A Treatise OF THE FELICItie of the life to come VNSAVORIE TO THE obstinate alluring to such as are gone astray and to the faithful full of consolation By A.H. HEB. 12.22 But ye are come vnto the mount Sion and to the Citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT Walde-graue Printer to the Kings Majestie 1594. Cum Priuilegio Regali THE PREFACE TO the faithfull Readers WITH great humilitie and reverence Brethren and not without a warrant of Gods Word ought wee to speake of heavenly things and specially in treating of the life to come there is a singular discretion modestie required both in the teacher and the hearer For the matter is so loftie and transcends so far the vnderstanding of man that as a godly Pastor hath saide It is much more easie to describe and vnderstand the way to heaven and eternall life nor to describe the place and life it selfe Therefore when wee cannot vtter the dignitie of the matter it selfe which is aboue our capacitie we are forced to speake by similitudes and vnder shadowes of natural things which we can conceiue that thereby the things supernatural may be better conceived And this is no wonder seeing the Apostle saith that hee was taken vp into Paradise and heard words which cannot be spoken which are not possible for man to vtter Yea the very spirit of God speaking of the glory of the Elect in the world to come he makes their dwelling place to be made of gold and of precious stones their meat to be of fat things and of twelue manner of fruites and their drink to be of cleare springing waters and of sweet fined Wines And why speakes he after this maner Because we vnderstand this language and by reason of our weaknes and ignorance can mount no higher nor conceiue any farther Now then when I say that in the world to come we shall be delighted with bodily and sensual pleasures and that our senses of seing hearing smelling tasting and of feeling shall be delighted with their owne objects that are proper vnto them I speake so for penuritie of language For how shall that spirituall matter be otherwaies expressed seing there is not an other language for spirituall things nor there is for things naturall but that there is many attributiōs common to them both We see that in the scriptures mention is made of the mouth of God and of the hand of God when notwithstanding the Lord is a spirit and hath neither mouth nor hands as man hath but by the one is signified his word and by the other his power in preserving or punishing Likewise the life is called life aswell of the soule as of the body Death also is a word common both to the soul the body There is no other word for the joy of the soule and the joy of the body but joy and the nurishment of the soul is called Food aswell as the nourishment of the bodie Yet there is no doubt but our bodies shall arise at the last day perfit in all the senses If then we haue the senses of necessitie they must haue their owne objects and consequently that delectation which results of the objects may be pertinently called a bodily or sensuall delectation because it falles vnder the senses of the body Neverthelesse neither shall our bodies and our senses nor yet their objects be naturall mortall or corruptible as they are in this life But they shall be spiritual immortal and incorruptible for as the Apostle saith There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body neither can flesh and blood inherit the kingdome of God That is our naturall bodies as they are now while they be made newe and incorruptible by the spirit of Iesus Christ cannot inherite the kingdome of God Farther the substance and forme of this litle treatise to declare it shortly is this Having laied this ground that the miseries of the righteous are many There is heereupon two questions moued the one is why the Lord doeth so hardly intreat his servants in this life not onely in witholding his temporal benefits from thē but also in sending them great trobles To the which bipartite question it is answered severally that hee measures his giftes according vnto our strength and the pilgrimage which we haue to make that his chief reward is not temporall but everlasting and that he knowes affliction to be good for vs. The other question is why the godly suffers paciētly these wrongs which they might resist The answere is that the reverence which they beare to the Lords commandement and the hope which they haue of the reward promised which is eternal life is the very cause of it And forasmuch as that reward seemes to the naturall man to be farre of and the passage therevnto to be fearefull and difficill It is therefore shewen that neither the reward of the godly is farre off nor yet death by thē to be much feared And to remoue all doubtings of the resurrection It is prooved by diuers similitudes taken from things which we see daily wrought by God in nature to be nothing impossible This done vnto such as beleeue the resurrection of the bodies