Be of good comfort, we shall not stay long for our inheritance; it is but winking, and we shall see God. O the glory of this Paradise! when ⟨p. 140⟩we are turned out of all, let us think of this inheritance which is to come, *Praemium, quod fide non attingitur; faith it self is not able to reach it; it is more then we can hope for: There can be no want, where Christ is, who is all in all, Ephes. 3.11. *In Heaven, there is health without sickness, plenty without famine, riches without poverty, life without death. There, is unspotted chastity, unstained honour, unparalleled beauty: there, is the Tree of Life, in the middest of Paradise; there, is the river that waters the garden; there, is the Vine flourishing, and the Pomegranates budding, *there, is the banqueting-house, where are all those delicacies and rarities, wherewith God himself is delighted: while we are sitting at that Table, Christ's Spikenard will send forth its smell*. There, is the bed of love, there are the curtains of Solomon, ⟨p. 141⟩there are the Mountains of Spices, and the streams from Lebanon; there are the Cherubims, not to keep us out, but to welcome us into Paradise; there, shall the Saints be adorned, as a Bride with Pearls of glory; There, will God give us abundantly, above all that we are able to ask or think*. Is not here enough? what cannot an ambitious spirit ask? Hamans aspiring heart could have asked not only the Kings royal Robe and the ring from his hand, but the Crown from his head too; a man can ask a century of Kingdoms, a million of worlds. But in heaven God will give us more then we can ask. Nay, more then we can think. An high expression! what cannot we think? we can think, what if all the dust of the earth were turned to silver, what if every stone were a wedge of gold, what if every flower were a ruby, every pile of grass a ⟨p. 142⟩pearl, every sand in the Sea a diamond; yet, what were all this to the New Jerusalem which is above. It is as impossible for any man in his deepest thoughts to comprehend glory, as it is to mete the heaven with a span*, or drain the great Ocean. O incomparable place! Surely, were we carried away in the spirit, I mean, elevated by the power of Faith, to the contemplation of this royal and stately Palace, I know not whether we should more wonder at the lustre of heaven, or at the dullness of such as mind earthly things.
Be of good comfort, we shall not stay long for our inherirance; it is but winking, and we shall see God. O the glory of this Paradise! when ⟨p. 140⟩we are turned out of all, let us think of this inheritance which is to come, *Praemium, quod fide non attingitur; faith it selfe is not able to reach it; it is more then we can hope for: There can be no want, where Christ is, who is all in all, Ephes. 3.11. *In Heaven, there is health without sicknesse, plenty without famine, riches without poverty, life without death. There, is unspotted chastity, unstained honour, unparallel'd beauty: there, is the Tree of Life, in the middest of Paradise; there, is the river that waters the garden; there, is the Vine flourishing, and the Pomegranates budding, *there, is the banquetting-house, where are all those delicacies and rarities, wherewith God himselfe is delighted: while we are sitting at that Table, Christ's Spiknard will send forth its smell*. There, is the bed of love, there are the curtaines of Solomon, ⟨p. 141⟩there are the Mountaines of Spices, and the streames from Lebanon; there are the Cherubims, not to keep us out, but to welcome us into Paradise; there, shall the Saints be adorned, as a Bride with Pearles of glory; There, will God give us abundantly, above all that we are able to aske or think*. Is not here enough? what cannot an ambitious spirit ask? Hamans aspiring heart could have asked not only the Kings royal Robe and the ring from his hand, but the Crown from his head too; a man can ask a century of Kingdomes, a million of worlds. But in heaven God will give us more then we can ask. Nay, more then we can think. An high expression! what cannot we think? we can think, what if all the dust of the earth were turned to silver, what if every stone were a wedge of gold, what if every flower were a ruby, every pile of grasse a ⟨p. 142⟩pearle, every sand in the Sea a diamond; yet, what were all this to the New Hierusalem which is above. It is as impossible for any man in his deepest thoughts to comprehend glory, as it is to mete the heaven with a span
- *Aug.
- *Eph. 3.11
- *Cant. 6.11.
- *Cant. 1.12.
- *Eph. 3.20.
- *Isa 40.12
