progeny of Sons & Daughters, which appear to exceed, in Number and Excellency, all others through the Habitable World: Tho' our Iniquities teſtify againſt us, and cry for utter Deſolation, until we be like Admah and Zeboim; Yet, what wilt thou do for thy great Name, which will be greatly blaſphemed throughout the World, if Thou utterly conſume us? Haſt Thou begun a Work, and ſhalt thou not perfect it? Haſt thou laid the Foundation; And ſhalt Thou not erect it, unto the Cope-ſtone, that all may cry, Grace, Grace unto it? Haſt Thou not ever fruſtrated the cruel and helliſh Intents of thine Enemies, and made their Devices to fall on their own Heads; And ſhalt Thou not now plunge them in the midſt of their own Miſchiefs, as that the Inhabitants of the World ſhall cry out, Higgaion, Selah? Haſt Thou ſuch a numerous and excellent Remnant, according to the Election of Grace; And ſhall they not hold Thee from removing altogether from hence? Yea, ſo hold Thee, as Thou ſhalt dwell moſt gloriouſly amongſt us, and bleſs us with a double Bleſſing. Art Thou the Hearer of Prayer; And ſhall not the Sighs and Tears and Groans of thy afflicted, perſecuted Ones prevail ſtrongly with Thee? Are there not Thouſands of Thouſands of Prayers lying before the Throne, yet, not anſwered? How many ſtrong Wreſtlers have prayed and weeped for thy vindicating thy Work and People, and died Praying? Tho' Sighs and Tears did not move Thee, yet wilt Thou not regard the Cry of the Souls under the Altar, who teſtified for the very ſmalleſt of thy Intereſts unto the Death? Is not thy Kingdom now upon the advancing Hand, and the glorious Days at the Cloſe of Time, which of old thou haſt promiſed, at the Door? Anon, Thou wilt tread upon the high Places of the Earth, and the Inhabitants ſhall tremble, and be amazed: And the Loftineſs of Man ſhall be bowed down, & the Haughtineſs of Men ſhall be made low, and thou alone ſhalt be exalted in that Day. Thou art coming forth in great Fury, and ſhalt tread the Wine-preſs without the City, up to the Horſe-bridles: And the Carcaſes of the Men of this Generation ſhall be like Dung upon the Earth; for the Sword ſhall devour from the one End of the Land, even to the other: No Fleſh ſhall have Peace, becauſe the Earth is defiled under the Inhabitants thereof; ſince they have tranſgreſſed the Laws, changed the Ordinances, broken the everlaſting Covenant: For, from the leaſt of them even unto the greateſt of them, every one is given to Coveteouſneſs; and from the Prophet unto the Prieſt, every one dealeth falſly: They have healed the Hurt of the Daughter of thy People ſlightly, ſaving, Peace, Peace, when there is no Peace: They be all Adulterers, an Aſſembly of treacherous Men; and they bend their Tongues, like their Bow, for Lies; but they are not valiant for the Truth upon the Earth. Behold, thy Whirl-wind, ſhall go forth in Fury, even a grievous Whirl-wind, it ſhall fall grievouſly upon the Head of the Wicked. Thou haſt not ſent theſe Prophets, yet they ran; Thou haſt not ſpoken to them, yet they propheſied; Therefore will Thou caſt out the Carcaſes of theſe Prophets, and theſe, to whom they have propheſied into the Streets, and the Fields, to be devoured by the Fowls of the Heaven, and the Beaſts of the Field: For Thou wilt cut off from this Generation Head and Tail, Brar • h and Ruſh in one Day: And it ſhall be as with the People, ſo with the Prieſt; as with the Servant, ſo with his Maſter; with the Maid, ſo with her Miſtreſs; as with the Bu • er, ſo with the Seller; as with the Lender, ſo with the Borrower; as with the Taker of Uſury, ſo with the Giver of Uſury to him: For Wickedneſs burneth as the Fire, it ſhall devour the Briers and Thorns, and ſhall kindle in the Thickets of the Foreſt; and they ſhall mount up, as the lifting up of Smoke. Through thy Wrath the Land is darkned, and the People ſhall be the Fewel of thy Fire: No Man ſhall ſpare his Brother; the • ſhall eat every Man the Fleſh of his own Arm; Manaſſeth Ephraim, & Ephraim Manaſſeh; and they together ſhall be againſt Judah; and the Streets ſhall be filled with Blood, and the Fields ſhall be ſoaked with Blood and Fatneſs, for it is the Day of thy Fury, and Revenge for the Controverſy of Zion: But yet in it ſhall be a Tenth, and it ſhall return▪ and ſhall be eaten, as a Tyle-Tree, and as an Oak, whoſe Subſtance is in them, when they caſt their Leeves: For the Holy Seed ſhall be the Subſtance thereof. And in that Day, ſhall the BRANCH of the Lord be beautiful and glorious; and the Fruit of the Earth ſhall be excellent and comely, for them that are eſcaped of Iſrael: And in that Day ſhalt Thou be for a Crown of Glory, and for a Diadem of Beauty unto the Reſidue of thy People; and for a Spirit of Judgment to him that ſitteth in Judgment; and for Strength to them, who turn the Battle to the Gate. For Thou in the Midſt of us art mighty; Thou wilt ſave: Thou wilt rejoice over us with Joy, Thou wilt reſt in thy Love: Thou wilt rejoice over us with Singing: And thou wilt gather them that are ſorrowful for the ſolemn Aſſembly, even them to whom the Reproach of it was a Burden; and thou wilt create upon every Dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon her Aſſemblies, a Cloud, and Smoke by Day; and the ſhining of a flaming Fire by Night: For upon all the Glory ſhall be a Defence. Who is a GOD like unto Thee, that pardoneſt Iniquity, and paſſeſt by the Tranſgreſſion of the Remnant of thine Inheritance? Thou retaineſt not thy Anger for ever; becauſe Thou delighteſt in Mercy. O may thou be glorious and exalted through Britain, and the whole World! When ſhall the Night be gone, and thou ariſe with Healing under thy Wings? When ſhalt thou pour down the Spirit from on high, and make unto thy ſelf a willing People? Haſten theſe Days, for thine Elect's Sake: Be an Hiding-place to thy Choſen, from the Storm and Tempeſt, and the Blaſt of the terrible Once; according to thy Promiſe: Cover us with thy Feathers, and under thy Wings make us to truſt: Let thy Truth be our Shield and Buckler: Then ſhall we not be afraid for the Terror by Night, nor for the Arrow that fleeth by Day, nor for the Peſtilence that walketh in Darkneſs, nor for the Deſtruction that waſteth at Noon-day: a Thouſand ſhall fall at our Side, and Ten thouſand at our Right-hand; But it ſhall not come near us; only with our Eyes ſhall we behold, and ſee the Reward of the Wicked. O let us ſee the Good of thy Choſen, and rejoice with thy Nation, and be glad with thy People: Let us ſee Good, according to the Days wherein we have ſeen Evil, and according to the Days Thou has afflicted us. And perform thy great Promiſes, now in the End of Time and Days; as thou haſt already poured the Vials of thy Wrath on the Seat of the Beaſt: Now, our mighty One, dry up the River, the great River; and let there come a great Voice from the Temple of Heaven, from the Throne, IT IS DONE: That thou mayeſt have a glorious Church of Jew and Gentile; ſuch a Day of thy Power, and Beauties of Holineſs, as that the Cleareſt Days we or our Fathers ever ſaw, were but Days of Darkneſs and Ignorance, in Compariſon of them. Haſte, O WELBELOVED, that Thou mayeſt cry down Time and Days; and become All in all unto thy Choſen, throughout Eternity.

