Recomme!ldtd from Phil. 2. I 2, I 3· 613 Country whence they come? Who the P.eopkand JnhJbitJnts arc? What are their Manr.crs and Cufrom~! Wbat is.rhetr lmpl?ym:nt.? Who is their Kine:, and what ,:,ubjeC\ion they ytdd unto htm? Thus mqmfitn•e truly our Cur lofity would be. And yet wh.en St. Ptwl purpofely relates his Voy~tge to the other World all th:lt he fpcal;s of it is only thi_s, _I knew a Man C~tvgtJt up into Paradi{~, rrho hfard things t iMt 110 M .m could, nor u tt laroful for any Man to urur. The Glory of Heaven is fuch th:1tit can never be fully known till it b~ fully enjoyed; and yet if Hc:1ven were ever made chryftally tranfparent t_o you, ~f ever God opened you a Wind~w into ir,_ and then opened the Eye_ of your Fatt h to_ look in hy that ~iudow thmk what it was that you there difcovercd, what wacceffible Light, what ~herifhing Love, what daunt ing f!:1ajefty , what infinite Purity, what over~ loading Joy, what infupportable and finktng Glory, what Rays. and SparkHogs from Crowns and Sceptcrs, but more from the Glances and Sm1les of God u pon the heavenly Haft, who for ever warm and Sun thcm[elves in his Prcfence: And When you have thought all this, then think once again that all your Thoughts arc but Shadows and Glimmering..s, that there is Dnfr and Afhes in the Eye of your Faith that .makes all thefe Difcoveries come infinitely fhon of the Na~ tive Glory of thefe Thmgs 7 and then you may guefs, and guefs fomcwhat near what HeaYen is. Nay as God, by reafon of his infinite Glory, is better known to us by Negat ives than by Affirmatives, by what he is not than by what he is; fo is Heaven, by re<1fon of the grearnefs of its Glor}r, better known to us by what it is not, than by what it is; and we may beft corice.ive of it when it is told us: There is nothino there that may afrright or afflict us, nothing that may griC\'e or trouble us noth~lg :hat n~ay moleft or difquiet us, but we fh'lll have the highcft and f w'ectefi: Delight and SatisfaCtion that the vaft and capacious Soul of Man can either receive or imagine. Arc you now burthened with Sin and Corruption, thofe Infirmities that tho' they are unavoidable~ yet they make your Lives a Burthen to you? \Vhy the old Man !hall never more moleft yon there, that Body of Sin anJ Death fhall never enter with ;rou into Life 1 the Motions of Sin 01all for ever ceafe in that Eternal Reft. Arc you here oppreffcd with Sorrows? Do AffliClions overwhdm you? Why there God fhall kifs your blubbered Eyes dry again; and wipe with own Hands all Te.:usfrom your Eyes? Are you pefter'd here with TtmptatJons, and cloth the ev il One, withou t intermiffion, haunt you with bl.:lck and hc\lifh Thoughrs, with dreadful and horrible Dcject: ions? There you !hall be qnire beyond the Caft of all his fiery Darts; and inftead of thtfe you iliall have with i'n you an ever~ liv ing :Founta in bubbling up fpiritnal and fprightly Comempbtions and holy Raptures for ever, ~uch as you nevc:r. knew wben you were here upon E:~rth, no not when you were tn. the moft .fptntual and heavenly Frame. Are you here clouded and cafr down with Deferuons, and doth God fometimcs hide his :Face from y.ou in Difpleafurc? In· Heaven there 1hall be an everlaft ing Sun-fhinc, God Ihalllook freely and ftedfaftly upon you, and you fhall no more fee him through a Glrtji darkly, bur FaGe to Face. without any iuterrutJtion or obfcnri~ ty : Thi11k 0 S~t1 l! (and then think of any Th ing clfc if thou canft) What is it to fee the Fnther of Lights in his own Rays? What is is it to fee the Sun of Righteoufnt[J lie in the Bofom of the F11thtr of Lights? \Jv'hat is to feel the Eternal Warmth and Ld1uence of the Hol)' Ghoft fpringing from both thefc Lights? What is it to convcrfe with H11fy .Anf,tls a~1d the Spirts ofjuft Men made perfcEI, to joyn with them in finging the fdmc ~afielujab~ for ever? And when you have thought all this, think once more, Heaven ts all tlus, and more alfo. Well then, fince Heaven is fuch, and fince fuch a Heave~ as th is is may be yours, what !hould l fay more, but only with the Apoftle? J-Javmg the[e Promifes, dear!~ Beloved, Promifcs of fo certain 2Cor. 7., .. and vafl: a Glory as th is is, lrt m deanfe and purify our febes fi'um all ftithineji tmd pollution both of Flejh tmd Spirit, and £trfdl Hofinefs in the [e4Y vf God. Is this Heaven attainab le upon your Working? W ill God give it into' W<Jgcs after working? Will he fhare Stars, nay will he Ih:ue himfelf and his Chrift among you? Truly meth inks Chrift ians Ihould not have patience to hear any more, methinks it is wo much dulnefs to indure another Mot ive be fides th is: Why do you not interrupt me then? Why do you not cry out, What/hall we do rhat we may work the ~Vorks of G"od? Why do you not fay and pray, Lord, wvrk in us both to. will and tQ 'do of thJ govd plM~ Jure? .w~lY is there not.fuch a holy Tu~nour and Difturban<.:e among you, fome Quefhotung, fame Pray tng, fame Re folvtng, all fome way or other teftifying a fenfe of
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