We may justly wonder at the ravishing delight of those Holy Spirits wherewith they are nourished to ever-springing and soul-fustaining Extasies in their Ministration before him and studying the beautiful Volumes of his Essence Saints shall see him as distinct from all Creatures and unvailed of all Relation and yet take superlative pleasure in that all the Excellencies in their God are in him as an Everlasting Father and he that sitteth on he Throne shall dwell among them Rev. 7.15 17. and the Lamb in the midst of the Throne shall feed them in the Pastures of Glory and lead them to Living Fountains of Water In that day it 's likely they may understand more of his Eternal Counsels of Election Creation Redemption and Salvation then now and dive into the Ocean of his inscrutable Providences and walk among those Coral Rocks and Mines of Pearl that now lye hid in the great Deeps It 's no small advantage to this withering old Age of the World to reflect upon the Passages of all successive Generations both before and since the Floud both before and since the Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour 'T is a Cordial to refresh our drooping Spirits in this sink and sullage of times to recal the state of the three Worlds in Peter 2 Pet 3.6 7. and to gather Maxims for direction in difficult and stormy Deluges To revolve the Prophesies and their fulfillings as to the rise growth decrease and fall of the 4 mighty Monarchies in Daniel and to observe that when they touch'd upon the Church the Apple of his Eye how then they began to totter and decline to ruine and thereby to encourage us as to the fatal Destruction of all the Adversaries that shall arise till the Glory of the New Jerusalem That all the Toes of Daniels Image shall as certainly be broken in pieces as the Head and Shoulders Dan. 2.35 the Legs as the Breast and Belly and the Statue shall become like the Chaff of the Somer thresning flowers which the Wind shall carry away and no place be found for them and the Stone that smites that Image shall become a great Mountain a Glorious Kingdom filling the whole Earth But these though such Illustrious Fruits of the Eternal Counsels of God are small things in comparison of what the Saints shall see perfectly in the Mount of Glory Then the reasons of all the motions of the Wheels in Ezekiel conveying the Chariot of Cherubims shall shine as bright as the Wheels themselves Then they shall admire at Heavens Reasons of state for all the Intricacies Perplexities and afflictions of the Church in all Ages and Nations the Foundation of the glory which then shall follow Then shall the saints behold an object which shall transform the Subject of the Spectator into the same refulgent Glory to be like him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 Ps 34.5 As they in the Psalmist were enlightned by vision and the longer they behold the optick Nerve of the Soul will advance stronger into the depth of Intellectual beauties 2 Cor. 3.18 and be changed from Glory to Glory Yea when their countenances shine beyond the Sun in his strength they shall sit down in the Kingdom of their Father at a Glorious Supper where blessed Angels shall attend the great Lord and Bridegroom of his Church They shall drink abundantly Songs 5.1 Hebr. Mat. 26.29 Rev. 2.9 be inebriated with new Wine and eat of the Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God alluding to that of Eden in the State of Innocence While the Learned dispute about that Trees real existence in nature Danaei mund antiq p. 31. Ep. Augustin de civ l. 13. c. 21. Junius c. though hid from mortals in the Regions of Mesopotamia while others fancy it to be the Imputrible Cedar and that a first Ens or Balsamick Oil may be extracted from it for prolongation of Life Helmont Grembs while they argue let us determine that Saints shall then seed upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Tree of Life Is 65.22 the Lord Jesus himself when the union of our nature in and by him to the Divine shall communicate to all his Mystical Members Eternal Life not only by donation but influence The Jews affirm Joh. 10.28 that Manna tasted to the Palate of their Fathers according to every ones wish and sancy However that story stands we are certain that in this Bread of Life the very desires and wishes of Saints shall be transcended It hath not entred into the Heart of Man to conceive what is prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 That Heavenly Feast will be soul-satisfying to the utmost When I awake says David i. e. in the Resurrection Morning I shall be satisfied with thy Likeness For in the Presence or Face of God will be fulness of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word used for the Exhilaration of the Spirits by Wine Ps 17.15.16.11 Judg. 9 1◠Eccl. 10.19 For infinite Grace and Glory will shine from the Light of his Countenance Rivers of Eden or pleasure flow at his Right Hand for evermore Ezek. 47.7.12 Rev. 22.1 