and the everlasting life is described the felicitie thereof which is collected of the excellencie of the place of the dignitie of the indwellers of the perfection of the pleasures and of the diuturnitie of the time The excellencie of the place is taken from the situation the fabrick and the bewtie thereof from the high stiles that are given vnto it in the Scriptures and from the worthines of the architoure and inhabitants thereof which is also aggreged by the liuely description of a bewtifull terrestriall place and consideration of the bewtie of the firmament the Sunne the Moone and the starres and argumentation from the lesse to the more The dignitie of the indwellers is manifested by their righteousnes and are the three persons of the Trinitie the holy Angels or ministring spirites and all the Saintes or elect people of God which is confirmed by the scriptures Thereafter to expresse the pleasures of the life to come comparisō is made betwixt them and the pleasures of this life whereby the perfection of the one more evidently appeares by the consideration of the other The pleasures of this life are devided in the pleasures of the body and the pleasures of the minde The bodilie pleasures are severally described by giuing an instance of the most plesant objects that can fall vnder the outward senses And the pleasures of the minde which exceeds the sensuall in greatnes are conceived vnder the rare gifts of the body and of the spirite joined with all kinde of honour and worldly promotion This done enumeration is made by an Epilogue of the greatest pleasures which the wit of man can devise and yet are proved to be inferior to the joyes of the life to come But
contentment of the mind might appear more imaginarie nor substantiall where they fall not vnder the outward senses and where the body is not made participant thereof For the soul is but a spirit and is delighted with spirituall things neither can it be rejoiced or yet troubled with things sensuall or corporall being free from the bands of the fleshe Therefore to the effect thou may the better conceiue haue a more sensible feeling of the joyes of the life to come I wil assure thee that not only the soules and spirits of the Elect shal rejoice and be delighted with spiritual plesures but also the bodies shall bee delighted with bodily and sensual pleasures which falles vnder the senses In respect the bodie shal rise againe from death the soule or spirit shall enter againe therein and reallie and with effect both the soule the senses shall be delighted albeit not with such naturall corruptible things least any man should dreame such an vnperfite delectation as that where with our mortall bodies are delighted in this life but with heavenly and incorruptible things like as our bodies shall then be incorruptible and immortall And let no man think that at the day of the resurrection any of vs shall resume a fantastical body of an other forme shape nor that which we haue nowe but a very corporal and substantial body which may be seene and felt having all the senses in greater quicknes and perfection nor it hath them in this life but free alwaies from such fragilitie and naturall infirmities wherevnto the mortall body is subject For looke in what maner and with what body our Saviour Iesus Christ rose againe from death which after his resurrection but before his ascention full glorification was seene and knowne by his Disciples conversed with them and was griped by his Disciple Thomas In like maner and with the like bodies shall hee raise vs vp againe at the latter day And when we shall be glorified our bodies shall not be hinderfull vnto the actions of the spirit nor a fasheous prison vnto it as the body is in this life but it shal be a pleasant tabernacle and a necessarie organe vnto the spirite reddy to yeeld and obey it in all the offices and functions therof In such sort that where the spirit shall desire to be the body shall be transported with it as swift as the thought without any resistance So that in all our actions we shal be like vnto the Angells and celestiall bodies Our eyes then I say shall be delighted with beholding of things bewtifull our eares with hearing of heavenly sounds and harmony our taist with such celestiall and Angellike foode as shall be agreable therevnto our nostrells with smelling of pleasant and delectable odours and our sense of feeling with feeling of all kind of volupteous and perfite pleasure my reason is this because we shal haue a perfit sight of the face of God and the full fruition of his divine Majestie which is the consummation perfection of al pleasures For he that seeth the face of God seeth eminently and after a most excellent maner the bewtie and perfection of all his Creatures because from him they receiue all their bewtie and perfection Therefore by necessarie consequence in injoying the majestie of God the Creator we shal also injoy through him in him all the pleasures which can