Book Vf. 1Lrolltng unto ']Jcfus>. . Chap. 1..Seet. 1. 619 - 0 my foul, dofl thou believe this. truth I and art th;u confident. tlm thou llll.lt lit with Chri!t on h!S very Throne ro JUdge rhe World? why then be Joyfultn afHtcbons, exercife thou patience in the cenfures and judgmeots of the World, know thou for rhy comfort that there is arurnandtimeof judging: and therefore fay, W~tk me it i< ~fmA/1 1 car. 4 . 3 • matter that 1jhould be JUdged of you, or of 11Mn s judgment, as the Ortgmal bath lt, of man's day. Is it not enough to command patience, if God's day be at hand, when Illtall judge my unjUit Judges? beark what the Apoflle faith, Be.fatient brethren Imto the Jam. 5•7• 8 •9 • coming of the Lord, behold the hUJbandman wmtethfO'r the preczoUJ frutt of the eartl,, and bath long patience for it, untilhe receive the early ~nd latter rain; be ye alfo patient, ftablifbyou hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, --behold tne Judge ftandeth before the door. Come exe.cife patience, let the World be judging; if they will needs lhnder, reproach, and perfecute thy foul, they had better abufe any Judge on earth, rhan thee: though rhou art the poorefl, weakefl, meane!l: of God's Saints upon the earth; they will know one day tbatthey have abufed their own Judgeinabuling thee. And therefore be thou quiet, lilent, petiem ; Say as David, Let him al•nc, and let him curfe, yea, let him judge, for the Lord hath bidden him; it may be the Lord will look._on mine afjliEI:ion, and will requite good for hi& judging rhu day ; thi< i< h,j day; bm the d.y of the Lord I& my day, and then fha!llfinvith Chriff on hu Throneto •udge the world Oh the fweer that I may fuck from this honey-comb, of Chri[l and his Saints judging the World! 7· Confider Chrifl and his Saints going up into Heaven. No foonerbath he done his work with the Wotld, and fenr them away, but then he lhall conduct.all his flock like a faithful Shepherd to thetr fold; then lhall he go with all his troops following him into Heaven. Hath not Chrifl faidfo? If 1JOaway, I will come again, andreceive you J9hn '4· 3· umo my [elf, that ~Vhm 1am, there you may be alfo. 0 thofe fangs of joy, and ll10uts of praife that will fill tbe Wotld at that day! And thus as they go along, Heaven opens unto them, and they enter in; what welcomes they have there is part my telling; if we may imagine, and guefs, 0 the welcome that Chrift will give! Come my fPoitfe, and come my dear, CQme all my Sajnts; here be thofe manfions that I went before to prepare, and mal:! ready for you, here be thofo everlaflinz habitations wherein you and I will dwell together; /me i; your Fathers houfe, the building of the wall i< all of Jajper, and theworff Rev. a!. rS. r'ece of it i; all of pure Gold, lik§ Unto cleAr glafs; why thi< i< your home 1 your houfe made withoue hands, here yot< and !will jpend our eime, eeerniey it [elf, in joying, enjoying, and beholding of each other. And as thus Chrift falures them, fo·willthe Angels, thofe created Citizens of Heaven falute them tO'o; for if joy be in Heaven at the converlion of one !inner, what joy will rhere be at the glorification of all thefe Saints/ what welcome entertainment will the Angels give to thef~ new guefls at their fir!l: entrance inro Heaven?·· -· , , 0 my foul, if thou art one of tltem that lhalt have this welcome ; what wilt thou fay when thou art admitted in thither, if weeping were in"Heaven wouldll: thou not weep for joy? fure thefe things are no fidions of man's brain, but truths and realities· and as they are true and real, fa they are exceeding full of joy; all the excellencies J this World are bur a dream mcomparifon of them; even the Sun in its brightnefs is but darknefs to this glory that fl~all then be teen. Come, (hink over thefe things, and be fa enllrgeJ m thy thoughrs, that before they •go, thou may!l: feel the fweet, and tafte of this goodnefs of the Lord. 8. Confid<r all the feveral tranfaCi:ions that will foilow in Heaven; then will Chri!t prefent all h,is Elect to God his Father. then will he give in all his commiffions which he hath received from his Father ; The~ will the Son himfelf befubjeE/: to the Father, that God may beall in all. I cannot !tay to enlarge on thefe; Onely remember, though God '"''Y be all m all, tillt excludes nor Chrift, fo.r .be alfo is All in ail to all his Saints, even to all etermry , Imtnediate vifiens and frultiohs of Chri!t, as God is the very top of Heavens j 'Y: Chrifl ~ All, and in all; Chrill: is the the Cemer of Heavens happinefs; Chrat ts tile Well-fpnng that fills the ca?acities of Saints and Angels; Chriftis the ob– ject of happmefs it fdf, there isas much happinefs in Chrifl as happinefs is; what ~v~r belongs to glory, IS tn Chnft, In him dwels all the fulnefs: what ever excellency ts 10 Heaven, it is in Chri[\, not onely in perfectiorr, but ·connexion, for all thofe excellen– Cies meet together, reft in Chrifl; and Chrifl is all good things to all his Saints in Hea– ven; he is Beauty to their Eyes, Mufick to their Ears, Honey to their Mouths, Per– fume to thm Nolirils, Health to their Bodies, Joy to tbeir Souls, Light to their UnX )( x 2 " derrlanding.,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=