to nourish the delicious Trees of Paradise for Food and Medicine whereby to preserve a Glorious Immortalily in the Life to come In that Triumphal Coronation and Nuptial Feast there will be satiety without cloying satisfaction connex'd with longing a continual enjoyment of the same delights without fear or sense of deprivation For its Duration shall be everlasting It shall never be sung Tibi deserit hesper Olympum No evening shadows shall darken these Olympian Mountains Saints shall never rise from that Festival Table Is 35.10 Rev. 7.17 but everlasting Joy shall set upon their heads and hearts and the everlasting Father shall wipe away all Tears yea the spring of Tears out of their Eyes There King Solomon will sit down with all his Glory in that day in the gladness of his Heart Song 3.11 There will be present the everlasting Comforter abiding with the Saints for ever Joh. 14.16 Rev. 22.17 Heb. 12.22 The Spirit faith Come as well as the Bride There will be an innumerable company of Angels Luk. 24.4 in their Gorgeous Attire of white and shining Raiment and Crowns of Gold upon their Heads Rev. 4.4 Oh what a glittering shew will stand round about the Celestial Saphire Throne Whenas one Angel in his magnificent pomp and splendour were enough to extinguish the Sun and all the bright Lamps of the inferiour Heavens Rev. 21.23 There will be the whole Congregation of the First born from Abel to Enoch from Noah to Abraham from Moses to Samuel under the waving Standards of the Tribes of Israel solacing in each others communion Lazarus talking in the Arms of Abraham and beloved John once again asking questions in the Bosom of Christ The persecuted Thessalonian Brethren shall be the Joy and Crown of Rejoycing to Holy Paul
to amuse yea amaze us under the sense of Divine Goodness and to draw our Hearts with the silken cords of love It 's his favour that drops the inclinations of affection into the hearts and tempers the reciprocal tides in the breasts of such whom he ordains for conjugal relation His Eye guided out-cast Hagar to a shrub in Paran Gen. 24.39 40 58. 29.11 and rather then her son should perish for thirst an Angel must point out a Well to slake her sorrow Wonderful are the instances both in sacred and civil Story in discovery of means ordering of method guiding of accidents to the prevention of dangers and preservation of life and the sudden issuing of sudden distresses No less admirable are many quick and stupendious deliverances out of Dungeons and Prisons to great and famous Advancements and by providences to us occasional and accidental flow high and exalted manifestations of God to his Church and people Not to be curious in ranking under distinct heads give leave to mention a few mixt Examples in various kinds Pharaohs Daughter coming occasionally to the Rivers side Exo. 2.6 had compassion on little Moses weeping in his Cradle of Bulrushes Her heart wept over the tears of Moses she brought him up like a Prince in Egypt to be Prince of Israel Thus God makes his enemies to foster their own Supplanters and to build up their own destroyers After this the Humanity of Moses to the Daughters of Jethro in watering their Sheep advanced him to be Son in Law to the Prince of Midian A poor Captive Maiden in the Land of Syria by a few words was the occasion of the cure of Naamans Leprosie both in soul and body And another finding favour in the eyes of the great King of Persia was the occasion of delivering the Jews from destruction in 127 Provinces and the Reading of that Kingdoms Chronicles opened a door to Mordecai's Glory and Haman's Infamy Joseph and Daniel arrived to unexpected Preferment by exposition of Princes Dreams whereby the Church of God was strangely preserved and at length delivered from Exile Simeon and Anna coming into the Temple at an instant of Providence met with the Lords Anointed and saw his Salvation Many of the choicest Mercies fall under this head The first and primary Mercy to the World the Protevangelium the preaching of the Gospel to Adam by God himself transcended the thoughts and imaginations of our fallen Parents The sending of the Messiah's Sceptre out of Zion among the Gentile Idolaters who sought him not and the Conversion of whole Nations to the Obedience of his Spiritual Law was performed by preventing Grace to the whole world and the particular turnings of Rebellious Souls to God are often managed by secret instincts Austin would needs sail over Sea to Rome against the prayers and tears and fears of his holy Mother She dreaded his being corrupted by the debauchery of Rome but God sent him to Milan to be converted by Ambrose and as he speaks sweetly of Gods denial of her prayers as to his journey Confes 1. â— c. 8. Sed tu alte consulens exaudiens cardinem desiderii ejus non curasti quod tunc petebat ut in me faceres quod semper petebat But thou in wise counsel didst regard the hinge on which her desires turned didst reject her present prayer to give in the effect