fhall receive the Crown of Life, which the Lord hath promifed to them that love him, James I. Finally, we read that the glorified Saints have Palms in their Hands, and Crowns of Gold upon their Heads, and in their Mouths Songs of Praise, they fpeak thus to our Saviour; Thon haft redeemed us to God by thy Blood, out of every Kindred, and Tongue, and People, and Nation, and haft made us to our God, Kings and Priests, and we shall reign on Earth, Rev. 4. 4.

The great Men of the World delight in gorgeous Apparel, fome in perfum'd Garments; therefore the holy Ghoft condefcends to this Weakness of Man, and promifeth in Heaven Robes more fragrant than the Perfumes of Arabia: He promiseth a Garment whiter than Snow, and brighter than the Light it felf. And Solomon, when he confiders his Spouse, as the Type of the Church, he faith, The Kings Daughter is full of Glory within, her Cloathing is of wrought Gold, fhe Shall be brought unto the King in Raiment of Needle-work,

And when God himself fpeaks of the Glory of his Church, which he begins now, and will perfect hereafter, he faith, that he hath adorned her with Gold, Silver, and precious Stones, that he hath cloathed her with fine Linnen, with Silk and Needle-work. Therefore the Church fpeaks in this manner, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my Soul fhall be joyful in my God, for he hath cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation, he hath cover'd me with the Robes of Righte oufnefs, as a Bridegroom decketh himself with Orna ments, and as a Bride adorneth her felf with her Jewels. And if you take Notice of fuch as ftand before the Throne of God, and in the Presence of the Lamb, that worship him Day and Night in his Temple, you fhall find them cloathed with long Robes, whitened in the Blood of the Lamb. Look alfo upon that magnificent Woman of the Revelations, the true Type and Reprefentation of the Church, and you fhall fee her cloathed with the Sun, and a Crown of twelve Stars upon her Head. In a Word, hearken to the Song of

the

the glorified Saints, and you fhall hear them fpeaking to one another, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give Honour to God, for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife bath made her felf ready, and to her was granted, that fhe fhould be arrayed in fine Linnen, clean and white, for the fine Linnen is the Righteoufnefs of Saints.

Men commonly love good Chear, to partake of fumptuous Feafts, therefore the heavenly Delights are reprefented to us under the Notion of delicious Meats, and exquifite Drinks, of noble Feafts, and magnificent Banquets. In this Manner the Royal Prophet fpeaks of them in the 36 Pfalm. How excellent is thy Loving-kindness, O Gad! Therefore the Children of Men put their Trust under the Shadow of thy Wings; they fhall be abundantly fatisfied with the Fatnefs of thy Houfe, and thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy Pleasures. And in the 65 Pfalm, Bleffed is the Man whom thou choof eft, and canfeft to approach unto thee, that he may dowell in thy Courts, he shall be fatisfied with the Goodness of thy Houfe, even of thy holy Temple. And the Prophet Ifaiab fpeaks in the fame Language, In this Mountain Jhall the Lord of Hofts make unto all People a Feast of Fat Things; a Feaft of Wine on the Lees, of fat Things full of Marrow, of Wines on the Lees, well refined. This Confideration caufeth a Doctor in the Gofpel to fay, Bleffed is he that shall eat Bread in the Kingdom of Heaven. And our Saviour himself faith, that many fhall come from the Eaft and from the Weft, and fhall fit at Table in the Kingdom of Heaven, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Abafuerns's Feaft continued 100 Days; but the Feaft, which we shall celebrate in Heaven, and which hath been prepar ing from the Foundation of the World, fhall continue for all Eternity.

Of all Feafts, fuch as are for nuptial Solemnities are most esteem'd, when they are for Kings and Princes of the Earth; for on fuch Occafions there are the greatest and the most extraordinary Rejoycings; therefore the Happiness of Heaven is expreffed by a Marriage. Our Saviour himself makes Ufe of this Com

parison in the 12 Chapter of St. Matthew, the Kingdoni of God, faith he, is like unto a King which made a Marriage for his Son. This caufed the glorified Church to fpeak in this manner; Let us rejoice and be glad and give Glory to the Lord our God, for the Marriage of the Lamb is come. Finally, the Holy Ghoft hath commanded to write and record thefe Words for ever. Bleffed are thofe that are called to the Marriage-Feaft of the Lamb.

