sight? We must not be saved by sight, but by hope, and hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.(q) I have been ashamed of my hope in an arm of flesh, but hope in the promise of God maketh not ashamed.(r) In my greatest: sufferings I will say, The Lord is my portion, therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. For the Lord will not cast off for ever. But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.(s) Though I languish and die, yet will I hope; for the righteous hath hope in his death.(t) Though I must lie down in dust and darkness, yet there my flesh shall rest in hope.(u) Aud when my flesh hath nothing to rejoice in, yet will I hold fast the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end;(v) for the hope of the righteous shall be gladness.(w) Indeed, if I was myself to satisfy divine justice, then there had been no hope; but Christ hath brought in a better hope, by the which we draw nigh unto God.(x) Or, if I had to do with a feeble creature, there were small hope; for how could he raise this body from the dust, and lift me above the sun? But what is this to the Almighty power, which made the heavens and the earth out of nothing? Cannot that power which raised Christ from the dead, raise me? and that which hath glorified the Head, glorify also the members? Doubtless by the blood of his covenant, God will send forth his prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water; therefore will I turn to the strong as a prisoner of hope.(y) § 15. (4) Courage or boldness is another affection to be exercised in heavenly contemplation. It leadeth to resolution, and concludeth in action. When you have raised your love, desire, and hope, go on and think thus with yourself: "Will God indeed dwell with 32. (q) Rom. viii. 24, 25. (r) Rom. v. 5. (s) Lam. iii. 24-26, 31, (t) Prov. xiv. 32. (u) Psalm xvi. 9. (v) Heb. iii. 6 (w) Prov. x. 28. (x) Heb. vii. 19. (y) Zech. ix. 11, 12. men? And is there such a glory within the reach of hope? Why then do I not lay hold upon it? Where is the cheerful vigour of my spirit? Why do I not gird up the loins of my mind?(~) Why dont I set upon my ene mies on every side, and valiantly break through all resistance? What should stop me, or intimidate me? Is God with me or against me in the work? Will Christ stand by me, or will he not? If God and Christ be for me, who can be against me?(a) In the work of sin, almost all things are ready to help us, and only God and his servants are against us; yet how ill doth that work prosper in our hands! But in my course to heaven, almost all things are against me, but God is for me; and therefore how happily doth the work succeed! Do I set upon this work in my own strength, or rather in the strength of Christ my Lord? And cannot I do all things through him that strengthens me?(b) Was he ever foiled by an enemy? He hath indeed been assaulted, but was he ever conquered? Why then doth my flesh urge me with the difficulties of the work? Is any thing too hard for Omnipotence? May not Peter boldly walk on the sea, if Christ give the word of command? If he begin to sink, is it from the weakness of Christ, or the smallness of his faith? Do I not well deserve to be turned into hell, if mortal threats can drive me thither? Do I not well deserve to be shut out of heaven, if I will be frighted from thence with the reproach of tongues? What if it were father, or mother, or husband, or wife, or the nearest friend I have in the world, if they may be called friends, that would draw me to damnation, should I not forsake all that will keep me from Christ? Will their friendship countervail the enmity of God, or be any comfort to my condemned soul? Shall I be yielding to the desires of men, and only harden myself against the Lord? Let them beseech me upon their kness, I will scorn to stop my course to behold them; I will shut my eyes to their cries: Let them flatter or frown, let them draw out tongues or swords against me; I am resolved in the strength of Christ to break through and look upon them as dust: If they would entice me (z) 1 Pet. i. 13. (a) Rom. viii. 31. (b) Phil. iv. 18. with preferment, even with the kingdoms of the world, I will no more regard them than the dung of the earth. O blessed rest! O glorious state! Who would sell thee for dreams and shadows? Who would be enticed or affrighted from thee? Who would not strive, and fight, and watch, and run, and that with violence, even to the last breath, in order to obtain thee? Surely none, but those that know thee not, and believe not thy glory." § 16. (5) The last affection to be exercised in heavenly contemplation, is joy. Love, desire, hope, and courage, all tend to raise our joy. This is so desirable to every man by nature, and so essentially necessary to constitute our happiness, that, I hope, I need not say much to persuade you to any thing that would make your life delightful. Supposing you therefore already convinced, that the pleasures of the flesh are brutish and perishing, and that your solid and lasting joy must be from heaven, instead of persuading, I shall proceed in directing. Reader, if thou hast managed well the former work, thou art got within sight of thy rest; thou believest the truth of it; thou art convinced of its excellencies; thou art fallen in love with it; thou longest after it; thou hopest for it; and thou art resolved to venture courageously for obtaining it. But is here any work for joy in this? We delight in the good we possess; it is present good that is the object of joy; and thou wilt say, Alas! I am yet without it. But think a little farther with thyself. Is it nothing to have a deed of gift from God? Are his infallible promises no ground of joy? Is it nothing to live in daily expectations of entering into the kingdom? Is not my assurance of being hereafter glorified a sufficient ground for inexpressible joy? Is it not a delight to the heir of a kingdom to think of what he must soon possess, though at present he little differ from a servant? Have we not both command and example, for rejoicing in hope of the glory of God?