of her constant petitions Many times such who run from the means of their own Salvation fall into the happy snares of Divine Mercy and such who are naturally unwilling to be saved Austin praevenisti ut vellem the secret Wisdom of Providence allures to become a willing people in the day of his Power Should I enlarge upon the many rare cases of special preventing Mercies this Discourse would run over the banks of Volumes Famous is the Instance of that man whose Horse in a dark night wafted him over a Plank laid upon the breach of Rochester Bridge and the next day coming to see the place of his strange deliverance sunk into the deep waters of Amazement and died away Great Salvation did the Lord work also for a Friend of mine M. Charles Morton who riding in the night along the High Way at Menegizy Cliffs in Cornwall which was fallen down into the Sea at a vast depth might have perish'd inevitably had not a man suddenly stept out of his door at his passing by and prevented the mischief More admirable the safe fall of a Butcher upon his Sheep from the Cliff at Dover Castle as the Inhabitants report How did an impulse upon Mr. Dods Spirit to visit a Friend two miles off in the night prevent the Self-murder of that person by a Halter who was esteemed truly gracious but overwhelmed by direful tentations How did an unexpected Fog prevent a second Battel between the English and Dutch in the late Wars And the like happened in the days of King Edward the Confessor upon the Navies addressing to fight How admirably have many persons been cured preserved delivered by sudden accidents Memorable is that story in Tilingius of one who being cured of a Dropsie by the poison of a Toad designed for his destruction became the Publisher of that Specifick Some by Falls into Rivers have been cured of Madness others by sudden frights restored to the use of their Limbs and others by Shipwreck have escaped Piracy And which is distinct as to relief unexpected in deep poverty that of Accesilaus is remarkable who caused a Bag of Money to be conveyed under the pillow of a sick Friend modestly hiding his poverty that he might find it rather then receive it And others that have let fall Money into the laps of persons from a window as if it fell from Heaven As to preventing Mercy in reference to prayer â— 65.24 Sometime before we call God is pleased to answer When the Heart is but a tuning he discovers the Lesson and turns it into a Song of praise Ps 32.5 When David was under resolutions of Confession God actually forgave the iniquity of his sin Gen. 24.15 45. Before Eliezer had done speaking in the case of Isaac out comes Rebecca with the answer of prayer When Hezekiah was praying and weeping 2 Kings 20.5 Turn again says the Lord to Isaiah and tell the Captain of my people I will heal thee And Gabriel told beloved Daniel Dan. 9.20 21 23. that at the beginning of his Supplication he was commanded to fly more swiftly down to Daniel then his prayer could fly up to Heaven So ready is our gracious Father to smell a savour of rest when the Incense of prayer is but newly kindled CHAP. III. The Numerousness of Preventing Mercies THE glittering Stars of Heaven the drops of the briny Ocean and the Sands upon the winding Shores the Dusts of the Earth and the Atoms that swim in the Sun-beams are not so numerous as these excellent Mercies Archimedes could write a Treatise
at that day in the presence of Jesus Christ 1 Thes 2.19 Then the Refusers of the Head-stone of the Corner shall see the Ancient Patriarchs in the Kingdom of God Luk. 13.28 and themselves thrust out Then shall Moses and Elias prosecute their ancient Discourse with our Blessed Lord all the Disciples hearing Mark 9.7 upon a higher Mountain than Tabor and no Cloud to over-shadow more At that Banquet there will be Musick that will hold a Confort and Symphony with all the Powers of the Soul All the Dorick and Lesbian Strains are but discords and ungrateful scrapings to those Heavenly Amphions whose Harps and Voices echo against the Chrystalline Jasperwalls of the New Jerusalem Rev. 21.11 When all the Prodigal Sons shall come to themselves and taste of the Fatted Calf What ravishing Songs shall amaze the Sphears and the 7 Sirens of Heaven Plato in Macrob. de somn Scip. l. 2. c. 3. Max. Tyr. ser 21. Luk. 2.8 13. Ps 22.22 Heb. 2.12 Rev. 14.3 4. when the Heavenly Intelligences themselves shall sing Glory to God in the Highest and the Shepherds of all the Churches shall be present When the King of the Church himself shall begin the Psalm and sing aloud in the midst of the Congregation above and all the undefiled Virgins shall follow playing with Harps and answering with Voices to the New Song of the Lamb before the Throne the 4 living Creatures in allusion to the 4 Cherubims in Solomon's Temple and the 24 Elders representing the 24 Orders of Priests Though none can learn this Song but who are redeemed from the Earth yet 't is compos'd and laid before those Heavenly Spirits