952 HEAVEN A -CROWN OF LIFE. Book IV. HEAVEN A C R 0 W N oF L I F E. Henceforth i~ laid up for me a Crown of Righteoufnefs, 2 'fim. iv. 8. And I will give thee a Crown of Life, Rev. ii. to. He jha/1 receive .Jhc Crown of Life, which tbe Lord bathpromifcd to them that love him, Jam. i. 12. THE Reward of the Godly in Heaven is.called a Crown, .a.Cr.own of Life, a .Crown of Righteoufnefs., &c. ~ A R A L L E L & ~. A Crown aenotes any beautiful pleafing Ornament, or profitable Thing; hence a Crown is put for to adorn, and blefs with good Things, and fo to make joyful, The Saints in Heaven ·lhall be beautiful and very glorious, they fhall fpark!e, and fhinc "forth like the Sun, in the Kingdom.of their Father, plentifully eqjoy and po!IC:fs true llleffednefs, Prov. iv. 9· .and xvii. 6. Pfal. viii. 5· and ciii. 4· II. A Grown is a Sign of a .Kingdom and Dominion, faithAinfworth: The glorified Saints in Heaven lhall poffefs a Kingdom, and £hall be as Kings and Princes tor ever and ever. Hearken.my beloved Brethren, bath not God chofen the Poor r;f this World rich in Faith, and Heirs af the, or that, Kingdom, which .he bath promifed them that love him? .Jam. ii. ii· Ill. A Crown denotes alfo ViCtory; Chrifl: warring againfl: his Enemies, and over– ;eoming them, hath on his Head many Crowns, or Diadems : So the Saints bein"' crowned, fignifieth that perfeCt Conquefl: they have, through.Chrift, obtained, oy.er Sin: Satan, Death, and Hell, &c. IV. A Crown fignifieth Glory, Honor, and external Grandure: The glorified Saints .fhall be honored, and appear in eternal Grandure, as Kings who have their Crowns 011 .theirBeads. V. As there is nothing more rich, glorious, defireable, nor efl:eemed amon"' Men, .above a Crown, or Kingdom: So the Holy Spirit in fetting fonh the Reward, an°d ever– lalting plory of the Sair.ts in Heaven, compares it to thtie Things. Bm alas! there js no earthl'y Thing, how fplendent and glorious foever, can fufficiently fet out the State .'()f the Saints after Death, or the Glor:y of Heaven. For Pleafure, it is called Para– ·dile; for Riches and Honor, it is called a Crown and a Kingdom. A Crown ·of Life, .denoting that Saints in laying down their Lives for Chrifl:, .!lull not be at all .lofers thereby, but only exchange it for a better; a !l1.ort momentary Life, for an everlafl:in<> Life; a Life of Joy, for a Liie of Sorrow; a Lite of perfect Freedom., for a Life a~ tended with manifold Temptations. D S l" A R T Y. :I. 0 THER Crowns, I mean earthly Cr.owns, are corruptible : This Crown is in– corruptible. I!. Other Crowns are atteAded with many S_orrows, Troubles, and Perplexities, &c. :But this Crown is attended with no fuch Thing, for the Condition of the Heirs of th.is never-fading Crown will be fo joyful,· that look outwardly, ·there is Joy in ·the Society, Heb. xii. 22. if inwardly, there is Joy in their ow.n Felicity, r Cor. ii. 9· Look for– ward, there is Joy in the Eternity of it, 1. Pet. v. 10. So that on every Side they Jhall be even fwallowed up of Joy, !fa. xxxv. ro. 0! the tranfcendency of that Pa– radife of Pleafure ! where is Joy without Heavinefs or Interruption; Peace without Perturbation; Bleffednels without Mifery; Ligh\ witl)out Darknefs; Health without Sicknefs; Beauty' without B!emilh; Abundance without Want; Eafe withoutLabor; Satiet.y without Loathing.; Liberty without Reftraint .; .Security without Fear; Glory without Ignominy ; Knowledge wid10ut Ignorance; Eyes without Tears; Heans without Sorrow; .Souls without Sin: Where lhall be no Evil heard of to affright them, nor Good wanting to chear and comfort them ; they lhall];Jave what Good they ddire, .:nd delire nothing but what is good ; their Promifes lhall end in Performances ; Faith in. Sight and clear Vifion; Hope in Fruition and Poffellion : Yea, Time itfdf 1hall lbe [wallowed up in Eternity..
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