A glance of Heaven, or, A precious taste of a glorious feastA glance of Heaven, or, A pretious taste of a glorious feast

And then secondly,¹ they §2are known (as we call it) by way of eminence; that is, by comparing them with other things, and preferring them before all other ⟨p. 68⟩excellencies whatsoever; as we may see the sun in water by resemblance: for God borrows from nature terms to set out grace, and glory, because God will speak in our language, for they are called a Kingdom and a feast, and a crown by way of comparison. Shallow men think there is a great deal in a kingdom;² and indeed so there is, if there were no other. There is great matters in a crown, in the feasts of kings, and the like: but alas these be shadows, and there is no Rhetoric or Amplification in this, to say they be shadows; a shadow is as much in proportion to the body, as these are to eternal good things; ⟨p. 69⟩the true reality of things, are in the things of another world, for eternity. If we talk of a Kingdom, let us talk of that in heaven. If of a crown, of that wherewith the Saints are crowned in heaven. If we talk of riches, they are those that make a man eternally rich, that he shall carry with him when he goes out of the world, what riches are those, that a man shall out live, and die a beggar, and not have a drop to comfort him,³ as we see Dives in hell had not? here are riches indeed. So if we talk of beauty, it is the Image of God that sets a beauty on the soul, that makes a man lovely in the eye of God. True beauty is ⟨p. 70⟩to be like God.⁴ And to be borne a new to that glorious condition, is the birth and inheritance. All these poor things, are but acting a part upon a stage for a while, as the proudest creature of all that is invested in them will judge ere long; none better judges then they. This is one way of knowing the things of the Gospel, by naming of them in our own language. As if a man go into a foreign country, he must learn that language, or else hold his peace: so God is forced to speak in our own language, to tell us of glory, and happiness to come under the name of crowns, and kingdoms, and riches here. If God