Men, as to David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and the like. His kingdom, is not made with hands, it is pift our Imagination, and contains in it all that can be wifhed or defired; and therefore did Abraham forfcke his own native Country, his Kindred, and his Fathers House, to go into a land he knew not whither. And why did Mofes forfake Egypt, and not only that, but refufed to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter? why did fo many Patriarchs, Prophets, Saints, and holy Men and Women, leave their ancient Houfes, Riches, and lay down their Treasures at the Apoftles feet, and wander up and down in Wilderneffes, and in Mountains, and hide themselves in Dens and Caves of the Earth? Surely for this cause they had r fpect unto the recompence of reward, and that was Regnum Dei, the Kingdom of God, this Heavenly Manfion, where they defired to be, and were affured they should fee the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living, which hath a Crown that never fadeth, and Salvation that never endeth; an inhe ritance immortal, and a Habitation perpetual. Jerufalem, where God would be worshipped, and in which King Solomon built the Temple, feated in that place, which we now call the Holy Land, was in times paft fo famous, that all Nations had recourfe thither! both because of God's Worship and Service perform'd there, andhismanifold graciousBleffingsprocured there. on; and therefore is the Kingdom of Heaven compared to this, and called the new Jerufalem.

Likewife alio Canaan, that plentiful Land, which flowed with Milk and Honey, which was the Land that was promifed to the people of Ifrael, is compared to this Heavenly Habitation. But as many died fhort of it, and never entred into the Land of Canaan, fome for Murmuring, fome for Whoredom, fome for Idolatry, fome for one offence, fome for another, fo altho' we hear of the Joys of Heaven, and of this new City, and many would enter therein; yet for their manifold offences in this time of their Life and tryal, many are debarred from thence, and few are made the Citizens of Heaven; therefore if we expect to come to this place of Happiness, we must first be reconciled to God by true Repentance; we muft come with Jefus Chrift in our hearts by Faith, and plead his Merits, Death and P. ffion, and fo enter into his Joy. Thus much for the place, now for the Commodities.

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The Heavenly Foys of the Soul.

HE Commodities or Joys, which belong to this Heavenly Jerufalem, firit concern the Soul, which is the principal part of Man. Secondly, the Body; for the Body being joyned to the Soul, fill be partaker of this ineftim ble and everlasting happiness, that in Body and Soul, the whole man may receive his full perfection, as he was at firft created perfeat. And as it is the chiefeft delight of the godly to ferve God especially in the Church, and in the Congregation, but in this Celeftial Ferufalem

Jerufalem, there fhall be no Temple, no Church, And I faw no Temple therein. How then? Why the Prefence of God himself fhall be unto them inftead of a Temple and Church. For the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb are the Temple of it, and therefore why fhould men be fo loth to go into this Joy, which is fo unfpeakable? And as S. Ambrofe faith, where we shall have in that Cœleftial Manfion, no Jy by measure, as in a Glafs or Cup, no, but a River of Joy and Comfort, we fill be overcome with Joy; and this Joy is as it were wings to the Soul to Fly thro' this Valley of Mifery and Adverfity; for as long as the Soul is in the Body, it is but as in a Prifon, like a Bird in a Cage, not having her usual Liberty.

Thus in the prefence of God fhall be all happiness, and at his Right-Handthere are Plea fures for evermore. And it is faid the Four and Twenty Elders fell down before him that fat on the Throne, and worshipped him that liveth for evermore, and caft their Crowns before the Tarone: So fhall the Saints in Heaven continually fing forth God's Praife, Rev. 7.4. And the Hundred Forty and Four Thousand, which had the Name of God in their Foreheads, do fing a new Song before the Throne, and no man could learn that Song, but the Hundred Forty and Four Thousand which were redeemed from the Earth. Andthey were Coathed in long white Garments, having Palms in their hands, Verfe 9. Which cryed with a loud voice, faying, Salvation be aferibed to him that fitterb upon the Seat of our

God,

God. And the Angels flood in the compass of the Seat, which fell before the Seat on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen. Blessing and Glory, Wifdom, Thanks, Honour, Power, and Might, be unto our God for evermore. Now hall the Mind, Heart, Thought, and Imagi nition of thofe that are thus bleffed, be filled with abundance of Spiritual comfort. For now we fee as St. Paul faith, as it were in a Glafs but then fhall we fee Face to Face, Rev. 22. 4. Then fhall all terrour and darkness of Ignorance be taken away; then fhall we not defire as now we do in this Life, to fee God, as the Prophet David fpeaketh, My Soul thirfteth after thee, like as the Hart defireth the Water Brooks, fo longeth my Soul after thee, O God, yea, even for the living God', when fhall I come to appear before the prefence of God? At that time thall our defire be fully fatisfied; and that which was denied the Prophet Mofes, to fee the Glory of God in this Life, fhall then be granted to every one that there fhill be placed.

Then grief of mind, and forrow of heart hall be utterly removed; no Weeping, no Mourning, no Lamentation to be heard thr out that Holy Mountain. Behold, faith the Prophet in the Perfon of God, Ifaiah 65. 14. My Servant fhall fing for Joy of heart: I will joy in my People, and the voice of weeping shall be more beard nor the voice of crying. Rev. 21. 4. For God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more forrow, neither shall here be any more pain, for the former things are Jed

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paffed away. That is, thofe things which we fuf. fered in this Life thall not moleft us any more. Then fhall Sorrow never be felt, nor Complaint heard, matter of Sadness hall never be seen, neither fhall evil Succefs at any time be feared. No caufe of Fear, no caufe of Grief, for they fhall poffefs thee, O Lord, which art the pr fection of their felicity. In him fhall we find all Knowledge, Wisdom, Beauty, Riches, No bility, Goodness, Delight, and what foever be fides either deferveth, Love and Admiration, or worketh Pleasure and Content. All the pow ers of the Mind fhall be filled with the Sight Prefence and Fruition of God; all the Senfes of the Body fhall be fatisñed. God fhall be the u niverfal Felicity of all his Saints, containing in himfelf Felicities without number.

He fhall be a light to our Eyes, Mufick to our Ears, Honey to our Mouths, moft fweet and pleafant Balm to our Smell: He fhall be Light to our Understanding, Content to our Will, continuation of Eternity to our Memory. In him we fhall enjoy all the varieties of things that are delightful here, and all the true pleafure and Joys that content us now. Finally, the Soul fhall be restored to the Image of God in a full Measure, as it was first created, ard be throughly beautified and adorned with all Righteoufn fs and Holiness, all Heavenly and Spiritual Graces. The Confideration whereof muft needs be a great Comfort to the Children of God, and caufe them the more chearfully to undergo the troubles of this Life.

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