The Saints' Everlasting Rest

How delectable is it to me to behold and study these inferior works of God? to read those Anatomical Lectures of Du Bartas upon this great dissected body! what a beautiful fabric is this great house which here we dwell in? The floor so dressed with various Herbs, and Flowers, and Trees, and watered with Springs and Rivers, and Seas! the roof so wide expanded! so admirably adorned! Such astonishing workmanship in every part! The studies of an hundred Ages more (if the world should last so long) would not discover the mysteries of divine skill, which are to be found in the narrow compass of our bodies. What Anatomist is not amazed in his Search and Observations? What wonders then do Sun, and Moon, and Stars, and Orbs, and Seas, and Winds, and Fire, and Air, and Earth, &c. afford us! And hath God prepared such a house for our silly sinful corruptible flesh! and for a soul imprisoned▪ and doth he bestow so many millions of wonderful rarities, even upon his enemies! O then what a dwelling must that needs be, which he prepareth for pure, refined, spiritual, glorified ones! and which he will bestow only upon his dearly beloved children, whom he hath chosen out, to make his mercy on them glorified and admired! As far as our perfected glorified bodies will excel this frail and corruptible flesh, so far will the glory of ⟨p. 811⟩the New Jerusalem exceed all the present glory of the creatures. The change upon our Mansion, will be proportionable to the change upon our selves. Arise then, O my soul, by these steps, in thy Contemplation! and let thy thoughts of that glory (were it possible) as far in sweetness exceed thy thoughts of the excellencies below: Fear not to go out of this body, and this world, when thou must make so happy a change as this; but say, as Zuingerus when he was dying [^* I am glad, and even leap for joy, that at last the time is come wherein that, even that mighty Jehovah, whose Majesty in my search of Nature I have admired, whose Goodness I have adored, whom in faith I have desired, whom I have sighed for, will now show himself to me face to face.] And let that be the unfeigned sense of thy heart, which Camerarius left in his VVill should be written on his Monument; Vita mihi mors est, mors mihi vita nova est; Life is to me a Death, Death is to me a new Life.

How delectable is it to me to behold and study these inferior works of God? to read those Anatomical Lectures of Du Bartas upon this great dissected body! what a beautiful fabrick is this great house which here we dwell in? The floor so drest with various Herbs, and Flowrs, and Trees, and watered with Springs and Rivers, and Seas! the roof so wide expanded! so admirably adorned! Such astonishing workmanship in every part! The studies of an hundred Ages more (if the world should last so long) would not discover the mysteries of divine skill, which are to be found in the narrow compass of our bodies. What Anatomist is not amazed in his Search and Observations? What wonders then do Sun, and Moon, and Stars, and Orbs, and Seas, and VVindes, and Fire, and Aire, and Earth, &c. afford us! And hath God prepared such a house for our silly sinful corruptible flesh! and for a soul imprisoned and doth he bestow so many millions of wonderful rarities, even upon his enemies! O then what a dwelling must that needs be, which he prepareth for pure, refined, spiritual, glorified ones! and which he will bestow onely upon his dearly beloved children, whom he hath chosen out, to make his mercy on them glorified and admired! As far as our perfected glorified bodies will excel this frail and corruptible flesh, so far wil the glory of