Contemplative Pictures with Wholesome Precepts Part 1, Picture 9
The Picture of Heauen.
HEauen is the hauen of reſt: deſired of all, hoped for of many; but onelyonly enioyed of the beſt. It is the higheſt place, the ſeat and throne of God, the habitation of Angels, the harbour for the iuſt. It is the court of the great King, the mighty Creator. It is the Lords Tabernacle, the faithfull mans receptacle: the Region reſplendent, the comfortable continent, the Citie of ſafetie, ſecurity: the ſacred ſanctuarie of peace, proſperitie. All in it are without miſery, neuer after ſubiect to calamitie. It is a Paradiſe for pleaſure, a Citie for beauty, and a Kingdome for ſtate. Heere is life temporall, there life eternall: here the beginnings of grace, there the perfection of goodneſſe. There is God in his fulneſſe of glory, yet to none dreadfull, there he raignes in iuſtice, and yet with none wrathfull. The company are all triumphant, as heere they hauehave beene members Militant. All is in tune, concord, neuer diſcord; ſweet melody, neuer any bitter malady. Such fulneſſe there is of all things, ſuch louelove mutually in all, ſuch reſpect from all to each others ſtate and place, as no exceſſe is ſeen, nor any defect is felt; who that hauehave leaſt can deſire no more, and thoſe that hauehave moſt, diſcerne no want in other. All is beautifulneſſe there without blemiſh, immeaſurable beyond all motion, excellent beyond all imagination. The wals thereof are of ſtones moſt precious, the ſtreets paued with pure gold, all the worke is framed curiouſly, ſet out with all ſorts of pearle very ſumptuouſly, and adorned with al skil moſtgloriouſly. It is decked with all delights, repleniſhed with all pleaſure, garniſhed with algraces, beutified with the beſt companie, flouriſhing with the flowre of all nations. There is the roiall Prieſthood, the peculiar people, the children of light, the new creatures, the elect by Gods preordination, the ſeparated Society by Gods effectuall vocation, and the holy Saints by the ſpirits ſanctification. There are metioifully together the Head and his body, Chriſt and his Church, the Prince of peace, with his Patriarks and Prophets, Prieſts and Profeſſors, Apoſtles and Apoſtolicall men, Saints, true ſeruants to God, Miniſters of the Goſpell, and Martyrs for the truth. They are all there noble, none ignominious, all Kings raigning, all victoriouſly triumphing: None contemptible, all honourable. All inueſted in glory, crowned in Maieſtie, cloathed in ſincerity. Their faces ſhine with comely beautie, their hearts are filled with pietie, their tongues extoll the Lord with ſpirituall alacritie, and in their hands they hold Palms in token of victorie. This heauenly happineſſe cannot bee imagined; the bleſſings are ſo many, they cannot bee numbred; ſo innumerable, as they cannot be comprehended, ſo incomparable, as cannot be equaled; of ſuch value as cannot bee prized; ſo great, as not to bee meaſured; and of ſuch eternitie, as they neuer can be ended. They be ioifull in an euer-reioicing ioy, they cry aloud Hoſannah, and ſing cheerefully Halleluiah. They ſtand before the face of God in ineſtimable fauour, in the view of Angels with brightneſſe ouerſhining the Sunne. Mercy embraceth them, without doubt of miſerie: in comfort without diſcontentment, in peace endleſſe, in glory matchleſſe. There is mirth without ſadneſſe, health without ſickneſſe, ſoberneſſe of countenance without ſorrow, tranquillity without vndermining trecherie, liuelihood without labour, goods and riches without greeuance in getting, without care in keeping: and a full felicity of all things without adding, without diminiſhing. Ther is flowriſhing youth neuer decaying, ſtrength neuer abating, comelie countenance neuer withering: liuelineſſe is without fading, couragiouſneſſe of heart and ſpirit without danting. There is euer louelove without lothing or diſlike, victorie without feare of after vanquiſhment, gladneſſe without diminution of goodneſſe. Mortalitie hath put on immortalitie, corruption glorification. No ſin is there to be ſeene, the Law is fulfilled, the curſe is remoued, death ſubdued, the promiſes of the Goſpell fully accompliſhed. Faith hath her perfect work in charitie, hope her deſired happineſſe, louelove a large ſcope in euerlaſting vnitie. There is no Foe to fight, no Couſener to collogue, no Paraſite to