The dying Saint's SONG. FArewel, you Beauties of the lower Story Of God's great All; Adieu, thou painted Glory Of ſilly Earth; farewel, you Dreams, you Toys, Cloth'd in the Garb of true Delights and Joys: Yet, were you ſuch, as to the World you ſeem, What Place now can you have in mine Eſteem? Since all you leſſer Beauties diſappear, In Weſtern points of my Heart's Hemiſphere; You roſe, ſhone, ſet, yet ſhall you not again Shine on my Soul, while Heav'n of Heav'ns remain: No more ſhall painted Loves my Soul bereave, No more ſhall gliſt'ring Shades my Mind deceive, No more ſhall empty Hopes cauſe Diſcontent, No more ſhall carping Cares my Soul torment; No more ſhall Pain cauſe me to groan and ſob, No more ſhall Fears cauſe ſtifled Heart to throb: No more ſhall crackling Joys my Sp'rits exhal, No more ſhall vain Conceits my Thoughts inthral; No more ſhall vain Delights choke ſolid Pleaſure, No more ſhall Store of Clay appear a Treaſure; No more ſhall childiſh Rage my Blood inflame, No more ſhall fond Deſires poſſeſs the ſame: No more ſhall my Conceptions be obſcur'd, No more ſhall my Affections be obdur'd: No more ſhall Damps aſleep my Senſes lull, No more ſhall clubbiſh Earth Soul's Actions dull; No more ſhall Sickneſs my Clay-houſe poſſeſs, No more ſhall Exerciſe cauſe Wearineſs: No more ſhall ſilly Body cauſe a Lothing, No more ſhall't ſtand in need of Food and Clothing; No more ſhall Men contemn, if theſe fall low; No more ſhall Men eſteem, if theſe o'verflow: No more ſhall Sin remain, Source of all ill, No more ſhall Sin Man's glorious Structure ſpill: No more ſhall Sin lodge near to heav'nly Grace, No more ſhall Sin eclipſe Chriſt's lovely Face: No more ſhall Sin pull Heart from Things divine, No more ſhall Sin my Heart to Earth incline. Wouldſt thou, in ſhort expreſs all ſaid before? Bleſt Self, ſay this, That Sin ſhall be no more. Welcome, O gentle Death, I think thy Face Appears not grim, but hath a pleaſant Grace; What tho' thy Looks are gloſtly, ſad and ſow'r Unto the Wicked, whom thou doſt devour? Not ſo to us, Servants cannot appal; For ours are Death, Life, Heav'n and Earth and all: Firſt Sight of thee, Friend Death, caus'd languid Heart Leap, for exceeding Joy, and every Part To ſpring, with Floods of Pleaſure: I was ſlain With ſad Delays, but am reviv'd again: I'll no more call thee Death, but Life's; I find In thee, not Death's, but Life's Symptoms combin'd. True, Death thou art unto the wretched Band, Stark dead in Sin, and under thy Command. O but all Things have chang'd their Kind and Face, Unto the Sons of Light, and Life and Grace! Sweet Chriſt hath turn'd, for us, all Blacks to White, All Woes to Joys, all Sadneſs to Delight: He paſt the Liſts with Foes, and gave the Foil, And made all Foes, to Friendſhip back recoil. With thee, O Death, he grapled Hand to Hand, And led thee Captive from thy native Land: Now thou art tam'd, and loſt thy fatal Sting; Foes without Harm can no Diſaſter bring. Enter this Heart, Friend Death, and thou ſhall hear Thy Praiſes ſung, with a melodious Cheer: O ſweet Beginner of all Joys and Pleaſure, Of all Content, and Fulneſs paſſing Meaſure? O joyful Ev'ning-period, without Morrow, Of Wants, and Pains, and Tears, and Griefs and Sorrow! And which is moſt, O bleſſed outmoſt Border Of all Corruption, Sinning and Diſorder! Once paſt this March, I may with Coldneſs cry, All Sin is gone, Adieu all Miſery, O ſafe Refuge! O ſweet eternal Port; To which all weari'd Pilgrims do reſort. O Silver Stream! O pleaſant paſſing Strand From clowniſh Earth, to fair Emmanuel's Land! O gladſom Boat-man! giving ſafe Convoy From weeping Earth, unto the Land of Joy. O quiet Sleep! which weari'd Senſe aſſails, And Sp'rits and Pow'rs with ſweet immortal Gales. O juſt Umpire, which doth the March diſcry Of flying Time, and vaſt Eternity. O ſkilful Sower of Earth's mortal Grain! That it in heav'nly Glore may riſe again. O noble Uſher, who by th' Hand doſt bring Us to the Hall of the immortal King. Would I thy Praiſes in one Word expreſs? I'll only ſay, O Source of Happineſs! From thee did never-fading Glory grow; From thee did ever-blooming Joy o'erflow: By thee eternal Death was vanquiſhed, By thee eternal Life did it ſucceed. O ſtrange! The Source of Life did purchaſe more, By dying, than all Creatures loſt before: Yea, more by infinite tranſcendent Stages, Than can be told through endleſs Store of Ages. By thee the Saints their Heritage poſſeſs: By thee Earth's too too num'rous Folks decreaſe. Thou art more mild, of a more pleaſant Nature, In theſe laſt Ages of the lower Creature, Than in the firſt, when thou did ſuffer Men, To run a longſom Race of Sin and Pain. O without thee our ſtrongeſt Hope would fail, Our Joys would die, Deſpair would us aſſail. The Thoughts of thee brought to my Heart Relief, In all my Wand'rings through the Vale of Grief: Indeed my longing Soul was ſore oppreſt With ſad Delays, when thou ſeem'd not to haſte Thy wiſhed Courſe, and to forget thy Call: Now, now thy Coming hath redreſſed all. O now my Heart's rejoic'd! Sweet Death and I Are in each other's Arms; thrice happily I bravely flee out o'er the March of Time, Unto that happy, happy glorious Clime; Where ſtored are enduring boundleſs Treaſures Of Loves, and Joys, and Heart-contenting Pleaſures. All Joy, Death's ſhady Vale, in drawing near Thy dark'ned Borders, ſtrange! thou doſt appear Another Thing, than what I did conceive; Miſtakes cauſe needleſs Fears, and Joys bereave. Thee did my Thoughts preſent an ugly Den, O'erſpread with Horror, Sadneſs, Fear and Pain: Sight tells the Truth, O thrice delightſom Place! Stor'd with refreſhing Shades of ſweet Solace, Caſt by theſe ſtately Trees of fragrant Fume, Which do o'erſpread this true Elyſium, And do adorn this Trance, which Pilgrims brings Into the Paradiſe, which ever ſprings. Now do I ſet my Feet within this Vale, What Gales of Joys are theſe, which me aſſail In this firſt Entry? O this Grave might be A raviſhing Repoſe through all Eternity! All here do laugh, and ſmile, and ſpring and ſing; Were Sadneſs here, it could not Sadneſs bring: Were placed here all Griefs and Woes of Creatures, Would they not change unto melodious Natures? And can, O faireſt One, thy Word command Death's ſaddeſt Vale into a joyful Land? How doth the Place, where Thou doſt ever dwell, In Glory, Beauty and all Things excel? But what if this be it? O heavenly Frame! My Mind's inlarg'd, my Heart is in a Flame! O ſweet Aſpects! with what a pleaſant Grace Do heav'nly Hoſts ſurround me, in this Place? I'm raviſh'd with the Raiment of that ONE, Whoſe Fragrancy tranſcendeth Lebanon: His Voice, his Soul tranſporting Emanation Strikes me in an eternal Admiration! No, this is Glory's Port; I ſee the Hall, Where Lovely Chriſt, with Crown in Hand, doth call; Come, come, my Fair, thy princely Head I'll crown With theſe great Bays of Glory and Renown: I'll thee adorn, in ſuch a brave Attire, That all, who thee behold, ſhall thee admire. O Love, thou ever haſt been, in my Sight, A Maſs of Beauty, Sweetneſs and Delight: But now, my Fair, I'll thee ſo beautify With the reſplendent Rays of Majeſty, And paſſing Glory's Beauty; I'll ſo fill, With Store of heav'nly Grace, thy Mind and Will, And all thy Pow'rs; thy Glore ſo flouriſh ſhall, And bloom, and ſhine and ray, through Ages all, That moſt envying Seers ſhall confeſs, Thou art a Mirror of all Happineſs. O haſt thou fought thy Foes, and vanquiſhed, By off'ring Violence unto all, who did Thy Courſe to Heav'n oppoſe? And ſhall not I Put in thine Hands theſe Palms of Victory? O didſt thou gladly ſuffer, and deſpiſe All Loſſes, Pains and Woes that did ariſe For my Name's Sake, O Love? And ſhall not I Cauſe thee to reign, in glorious Majeſty? Waſt thou to all created Things deny'd, Eſteeming them but Droſs and Dung, and Ey'd Me as the only One? And ſhall not I Thee with my matchleſs Beauty ſatisfy? O haſt thou bid Farewel, for evermore, To earthly Things, which thou enjoy'd before; That thou might'ſt come to me? And ſhall not I Give full Enjoyment through Eternity? O then, ariſe, my Fair, and come away; Behold, the eaſtern Beams of this fair Day Of vaſt Eternity dart in thy Face, Cauſing all Shades retreat and flee apace. O come, and enter this thrice happy Place, Thou now beholdſt. What raviſhing Solace Dwells here! what paſſing Joy! what boundleſs Pleaſures Flow in this Land, like Fountains, Floods and Rivers! Nay, Nothing here, but Sweetneſs! ev'ry Part Is fill'd with all Delights of Mind and Heart: Here ev'ry Ray's a white and joyful Day; Here ev'ry Bloom's a fragrant ſmelling May: If once thou enter here, thy Rain is gone, Thy Winter's paſt, and all thy Woes are done. This is the holy Place, within the Vail, Wherein once entred, ſhalt for ever dwell: This is the Place of Old, I did prepare, To be the Stage, whereon I might declare My Beauty, Glory and Excellency, Before this glorious, ſtately Company Of Men and Angels, who ſhall ſee my Face, And ſhall for ever in my Sight find Grace: Lo, here behold, theſe roſie, fragrant Groves; We'll ſatiate our ſelves with mutual Loves. O here our Bleſſedneſs ſhall bloom for ay! Ariſe, my Love, my Fair, and come away. Thus ſpeaks my LORD, this is his Invitation, Thus ſounds his Voice; O endleſs Admiration! Tranſporting all: O Fires dart from above, Transforming all into a Flame of Love! His Soul-alluring Voice, His heavenly Grace, That ſhines in every Look, His faireſt Face, His lovely Eyes, His Countenance Divine Hath raviſh'd quite away this Heart of mine: At firſt Aſpect, his Shade, a Draught might prove, Would quite eclipſe Ten thouſand Worlds of Love. Thrice bleſſed Saints, thrice bleſſed Angels, you, Who ſtand within the near immediate View Of ſuch an One, all in your proper Places, Encircled with eſſential Love's Embraces! 'Tis like two Heavens of Joy, to think upon, That I ſhall be within theſe Arms anon! More ſolid Joy the Hope of Glory brings, Than all Enjoyments of created Things.
LETTERS Written by Mr. Andrew Welwood, from London, a little before his Death.
