1.98 NAXTER'S DYING THOUGHTS. XLVII. Weak, blind, and wicked teachers here do keep the most in delusion and division. There glorious light hath banished all lies, deceit and darkness. XLVIII. The wills ofblind tyrants is the law of most on earth. The wisdom and will of the most holy God is the law of the heavenly society. XLIX. Lies here cloud the innocency of the just, and render truth and goodness odious. All false judgments are there revers- ed, and slander is silenced, and the righteous justified. L. Government is here exercised by terror and violence. But there God ruleth by light,,love, and absolute delight. LI. Enemies, reproach, and perseèution here annoy and tempt us. All storms are there past, and the conquerors crowned in joyful rest. LII. The glory of divine love and holiness is clouded here by the aboundingof sin, and the greatness of Satan's kingdom upon earth. But the vast, glorious, heavenly kingdom, to winch this earth is but a point and prison, will banish all such erring thoughts, and glorify God's love and goodness forever. Llli This is the world which, as corrupted, is called an enemy to God and us, and which, as such, we renounce in baptism, and must be saved from. That is the world which we seek, pray, and wait for all our lives, and for which all the tempting vanities of this must be forsaken. LIV. This bodÿ and world is like our riding clothes, our horse, our way, and inn, and traveling company ; all but for our journey homeward. The other is our city of blessedness, and everlasting rest, to which all grace inclineth souls, and all present means and mercies tend. LV. The very ignorance of nature and sensible things makes this life a very labyrinth, and our studies, sciences,, and learned conversation, to be much like.a dream, or puppet play, and a child- ish stir about mere words. But in heaven, an universal knowl- edge of God's wonderful workswill not be the ,least of the glory in which he will shine to saints. LVI. Distance and darkness of souls here in flesh, who would fain know more of God and the heavenly world, and cannot, doth make our lives a burden by these unsatisfieddesires. There glo- rious presence and intuition giveth full satisfaction. LVII. Our sin and imperfection here render us uncapable of being the objects of God's full, complacential love, though we have his benevolence, which will bring us to it. But there we shall, in our several measures, perfectly please God, and be per- fectly pleased in God forever, LVIII. All things here are short and transitory from their
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