diſſemble, no Superiour among them to command, no Inferiour to yeeld obedience: no maligning enuie, no proud Soueraignetie. All are now equall members, no diuided orders; no ſorrainers, but brethren; no ſtrangers, but all of the houſhold of faith: Children of one holie Father, coheirs with Chriſt, their elder brother. There are no teares, the cauſe is taken away: No torment, Chriſt freed them by his puniſhment; no dreade, Chriſt ſet them at libertie from death; no crying, there is no paine; no pangs or ſorrowfull paſſion, they poſſeſſe peace in Paradiſe. No diſeaſe can infect the body, it is not ſubiect to ſickneſſe, it is freed from infirmities, and cannot be diſtreſſed by calamities. There is no ſighing nor ſobbing through ſorrow of heart, ſuch accidents cannot happen; no lamētable complaints for iniuries offred, no wrongs can there be wrought. No ill ſucceſſe nor wofull wants, no griefe of mind nor anguiſh of ſpirit, no cruell oppreſſion, nor ominous action find there a ſubiect to harbour in, neither practiſer nor patron. Care combers no mans mind, nothing weakneth the vnderſtanding, nothing blunts the apprehenſion. Iudgement cannot bee infected with error, zeale with corrupt affection, patience with anger. Will is there without wilful frowardneſſe, the heart without deceit and hardneſſe. Thoughts are not troubled, they be not corrupted: affections not diſtempered, they bee not diſordered. The holy ſpirit rules all, the holy Lamb leades all, God by his power preſerues them, by his grace doth euer aſſiſt them. All mercies are receiued thankefully, al commands are obeied rightly: in hart without hypocriſie, willinglie without grudging, readilie without lingring, faithfully without altering, ioifully without murmuring, and conſtantly without ceaſing. Their drinke is the ſweet water of life, Angels foode their delicate nouriſhment, Chriſts righteouſneſſe their holie raiment, and their perfect fulnes ioifull contentment. In a word, there is happineſſe with goodneſſe, felicitie with vnitie, ſafetie with ſolace, peace with perfection, pleaſure with profit, agreement with grace, lowlineſſe without contempt, exaltation without pride, ſecurity without carnality, ſtability without wauering, abundance without euer-wanting. All perſons generallie hauehave the participation of ioy, and eueryevery one in particular the fruition of glory. Nothing there is here to the eie diſcernable, nothing there but innarrable, all things to humane reaſon incredible. A man may imagine much, a tong may ſpeake much, the eare may heare much, yet heauenly happineſſe is beyond all relation, all imagination. The name of heauen to all is louely, many doe wiſh it hartily. All Religions aime at it: the Iew expects it, the Turke wiſheth it, the wickedeſt deſire it, the Papiſt would merit it, the Schiſmaticke ſeekes for it; the ſound Proteſtant, the deuout Chriſtian by faith begges it, and hee through Ieſus Chriſt ſhall enioy it; to whom be praiſe and glorie for euermore. Amen.
Precepts.
O Mortall man, doe thou often meditate of this happineſſe. Let it eat vp thy heart with deſire to enioy it. Let carking for this world bee expelled with thy care of heauen: neglect not this felicity, the things heere are tranſitorie vanitie. Delight not in the pleaſures of death, to loſe, for them, the paradiſe of life. To winne the world by works of darkneſſe, what is thy gaine, if thou loſe true goodneſſe? To pawne thy ſoule for ſinne, is it not madneſſe? Exchange not God for the Diuell, goodneſſe for badneſſe, heauen for hell. Heauen is a holy place, the vncleane enter not thereinto. Suppoſe no ſuch eaſie paſſage, as fabulous Poets paint out: Straite is the way vntounto it, narrow is the gate to goe into it: many ſeeke it, few doe find it. Let thy way be veritie; thy path pietie, the ſpirit thy conductor, the word a directour, thy eie faith, thy ſtaie hope. The ſtraitneſſe of it, is affliction; the narrowneſſe, true contrition; the ſuburbs, the Church; the dore, Chriſt: by whom thou ſhalt enter into the pallace, euen the Paradiſe of God. Striue then to auoid heere wickedneſſe, to eſcape all future wretchedneſſe, that thou maieſt poſſeſſe this true bleſſedneſſe for euermore. This God grant thee, Chriſt merit for thee, the holie Spirit therof certainely aſſure thee, and thy godlie life witneſſe the ſame to thee, that thou maieſt end thy daies comfortably.
Amen.