I. A Letter to his Mother. London. Dear Mother,

IF I were able to dictate now, when I am entring into Eternity, I could tell you the Conſolations, wherewith I am comforted of God, even when the chiefeſt Delights of the World, theſe Trifles, upon which the Sons of Men dote, can be no Comfort to me. Alas! what are all the Comforts, that flee away at Death? Even the Vanities of Time, which cannot convoy a Man without the Borders of Time; and far leſs endure with him through Eternity. My Death would ſeem Judicial-like to blind Worldlings, who ſee no Judgment, but to be deprived of the empty and taſteleſs Vanities of Time; But I ſee, That all Things work together for Good to them, who are the Called according to his Purpoſe: Even Difficulties Temptations, Griefs and Woes have all an happy End to the Godly: Out of the Eater cometh Meat, and out of the Strong cometh Sweetneſs: So, even eating and conſuming Griefs, Sickneſs and Loſſes, which make the outward Man decay, renew the inward Man, and make him flouriſh; Even the ſtrongeſt Difficulties, Temptations and Foes, when overcome, yield the ſweeteſt Victory: And the Thoughts of having ruſhed through ſo many Enemies, and ſo ſtrong, ſhall be ſweet throughout Eternity. I ſee clearly, all the Steps of divine Providence toward me, have conſpired to a bleſſed Cloſe; even the moſt difficult of them, eſpecially this Half-Year: I would not, for never ſo much, but that I die were I die, and am ſick in this Place; for his Diſpenſations have a wonderful Depth in them, & cannot well be diſcerned, but by Eyes inlightned from above. But Worldlings are blind, and vary ſtrangely in their Judgment of Things; and even the Saints, while here, are much blinded with Sin and Infirmities of this over-powering Mortality: Death has indeed a terrible Face to theſe, that place all their Happineſs in this Life; but I fear it not; it is not Death, but an Harbinger of Glory unto me: It is an hard-favoured Meſſenger, ſent from my ſweet Lord to me; 'Tis a dark and ſad Chariot carrying to the Land of Light and Joy. My LORD hath done to me, what he hath determined from Eternity; and all his Purpoſes, even all the Tho'ts of his Heart, are full of Love, infinite Love, to thoſe that wait upon him. I reſolved to glorify him on Earth, and dedicated my Life wholly to my LORD's Service; and I know it is all one with him, as if I had done it: And I ſhall, in another Manner, exalt and ſerve him above, than I could have done here below, weighted with Mortality, and innumerable Infirmities. My Lord hath ſaid to me, It would weary thee, to ſtay too long in this Valley of Tears and Miſery; I take it, as if thou hadſt done me many Years Service: I have abridged thy Days, but not thy Life: I have ſhortned thy Toiling, but not thy Reward. And O what a bleſſed Thing it is, that He takes the Taſk of many weary Years Service off my Hand! My Warfare is ended; O the joyful Change I am undergoing! When ſhall I ſee Him, as He is; When ſhall I get my Fill of lovely Jeſus? O his Beauty, his Beauty, his Beauty! Men and Angels may admire the Freeneſs of his Grace, and admire it, and ever admire it! But what can they ſay, or comprehend of it? O the Freeneſs of his Grace! that he ſhould admit the like of me to ſtand eternally before him, and to be for ever in his Preſence; to be one of his honourable Train; Nay, to enjoy him, as near as can be! O! think ye, I loſe any Thing, who get the Foreſtart, and become Poſſeſſor of that Inheritance? The Inheritance of many a more excellent and ancient Saint than I; nay, the Inheritance of the Heir of all Things? 'Tis little of Heaven I know, being obſcured with Mortality, and living by Faith, and not by Sight. But O to think of the Expreſſions of Scripture concerning it; Eye hath not ſeen, nor Ear heard, nor hath it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive, what GOD hath prepared for thoſe that love him: If Heaven could be conceived by us, I ſhould not ſo much eſteem it. But O, it is a maſſie Thing! O ſtrange! that GOD ſhould make Bits of mortal Men (and what a poor worthleſs Thing Man is, let any behold in a dying and dead Carcaſe) not only as happy as we can deſire, or conceive, but as happy as can be! O, the beholding of the Face of the Ancient of Days! But I know in whom I have believed; and that he is able to preſent me ſpotleſs before the Father, with exceeding great Joy. If I periſh, let him ſee to his Promiſe. I have laid all upon him: If I periſh (through the Strength of my LORD, by whom I can do all Things) I ſhall periſh believing. I expect much of Heaven, more than I can conceive; But, O! I think I ſhall be exceedingly deceived, (O ſweet Deceit!) for I ſhall find more than Ten thouſand Worlds can comprehend. I ſhall ſee my Father ere long; Many ſweet Days have he and I had upon Earth: Many innumerable Ages ſhall we have in Heaven together. O Heaven! O, the Difference betwixt this melancholious, ſmoky Inn, and the Magnificent Hall of Glory! O the Change I am undergoing! I go from the Twilight of the Sun and Moon, to the Noon-day of the Splendour of Glory; from a Dunghil, to a Throne; from bodily Infirmities, Diſtreſſes, Diſeaſes, and Pains, to a Land, whoſe Inhabitants do not ſay, I am ſick; from weariſom Labour and Toiling, into an inconceivable ſweet Paradiſe, where I ſhall reſt for evermore; from a mortal Company, to an innumerable immortal Company of Angels, to the General Aſſembly, and Church of the Firſt-born, which are written in Heaven; and to GOD the Judge of all; and to the Spirits of juſt Men made perfect; and to JESUS the Mediator of the New Covenant. O! what think ye, to be eternally, even for ever and ever among ſuch ſweet Company? Are there any more honourable and amiable Company, than they? O! what ſhall I ſay? What ſhall I think? that filthy and unworthy I ſhould ſhew my Face among ſo glorious an Aſſembly. What is here, but Vanity and Grief of Heart? O do you not long to be gone, to be in that ſweet and inconceivable Paradiſe? Caſt your Anchor within the Vail, and then you need not fear Death, come when it will. But O, long Life, or Death rather! For the ſooner at our Journey's End, the better; and the longer we are clogged with Sin and Miſery, the worſe; but the more we will love to linger in this Sodom. 'Tis hard to get our Hearts drawn quite off Time: We look kindly to the Baſtard's inheritance; and therefore we abhor Death, and can friſt Heaven longer than any Thing elſe: But if we could get a Sight of the King in his Beauty, and of the Land that is afar off; then, O to be gone! O to be up above theſe viſible Heavens, and amongſt theſe gliſtering Companies, who enjoy him to the full! O! if Man knew how vain a World this is! O! but they are happy, and inconceivably happy, who eſcape fairly the Temptations, Snares and Difficulties that are in this Valley of Tears, and who are fairly landed on that odoriferous, flowery Land, an that raviſhing Land, which infinite and eternal Love did contrive to be the royal Theatre, whereon ſhould be ſhown, to Men and Angels, the Height and Breadth, Depth and Length, of that Love, which paſſeth Underſtanding! If you run faſt, you cannot be long behind me; and we ſhall ſee one another immediately: Death is no Separation to the Saints; For Time is nothing: For what is it to be ſeparated for a few Hours, to them that are to dwell eternally together? What is tranſient Time to never ending Eternity of Joys! Death is far miſtaken by the moſt Part of Saints, they have a wrong Conception of it; It is a ſweet Repoſe to a weary Soul, and looſeth the Soul from the Bands of Mortality, letting it out from a filthy, ſtinking Priſon, unto the ſweet and fragrant Air of Glory; It ends all Sorrows and Sighings, and begins unſpeakable Joys: 'Tis but a dark Cloud uſhering in the bright Dawning of eternal Glory. O but my Lord hath excellently circumſtantiated my Death! O I admire his Love! I could tell many ſweet Paſſages of Providences he hath caſt in my Way: But I delay, until I be ſitting upon the Brink of the River of Life; and then I ſhall number them: I cannot now praiſe him; Alas that I am ſo ſtupid and dull; but I ſhall praiſe him anon, I ſhall eternally praiſe him! O be glad and rejoice in our God! O ſweet! that poor, dying, miſerable I was not left to Uncertainties, not to know what to do; but to have ſuch a ſweet and kind Lord to repoſe on! Had I ſtayed longer in this wretched Life, I was reſolved to have ſhown my ſelf as faithful to you as I could: But I commit you unto his Grace, who hath cared for me, even unto Death: Commit your ſelf to him, he will bring all to a good Iſſue that is truſted to him. We are not our own; therefore we are not to diſpoſe of our ſelves. CHRIST is a good Tutor and Governour, and carries all theſe well through, that commit themſelves to him. See that Mary neglect not Seeking of God, Praying, Reading of the Scriptures; Let her not frequent ill Company. O the Worth of a Soul! and the Reward of theſe, that are inſtrumental in gaining of a Soul! Our Bodies muſt go to the Duſt; but our Souls are of more Worth than Ten thouſand Worlds. I am not able to ſay more, I am ſo weak. O! run faſt, Death is at the Door. We are all ſtepping into Eternity; What is Time, but a Preparation for it? Overlook Time, and live, as daily Dying, as one that muſt paſs away immediately, and never be here any more. They build Caſtles in the Air, who imagine any Reſt here; Let Worldlings dream of Reſt here; Ours is above; our Hearts are gone; and we are dead to the World. Farewel for a few Days. Theſe are the Words of

Your dying Son, A. W.
