The Practice of Piety

Oh! what joy vvill it be to thy Soul, which was wont to see but misery, and sinners, now to behold the face of the God of Glory? yea, to see Christ well coming ⟨p. 147⟩thee as soon as thou art presented before him by the holy Angels, ¹with an Euge bone serve! Well done, and well-come good and faithful servant, &c. enter into thy masters joy! And what joy vvill this be, to behold thousand thousands of Cherubims, Seraphims, Angels, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers: All the holy Patriarchs, Priests, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Professors, and all the Souls of thy Friends, Parents, Husbands, Wives, Children, and the rest of Gods Saints, who departed before thee in the true Faith of Christ, standing before Gods Throne in bliss and glory? If the Queen of Sheba, beholding the glory and attendance ⟨p. 148⟩given to Solomon, as it were ravished therewith, brake out and said,² Happy are thy men, happy are these thy Servants, which stand ever before thee, and hear thy Wisdom! How shall thy Soul be ravished to see her self by grace admitted to stand with this glorious company? to behold the blessed Face of Christ, and to hear all the Treasures of his divine Wisdom? How shalt thou rejoice to see so many thousand thousands well-coming thee into their heavenly Society? for as they all rejoiced at thy conversion;³ so vvill they now be much more joyful to behold thy Coronation;⁴ and to see thee receive thy Crown which was laid up ⟨p. 149⟩for thee against thy coming. For there the crown of Martyrdom, shall be put on the head of a Martyr: who for Christs Gospel sake endured torments: the Crown of virginity on the head of a Virgin, which subdued Concupiscence: the Crown of Piety and Chastity on the head of them, who sincerely professed Christ, and kept their wedlock-bed undefiled: the Crown of Good-works on the good Alms-givers head, who liberally relieved the poor: the Crown of incorruptible glory on the head of those Pastors, who by their preaching and good example, have converted souls from the corruption of sin, to glorify God in holiness of