The saints everlasting rest

And if this were all, what a high favour, that GOD will give us leave to love him! that he will vouchsafe to be embraced by such arms that have embraced sin before him! But this is not all, he returneth love for love; nay, a thousand times more, as perfect as we shall be, we cannot reach his measure of love: christian thou wilt then be brimful of love; yet love as much as thou canst, thou shalt be ten thousand times more beloved. Dost thou think thou canst over-love him? what, love more than love itself! were the arms of the Son of GOD open upon the cross, and an open passage made to his heart by the spear? and will not arms and heart be open to thee in glory? did he begin to love before thou lovedst, and will he not continue now? did he love thee an enemy? thee a sinner? thee who even loathest thyself? and own thee when thou didst disclaim thyself? and will he not now unmeasurably love thee a son? thee a perfect saint? thee who returnest love for love? thou wast wont injuriously ⟨p. 26⟩to question his love: doubt of it now if thou canst. As the pains of hell will convince the rebellious sinner of GOD'S wrath, who would never before believe it: so the joys of heaven will convince thee throughly of that love which thou wouldst so hardly be persuaded of. He that in love wept over the old Jerusalem near her ruins; with what love will he rejoice over the new Jerusalem in he• •lory? Methinks I see him groaning and weeping over dead Lazarus, till he forced the Jews that stood by to say, Behold how he loved him! Will he not then much more by rejoicing over us, make all (even the damned, if they see it) say, behold how he loveth them!

Here is the heaven of heaven! the fruition of GOD: in these mutual embracements of love, doth it consist. To love, and be beloved: These are the everlasting arms that are underneath: his left hand is under their beads, and with his right hand doth he embrace them.