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fhall be in their glorious afcenfion with Chrift Cap. 44. into the highest heavens, ranked in their comely order, with triumph and joy, finging, Stand open ye gates, and be ye open ye everlasting doors, that the King of glory and all his redeemed ones may

come in.

Thirdly, the poffeffion of heaven, the Kingdom of heaven fhall be theirs, the heaven of heavens; great things are fpoken of that; there are these things confiderable in it.

3.

I.

A defcri

Firft, it is the third heaven; there is the heaven, that is the space between the visible firmament and the earth; the second heaven is the Orbes wherein the Sun, and Moon and Stars are ; and then there is an heaven above them, which is the feat of the bleffed, which is of an infinite heighth above all: now it as a fweer confideration for the people of God, when you are going out in the evening, and feeing the firmament fpangled with the Stars, to have fuch thoughts as thefe, What fhall one day this body of mine be lifted up beyond yonder place? Though now you lie low in fome dark hole, there is a time of heaven when God hall lift you up to be above that fpangled firmament; that fpangled firmament is but the pavement of your Fathers house, it is but the outfide; and if the outfide and footftool of Gods houfe be fo glorious, how glorious is it within how glorions is the prefence Chamber? This world is made for Dogs, for the Enemies of God, and those that are more vile then any creatures: he does not think much to have swine live hate, but you do not fuffer swine to come into the prefence Chamber, or into the Dining-room:

now

Cap.44. now heaven is the prefence Chamber and Diningroom, for that eternal feaft to be folemnized in, and that must needs be glorious.

2.

3.

4.

Secondly, it is called our Fathers houfe: This is not our Fathers houfe; though we should be caught up where the Stars are, that is not our Father house, that is but the out-room: Says Chrift, In my Father's boufe there are many Manfions: God was from all eternity a heaven to himself, before the world was; then he created the higheft heavens to be the place of his prefence, not that he is comprehended there, but that he would have a place for his glory more fully to fhine in.

Again, it is a place prepared from the beginning of the world, and Chrift is gone to prepare it for us: If there were fuch a building here, that all the men of the world had been building from the beginning of the world, and they had all the pearls and jewels of the world to fet into it, and all the inventions and strength of men and Angels to help them to build, it would be glorious, but in comparison it is but a dungeon to this. The brightness of this is exceeding glorious, fays Chryfoftom; when you see a fumptuous pallace, you look upon it, and are taken with it, but it is but as a dungeon to your Fathers house.

The light of that fhall be of another nature then the light of the world; the light that we have here is a material light, but the whole body of heaven is of an higher nature then the body of the Sun; and there fhal be fuch a glorious prefence of God, as there fhall need no Sun, Moon and Stars to enlighten it; and then with the brightness of the body of Christ,

Christ,and the brightness of the bodies of the Saints, Cap. 44° there fhall be a glorious luftre.

And for the large extent of it: the lowest heavens are but as a prick of the center,in comparison to the starry heaven'; and the starry heaven is but as a prick of the center, to the highest heaven. Men boaft here, if they have but a few clods of land; as Socrates put a fcorn upon Alcebiades that boafted of his lands, he brought him to the Map of the whole world, and prayed him to fhew them there,and there was not one prick vouchsafed for them in it: What is a little land to a countrey and what is a countrey to the world? and the world is but as a prick to the lowest heaven, and the lowest heaven is but as a prick to the starry heaven, and the starry heaven is but as a prick to the highest heaven, and the Saints fhall poffefs all that.. You that have no poffeffions here,know there is a poffeffion hereafter, that is more then if you had all the Lands in the world.

Besides, it is of an incorruptible nature, it is an inheritance incorruptible: The reason why the heavens, and fo the foul is incorruptible, is because it is not made out of pre-exifting principles; it was made out of nothing, and nothing but an infinite power can annihilate a thing, as well as make a thing out of nothing. Much is faid of that place for the description of it, Ferufalem was but a Type of it, and the Land of Canaan was but a Type of it, and Paradife was but a Type of this glorious place, that is provided for the Saints of God. Let us therefore raise up our hearts to confider of this. And as we read in Gen. 13. 14, 15. where God fhewed to Abraham the Land of Canaan, fays God,

Look

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6.

Cap.43. look Northward, and Southward, and Eastward, and Weftward; for all the land which thou feeft, to thee will I give it, and to thy feed: So confider the vastnefs of the Heavens, and the exceeding extent of them, and confider this is the Inheritance of the Saints.

We know we have an abiding, eternal inheritance; our bodies fhall abide eternally, and the Heavens themselves are eternal: this fhould quiet our hearts, when we finde any discontent in our habitations: it is no matter in what Countrey we are here, there is a glorious Countrey we are going to; Chrift our elder Brother is already gone, and hath taken poffeffion of Heaven for us: as if fo be there were fome great inheritance did befal you here, and you cannot go to poffefs it, and if you hear one is there for you, who hath taken quiet poffeffion for you, and you fhall be fent for in time convenient; will you not be content? So we are not fitted for Heaven, but Chrift is gone before to take poffeffion; and within a while we hall go and live with him. The earth is too mean a place for the Saints, and yet the world is not worthy of the Saints of God in a mean condition; then the world fhall not be worthy of the Saints in their glorious condition; and therefore there must be a place above the world.

Yet know, Heaven is not enough for the Saints: the Saints of God are of fuch spiritual raised fpirits, as that they cannot be fatisfied with any thing, but God himself. Suppofe God fhould cause all the Emperors and Kings of the world, to come and caft down their Crowns before the Saints, and fay, All thefe are yours: An heart that is truly raised, would

fay

lay, This is not enough, this is not God himself. Sup- Cap.45. pofe God fhould bring all the fplendors of all the creatures in heaven and earth, and they should be caft at the feet of the Saints, they would fay, This is not enough, for this is not God. Suppose God should caufe all the glory of heaven, not onely of Sun, Moon and Stars, but of the highest heaven, to be laid before the Saints, they would fay, This is not enough, this is not God. If all the Angels fhould come, and fay, We are fent to put all our glory upon you, they would fay, This is not enough, this is not God, and therefore when God hath given them heaven, he must give them himself to, or else they are not happy: And that is the fourth thing.

CHAP. XLV.

The Saints enjoyment of God to be their portion,their happiness in having his prefence.

G

Od himself will be the portion of the Saints. Auguftine fays of the happiness of the Saints, If God gives fuch good things to wicked men, does he keep nothing for the Saints? Yes, he keeps heaven it felf; but fays he, Surely 1 Speak of too low a thing, when I speak of heaven, he will give himself to them. Heaven is beautiful, but more beautiful is God himself, the God of heaven: Therefore God muft give himself to them, or else their fouls are not fatisfied. It is a fweet and excellent expreffion that Bernard hath, Lord, as whatsoever we give unto thee

Mm

unless

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