The Practice of Piety

5 Lastly, they shall enjoy this blissful and glorious estate for evermore. Therefore it is termed everlasting life: and Christ saith,¹ that our joy shall no man take from us. All other joys (be they never so great) have an end. Assuerus Feast lasted an hundred and eighty days;² but he, and it, and all his joys are gone. For mortal man to be assumed to heavenly glory, to be associated to Angels, to be satiated with all delights and joys, (but for a time) were much: but to enjoy them for ever, without intermission of end, who ⟨p. 212⟩can hear it, and not admire it! who can muse of it, and not be amazed at it! All the Saints of Christ (as soon as they felt once but a true taste of these eternal joys) counted all the riches and pleasures of this life to be but ^aloss and dung in respect of that. And therefore (with unceasing prayers, fasting, alms-deeds, tears, faith, and good life) they laboured to ascertain themselves of this eternal life: and (for the love thereof,) they ^bwillingly either sold, or parted with all their earthly goods and possessions.

5 Lastly, they shall enioy this blissefull and glorious estate for euermore. Therefore it is tearmed euerlasting life: and Christ saith,¹ that our ioy shall no man take from vs. All other ioyes (be they neuer so great) haue an end. Assuerus Feast lasted an hundred and eightie dayes;² but hee, and it, and all his ioyes are gone. For mortall man to be assumed to heauenly glory, to be associated to Angels, to be satiated with all delights and ioyes, (but for a time) were much: but to enioy them for euer, without intermission of end, who ⟨p. 212⟩