felf fpeaks of it in this Manner, in the vith of St.Matthews Lay not up for yourselves Treafures upon Earth, where Moth and Ruft doft corrupt, and where Thieves break through and fteal; but lay up for yourselves Treafures in Heaven, where neither Moth nor Ruft doth corrupt, and where Thieves do no not break through and fteal. Therefore when the Holy Ghoft defcribes Heaven's Glory, and mentions Gold, Pearls, and precious Stones, it hath a Regard to this Notion.

And because Men are for the most Part defirous of Honours, Greatnefs and Dignities, and that there is nothing in the World more efteem'd than Scepters and Crowns; therefore the Glory of Heaven is exprefs'd by a Kingdom, by Thrones, Crowns, and Triumphs. Our Saviour speaks in this Language to his Apoftles, To you who have continued with me in my Afflictions, I appoint a Kingdom as my Father bath appoin ted unto me,Luke xxii. In another Place he speaks of all his Church in general, Fear not, little Flock, for 'tis your Fatber's Pleafure to give you the Kingdom,Luke xx. And at the last Day he will fay, Come ye blessed of my Father, inberit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World, Matth. xxv. And to the Angel of his Church in Smyrna, and the faithful Souls, this divine Saviour makes this Promife; Be thou faithful unto Death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life, Rev. ii. And to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea; To bim that overcometh, will I grant to fit with me in my Throne,even as I alfo overcame, and am fet down with my Father in bis Throne, Rev. iii. And St. Paul tells us, That we run to obtain an incorruptible Crown, 1 Cor. ix. And when he faw himself at the End of his Race, he cries out, I have fought the good Fight,I have finished myCourfe, I have kept the Faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteoufnefs, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, fhall give me at that Day, and not to me only, but unto all them alfo that love his Appearing,2 Tim.iv.And St. James fpeaks in the fame Language, Blessed is the Man that endureth Temptation; for when be is tried, be

Shall

Jhall receivethe Crown of Life, which the Lord bath promifed to them that love bim, 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 Praife, they fpeak thus to our Saviour; Thou baft redeemed us to God by thy Blood, out of every Kindred, and Tongue, and People, and Nation, and baft made us to our God, Kings and Priefts, and we Jhall reign on Earth, Rev. iv. 4.

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

And when God himself speaks 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 Linen, 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 Righteoufnefs, as a Bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments, and as a Bride adorneth her felf with her Jewels. And if you take Notice of fuch as ftand before the Thorne of God, and in the Prefence 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 Representation 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 rejoyce, and give Honour to God, for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and bis Wife bath made herself ready, and to her was granted, that the fhould be arrayed in fine Linen, clean and white; for the fine Linen is the Righteousness of Saints.

Men commonly love good Chear,and 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 speaks of them in the xxxvi. Pfalm, How excellent is thy Loving-kindness, O God! Therefore the Children of Men put their Truft under the Shadow of thy Wings, they hall be abundantly fatisfied with the Fatness of thy House,and thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy Pleafures. And in the lxv,Pfalm, Bleed is the Man whom thou chu feft, and caufeft to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy Courts; be fhall 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 fhall the Lord of Hofts make unto all People a Feaft of Fat Things; a Feast of Wines on the Lees, of fat Things full of Marrow, of Wine on the Lees well refined. This Confideration caufeth a Doctor in the Gofpel to fay, Bleed is he that shall eat Bread in the Kingdom of Hea ven. And our Saviour himself faith, that many fhall come from the Eaft and from the Weft, and Jhall fit at Table in the Kingdom of Heaven, with Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob. Abafucrus's Feaft continued an hundred Days; but the Feaft which we fhall celebrate in Heaven, and which hath been preparing from the Foundation of the World, fhall continue for all Eternity.

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

parison in the xiith Chapter of St. Matthew. The Kingdom 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 rejoyce and be glad, and give Glory to the Lord our God, for the Marriage of the Lamb is come. Finally, the Holy Ghost hath commanded to write and record these Words for ever: Blessed are thofe that are called to the Marriage-Feast 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 Substance of their heavenly Songs: When Isaiah 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 Hoft, the whole Earth is full of thy Glory. And when St. John fpeaks of thofe glorified Saints, he faith, that they stand 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 itself resounds with their facred Hallelujah's, which fignifies, Praise God, or fet forth the Praifes of God. There is no ingenious Soul but loves Peace andReft; for this Cause the Glory and Happiness of Paradife is reprefented under this lovely and pleasant Notion, as in the ivth Chapter of the Hebrews; For we which have 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 bad given them Reft, then would be not afterwards have [poken of another Day; there remaineth therefore a Reft to the People of God; for he that is entered into bis Reft, be alfo bath ceafed from bis own Works, as God did from bis. 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 fignifies a Vifion of Peace And God himself makes this Promife, Bebold, I will extend Peace to her as a River, Ifa. Ixv. Phil. iv. Wherefore if this 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, Because Men are Lovers of Pleasures, De lights and Pomp, and that the moft Part feek for nothing but how to drive away their Sorrows, and to recreate themselves with Paftimes; therefore the Felicities of Paradife are reprefented by Rejoycings,Pleafures and eternal Solemnities, as in Pfalm xxxvi. Thou shalt cause them to drink of the River of thy Pleasure. And in Pfalm xii. They that fow in Tears fhall reap in Joy. And God himself speaking of that most bleffed 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 bebold Icreate Jerufalem a Rejoycing, and ber People a Joy. Therefore when the Holy Ghost 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 shall be Songs of Praife, and upon their Heads, an eternal Joy of Gladnefs like to a precious Crown, which shall never be taken from them. For this Caufe they call fo earnestly upon one another, Let us he glad and rejoyce, and give glory to the Lord our God, Rev. xix.

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

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