more will thy meditation, elevate thy heart. Do not, like the papists, draw them in pictures; but get the liveliest picture of them in thy mind that thou possibly canst, by contemplating the scripture-account of them, till thou canst say, "Methinks I see a glimpse of glory! Methinks I hear the shouts of joy and praise, and even stand by Abraham and David, Peter and Paul, and other triumphant souls! Methinks I even see the Son of God appearing in the clouds, and the world standing at his bar to receive their doom; and hear him say Come, ye blessed of my Father; and see them go rejoicing into the joy of their Lord! My very dreams of these things have sometimes greatly affected me, and should not these just suppositions much more affect me? What if I had seen, with Paul, those unutterable things? Or, with Stephen, had seen heaven opened, and Christ sitting at the right hand of God? Surely that one sight was worth his storm of stones. What if I had seen, as Micaiah did, the Lord sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left? Such things did these men of God see; and I shall shortly see far more than ever they saw, till they were loosed from flesh, as I must be.” Thus you see how it excites our affections in the heavenly work if we make strong and familiar suppositions from our bodily senses, concerning the state of blessedness, as the Spirit hath in condescending language expressed it.

§ 4. (2) The other way in which our senses may promote this heavenly work, is, by comparing the objects of sense with the objects of faith. As for instance: You may strongly argue with your hearts from the corrupt delights of sensual men, to the joys above. Think with yourselves; "Is it

such a delight to a sinner to do wickedly? And will it not be delightful indeed to live with God? Hath the drunkard such delight in his cups, that the fears of damnation will not make him forsake them? Will the whoremaster rather part with his credit, estate, and salvation, than with his brutish delight? If the way to hell can afford such pleasure, what then are the pleasures of the saints in heaven? If the covetous man hath so much pleasure in his wealth, and the ambitious man in places of power and titles of honour; what then have the saints in everlasting treasures, and in heavenly honours, where we shall set above principalities and powers, and be made the glorious spouse of Christ? How delightfully will the voluptuous follow their recreations from morning to night, or sit at their cards and dice, nights and days together! O the delight we shall have, when we come to our rest, in beholding the face of the living God, and in singing forth praises to him and the Lamb!" Compare also the delights above, with the lawful and moderate delights of sense. Think with thyself, "How sweet is food to my taste when I am hungry; especially if it be, as Isaac said, such as I love, which my temperance and appetite incline to! What delight then must my soul have in feeding upon Christ, the living bread, and in eating with him at his table in his kingdom? Was a mest of pottage so sweet to. Esau in his hunger, that he would buy it at so dear a rate as his birthright? How highly then should I value this never-perishing food? How pleasant is drink in the extremity of thirst, scarce to be expressed; enough to make the strength of Sampson revive? O how delightful will it be to my soul to drink of that

fountain of living water, which whoso drinketh it shall thirst no more? How delightful are grateful' odours to the smell; or music to the ear; or beautiful sights to the eye? What fragrance then hath the precious ointment which is poured on the head of our glorified Saviour, and which must be poured on the head of all his saints, and will fill all heaven with its odour? How delightful is the music of the heavenly host? How pleasing will be those real beauties above? How glorious the building not made with hands, the house that God him. self dwells in, the walks and prospects in the city of God, and the celestial paradise !”

5. Compare also the delights above, with those we find in natural knowledge. These are far beyond the delights of sense; but how much farther are the delights of heaven? Think then, "Can an Archimedes be so taken up with his mathematical invention, that the threats of death cannot disengage him, but he will die in the midst of his cotemplations? Should I not be much more taken up with the delights of glory, and die with these contemplations fresh upon my soul; especially when my death will perfect my delights, while those of Archimedes die with him? What exquisite pleasure is it to dive into the secrets of nature, and find out the mystery of arts and sciences; especially if we make a new discovery in any one of them? What high delights are there then in the knowledge of God and Christ? If the face of human learning be so beautiful, as to make sensual pleasures appear base and brutish; how beautiful then is the face of God? When we meet with some choice book, how could we read it day and night, almost forgetful of meat, drink or sleep?

What delights are there then at God's right hand, where we shall know in a moment all that is to be known?" Compare also the delights above, with the delights of morality, and of the natural affections. What delight had many sober heathens in the rules and practice of moral duties, so that they took him alone for an honest man, who did well through the love of virtue, and not merely for fear of punishment; yea, so much valued was this mortal virtue, that they thought man's chief happiness consisted in it? Think then "What excellency will there be in our heavenly perfection and in that uncreated perfection of God which we shall behold! What sweetness is there in the exercise of natural love, whether to children, parents, yokefellows, or intimate friends? Does David say of Jonathan, thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women? Did the soul of Jonathan cleave to David? Had Christ himself one disciple whom he especially loved, and who was wont to lean on his breast? If then the delights of close and cordial friendship be so great, what delight shall we have in the friendship of the Most High, and in our natural intimacy with Jesus Christ, and in the dearest love of the saints? Surely this will be a stricter friendship, and these more lovely and desirable friends, than ever the sun beheld; and both our affections to our Father and Saviour, and especially theirs to us, will be such as we never knew here. If one angel could destroy an host, the affections of spirits must also be proportionably stronger, so that we shall then love a thousand times more ardently than we can now. As all the attributes and works of God are incomprehensible, so is this of love: He will love us infinitely beyond

our most perfect love to him. What then will there be in this mutual love?"

6. Compare also the excellencies of heaven, with those glorious works of creation which our eyes now behold. What wisdom, power, and goodness, are manifested therein! How does the majesty of the Creator shine in this fabric of the world! His works are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. What divine skill in forming the bodies of men or beasts! What excellency in every plant! What beauty in flowers! What variety and usefulness in herbs, fruits, and minerals! What wonders are contained in the earth and its inhabitants; the ocean of waters, with its motions and dimensions; and the constant succession of spring and autumn, of summer and winter! Think then, "if these things, which are but servants to sinful man, are so full of mysterious worth, what is that place where God himself dwells, and which is prepared for just men made perfect with Christ? What glory is there in the feast of yonder stars? What a vast resplendent body is yonder moon, and every planet? What an inconceivable glory hath the sun? But all this is nothing to the glory of heaven. Yonder sun must there be laid aside as useless. Yonder is but darkness to the lustre of my Father's house. I shall myself be as glorious as that sun. This whole earth is but my Father's footstool. This thunder is nothing to his dreadful voice. These winds are nothing to the breath of his mouth. If the sending rain, and making the sun to rise on the just, and on the unjust, be so wonderful; how much more wonderful and glorious will that sun be, which must shine on none but saints and angels?