II. A Letter to his Brother James. Dear Brother,

I Hope, the laſt Words of your Brother, who is now ſtepping into Eternity, will have ſome Weight with you; and this Conſideration will make you not to neglect them. Know you why you came into the World? I am ſure, and you are as ſure, Not to eat, and drink, and paſs away your Time in earthly Buſineſs; but to get the Work of your Salvation well wrought and finiſhed, before Death aſſault you: It is moſt uncertain, and ſteals upon Men, as a Thief in the Night, when they are ſecure, never dreaming of ſuch a great Change: Tho' truly my Gracious LORD lets me ſee Death ſtill approaching nearer and nearer; that I may draw ever nearer and nearer him, who is Life. O! it concerns you, to try, Whether you ſhall be a baſe Miſcreant, crawling in the Bottomleſs Pit, with unſpeakable Torments, in the Midſt of wicked Men and Devils, blaſpheming Jehovah and the Lamb to Eternity; or, a glorious Saint, conformed unto the Image of the SON of the eternal GOD, loving, praiſing, adoring him, that ſitteth on the Throne, and the Lamb, for ever and ever. Conſider what I ſay, The Buſineſs is ſo weighty, ſo exceeding weighty, that Time, with all its Well and Wo, is to be overlooked, in Compariſon of this abſolutely and only neceſſary Thing: I tell you, There is an abſolute Neceſſity, that you be holy (let not the Poor Name affright you; for Holineſs is the ſweeteſt, and moſt eaſy Thing in the World, to them that are holy:) For, Without Holineſs, no Man ſhall ſee the LORD: And Salvation muſt be nearer your Heart, by many Degrees, than all other Concernments, tho' they were Ten thouſand Worlds. You muſt know the Bargain of the New Covenant, & cloſe heartily with it, in all its Fulneſs, without the leaſt Reſervation: Upon it, I recommend unto you Mr. Guthry's Trial of a ſaving Intereſt in CHRIST; and deſire you to read it, till you become ſuch an one, as he deſcribes. Believe it, Godlineſs is profitable for all Things; having the Promiſes of this Life, and that which is to come. Tho' it may ſeem troubleſom in the Beginning; and tho' Chriſt's ſweet and eaſy Yoke may ſeem an hard Wreath; yet believe me, there is Nothing in the World, but it, which can give Reſt, and full Satisfaction to the Soul: All Things here are unſatisfying, tho' you had all that you can deſire of them. O this is a vain World! Theſe who are near Eternity will ſay ſo. O the vaſt Difference betwixt Time and Eternity! I aſſure you, if you had all that your Heart could wiſh or deſire of the Pomp, Treaſures and Pleaſures of Time, you would find no Contentment in them: And when you ſhall be in ſuch a Condition, as I am in, when pale Death ſhall be ſtaring you in the Face; then all the Glory of Time will be, in your Eyes, nothing but a withered Flower. But alas! we are drunk with this World; and we never know well what we are doing, till Death make us ſober. I muſt ſay again, and again, O the Difference betwixt Time, & Eternity! They that get Heaven, can get no more; for, alas! What are all Additions of Time? What is a few Days Eating, and Drinking, & Trifling? Yea, what are all the maſſie Exerciſes of Time, compared with the Exerciſes of Glory? We place too much of our Happineſs in this Side of Time; and therefore Death is a great Diſappointer: But we ſhould be indifferent to all Things in Time, and have our Eyes ever fixed upon the Thoughts of Eternity: Then 'tis not at all to be regarded, in what Time of a Man's Life he die, if he die in the Lord: Yea, 'tis an invaluable Bleſſing for the Priſoner, or weary Pilgrim, to have all his Toilings by his Hand, and to win to his native Soil. You may think, I put a hard Taſk upon you; becauſe our Nature is all polluted, and we are accuſtomed to do Evil. But the Ways of Holineſs are ſweet, and all its Paths are Peace: If you were once acquainted with the Ways of it, you would ſay, That Sin is the moſt baſe and vile Thing in the World; and Holineſs is the moſt noble Ornament. And conſider this, The more you ſet your Mind on Holineſs, the more ſweet and eaſy will you find it. As for temporary Things, take no Care for them; they are but Additions to the Son's Inheritance. I may ſay by Experience, He hath made good his Word to me in all theſe Things of Time; He hath made it good unto the End of my Race, in a moſt ſtrange and wonderful Way: So that I have taſted more of my Lord's Goodneſs, and wonderful Providence, in this laſt Half-year of my Life, than in many Years before: I think it a merciful Diſpenſation, that he hath weaned my Heart from the World, more in this Half-Year's Sickneſs, than in many Years Health; This whole Half-year of my Life hath been a continual Winter, for bearing down my Corruption, both Original and Actual: And now the World hath no Reliſh to me. Farewel, vain World, I heartily ſubmit unto Death, if it were for no more, but becauſe it is the good Pleaſure of my Lord, who moſt mercifully takes me away from the Bondage of my Corruption, and from the dreadful Evils to come. Meditate ſeriouſly on Death: It is a Buſineſs moſt weighty, a Buſineſs upon which your eternal Well or Wo depends: The End crowns the Work; die well, and you are well, even well for evermore. And O! is not EVERMORE a maſſie Word? You ſhall find Death eaſy, if you be a diligent Seeker of God in your Lifetime: If otherwiſe, you ſhall find it the foreſt Battle, that ever you fought; and you ſhall quake, when you ſhall hear an avenging God ſpeaking audibly in your Conſcience, He is not mine, take his evil Soul, Devils; pull him to Pieces, and hale him away to utter Darkneſs: The poor Soul wreſtles in vain, but an avenging God leaves it for a Prey to Devils. Look not on Death, as afar off: Little will be the Difference betwixt my Death and yours. This Generation will quickly be gone: Time is a gliſtering Star, appearing ſomething before-hand, but indeed it is a tranſient Nothing. And one that dies at Sixty Years of Age, and another that dies at Twenty Years, think both alike, their bypaſt Time is a Dream. Short, or long Time is not to be regarded, but in Preparation for Eternity: And he that is prepared, hath lived long enough. I could give you many Inſtructions, were I not very weak: Beware of ill Company; never think to ſee God, if you walk with ill Company: Companions in Time, & Companions in Eternity. Lay ſome Vows upon your ſelf; but remember this, That you vow to do nothing, in your own Strength; for you ſhall find, that when you are weakeſt in your own Eyes, then are you ſtrongeſt: I ſay, Lay ſome Vows upon your ſelf, as to pray thrice a Day ſeriouſly and conſcientiouſly; to read ſo much Scripture; and to mediate. Not that Men are tied to particular Times, but it is moſt profitable to lay Bands upon our looſe Corruptions, which elſe will plead for too much Liberty. Imagine not your Thoughts to be free; vain Thoughts are the Source of vain Words, and unprofitable Actions; the Mind is the Spring of all. Beware of the Sins of the Time, as you would ſhun the terrible Judgments that threaten an apoſtate Generation: The Paſtors are become brutiſh, they are Sons of Belial, and know not the Lord; therefore they, who hear them, are Partakers of their Abominations. I need ſay no more. You never have rightly ſought God, until it be your chief Delight to ſeek him; therefore, never reſt till you can ſay, I will go to God, my chiefeſt Joy. O then you are as happy as God can make you (to ſpeak ſo, with Reverence to that High and Lofty One, who inhabits Eternity) and can you be more happy? I take to witneſs againſt you, your own Conſcience, and the great Judge of the Quick and the Dead, that, if you continue in any vain Imagination, living without God in the World, neglecting ſo great a Salvation, you are a Trampler under Foot of the Blood of the Covenant, and a Deſpiſer of all Admonitions: But all this will do little, until He, who made Heaven and Earth, regenerate you. It may be he will hedge up your Way on every Side by Affliction, that you may be conſtrained to flee unto him, who is a preſent Help in Time of Trouble. This, if you follow it, is the beſt Legacy I could have left you; for, if you knew the Danger of the Pelf of this World, little of it would ſuffice. I would not for a World, I had been born to be rich: The lighter burdened with thick Clay, the better; 'tis hard to get up the Mount, tho' ye had but a very ſmall Weight upon your Back: For our Corruptions are weighty enough, without any Addition. If you neglect that, which not I, but Chriſt commands you, Farewel for ever. If you obey, Farewel for a few Days; and then you and I ſhall meet, in the only Paradiſe, the Flower of the whole Creation: We ſhall ſit down upon the flowery Banks of the River of Life, and raviſh our ſelves for ever and ever, with everlaſting and unſpeakable Joys. This is from

Your dying Brother, A. W.
III. A Letter to his Siſter Helen, Dear Siſter,

I Am ſorry, I did not write ſooner, before my Strength and ſpeech did fail; but I would be glad to ſpend my laſt Breath upon you, if I could do you any Good. I cannot forget you, even when I have forgotten the Vanities of the World; you are precious unto me, ſince I knew you in ſome Meaſure a Seeker of God. O what Advantages there are in ſeeking of Him! I defy Men and Angels to number and comprehend them: Endleſs Eternity ſhall be ſhort enough to lay open the inconceivable Gains of Godlineſs. If you ſeek him diligently, ſincerely and conſtantly, you ſhall have all Things: And O is not that a vaſt Word, ALL THINGS? All ſhall be yours, whether the World, Life or Death, Things preſent, or Things to come; all theſe ſhall be yours, even the Great ALL, and whatſoever is his. O but the Saints have a long, large and full Charter! If you had a Charter for many Lands, it were but a narrow Thing: But now every Place where you tread on is yours; and what can you deſire more? Beheld the Heaven, and conſider even the Heaven of Heavens; for theſe are yours: Is it poſſible, that a Saint, the Heir of all Things, and Joint-Heir with the Son of the Eternal; Is it poſſible, I ſay, that he can want any Thing? Nay, the great Eternal, the Maker of all Things, He is yours; and what can you deſire more? Is it poſſible, that a Saint can want any Thing, whether ſpiritual or temporal? I mean any Thing that is good for him: And he alone knows what is beſt for us. When I look through the Paſſages of my Life, I ſee my Lord and Guide hath led me the beſt Way; and theſe have been the ſweeteſt Diſpenſations, which croſſed moſt my natural Diſpoſition, and which ſeemed moſt Judgment-like to carnal Eyes. We are like ignorant Children, that have no Judgment to make Choice of Things; but would ſwallow down ſweet Poiſon, and give away a rich Inheritance for painted Trifles. No Wonder then, the World be Fools and Mad-men in their Choice. My Life hath been but a Tract of Afflictions, and I would not for a Thouſand Worlds it had been otherwiſe. Tho' my Old-Man deſired ſtill to be ſwiming in the Eaſe and Vanities of the World; yet I ſee my Lord hath been kindeſt, when I eſteemed him moſt cruel. The laſt Part of my Life might ſeem Judgment-like: But O you would wonder, if you knew what I know, and what my Lord hath done for me, in this laſt Half-year of my Life, both as to Things temporal and ſpiritual: I cannot underſtand them now, but I ſhall very ſhortly; and they ſhall be to me Matter of eternal Praiſe. Tho' I had abounded with all the Eaſe, Delights, Pomp & Glory, and Riches of Time; yet would I be glad to die, and leave the Puddle of ſwiniſh Pleaſures, and drink of the pure River of everlaſting Joys, that floweth from beneath the Throne of GOD. This World quite miſtakes Death: O! who would not willingly leave ſuch a vain periſhing World? wherein we are ſtill diſhonouring our God; a World wherein the Saints get bad Entertainment; a World wherein the LORD of Glory was, and is daily, crucified: What is here? All the Glory and Excellency of the Creation is up above: A few imperfect Saints are only here. But it is above, I ſhall ſee and embrace all theſe Worthies, the Courtiers of the King of Glory. You need not be ſad for my Death; and will not, if you poſt hard after me, and follow on to know the LORD: For Time is juſt Nothing. We ſhall be glad and rejoice, with Joy unſpeakable and full of Glory, throughout all Eternity, in that Land of Glory, and inconceivable Joys. O, if you knew but a little of the Excellency of that Land of Bleſſedneſs! You would, in a Manner, envy thoſe who go before you. Tho' you ſhould paſs never ſo many ſweet Days ere you can get thither, you would weary: For your ſelf, you are yet in an Hell, of Sorrow and Sin, while out of Heaven, and while they are in an Heaven of Joy, and Pleaſure. O! Beware of Worldly-mindedneſs, & carping Cares; Commit all to your Father: Seek firſt the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Righteouſneſs thereof; and then all other Things ſhall be added unto you. Fear not, It is your Father's good Pleaſure to give you a Kingdom: And he that gives Heaven, will give as much Earth as will ſuffice you, and more than is ſufficient, is a heavy Weight, that will pull you down the Mount. O mark this! He that gave his only begotten Son, out of his Boſom, to be tormented unto Death for you; Will he not alſo with him freely give you all Things, even every Thing that pertains to Life and Godlineſs? As for Things temporal, the leſs of the World, the better: All the Saints will teſtify it, at leaſt when they are leaving it. I can put my Seal to it now, when I am entring into Eternity, that it is moſt dangerous to be intangled either with Riches, Honours, or Pleaſures; And that it is the ſweeteſt Diſpenſation, to be afflicted, and cut ſhort of them; for Proſperity is the Neck-break of the Life of Godlineſs, as the Experience of many a deceived Profeſſor may teſtify; who ſeemed Something, when afflicted; but when once they got the Bag, betrayed Chriſt. 