be taken of any Creature which the Lorde hath made either living or without life What thing vpon earth is comparable to the majestie and throne of God which Iohn saw by Revelation He that sate vpon the throne saith he was to looke vpon like vnto a Iasper stone a Sardine and there was a Rainbowe round about the throne in sight like to an Emerande and out of the throne proceeded lightenings and thunderings and voices and there were seene Lamps of fyre burning before the throane which are the seaven spirits of God The rest of the description thereof for brevitie I omit and remits the Reader to the place it self where it is described And did not the whole people of Israell see with their corporall eies and heare with their eares thunderings and lightenings and a thick cloud vpon mount Sinay and the sounde of a trumpet exceeding loude so that they were all afraide And did they not see mount Sinay al on a smoke the smoke thereof ascending as the smoke of a fornace because the Lord came downe vpon it in fyre and the mount trembling exceedinglie Likewise Moses Aaron Nadab and Abihu and seventie of the Elders of Israell saw a part of the Majestie of God onely in so farre as their infirmitie and weaknes was able to beare And vnder his feet they sawe as it were a worke of a Saphire stone and as the very heaven when it is cleare And did not the skinne of the face of Moses shine bright after that God had talked with him In such sort that the Israelites were affraide to come neere him Howe then shall wee shine that shall behold him face to face and injoye his presence for ever Surely in beholding the bewtie of his glorious face we shall be made bewtifull And in injoying the presence of his Majestie we shall also injoy all these joyes and pleasures presently expressed and besides them many other greater which as the Apostle saith It is not possible to the wit and toung of man to vtter and declare We shall be filled with al vertue and perfection we shall be healthie wee shall be strong wee shall be joyfull and glad wee shall haue perfit contentment we shal be assured and in perfit securitie we shall be wise we shall be patient we shall be constant we shall be charitable wee shall be holy we shall be glorious All our actions desires studies and imaginations shal be good and we shall not haue so much as an intention or inclination vnto evill To be short as it is promised in the Apocalips we shal inherit all things the Lord shal be our God and we shal be his sons And as the Prophet Daniel saith we shal shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes shal shine as the starres for ever and ever Wee shall receiue a crowne of righteousnes as sainct Paul saith which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue at that day to all them that loues his appearing Wee shall sing these praises and newe songes which Iohn heard by Revelation Holy holy holy Lord God Almightie which was and which is and which is to come Thou art worthie O Lord to receiue glory and honour and power For thou hast created all things and for thy wills sake they are and haue bene created Item worthie is the Lamb that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory praise Praise and honour and glory and power be vnto
accomplished with al perfections Therefore the Evangelist Iohn whome our Saviour Iesus Christ loved being about the description of that great Citie holy Ierusalem to expresse the fabrick bewty and perfection thereof according to the capacitie of man and as it was revealed vnto him by the spirit of God he saith That the Citie is of pure gold like vnto cleare glasse that it is four square and is twelue thousand furlongs or fiftene hundreth miles of length asmuch of bredth and asmuch of height Hee makes it to haue twelue gates and every gate to be of a pretious Pearle and hee makes the streets of the citie to be of pure gold as shining glasse The wall of the which citie he makes to be a hundreth fourtie and foure cubits of height and saith that it is made of a pretious Iasper stone Such like that the foundations of the wall of the Citie are garnished with all manner of pretious stones and there be numbers out twelue foundations garnished set with twelue divers sorts of most pretious stones In such sort that he saith the shining of the Citie is like vnto a stone most pretious even as a Iasper stone which is alwaies greene and flourishing cleare as Cristal This is spoken according to the capacitie of the weak wit of man But because the sense is allegorick and is rather referred vnto the Church of Christ and number of the elect nor vnto the place it selfe I will not insist farther therein Alwaies to declare the extreame light and bewtie thereof he saith that the Citie hath no neede of the Sunne nor the Moone to shine in it for the Glory of God doth make it light and the Lambe of God Iesus Christ is the light thereof and there shall be no night there But forasmuch as the bewtie and excellencie