Chap. II. Of HEAVEN. Heaven for lhbility is called a City that hHS Foundatio11s, who{e B11ilder and Maker is God. The prcfcnt World is like a Tent or Tabernacle fee up for a time, whilfl the Church is paffing through the Wildernefs: but Heaven IS the Ctty of the Living God, the Place of his happy Rcfldence, the Scat of his eternal Empire. The viflble World, with all its P'rifl1ing Idols, fhall fhorcly fall, this lleauciful Scene !hall be abolifhed : but the fupreme Heavenisabovethis Sphere of mutability, wherein all Bodies compounded of the jarring Elements are c~minually ch_anging and dilfolving: .'tis truly call'd a /(ingdom that ~anndt be fhakin. Bnefly, the wrfe Maker has fi'am'd it correfpondencly to the end for which it was dcligned: 'cis the Scat of his Majefly, his Sacred Temple wherein he difiufes clre richeft Beams of l1is Goodnefs and Glory, and his chofen Servants fee and praife his adorable Excellencies for ever. Secondly, I will endeavour to 01ew, chat the enjoyment of the Divine Prefence in Heaven, is the fuprcme Felicity of the Saints To make this fupcrnacural lllelfednefs more eafy and intelligible to us, the Scripture defcribes it by fenfible Reprefentacions. For while the Soul is clothed with Flefh, Fancy has fuch a dominion, that we conceive of nothing but by Comparifons and Images taken from material things. 'Tis therefore fet forth by a Marriage-Feajf, Rcv.•7·7· to fignifie the Joy and Glory of the Saints above. But to prevent all grofs Conceits, we are in- !l:ructed, that the Bodies of the Saints fhall be fpiritual, not capable of Hunger or Thirfi, ~~ec~gj~d~e~'tih~fm~ffn~bf~e~~;~t ~:itn~s~~;{~e~r~nt;: ;~~s~!~~~~e~t~;fc~fs~i~~d with Reafon, and not common to the Brutes, are more frequently made ufe of to reconcile the blelfed and Heavenly State to the proportion of our Minds. Thus fomctimes the Saints above are reprefen.ted on Thrones, _and with ~rowns on their _Head~: fo'!'etimes clothed in White, with Palms intlmr Hands: fomettmes fingmg Songs of Tnumpb to hun that fits on the Throne, But the real Felicity of the Saints infinitely exceeds all thofe faint Metaphors. The Apofile, to whom the admirable Revelation was exhibited of the Suffering• of the Church, and the victorious ilfue out of them in the fucceflive Ages of the World, tell us, it does not appear what the Saints jhaU be in Heaven. The things that God has prepared for thofe that love him, are far more above the higheft afcent of our Thoughts, than the Marriage-Feaft of a King exceeds in Splendor and Magnificence, the Imagination of one that ha~ always lived in an obfcure Village, that never faw any Ornaments of State, nor tafted Wine in his Life. We can think of thofe things but according to the Poverty of our Under!l:andings. But fo much we know as is able to fweeten all the Bitternefs, and render infipid all the Sweetnefs of this World. CHAP. I!. Whate'Ver is requifite to Ot<r compleat 13/ejJednefs, is injoyed in Hea'Ven. There is an exemption from all E~ils. Sin and all the penal confequenw are abolifot in Hea!Jen. The concurrmce of all pojiti'Ve Excellencies is t~~oyed there. The 'Body is re!Ji~ed to a glorious Life. The Soul/i'Ves in Communion wit[, God. The excellence of tl>e ObjeR, and .-vigour of t!JC aRings ttpon it, the principal ingredients of Happiue(s. THIS will appear by confidering that whatever is requifite to conftitute the cornpleat Blelfednefs of Man, is fully enjoyed in the Divine Prefence. 1. An exemption from all Evils is the firfi condition of perfect Blelfednefs. The Sen~ tence of the wife Solon is true, - -Diciqueheatus Ante obitum nemo fopremaque funera debet. NoMancanbecall'd happywhilftinthisValleyof Tears. There are fo many natural Calamities, fo many cafual, which no humane Mind can forefee or prevent, that one may be lefs m1ferablethan another, but none perfectly happy here. But upon the entrance into Heaven, all thofe Evils, that by their number, variety or weight, difquiet and opprefs us here, are at an tnd. R r r Sin, 479
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