'Tis hard for a Camel to go through a Needle's Eye: The more we are inveigled with this deceitful World, the leſs do we value Heaven. Now Nothing more glews a Man's Heart to the Earth, than Riches, which have weighed many a Man down to the Pit; where he is weeping and gnaſhing his Teeth, curſing Riches, and tormenting himſelf, that ever he deſired them: Whereas, if he had been poor, he ſhould have been now (as Men may conjecture) rejoicing amongſt theſe glorified Ones. Remember, that it is utterly impoſſible to ſerve God and Mammon; And if your Treaſure be not in Heaven, neither will your Heart be there. I bleſs my LORD for mine Afflictions (which have been ſtill greater and greater, till now, I am leaving them all) as much as for any Mercy, I ever received: For now I reap the peaceable Fruits of Righteouſneſs, And tho' now I be weeping, while I ſow; yet ſhortly ſhall I have as much as I can bear of the maſie Sheaves of unconceivable Glory. Weep and howl, ye rich Men, for your Miſery that ſhall come upon you: For you now receive your good Things, and the Saints their evil Things; therefore immediately ſhall ye be afflicted and tormentod, and they ſhall be comforted. Bleſſed are they that mourn now, for they ſhall be comforted. For the Saints weep, while the World rejoiceth; but our Sorrow ſhall be turned into Joy, and their mad Mirth into unſpeakable and eternal Horrour. O! if Men did conſider this, they would not toil for their Eaſe and Pleaſures of Sin, which are but for a Moment; nor would they envy the rich Gluttons, but rather the poor Lazarus's, that are deſpicable in the Eyes of all. Fret not when you ſee the Wicked proſper; nor value Poverty, Shame and Contempt; ſince the only excellent Ones, of whom the World was not worthy, wandered about in Sheep-skins, and Goat-skins; being deſtitute, afflicted, and tormented: And the honourable Apoſtles, and Followers of the Lamb, were accounted the Offſcourings of all Things. O if the Saints would take Time, ſit down and conſider theſe Things! they would find it ſweet, to be conformed, in Sufferings, to their Lord, who was a Man of Sorrows, & acquainted with Grief; That they might alſo be conformed to him in Glory. I fear Earthly mindedneſs may be your Predominant; therefore ſtrive moſt againſt it: For, how can one ſet their Heart upon Traſh, and earneſtly deſire it, and Heaven alſo? I perſwade you, the only Way to have as much of the World as is neceſſary and good for you, is to commit your temporal Lot wholly to Chriſt, without the leaſt Reſervation: This is beſt; for Nothing can be committed to him, and go wrong: Try him, and if ye do not find that he will carry you bravely through, ſo that you ſhall lack Nothing that is good for you, then call him a Liar: Yet, never any of the Saints could ſay, he failed them in a Jot of what he promiſed them. And how great are his Promiſes! as you will find in Scripture: They are all comprehended in this, The Lord is a Sun and Shield; he will give Grace and Glory; and no good Thing will he withhold from them that love him, and walk uprightly. Truſt all to him; for, whether ſhould you tutor your ſelf, or he? Which of you is wiſeſt? Caſt all upon him, to the leaſt Bit of Bread! and ye ſhall find a great Eaſe. They are miſerable, who muſt care for themſelves, and what concerns them, and have not a GOD to run to, on whom they may lay themſelves, and all their Burdens. O! learn to truſt in God for all Things, temporal and eternal: It is an hid Myſtery to many Saints, in many Things, eſpecially, to truſt againſt Senſe, to hope againſt Hope; when there is no humane Probability, then to rely upon the bare Word of him who is true, is a Difficulty; where his Providence ſeems to contradict his Promiſes, or to make his Promiſe a Liar: But will you truſt him for Heaven, and not for a Moment of Time? Think you, he will withhold Journey-bread, if you be a Traveller to the higher Canaan? It were a great Abſurdity, to command any to go a Journey, and not to give what is neceſſary for it. Go on to Heaven, hold your Face ſtill thitherward, and Chriſt will ſtill be ſupplying all your Wants: Indeed he will not ſatisfie your carnal Diſpoſition, nor give you more than a Pilgrim needs; ſo that you ſhould forget the Race ſet before you, by being intangled with a Number of Superfluities. I would ſay more, If Breath and Strength would permit: You know not what a World you are into; 'Tis full of Snares and Difficulties. You will find it hard to keep clean Garments; unleſs you commit your ſelf unto him, who can carry you as with Eagles Wings, and ſtrengthen and ſupport you, when you are ready to fall. Tho' you ſhould be the preciſeſt of all round about you; you will find all little enough, when you come to Death: O! Death is a weighty Buſineſs. You have ſcarce Time to prepare for it: All our Time is little enough for Preparation, tho' we ſhould cut our ſelves ſhort of our indifferent earthly Exerciſes: What Need had we then, to beware to paſs our Time vainly? 'Tis precious every Moment of it having a Relation to Eternity. O Eternity! Eternity! Get ſome Sight of it, and your Thoughts ſhall be wonderfully changed: For, I tell you, could you get a Glimpſe of that maſſie Thing, called, ETERNITY, all the Things in Time ſhould be no more in your Eyes, than a childiſh Toy in the Eyes of a Man. Even the World decked in its beſt Robes, ſeems ſuch a poor Thing to me, that I would not be at the Pains to ſtretch out my Hand, if I had it for the taking up; & ſuch will it ſeem ere long to many. Worldlings are but Beaſts; and the richeſt and moſt flouriſhing of them, could you ſee them with my Eyes, are but mean Dunghil Worms; their Meditations cannot flee over Time. Then look upon the World as mad, they know not what they are doing; they value only Time, and yet they know not how to get it paſt away. Be a great Reader of the Scriptures; for there ſhall you find Inſtruction, to make you wiſe to Salvation; and thereby you may guide your Steps warily, in an evil Time: There ſhall you find Threatnings, to rouſe you up; and Promiſes, to comfort and ſuſtain you in the ſaddeſt of Conditions. Reverence the Ordinances, adminiſtred by faithful Paſtors; for they are the Ambaſſadors of the Lord, our King: But, abhor falſe Prophets, which lead Men into Deſtruction. Alas that there ſhould be any of Chriſt's Servants, who give an ill Example to theſe that are Simple, counſelling them, by their Practice, to follow Thieves & Robbers, whoſe Voice Chriſt's Sheep will not hear. Set, at leaſt, three Times a Day apart, for Prayer; for when we neglect that, our Hearts are cold all the Day long; and then we are eaſily ſnared with any Temptation we meet with. Sometimes meditate, and conſider your Self, and others; that ſo you may not go on in your Journey like the World, who never ponder their Way, but are led to Deſtruction by their earthly Deſires, ruſhing into it, as Horſes to the Battle. What have you to do here, but to mind Salvation? Conſider this; for Death will ſtrip you naked of all Things here; but chuſe the one Thing neceſſary, that ſhall never be taken away. Remember then, that all Things here are ſubordinate to Salvation: Our Time is ſhort and uncertain, we flee away. Death will be upon you ere you be aware; it ſurpriſeth alike all Sorts of Ages, Young and Old: Chuſe you, whether you will have Death ſweet or bitter. For my Part, I fear not Death; my LORD hath ſaid to me, Son, be of good Cheer, thy Sins are forgiven thee. O who would not go hence, if it were but to ſtand at one of the Gates of the golden City, and ſee the Lord, with all the Ranſomed Ones, the noble Company of Prieſts and Kings, ſtanding round about the LAMB, crowned with Honour and Glory! One Hour of Heaven, yea, one Sight of the Face of the Ancient of Days, would do more than make up all the bitter Afflictions I have ſwimmed through in Time: Nay, I think the very Fore-thoughts of Glory do already ſwallow up all the Impreſſions of the Tribulations of Time, that have ſeized on me: They are nothing now; they are gone, and ſhall never return again; Yea, they are, as if they had not been. This ſhall be Matter of high Praiſes, through endleſs Eternity, for evermore. O vaſt Eternity! But O ſilly Time! No Wonder Paul ſaid, We look not at the Things that are ſeen, but the Things that are not ſeen; for the Things that are ſeen, are temporal; but the Things that are not ſeen, are eternal: The Things that are ſeen, were not from Eternity, neither ſhall they be to Eternity. O then! overlook them: Cloſe your Eyes, as it were, upon them; and you ſhall ſee ſtrange Sights, which ſhall make your Courſe to Glory ſwift and cheerful? O! what think you of Chriſt? Is there any like him? is there any but He? If you have him, you have all Things: His Words cannot be told. What think you of it, to be ſaved from everlaſting Burnings? What think you of it, that ſinful wretched we ſhould be as happy as can be? Even eternally, and unconceivably happy! and all this purchaſed by the Death and Blood of our kindeſt LORD JESUS? O who would not love ſuch an One? Surely, it is impoſſible to know him any Way a right, and not to love him: He is the Raviſhment of Men and Angels. Increated Glory ſhines through the Vail of his humane Nature: We cannot enjoy God more ſweetly, familiarly and fully, than through him: He is the bleſſed Days-Man betwixt God and Man; the Man Chriſt Jeſus. Him I wiſh I could declare evermore: But my laſt Words, tho' they were fewer, may have a ſtrong Impreſſion upon you. Run faſt, loſe not the Crown; Heaven is well worth an Inch of Time's Running. Croſs corrupt Nature's Diſpoſition; as you ſow, ſo ſhall you reap: And conſider, That Death will teach you, that all that you do is fruitleſs, which tends not to the great Salvation: All other Mercies are not worth, in Compariſon of this great Salvation; and a ſhort Time will ſpend them all: But it ſhall endure for evermore. O but the News of Heaven, ſuch a ſweet Heaven to weary Pilgrims, ſuch a raviſhing Paradiſe to theſe that are in this ſmoky Dunghil; I ſay, They are the greateſt News that can be! And this whiſpered in your Ears, Run for you ſhall have the Crown, is another Kind of News, than, Run, and you ſhall have Riches, Honour, and Pleaſures. Bleſs him at all Times, who hath diſpoſed your Lot ſo, as theſe only great Things have taken you by the Heart, Be not weary in Well-doing; for in due Time you ſhall reap, if you faint not: And we ſhall ſee one another ſhortly, in the Midſt of ſuch Joys, as the Tongues of Men and Angels cannot in the leaſt expreſs: Therefore, you have no Cauſe of Sadneſs, but of Rejoicing, that you have another Friend gone before you, who will welcome you ſhortly into your Lord's Joy. Grace be with you. Account it all one, as if I had ſpoken all this to you Face to Face. Theſe are the Words of

Your Dying Brother, A. W.