of that place shal be most liuely set down before our eies by making comparison of the same with bewtiful places here vpon earth which we may see with our eies and conceiue by our vnderstanding Let vs enter in the consideration description of a bewtiful place which may be devised here vpon Earth For if there appeare any singularitie or magnificence in the one it may be easily considered that the other is much more singular and magnifick I presuppose that there is a faire Pallace situat on a pleasant greene field on the head of a devalling banke which is devised by most skilful Architectors and is builded by most perfite and cunning artificers in Geometrie in the Mecaniks and in all kinde of handicrafts hauing at their will all kinde of fine materialls requisite for building as Marble Porphyre Alabaster timber yron brasse Ivorie leade glasse gold and azor The which place is garnished within with all kind of pretious movables plenishing At the foot of the devalling bank there is plaine greene and fertill haughs and a faire portatiue River running by replenished with divers kindes of fishes and not far from the Pallace there is a faire Forrest wherein is great store of Harte Hynde Roe and of fallow Dear and of al other sorts of four footed beasts of fouls which are either plesant to behold or profitable for the vse of man There is store of faire Cedar Firre oak and of pyne trees And neer vnto the Palace are planted faire and pleasant Gardens distinguished with vallies and casten with knots and laberinths of all sortes of odoriferant and savorie flowers Wherein there is also cleare ponds replenished with divers sorts of rare and delicate Fishes Volories prepared for pleasant and well singing birds medalls of sattyres and of all kind of creeping things There is aboundance of Oliues Oranges a bricois and all kinde of fruite trees which brings forth their delicius fruits in their owne seasons and in the Sommer season while the weather is temperat calme and the bright Sun-shining in the cleare firmament which to behold the birds the fowles makes a loud noyce and naturall melodie among the greene trees who would not think but this place were pleasant and delectable to dwell in But if wee think that there is any bewtie or excellencie into this place which may be devised by the wit of man There is no doubt but that place where the Majestie of God doth remaine and dwel is much more bewtifull and excellent Considdering that he is the chief Architector and artificer of all others and hath both created all the world and hath giuen the spirit and cunning vnto all craftismen Moreover if this place may be imagined and devised and appears delectable and pleasant here vpon earth which is not a place of pleasure but a little point and centre situate in the midst of that ample circumference of the heaven a vaill of miserie wherein we are banished as strangers to suffer paine to make our penitence for a time for our sins How much more shal the tabernacle of the almightie Lord be delectable pleasant which is the place of perfit felicitie where both the lord hath placed his glorious throne where his holy Angels doth remain and which he hath promised as a most singular reward to his Elect and chosen Children where hee hath also promised to bring the glory of Kings of the earth the glory of the Gentiles or Nations Farthermore the bewtie of the Sunne Moone starres and of the firmament is very singular and pleasant to beholde The Sun is so extreame bright that with great difficultie the eies of man are able to looke vpon it and it giues light to all the world The Moone at her full is of great bewtie whitenes and is appointed to governe the night The glistering starres innumerable for multitude twinkels in the firmament like vnto cleare diamonds The skies being purified from the clouds are blewe like vnto a Saphyre stone and are cleare as the Cristal which wee see at sometime partie colloured even damasked as it were with thinne white clouds and at the going downe of the Sunne we see the west of times over-fret and painted with rednes more plesant and bewtiful to behold nor the Rubie or the precious Charbukle Notwithstanding of all this the bewtie of our heuenly dwelling place shal be much more excellent which may be proved by these two reasons Our eies sees our vnderstanding is able to conceiue their bewtie foresaide but as to the excellencie of the celestial tabernacle which the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him according to the testimonie of Paul before alleadged Our wit is not able to conceiue it in this life The other reason is this The Prophet Esay the Apostle Peter and the Evangelist Iohn doth plainly testifie that the heavens and the earth which are nowe and all that is therein shall be dissolved and passe away and that the Lord shal creat a new heaven and a new earth Which without all question shal be more bewtifull and excellent nor the heavens and the earth that