Some Perfons are very much delighted with the fweet and pleasant Conforts of Mufick; therefore the Holy Ghoft to fignify to us, that in Heaven there fhall be all Manner of Pleafures, and nothing wanting, tells us, that about God's Throne Millions of Angels and glorified Saints fhall fing forth the divine Praife. Befides he acquaints us with the Subftance of their heavenly Songs: When Ifaiah mentions these wonderful Seraphims, that fly round about God's glorious Throne, he faith, That they Cry one to another, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hofts, the whole Earth is full of thy Glory. And when St. John fpeaks of thofe glorified Saints, he faith, that they ftand before his magnificent Throne, playing with their Harps, and finging a new Song, that is to fay, a moft rare and excellent Song; and that they have always in their Mouths, the Song of Mofes and of the Lamb, and that Heaven it felf refounds with their facred Hallelujah's, which fignifies, Praise God, or fet forth the Praifes of God. There is no ingenous Soul but loves Peace and Reft; for this Caufe the Glory and Happiness of Paradife is reprefented under this lovely and pleafant Notion, as in the 4th Chapter of the Hebrews; For we which believed, do enter into Reft, as he faid, as I have fworn in my Wrath, if they shall enter into my Reft. For if Jefus had given them Reft, then would 'se not afterwards have spoken of another Day; there remaineth therefore a Reft to the People of God; for he that is entered into his Reft, be alfo hath ceafed from his own Works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that

Reft:

Reft. This caufed old Simeon to cry out, Lord now letteft thou thy Servant depart in peace. Finally, the holy City is called Jerufalem, which fingnifies a Vifion of Peace: And God himself makes this Promife, Beholds I will extend Peace to her like a River, Ifa. 65. Phil. 4. Wherefore, if the Peace which God grants to believing Souls in this Life, furpaffeth all Understanding, what may we judge fhall be the full Enjoyment of an eternal Peace in the Kingdom of Heaven? The Tongues of Men and Angels are not able to exprefs its Dignity and Excellency.

Lastly, Becaufe Men are Lovers of Pleafures, Des lights and Pomp, and that the most Part seek for nothing but how to drive away their Sorrows, and to recreate themselves with Paftimes; therefore the Felicities of Paradife are reprefented by Rejoycings, Pleasures and eternal Solemnities, as in the 36th Pfalm, Thou shalt cause them to drink of the River of thy Pleasure. And in the 12th Pfalm, They that fow in tears fall reap in joy. And God himself fpeaking of that most blessed Time, faith, Behold, I create new Heavens and a new Earth, and the former shall not be remembred, nor come into Mind; but be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create; for behold I create Ferufalem a Rejoycing, and her People a Joy. Therefore when the Holy Ghoft reprefents the Condition of the glorified Saints, he declares not only, that God will wipe away all Tears from their Eyes, and that there fhall be no more Sorrow, nor Crying, nor Labour, nor Pain, nor Grief, but he adds over and above, that in their Mouths there fhall be Songs and Praife, and upon their Heads, an eternal Joy of Gladness, like to a precious Crown, which fhall never be taken from them. For this Caufe they call fo earneftly upon one another, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give Glory to the Lord our God, Rev. 19.

All our Senfes fhall partake in these heavenly and everlafting Pleafures; our Eyes fhall behold with Tranf ports of Joy, the facred Countenance of our Redeemer, the Riches and wonderful Beauty of his Palace,

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the Glory and Magnificence of his Empire; our Ears fhall be delighted with the Mufick of the Bleffed Saints, and with the Harmonies of Angels, and of the Church triumphant; our Smelling fhall receive the fweet Perfumes of our Bridegroom, whofe Garments are of Myrrh; and the grateful Odours of his Vine always bloffoming. Our Palate fhall tafte the Bread of Angels, the hidden Manna, the Fruits of the Tree of Life, the Waters iffuing forth to everlasting Life, and the new wine of the Kingdom of Heaven. Our Hands, fhall embrace the Saviour of the World, and with our Feet we fhall walk about the Streets of that golden City, the heavenly Jerufalem, and we fhall follow the Lamb wherefoever he goeth, Rev. 14.

Altho' I fpeak to you in this Manner, I am perfwaded, Chriftian Souls, that you understand very well that thefe Expreflions, and fuch like, are not to be underflood in a literal Senfe, they are but dark Shadows and imperfect Images of the Advantages of the Life to come. You have not forgot what St. Paul faith, ' That they are Things which Eye hath not feen, Ear hath not heard, and which never entred into the Heart of Man, which God hath prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. 2. And that this great God, whofe Riches are inexhauftible, doth in us abundantly above what we are able to ask or think, Eph. 3. fo that when you fee before you all the most beautiful, amiable, glorious, and excellent Things in the World; you may fay in your felves, without doubt the Glory and Happiness of Heaven is fomething more than all this; for it is elevated fo much above all earthly Enjoyments, and furpaffeth so much all the Thoughts and Conceits of Man, that 'tis not poffible to defcribe it in its own Colours, nor to fancy it really as it is.

Think not therefore, Chriftian Souls, to meet in Heaven with a Paradife fomething like to your Gardens, nor with Flowers, like to fuch as adorn your pleafant Walks and Fields; nor Fruits like to fuch as hang upon your Trees: You may be affured, that God