(c) § 17. Here then, Reader, take thy heart once more and carry it to the top of the highest mount; show it the kingdom of Christ, and the glory of it, and say to (c) Rom. v. 2. xii. 12. it, "All this will thy Lord give thee, who hast believed in him, and been a worshipper of him. It is the Father's good pleasure to give thee this kingdom.(d) Seest thou this astonishing glory which is above thee? All this is thy own inheritance. This crown is thine, these pleasures are thine; this company, this beautiful place, are all thine; because thou art Christ's, and Christ is thine; when thou wast united to him, thou hadst all these with him." Thus take thy heart into the land of promise; show it the pleasant hills, and fruitful vallies; show it the clusters of grapes which thou hast gathered, to convince it that it is a blessed land, flowing with better than milk and honey: "Enter the gates of the holy city; walk through the streets of the New Jerusalem: Walk about Sion, and go round about her; tell the towers thereof, mark well her bulwarks; consider her palaces; that thou mayest tell it to thy soul.(e) Hath it not the glory of God, and is not her light like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper-stone, clear as crystal? See the twelve foundations of her walls, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And the building of the walls of it are of jasper; and the city is pure gold like unto clear glass, and the foundations are garnished with all manner of precious stones. And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, every several gate is of one pearl; and the street of the city is pure gold, as it were transparent glass. There is no temple in it; for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple of it. It hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, in it; for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof; and the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it. These sayings are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angels and his own Son, to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done."(ƒ) Say now to all this, 'This is thy rest, O my soul! And this must be the place of thy everlasting habitation! Let all the sons of Sion rejoice, let the daughters of Jerusalem be glad; for great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the (d) Luke xii. 32. (e) Ps. xlviii. 12, 13. (ƒ) Rev. xxi. 11, 24. xxii. 6. mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Sion, God is known in her palaces for a refuge."(g) § 18. Yet proceed on. The soul that loves, ascends frequently, and runs familiarly through the streets of the heavenly Jerusalem, visiting the patriarchs and prophets, saluting the apostles, and admiring the armies of martyrs. So do thou lead on thy heart as from street to street; bring it into the palace of the great King; lead it, as it were, from chamber to chamber. Say to it, "Here must I lodge; here must I live; here must I praise; here must I love and be beloved: I must shortly be one of this heavenly choir, and be better skilled in the music. Among this blessed company must I take up my place; my voice must join to make up the melody. My tears will then be wiped away; my groans be turned to another tune; my cottage of clay be changed to this palace; my prison rags to these splendid robes; and my sordid flesh shall be put off, and such a sun-like spiritual body be put on: For the former things are here passed away.(h) Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God!) When I look upon this glorious place, what a dunghill and dungeon methinks is earth! O what difference betwixt a man, feeble, pained, groaning, dying, rotting in the grave, and one of these triumphant shining saints! Here shall I drink of the river of pleasures, the streams whereof make glad the city of God.(k) Must Israel, under the bondage of the law, serve the Lord with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things?'() Surely I shall serve him with joyfulness and gladness of heart, for the abundance of glory. Did persecuted saints take joyfully the spoiling of their goods?(m) And shall not I take joyfully such a full reparation of all my losses? Was it a celebrated day wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, because it was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning unto a good day?(n) What a day then will that be to my soul, whose rest and change (g) Ps. xlviii. 1, 2, 3. (h) Rev. xxi. 4. (1) Ps. lxxxvii. 3. (m) Heb. x. 34. |