The child's portion, or, The unseen glory of the children of God asserted and…

Hence,

When Christ is upon the one work in Heaven, the Spirit of Christ is on the other here. Should a full description of that state be given us, it must be in a Language which we understand not. They are but dark similitudes, dim and▪ dull comparisons, accommodated to our own weak capacity, which the Scripture affords: The words which Paul then heard, when he was in the third Heaven, were ineffable words, and such as were not lawful to utter, 2 Cor. 12. 4. Not unlawful, because forbidden by any precept, but because they did out-bid his ability. If the Glory to be revealed, should now be revealed to us in this our imperfect state, it would over oppress and sink us.

2. That they may with more patience abide the time allotted then here, and serve there Generation in the doing of that work which God hath set out for them to do before they go to be possessed of this Glory. We find, that after St. Paul's rapture, he had great wrestlings with ⟨p. 66⟩his own spirit, and much ado to keep up in himself a willingness to tarry here any longer, Phil. 1. 21. I am in a strait, between two, Having a desire to depart: And such have been the frames of God's dear Children, after that they have had some extraordinary beamings of his love, and been feasted by him with some special visits, they have been long ere they could quiet themselves from longing and praying, that the Chain might be cut, and they might hoist Sail and be gone: Might the Saints be permitted to know here, as much as shall be known hereafter, it would be harder persuading them to be willing to live, than it is now to make them willing to die.