The saints everlasting rest

Thus do thou expatiate in the praises of GOD, and open his excellencies to thine own heart, till thou feel the life begin to stir, and the fire in thy breast begin to kindle: as gazing upon the dusty beauty of flesh doth kindle the fire of carnal love; so this gazing on the glory and goodness of the LORD will kindle spiritual love. What though thy heart be rock and flint, this often striking may bring forth the fire; but if yet thou feelest not thy love to work, lead thy heart further, and show it yet more; show it the Son of the living GOD, whose name is Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace: show it the King of saints on the throne of his glory, who is, and was, and is to come; who liveth and was dead, and behold, he lives for evermore, who hath made thy peace by the blood of his cross, and hath prepared thee, with himself, an habitation of peace; his office is to be the great peace-maker; his kingdom is a kingdom of peace; his gospel is the tidings of peace; his voice to thee now is the voice of peace: draw near and behold him: dost thou not hear his voice? He that called Thomas to come near, and to see the print of the nails, and to put his finger into his wounds, he it is that calls to thee, come near and view the LORD thy Saviour, and be not faithless, but believing; Peace be unto thee, fear not, it is I; he that calleth, behold me, behold me; to a rebellious people that called not on his name, doth call out to thee a believer to behold him; he that calls to them who pass by, to behold his sorrow in the day of his humiliation, doth call now to thee to behold his glory in the day of his exaltation: look well upon him: dost thou not know him? Why, it is he ⟨p. 345⟩that brought thee up from the pit of hell: it is he that reversed the sentence of thy damnation; that bore the curse which thou shouldst have borne, and restored thee to the blessing that thou hadst forfeited, and purchased the advancement which thou must inherit for-ever; and yet dost thou not know him? Why, his hands were pierced, his head was pierced, his sides were pierced, his heart was pierced with the sting of thy sins, that by these marks thou mayst always know him: dost thou not remember when he found thee lying in thy blood, and took pity on thee, and dressed thy wounds, and brought thee home, and said unto thee, live?

Thus do thou expatiate in the praises of GOD, and open his excellencies to thine own heart, till thou feel the life begin to stir, and the fire in thy breast begin to kindle: as gazing upon the dusty beauty of flesh doth kindle the fire of carnal love; so this gazing on the glory and goodness of the LORD will kindle spiritual love. What though thy heart be rock and flint, this often striking may bring forth the fire; but if yet thou feelest not thy love to work, lead thy heart further, and shew it yet more; shew it the Son of the living GOD, whose name is Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace: shew it the King of saints on the throne of his glory, who is, and was, and is to come; who liveth and was dead, and behold, he lives for evermore, who hath made thy peace by the blood of his cross, and hath prepared thee, with himself, an habitation of peace; his office is to be the great peace-maker; his kingdom is a kingdom of peace; his gospel is the tidings of peace; his voice to thee now is the voice of peace: draw near and behold him: dost thou not hear his voice? He that called Thomas to come near, and to see the print of the nails, and to put his finger into his wounds, he it is that calls to thee, come near and view the LORD thy Saviour, and be not faithless, but believing; Peace be unto thee, fear not, it is I; he that calleth, behold me, behold me; to a rebellious people that called not on his name, doth call out to thee a believer to behold him; he that calls to them who pass by, to behold his sorrow in the day of his humiliation, doth call now to thee to behold his glory in the day of his exaltation: look well upon him: dost thou not know him? Why, it is he