The Whole Duty of Mourning and Preparing Ourselves for Death, Part 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. A Prospect of the Heavenly Jerusalem, which we are to seek; Practically Considered.
This is an Object worthy all our Pains; and our best deservings undeserving it: take but a glimpse of it, for we can do no more at present; here we see, as in a glass but darkly: 1 Cor. 13.12. Consider it abstractly as a City, then as a Concrete, one to come; first, you see, 'tis a City, not a Wilderness, as is this World, where we are all in Pilgrimage to the Sepulchre: and behold here a most exact Distinction 'twixt this same and the former City: the Worldly one's built but of Clay and Stuble, the Work of Mens Hands, and those that make 'em are like unto 'em, of a Frail dissolution: but this Coelestial City is made by him who made the Hands, whose Architecture is the Almighty, these Buildings therefore are, John 14.2. the abiding Mansions, whereas those Earthly ones: 2 Cor. 5.1. are but Gourds, but Fleeting Tabernacles; you remember the other was a City of Negatives, neither of Strength, Unity, Rest, nor Safety; this of all affirmatives, where in are all those fix'd as in their proper Sphere.
II. And first, 'tis a City of Strength, ask St. John else: Rev. 21.1. the Foundation all of Gold, the Walls of Adamant, and its Twelve Gates of Pearl, materials of the Strongest: yet Guarded with Innumerable Angels that excell in Strength, Psal. 103.20. Garrison'd with an Army of Martyrs, and Govern'd by the Lord of Hosts, indeed there can want no Strength where dwells Omnipotence; here then were that an oppertune Desire, who will lead me into this Strong City? and that will do it, by diligent seeking, if thou pursuest it.
III. This too is a City of Unity, the King of Salem's Dwelling-house; those Stars are the Embroideries of Peaces Coat, and the Gay-beams of the Sun and Moon, but the Bright Smiles of Love Triumphant; Heaven is the Place where Charity was bred, Faith and Hope are low born Vertues to her, 1 Cor. 13.8. here they begin, and here they end: but this greater Grace of Love and Unity, (astray indeed on Earth) take up their Eternal Rest in Heaven, nay, there were no Heaven without it: Concord here, ever Flows, and knows no ebb, springing from the undivided Trinity, unto the Goodly Fellowship of the Prophets, and Communion of all Saints, who shining all with the same Light of Glory, breath all the same Incessant Hallelujahs: none envying each others Happiness, Vessels all full though of several Sizes; none know either want or emulation this Jerusalem is the City, at Vnity with it self: Psal. 122.3.
IV. Next, 'tis a City of Safety, you see, Strengthned beyond all Opposition, and Seated above Short-armed Danger: no angry Storm can shake the Cedars of this Lebanus, or blast the Ascenders of this Holy Mountain, here only may we cry, Peace, Peace, all Safety dwelling here▪ no Enemies being left to interrupt it, Sin and Sorrow, the Grave and Hell are all Conquer'd, by him who hath subdued all things: 1 Cor. 15.27. yet were the World let loose against them, Christ's little Flock need fear no ill; for they are in such a Hand, as who shall take them from him? John. 10.28. let the World totter into its first Chaos, ruin should threaten them in vain, whom God makes dwell in Safety: Psal. 4.8. this Canaan is full of secure Vines and Figg-trees; the Prophet Zachariah means this City Sure; when he says, Men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited: Zach. 14.11.
V. Lastly, all these speak Heaven a City of Rest, where there is such Strength, Love, and Safety, needs must there be true Security: first, Heaven is the Center of Souls, as the Earth is of Bodies, and only there they rest: there indeed being contentation adequate to the Soul's Capacity, no further search, no more desire, where as here, one corner of the Heart or other, still is Empty: Heaven satisfieth the hungry Soul with goodness: Psal. 107.9. and yet this Heavenly Rest is not to be taken, (as some Impious Spirits) only privately, as a total Cessation from all Sacred Business, for in that Sense, Saints have no rest in Heaven, never ceasing to fall down before the Throne, saith St. John, never silencing their Sacred Anthems to the King of Glory but as Philosophy-says of the Spheres, this Holy Motion is their endless rest, in respect of all molestations and wonted troubles, which this World showrs on them; here they are said to rest, and so says the Spirit: Rev. 13.14. they rest from their labours.
VI. And now could but divine Contemplation transport you with St. Paul, 2 Cor. 12.2. but snatcht your Souls a while from out their Earthly Tenements, and Elevate 'em to the Heaven we speak of! what glorious Objects not to be reveal'd, should you there behold? there should you see Felicity walk hand in hand with Eternity; and what this World can never shew you, Glory attended on by Safety: there's Light never Clouded, Health never Weakned, Pleasure unmix'd with Grief, or Beauty with Deformity, a Moon without her Spots, Wisdom acquainted with no Error, and Life beyond the reach of Death.
VII. There shall you see the Eternal Eternally, one whom all shall love without Satiety, and with unweariedness Praise him continually: there likewise should your Ears with Equall Happiness Banquet themselves on the true Coelestial Melody, sweeter than that feign'd of the Spheres, even of Halilujah-singing Saints and Angels: there shall you find, as 'twere an happy Marriage, a Conflux of all goodness united; so that there's nothing absent that you could wish present, nor any thing present that you could wish absent; here then with David we may lye down in Wonder, what glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God! Psal. 87.3. and yet, like as to Sheba's Queen, not the one half can be told you.