IV. A Letter to his Couſin Thomas Welwood. My Dear Couſin,

THough I be almoſt amidſt Death's Pangs, I cannot forget you; becauſe of the ſweet Friend • hip we have had together; and becauſe you are (I'm perſwaded) one of the Heirs of Glory, and among thoſe who wreſtle through manifold Temptations, unto the Land of eternal Conſolations! O if I could tell you what my Lord hath done for me unto this very Hour; and much more ſince I came hither, than in many foregoing Years! I think, if I had Time, I could fill a whole Volume with wonderful Experiences of his Loving-kindneſs, ſtrange Providences, and ſweet Chaſtiſements: So that an Half-Year may be better than an hundred. 'Tis not the Length of Time, we are to look to: We have a race to run to Heaven; and when we have finiſhed it, we have done. Oh! Couſin, even a Saint may live long, and make very ſmall Progreſs to Glory: Yea, many go backward; and it were better for them, they died ere that be, before they diſhonoured God by their backſliding Carriages: Therefore run faſt, Eye the Joy that is ſet before you, and patiently endure all the Temptations and Troubles in Time; for your Lord hath promiſed, that He will never leave you nor forſake you: And none ſhall be able to pluck you out of his Hand. Indeed you may have ſore Trials, both outward and inward; but be of good Courage, and he ſhall ſtrengthen your Heart: For you are not to bear your own Burden, but to caſt it fully over upon Him. And I promiſe you, in my Lord's Name, you ſhall be ſuſtained: He is our Strength, our Wiſdom, our Righteouſneſs, and our All; even all that we want, all that we can deſire. Never notice long or ſhort Life: but live to die, and then you die to live eternally. O! think much upon Eternity, and you ſhall think Nothing of Time. Alas! alas! the Things of Time fill our Eyes ſo, as we never regard Eternity: Yet, Time will be at a Cloſe ere ever we be aware. I have ſomewhat the Advantage of you in getting the Fore-ſtart: But we ſhall be together perpetually, even immediately; & we ſhall have another Manner of Converſe, than poſſibly we could have had on Earth. In Heaven they are not confined to Moments, Days & Years; we ſhall have Eternity to rejoice and be glad in: O what a Life ſhall we have, when you and I ſhall follow the Lamb whither ſoever he goes! When we ſhall have Sin, Temptations and Miſeries done away! We know not the Excellency of our invaluable Inheritance; and therefore are we ſo much taken up with earthly Trifles, and Shadows, that are Nothing; which bewitch all the Worldlings out of their Wits, & the Saints too, in a great Meaſure: It were more Wiſdom in us, to uſe the World, as not abuſing it, as not ſetting our Hearts upon it. Beware of the Cares of the World, and the Deceitfulneſs of Riches, wherewith you may be intangled, in the Condition you are in; if you take not Heed, your Courſe to Glory will be the more ſlow, and you will drive your Chariot-Wheels heavily up to the higher City; yea, the thick Clay will make them come back upon you. O conſider how great a Buſineſs Salvation is! We can never conſider it enough. You will think ſo, when you come to Death, which you ought to look upon as at the Door.

I ſpeak not theſe Things, as if you knew them not already; but I put you in Remembrance, deſiring to communicate a little of my Mind to you, now, when I am at the Brink of Time; becauſe Providence hath ſo ordered that we cannot ſpeak Face to Face theſe Things, which are the true and genuine Thoughts of my Heart. Beware of the Pollutions of the Times. It is comfortable to me that I had Little or Nothing to do, as to outward Things, with this horrid, curſed Defection. Hate the Garments ſpotted with the Fleſh: Clean Garments are of great Worth; and theſe few, in this woful Time, that have kept their Garments clean, ſhall walk with our Lord in White; for they are worthy. To keep clean Garments, that is, to be pious alone; pious in your Family, in your Worſhip; pious in your worldly Employments; full of Charity, deſpiſing the World; walking wiſely towards theſe that are without, and towards theſe that are within. And as to the Times, let your Zeal be wiſe, and your Wiſdom zealous. You may believe a dying Man, I am fully perſwaded that this Prelacy is abominable Antichriſtianiſm; and that the Prelates and Curates are the Miniſters, not of CHRIST, but of Antichriſt and Satan; and that it is utterly unlawful to hear them, or do any Thing, that may ſhew you eſteem them Miniſters, or any Way ſtrengthen their Hands. O the dreadful Wrath, that is hanging over theſe Lands like a Cloud, which will fall down in a Deluge of Divine Vengeance. God will make this Land to ſwim in Blood; even the Blood of all Sorts, Great and Small, Rich and Poor, Old and Young, ſhall be poured out like Duſt: He ſhall be a ſtrange Man, that ſhall happily eſcape ſuch a Conſumption. I will not ſpeak much of the Matter, but I ſee fearful Things coming. But, O the glorious Days ſucceeding theſe! I cannot apprehend the Glory that ſhall ſhine in Britain, which ſhall enlighten to the Ends of the Earth. I fear not Death, 'tis Sin only we ought to fear; The Sting of Death is Sin; That being taken away, it is moſt harmleſs. It is ſweet to die in Chriſt! O what an Exchange do I make! I ſhall ſee him, and that glorious Company of Saints and Angels, following Him whitherſoever He goes: The firſt Hour of Glory ſhall, in a Manner, make me forget that ever I was upon Earth. My Afflictions have been greater than the Spectators could imagine; and ſtill greater and greater, until I arrive at the Haven of eternal Reſt. O 'tis ſweet! O 'tis ſweet! after a great-Toil and Labour. My Lord is taking me in the fitteſt Time; for both Body and Soul are very weary and ſore toſſed: But this Body ſhall get a ſound Sleep, and a raviſhing Wakning. O the great Difference betwixt what it is now, and what it ſhall be ſhortly! Who can conceive what Chriſt hath done for the Saints? O the Depth of free, altogether free Love and Grace! It ſhall take up Eternity to cry up the inconceivable Love of JEHOVAH and the LAMB. O to think that Bits of Clay, ſinful Clay, like you and me ſhould be conformed unto the Image of our only Lord Jeſus! That is a wonderful Exaltation! wonderful in the Eyes of all theſe, that ſee their own Emptineſs and Vileneſs. O admire! O praiſe! O adore! Let theſe Things be ſtill imprinted on your Heart; all other Things are but Trifles. Look upon the World, as a Number of mad Bodies: They are Beaſts, whoſe Conceptions are confined within an Inch of Time: They are poor Spirits, who gape after Time's Riches, Honour and Pleaſures. If the World knew what they were doing, they would wonder at themſelves; at leaſt, they would begin to queſtion, whether their Life on Earth was real, or only empty, and a Night-dream. O ſuch a Sight as I have gotten of the World! O 'tis but vain, Vanity of Vanities: The Flower and Choice of it is curs'd, and altogether Vanity. O if I could tell you of the Nothingne • s of the World, and of Things temporal; and of the Maſſineſs of Things eternal! Compare them together, and you will wonder at the Difference! The moſt Part of Profeſſors (among whom I put my ſelf) take an eaſy Way to Heaven: And O where will you find the Man, or Woman, that ſtudies a cloſe Walk with God! 'Tis recorded of Enoch, that He walked with God Three hundred Years: But who can ſay, He hath walked with God one Day? We loſe God in the Midſt of our worldly Employments, and cannot ſay, We have ſet the Lord always before us; Therefore, we cannot ſay, We ſhall not be moved. We approach to Him, in the Morning, Evening, and at other Times; but we neglect our Thoughts: Whereas to live full of holy divine Tho'ts, is to live a Saint: As the Man is, ſo are his Thoughts. Alas! I may ſay it, by ſad Experience, Unwatched-over Tho'ts have made me, many a Time, not to differ much from a Worldling. Keep your Thoughts right, and all ſhall be right: Keep thine Heart with all Diligence (ſaith the Spirit of God) for out of it are the Iſſues of Life. If your Thoughts be right, your Prayers will be ſeaſonable, your Words and Actions will be ſeaſonable, for, out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth ſpeaketh, and the Hand acteth. Commit all your Affairs, temporal, ſpiritual and eternal, wholly to your heavenly Father, without the leaſt Reſervation: He cares for you; Therefore, be careful in nothing, but in every Thing give Thanks. Run, run with Patience, the Race that is ſet before you; Laying aſide every Weight, that may bear you down: Intangle not your ſelf with the World; have as little ado with it, as you can: The Righteous ſhall ſcarcely be ſaved; they, who go uprighteſt, ſhall find hard enough Work: We are ſo full of Corruptions original and actual, that Holineſs is quite contrary to our corrupt Natures: I mean not the common Holineſs, which even thoſe, that are ſtrict, are thought to have; but that which our Lord commands; He that loveth Father or Mother, Siſter or Brother, or the World, or himſelf better than me, is not worthy of me. O it is an unknown Thing, to deny all, to take up their Croſs daily, and follow CHRIST. I had a great Deſire to preach CHRIST; But He will accept the Will for the Deed: I go to better Exerciſe, whereof one Hour is better than all the Preachings betwixt this, and Chriſt's ſecond Coming, compendized in one. All here are but Shadows; all above is Subſtance. O what elevated Divines are above! They are all filled with all the Fulneſs of God; & do preach and cry up the tranſcendent Excellencies of JEHOVAH and the LAMB: There is a perpetual Crying-up of Chriſt. In Canticles, He can never enough ſpeak of his Spouſe: Up above, his Spouſe can never enough ſpeak of Him. There all are raviſhed with the Ancient of Days! Who, but the Ancient of Days? Who but CHRIST? Who, but the Saints? Then, let never Earth & Heaven be compared together; for I tell you, Earth, is but a tormenting Hell, in Compariſon of that unſpeakably delightful, and altogether raviſhing Land, unto which unworthy (but happy) I am going, O methinks, I am touching the Skirts of the fragrant Breathings of the Mountains of Spices! And O how I muſt be raviſhed, when I ſhall draw in no other Air, but the Breathings of the higher Paradiſe? They have the Advantage, that get the Fore-ſtart to Heaven, and ſeeing the Face of JEHOVAH firſt; and being more antient Poſſeſſors of that excellent Inheritance. Why ſhould any be afraid to go to Heaven too ſoon? Why ſhould any be afraid he be too ſoon happy? Let Worldlings deſire to crawl long on their Dunghils: But let us ever be longing to be diſſolved, and to be with our LORD, which is beſt of all. I commit you, your Mother-in-law, your Wife and Children, to the Protection of the Almighty; and pray for temporal and eternal Bleſſings to be poured out upon you. Theſe are the Words of

Your dying Couſin, A. W.