by the Pen of the Beloved Disciple Blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne Rov 5.8 and to the Lamb for ever and ever And while this Song is melodiously answered by the warbling Harps the joyful Guests are entertain'd with fragrant Odours perfuming the Celestial Mercy-seat and the Spiknard of the Gardens of Zion of the Forest of Lebanon sends forth its delicious Smell as the King of the Church in all his Royalty sits at his Table in Glory Song 1.12 But alas who can reach the Lustre of that day which will amaze Angels themselves It sinks our Spirits to think of Eternity 't is a bottomless Gulf to the thoughts of most raised Souls But as we cast our selves here by Faith upon the Heart and Love of Christ so must we rest in his Love to fulfil all his glorious Promises Zeph. 3.17 and capacitate the Soul for these Accomplishments But before that august and resplendent day which will sit upon the Throne of Magnificence we must remember and ponder seriously upon the awakening Trumpet of the Archangel at his own appearance Job 5.28 when the Bodies of all the Saints in order to these unmatch'd Enjoyments shall be rais'd out of their embalmed dust where they lay perfumed by the Spices of their Lords Sacred Body Is 26.19 Which Doctrine of Resurrection to life not only the Holy Scriptures amply confirm for a Foundation of Faith but there are some no contemptible sentiments of the same in many varieties of Nature Every Morning utters it and every Spring revives it Every Trumpet over the new Moon proclaims it and every emersion of the Planets from under the Suns combustion darts a Beam upon this notion Every Insect that starts from the corruption of dissolved Animals is no ignoble Emblem Any Metal or Mineral calcined and reviv'd by a proper menstruum yields us a pleasant specimen Not to enlarge upon those rare experiments which the learned Chemists style by the name of the Trees of Philosophers some whereof are represented both in Gold and Silver French distil p. 181. and one in Copper first corroded by Aqua fortis and revived into Sea green branches like Coral growing in a G1ass by help of the Liquor of Sand or Pebles I have sometimes shewn This curiosity is more exquisitely set forth in Vegetables Borrichius contr Conring p. 36â— Borelli observ p. 325. Beck experim p. 244. Quercitan de hermâ—â— p 293. Libav syntag arcan chymiâ— l. 1. c. 22. p. 48. as the Learned well know by the Writings of Borcllus Borichius Beckius and others to whom the inquisitive may repair Give leave a little to enlarge on that story in Quercetan of a Polonian Doctor who had above 30 Glasses hermetically sealed wherein were the Ashes of so many Plants as the Mary-gold the many colour'd Poppy the Rose c. chemically prepared it may be after the manner of a Clyssus as they term it wherein lay hid the Tinctures Spirits Salts and Oils of each Vegetable and at the request of Visitants would set the gentle heat of a Candle under any Glass and by and by the Plant would begin to rise into a Stalk Branches Leaves and then present a double-flower'd Rose as if it were a Corporeal but really a Spiritual Idea and yet endowed with a spiritual essence and wanted nothing to give it the compleat assumption of a solid body but committing it to the impregnating Salt in a fit and congenial Earth which upon withdrawing of the warmth would slide down gradually and sink into its former chaos in the Glass The truth of which Story I leave to the faith and veracity of that grave learned and experienced Writer not busying our thoughts too much with these faint resemblances nor with imitation of those people in Herodotus who intomb'd their Friends in Glass or of the Egyptians who embalm'd with Myrrhe and Aloes c. or that ingenious fancy of Kerkring Kerkring see in Morhof ' ' Epistle to Langelot p. 50. to invest the body in Amber while we by a stedfast faith rely upon the word of our adored Creator not doubting but Infinite Power is able to persorm what Infinite Wisdom contrives and Infinite Faithfulness hath promised to accomplish Let us with Holy Peter look to and hasten after this Glorious Day 2 Pet. 3.12 and labour to be found in their number who makeup the unspotted Bride of Christ and daily study to prepare and adorn our Souls for that Festival Triumph to have our Loins girt our Lamps burning Zach. 4.14 and our Vessels fill'd with holy Oil from the two anointed ones that stand before the Lord of the whole Earth Rev. 11.4 the two Witnesses that dispense the Sanctuary Oil for the Candlesticks of the Church Mat. 25.6 that so at the great cry at midnight Behold the Bridegroom cometh go forth to meet him that being ready we may enter with him to the Marriage in the Bride Chamber 1 Cor. 11.7 Pro. 12.4 As a Holy Wife is the Glory of a Holy Husband and reflects the Graces of his Heart in the Glass of her Pious Life If he be gracious she is likewise and becomes his Glory by reflection His excellency shines in her deportment like the Moon