VIII. But yet this Happiness is too much for the present; in this Life Pleasure is the shorter twin; and therefore as an exercise of our Hope and Patience, we look for one to come: you see the industrious Husbandman Reaps not presently, but with a costly Confidence, many Days, Weeks and Months, waits at expectation's Gate; so must we, says St. James, chap. 5.7. look for this precious Seed, and have long Patience for it; delay whets our desire, and multiplieth our Estimation: yet may not violate the Rule of Patience, or anticipate the call of Nature; like him that reading Plato's Book of the Souls Immortality, made himself away to hasten it; but such make more hast than good Speed.
IX. Christians must wrap up David's Wish, and St. Paul's Desire, in Job's Patience: Job. 14 14. all the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change cometh; and take the Apostle's Word for it, in due time we shall reap if we faint not: Gal. 6.9. The Mariner too, that Man of hopes, the watry Plough-man, you see, endures his Voyage er'e he gains his Fraight, yet for the most part, somewhat he receives beforehand, but his compleated Payment, not till he makes his utter port: so likewise in our passage to the true Elizium, we patiently must cut through Winds and Waves, and not expect our entire Wages, till our Course be finished.
X. Yet in the mean time, we are not without that Seal of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 1.22. the earnestness of our Hopes, the Co-assurance of God's Spirit with ours; for we have here Heaven in the Blossom, the Fruit not till hereafter; here the harmonious Feast of a good Conscience, which is Heaven inchoate, but for the Consumation, we look for that to come: this one to come, intimates here, both the certainty and duration of this supernatural City: the certainty, because it bears the force of a Promise, and so it is, Heb. 11.16. for God hath prepared them a City, the Saints then sure enough shall have it, since he hath prepared it, all whose promises, are Yea, and Amen, 2 Cor. 1.20. and if his Word be not enough we have his Oath, Psal. 83.3. I have sworn by my Holiness, saith he, that I will not fail David for ever: Woe then, be to our infidelity, if we believe not the Oath which he Sware in the House of his Servant David, that he would give us; and indeed with faithless Man, what is to come may still be so, but Promise-keeping is God's Attribute; for so the Prophet David describes him by it, Psal. 77.8. that he keepeth his promise for ever.
XI. His Performance and his Promise differ not in Essence, if in Time, and therefore as St. Paul exhorts, 1 Cor. 15.58. Brethren, be ye stedfast, and unmoveable, your hope being not in vain in the Lord: we look for a City to come, and that shall come which we look for: I, and not only come, but ever shall continue; the futurity, speaks the permanence, that while 'tis present, it shall be still to come; this future knows not any Preter-perfect-tense, Years eating up Days, Ages swallowing up▪ Years, Time loosing his ne'er so much past, yet ne'er the less to come: not like our slender Joys here, no sooner flow'd to us (almost) but ebbing from us: but a Continuing City, Stor'd with fulness of Joy, and Pleasures for evermore, Psal. 16.11. Evermore! more perennious than the Gliding Stream, or Constant Sun: here the Sun may be one day Darkned, and the Moon pay home her borrowed Light, the fixed Stars may become Planets and wander headlong from their Spheres, whole Nature may so forget her Office, that Heaven and Earth may pass away, but these Pleasures like the Right-hand they wait on, remain for evermore: and this is our expected City, whose Inhabitants, you'l say, (by better title than they of Tarsus) may be called Citizens of no mean City, Act 21.29
XII. And in this Royal City, the days brightness there it knows no light, no nor ever fears the least Eclipse: whose chearful and smiling Brow no Moving Cloud o'recasts; nor tempestuous Storm molests the passage of its Rays: but still shines on Serene and clear; and fills with splendors that Spacious City: it needs not the declining lustre of our Golden Sun; nor the borrow'd Silver of the Pale faced Moon: the Radient Sun that appears there is the Lamb, and the Light that shines is the Glory of God: the Walls of this City are raised with precious Stones, and every Gate is of one rich Pearl; the Mansions are built with choicest Jewels, and the Streets are paved with transparent Gold: in the midst of this City runs a pure Crystal River, perpetually flowing from the Heavenly Throne; there all along those pleasant Banks deliciously grows, the Tree of Life: healing all Wounds with its balmy Leaves, and making Immortal all that but taste its Fruit.
XIII. Thus is the holy City, which we are too seek, Built; thus is the City of the New Jerusalem Adorn'd: O thrice fortunate, and most glorious City! how free and happy are thy blest Inhabitants! every Head there wears a Royal Crown, and every Hand a Palm of Victory: every Sparkling Eye o'reflows with Joy, and every Silver Tongue with Psalms of Praise: there we shall dwell perpetually in the view of God, and be filled for ever with the sweetness of his Presence; this is that Coelestial Sphere, whose Zodiack is Felicity, whose Constellations are degrees of Glory, and whose Poles, are Joy and Eternity.