V. A Letter to Mr. Davidſon. Right Reverend,

THough I be ſtepping into Eternity, and was thought to have been juſt entring into it about Half an Hour ago, I could not but remember you and dictate a little of my Mind unto you: Not that I intended to write any Inſtructions unto you, but only ſhew, That God is good to them that ſeek him; and that in his Providence, his Promiſes are all accompliſhed to the Full, to me. I cannot tell what he hath done for my Soul; but I think, He hath brought me to the End of my Days, to the End of my Race, by ſuch a wonderful Chain of divine Providence, that I would not, for Ten thouſand Worlds, He had brought me any other Way; or, that my Race had been either longer, or ſhorter. He liveth long enough, who liveth till he get Heaven: All other Things are but Pendicles. He liveth ſhort While, who is unprepared for it; of whatſoever Age he be: Therefore my Death needs not offend any Man; for, what can I get more, than the Kingdom immoveable, undefiled, and that fadeth not away? I deſired to live, for no other End, but to preach my Lord to the great Congregation; And think you not, He will accept the Will for the Deed? I dedicated my Life for his Service; and I hope, He will graciouſly take it off my Hand, as if I had done him many Years Service. And I muſt tell you, He hath many wonderful Ways of Bringing his Children unto Glory: I could tell you it by ſweet Experience, if my Weakneſs and Breath would permit. I would not, for all the Glory, Riches and Pleaſures of a vain World, my Lot had been another than my Lord hath appointed it; yea, my laſt Half-Year's Providence hath been a golden Chain, which neither I, Men, nor Angels can ſufficiently value. Would you know, what I think now of Heaven? Tho' I were out of this State of Mortality, I could never think of it enough! O! O! O! the Joy of being with JEHOVAH and the LAMB! O the Excellency of the Knowledge of Chriſt Jeſus, even on this Side of Time! But to ſee Him as he is, O who can tell what a Sight it is? Even theſe who ſee Him Face to Face, ſee, as it were, but the Skirts of his Beauty and Excellency: And let them dive ſtill deeper and deeper, till Eternity, as it were, be at an End, they ſhall ſtill be but beginning, and yet never well begun. To ſhew my great Love and Reſpect I have ever had to you, both formerly and now, I write unto you, even when the Dead-Rittle is in my Throat: And tho' I be in a great Agnoy, I find the only Way to Heaven, that New and Living Way, is only by the Blood of the Son of GOD: There is no other Way, but, Believe in Chriſt and be Saved. But it is a lively, purifying, loving and believing Way. I cannot ſay much, I am in Death's Pangs. But, O Death! where is thy Sting? O Grave! where is thy Victory? I am like to have a ſharp Combat; but, I hope, Chriſt will not be an indifferent Spectator. The End crowns the Work. And if once I were within Emmanuel's ſurpaſſing ſweet Land of Conqueſt, then ſhould I trample Death and Hell under Foot; and triumph over all the Miſeries and Afflictions of Time, which ſeemed to triumph over me. O Death what art thou, in mine Eyes! My LORD hath ſwallowed thee up in Victory: And can a free-born Son, and Conqueror, through the Blood of the everlaſting Covenant, be afraid of a conquered Slave? Rev. 14.13. Hell, Sin, Devil and Death are conquered Slaves. I reſt,

Dear Sir, Yours, A. W.
FINIS.
In debitam Libri & Authoris Laudem POEMA. QUicunque aetherii fieri cupis Incola Coeli, Hunc ades; hunc parvum ſaepe revolve Librum. Invenies perquam nitidis deſcripta Figuris Atria, quae ſanctis ſunt habitanda Viris: Atria ſumma DEI, ſuperi Palatia REGIS; Angelicis Sanctis condecorata Choris: Quae pius hic Juvenis, coeleſti percitus Oeſtro, Dat non vulgari delineata modo. Hoc duce carpe Viam Coeli per pulchra Vireta, Per Loca mortali non adeunda Pede: Attamen illa patent Animo Penetralia Sancto, Sordida qui Terrae Gaudia nulla putat: Sed ſuper Aſtra volat, CHRISTI inflamatus Amore, Et Comitem Superis ſe quaſi jungit ovans. Talis non dubie fuit hic, qui Scripta reliquit Haec Signa Ingenii vix imitanda pii. De Coelo et Superis veteres quaecunque Poetae, Carminibus ſoliti ſunt celebrare ſuis, Fabula cuncta Animis apparent ſordida Sanctis; Parvulus hic quanto fert meliora Liber? Pro Jove, ſancta TRIAS coeleſti regnat in Arce: Proque Diis falſis, Angelus aſtat ei, Omnia Juſſa DEI facere atque capeſſere promptus; Seu tutare bonos, perdere ſive malos. Non Genii Heroum, ſanctarum eſt Turba Animarum Aligeris Sacris par ſimiliſque Manus. Quos ſua non Virtus radiantibus intulit Aſtris; Juſtitia aſt Chriſti, Patris et almus Amor. Ergo huc tende Oculos avidos, age, Candide Lector; Hic tibi Piſgai Verticis inſtar erit: Unde Cananaeam coeleſtem cernere poſſis: Clarior haud alia eſt optica Tuba, puto. Ponitur ante Oculos Patriae coeleſtis Imago, Quae rapiat Mentem mox ſuper Aſtra piam: Ut videat, quae non Oculis, non Auribus hauſit Mortali quiſquam Carne gravatus Homo, Nempe AGNUM ſine Labe, Hominum qui Crimina tollit, Sordida profuſo Sanguine Corda lavans, Victorem Inferni, ſtantem ſuper Arce Sionis: Ac REGEM cingit Turba redempta ſuum, Quorum Palma Manus decorat, Diadema Capillam, Aurea quae nullo Tempore Marcor edit: Veſtibus alba nitet lotis in Sanguine CHRISTI: Atque Redemptori Carmina laeta canit: Et ſequitur REGEM per amoena Roſaria Coeli, Ille triumphanti dum premit Arva Pede. Hic ſimul Angelicas videas aſtare Phalanges, Qui Capti CHRISTO non minus alta canunt Carmina, nam quamvis non hos a Morte redemit, Attamen, ut ſtarent in Pietate, dedit. In Solio aeternum reſidentem cernere PATREM, Hic non obſcure, ſed ſine Nube, licet: SPIRITUS hic etiam Sanctus, Amor, Auraque Patris Et Nati, ambobus par ſimiliſque ſedet, Hic ſancta Urbs Gemmis nitidis conſtructa decoro Ordine, fundavit quam Lanus ipſa DEI. Cui pellucenti ſternuntur Compita ab Auro Urbs haec non ullo Lumine Solis eget: Gemmula quaeque poteſt ſolare extinguere Lumen, Aſt Urbis Lux eſt AGNUS et ipſe DEUS. In Sedem hanc cuncti Regem referuntur Honores. Nox nulla hic: Porta eſt ſemper aperta Die. Non Plangor, non Luctus ineſt, Morbuſve, Dolorve: Abſterſit Lachrymas nam DEUS ipſe Genis. Morte caret, ſuperas quicunque has incolit Aedes: Nam vitalis Aquae Flumina pura fluunt. Arbor item Vitae riguae ſtat Margine Ripae, Quae fructuet Foliis Gentibus apta Salus. Hic, Vitam quodcunpue facit ſervare beatam, Oceani in Morem larg • ter uſque fluit. Scribitur imptimis Deco • • ic, et Gratia Chriſti, Quamque humili in Terris vixerit ille Modo: Quas Vita Aerumnas, et quos in Morte Dolores Pertulerit, Sponſae accenſus Amore ſuae, Quam nunc in Coelis ſublimi eſt Sede locatus; Ad dextram aeterni, dignus Honore PATRIS: Quem ſolum agnoſcit non tantum Eccleſia Regem; Sed merito huic Regi flectitur omne Genu. Quanto Homines miſeros fuerit complexus Amore; Quique itidem in Coelis mutuus ardet Amor, Dum CHRISTUS placidis puros amplectitur Ulmis; Dumque ſtupet Sponſi Mens pia Amore ſui. O! quam Felicis, tantis qui Amplexibus haerent! Nec ſe divelli Tempus in omne timent. Omnia ſublimi, et longe meliore Cothurno, Ipſe tibi dederit delineata Liber. Nam Scopus Autoris rapere in ſublimia Mentem, Quae nimium Mundi Stercore merſa jacet. Et ponam in Terram, ac Rerum coeleſtium inanem Allicit, et ſuperi accendit amore Poli. Et ne quid deſit, quo longo obſepta veterno Mens expergiſcat, Tartara nigra ciet, Atque aperit diras Fauces fumantis Averni; Ut pateant Poenae, quas mala Turba luit, Ut ſanctum in Dominum Blaſphema horrendaque jactent: Conſcia Mens juſtum dum tamen eſſe putat. Ut miſeris DEUS inſultet juſtiſſimus Ultor: Nec minus et Sancti, dum datur omnis Hono • Juſtitiae aeterno REGI, qui contudit Hoſtem Sub Pedibus Chriſti, ſub Pedibuſque ſuis. Sentiet haec pia Mens Studio quam digna fideli Omnia cum legerit, quae exhibet iſle Liber.
In Nomen doctiſſimi & pientiſſimi Authoris Acroſticum. MAgnus in Terris, ſuper Aſtra fulges Angelos inter, Superumque pura Gaudia aeternum bibis Ore pleno, Illa, que tantum ſitiebas olim. Scripſeras nobis equidem ſtupenda: Tu tamen ſentis meliora longe Eſſe, que profert Domus haec Decori Regia Coeli. Almus in Coelis ſuperis REDEMPTOR, Nube non tectus, tibi ſe videndum Donat: O felix tua Sors! ſupremi REGIS in ſancto Gremio quieſcis; Et Voluptates ſine Fine Carpis. Aura te Coeli vegetat fovetque, Spiritus almus. Walwode, aeternis Opibus abundas Aureum cinget Diadema Crinem. Lactis et Mellis bibis uſque Rivos. Vaſta jam luſtras ſpatioſaque Arva, Omnibus quae Deliciis abundant. Dicis et Laudes Genitoris almi. Unico Nato Melos uſque cantas Spirituique.
INDEX. THE Prelude Introductory Pag. 15 Some Sections exciting to this Divine Study. Sect. 7. Neceſſity of ſeeking everlaſting Life Pag. 17 Sect. 8. Neglect of Glory proves us carnal Pag. 18 Sect. 9. Students of Glory overlook Time Pag. 19 Sect. 10. The Study of Glory is very alluring Pag. 20 Sect. 11. Creatures are eſteemed by their Knowledge Sect. 12. A clear View of Glory excites to Duty Pag. 21 Sect. 13. The more we ſtudy Heaven, the fitter for it Pag. 22 Sect. 14. Right Uptakings of Glory are Poſſeſſion in Part Sect. 15. Heaven is the Place of all Excellency, &c. Pag. 23 Sect. 16. Our Minds ſhould be wholly there, &c. Sect. 17. As is our Knowledge, ſo our Activity, &c. Pag. 24 Sect. 18. As we know, and affect, ſo we are, &c. Sect. 19. A ſlight View of Glory, inſufficient, &c. Pag. 25 Sect. 20. Scripture diſcovers Things beyond Time Pag. 27 Sect. 21. Supernatual Glory not to be naturally conſidered Sect. 22. All Creatures ſomeway capable of Elevation Pag. 28 Sect. 23. Grace, the Fore-runner, leads to Glory &c Sect. 24. Saints get Diſcoveries called Glimpſes of Glory Pag. 29 Sect. 25. All Things invite to this rare Study, &c. Pag. 30 Sect. 26. Knowledge is from above, and to be asked, &c. Pag. 31 An Invitation in Heroick Verſe Pag. 32 A Goſpel-diſcovery of Emmanuel's Land Pag. 33 Sect. 1 & 2. Invocation and Admiration, &c. Sect. 3. The Soul to be elevated in heavenly Meditation Pag. 34 Sect. 4. Glory more to be admired than underſtood Sect. 5. We can but conceive childiſhly of Glory Pag. 35 Sect. 6. Higher Conceptions of Glory attainable Pag. 37 Sect. 7. Chriſt, the Deſire of all, fully manifeſted, &c. Pag. 39 Sect. 8. No Manifeſtation of God ſo full, as thro' Chriſt Pag. 40 Sect. 9. One Sight of Chriſt is raviſhing to all Sect. 10. All Enjoyments nothing, till we ſee him Pag. 41 Sect. 11. The Soul not happy, till it reſt in his Love Sect. 12. The Intereſt of Chriſt and his Choſen mutual Pag. 42 Sect. 13. The Glorified look on Time's Things, as childiſh Pag. 43 Sect. 14. They ever commemorate Chriſt's Excellencies Pag. 44 Sect. 15. To be beſide Chriſt, inconceivable Dignity Pag. 47 Sect. 16. The Glorified's Nearneſs to God, aſtoniſhing Pag. 49 Sect. 17. No Knowledge to the Evidence of Glory Sect. 18. To behold the LORD's Glory, is a Dignity Pag. 50 Sect. 19. His Manifeſtations, & the Manner thereof wonderful Pag. 51 Sect. 20. The Change Chriſt underwent, a raviſhing Conſideration Sect. 21. God manifeſted in the Fleſh, a laſting Myſtery Pag. 53 Sect. 22. Wonderful, that God exalts Man's Nature by Sin Sect. 23. The Relation betwixt God and us amazing Pag. 56 Sect. 24. The Glorified admire God manifeſted, &c. Pag. 57 Sect. 25. They only capable to underſtand Glory Pag. 58 Sect. 26. The Subſiſtence of the Divine Perſons, a Myſtery Pag. 60 Sect. 27. Oceans of Joy overflow Emmanuel's Land Pag. 65 Sect. 28. This Land of Joys is filled with Dyvours Pag. 67 Sect. 29. The Glorified reflect on the Way to the Kingdom Pag. 68 Sect. 30. Familiar Fellowſhip betwixt Chriſt and his Pag. 70 Sect. 31. Viſible Things imperfectly repreſent inviſible Pag. 72 Sect. 32. All Excellency augmented in Glory, &c. Pag. 73 Sect. 33. No Manifeſtation of God, to that in Glory, &c. Pag. 75 Sect. 34. Saints in Glory conformed to Chriſt Pag. 77 Sect. 35. Full Enjoyment of God is complete Bleſſedneſs Pag. 79 Sect. 36. Chriſt ever his Peoples King, Prieſt and Prophet Pag. 80 Sect. 37. Aſtoniſhing, that God ſhould look on Creatures Pag. 82 Sect. 38. Earth and Heaven quite oppoſite Things Pag. 83 Sect. 39. Only Songs to Jehovah and the Lamb in Glory Pag. 85 Sect. 40. The Saints Happineſs ſuperabundant Pag. 88 Sect. 41. All divine Attributes add to their Bleſſedneſs Pag. 91 Sect. 42. That we are wholly Chriſt's, is our Happineſs Pag. 94 Sect. 43. GOD manifeſted in Eternity moſt, &c. Pag. 96 Sect. 44. All the Promiſes fully accompliſhed in Eternity Pag. 102 Sect. 45. GOD's Attributes all ſeen in damning the Wicked Pag. 105 Sect. 46. Sovereignty the firſt mover of all Things Pag. 110 Sect. 47. A World of redeeming Grace moſt excellent Pag. 112 Sect. 48. The Work of Salvation moſt admirable Pag. 118 Sect. 49. Our Bleſſedneſs an eternal Act, &c. Pag. 121 Sect. 50. The full Enjoyment of God, in Nearneſs, &c. Pag. 129 Sect. 51. The Life of Glory the only excellent Life Pag. 132 Sect. 52. No need of Creatures in Heaven, Jehovah is All Pag. 133 Sect. 53. Glory is an eternally blooming Thing Pag. 136 Sect. 54. Emmanuel's Land is of free Grace, &c. Pag. 139 Sect. 55. All Things are fully diſcovered in Glory, &c. Pag. 148 Sect. 56. Fellowſhip of Men & Angels, a Pendicle of Glory Pag. 150 Sect. 57. The Saints eternally acquitted, and filled, &c. Pag. 151 Sect. 58. Reprobates are judged, condemned & terrified Pag. 157 Sect. 59. The Creatures ſhare in the Joy of that Day Pag. 165 Sect. 60. All Things are renewed, and glorified, &c. Pag. 167 Sect. 61. Triumphing o'er the wicked, Part of Saints Glory Pag. 174 Sect. 62. Reflections on the Power of Faith, &c. Pag. 184 Sect. 63. The Reality of all Things in Heaven Pag. 191 Sect. 64. A frowning Time, the Prelude of Eternity Pag. 193 Sect. 65. Glory totally changeth all the Faculties, &c, Pag. 195 Sect. 66. Heaven the ſweeter, the more Dangers eſcaped Pag. 196 Sect. 67. The Inhabitants ſhall not ſay, I am ſick Pag. 198 Sect. 68. Grace an excellent Prelude to Glory &c. Pag. 200 Sect. 69. Praiſes to God, for fulfilling his Promiſes, &c. Pag. 203 The Concluſion, in ſeveral Sections. Pag. 208 Sect. 1. Such Things to be written of with Fear Sect. 2. A Saint ſhould be heavenly-minded Pag. 209 Sect. 3. Earthly-minded Perſons to be convinced, &c. Pag. 210 Sect. 4. Tranſient Thoughts of Glory, inſignificant Pag. 211 Sect. 5. Invitation to change earthly for heavenly Things Pag. 212 Sect. 6. Hope of Glory diſpels all Sorrow Pag. 213 Sect. 7. Earth-worms have no Place in Heaven Pag. 214 Sect. 8. Chriſt, the Purchaſe of Heaven, to be praiſed Pag. 215 Sect. 9. Religion an hidden Myſtery to Worldlings Pag. 216 Sect. 10. Saints only know the Myſteries of Godlineſs Pag. 217 Sect. 11. The ſad State of Worldlings, the Excellency of Holineſs, the Neceſſity and Marks of Converſion Pag. 218 A Soliloquy to God, Prayer-ways Pag. 235 A ſpiritual Song of the dying Saint Pag. 243 1. The Author's Letter to his Mother Pag. 250 2. A Letter to his Brother Pag. 255 3. A Letter to his Siſter Helen Pag. 259 4. A Letter to his Couſin Thomas Welwood Pag. 268 5. A Letter to Mr. Davidſon Miniſter Pag. 273