Dying Thoughts Upon Philippians 1:23, Appendix · Part 1
I. The differences between this World, and that which I am going to.
I. THis World is God's Footſtool. That is his Throne.
II. Here are his Works of Inferiour Nature and of Grace. There he ſhineth forth in Perfect Glory.
III. Here is groſs Receptive Matter moved by Inviſible Powers. There are the nobleſt efficient communicative Powers moving all.
IV. This is the Inferiour, ſubject, Governed World. That is the Superiour Regent World.
V. This is a World of Trial, where the Soul is his that can win its conſent. That is a World where the Will is perfectly determined and fixed.
VI. Satan winning mens Conſent, hath here a large Dominion of Fools: There he is caſt out, and hath no Poſſeſſion.
VII. Here he is a … and Troubler of the Beſt: There he hath neither Power to Tempt or Trouble.
VIII. This World is as the dark Womb where we are regenerated. That is the World of Glorious Light into which we are born.
IX. Here we dwell on a World of ſordid Earth: There we ſhall dwell in a World of Celeſtial Light and Glory.
X. Here we dwell in a troubleſom, tempting, periſhing Body. There we are delivered from this burden and priſon, into glorious liberty.
XI. Here we are under a troubleſom Cure of our Maladies. There we are perfectly healed, rejoicing in our Phyſicians praiſe.
XII. Here we are uſing the Means in wearineſs and hope: There we obtain the end in full fruition.
XIII. Here ſin maketh us loathſom to our ſelves, and our own annoiance. There we ſhall love God in our ſelves, and our Perfected ſelves in God.
XIV. Here all our Duties are defiled with ſinful imperfection. There perfect Souls will perfectly love and praiſe their God.
XV. Here Satans temptations are a continual danger and moleſtation. There perfect Victory hath ended our temptations.
XVI. Here ſtill there is a remnant of the Curſe, and Puniſhment of ſin:
Pardon and Deliverance are perfected there.
XVII. Repenting, Shame, Sorrow, and Fear are here part of my neceſſary work.
There all the troubleſom part is paſt, and utterly excluded.
XVIII. Here we ſee darkly as in a Glaſs, the Inviſible World of Spirits:
There we ſhall ſee them as Face to Face.
XIX. Here Faith, alas, too weak, muſt ſerve inſtead of ſight.
There preſence and ſight ſuſpend the uſe of ſuch believing.
XX. Deſire and Hope are here our very Life & VVork.
But there it will be full felicity in fruition.
XXI. Our Hopes are here oft mixt with grievous doubts and fears.
But there full poſſeſſion ends them all.
XXII. Our holy Affections are here corrupted with Carnal mixtures.
But there all are purely Holy and Divine.
XXIII. The coldneſs of our Divine Love is here our ſin and miſery.
The Perfection of it will be there our perfect Holineſs and Joy.
XXIV. Here though the VVill itſelf be imperfect, we cannot be and do what we would.
There VVill, and Deed, and Attainment will all be fully perfect.
XXV. Here by Ignorance and Self-Love I have Deſires which God denieth.
There perfect Deſires ſhall be perfectly fulfilled.
XXVI. Here pinching VVants of ſomthing or other, and troubleſom Cares are daily burdens.
Nothing is there wanting, and God hath ended all their Cares.
XXVII. Senſe here rebelleth againſt Faith, and Reaſon, and oft overcometh.
Senſe there ſhall be only Holy, and no Diſcord be in our Faculties or acts.
XXVIII. Pleaſures and Contents here are ſhort, narrow, and twiſted with their contraries.
There they are objectively pure and boundleſs, and ſubjectively total and abſolute.
XXIX. Vanity and Vexation are here the Titles of tranſitory things.
Reality, Perfection, and Glory are the Title of the things above.
XXX. This VVorld is a point of God's Creation, a narrow place for a few Paſſengers.
Above are the vaſt capacious Regions, ſufficient for all Saints and Angels.
XXXI. This VVorld is as Newgate, and Hell, as Tyburn: ſome are hence ſaved, and ſome condemned.
The other VVorld is the Glorious Kingdom of Jehovah with the Bleſſed.
XXXII. It was here that Chriſt was tempted, ſcorned and crucified.
It is there where he Reigneth in Glory over all.
XXXIII. The Spiritual life is here as a Spark or Seed. It is there a glorious flame of Love, and Joy, and the perfect Fruit and Flower.
XXXIV. VVe have here but the firſt Fruits, Earneſt, and Pledge.
There is the full and glorious Harveſt and Perfection.
XXXV. VVe are here Children in Minority, little differing from Servants.
There we ſhall have full poſſeſſion of the Inheritance.
XXXVI. The proſpect of Pain, Death, Grave, and Rottenneſs, blaſteth all the Pleaſures here.
There is no Death, nor any fear of the ending of felicity.
XXXVII. Here even God's VVord is imperfectly underſtood, and Errours ſwarm even in the Beſt.
All Myſteries of Nature and Grace, are there unveiled in the World of Light.
XXXVIII. Many of God's Promiſes are here unfulfilled, and our Prayers unanſwered.
There Truth ſhineth in the full performance of them all.
XXXIX. Our Grace is here ſo weak, and Hearts ſo dark, that our ſincerity is oft doubted of.
There the flames of Love and Joy leave no place for ſuch a doubt.
XL. By our unconſtancy here one Day is joyful and another ſad.
But there our Joys have no interruption.
XLI. We dwell here with ſinful Companions like our ſelves in Fleſh.
There holy Angels and Souls with Chriſt are all our Company.
XLII. Our beſt friends and helpers are here in parst our hinderers by ſin.
There all concur in the harmony of active Love.
XLIII. Our Errours and Corruptions make us alſo hurtful and troubleſome to our Friends.
But there both Chriſt and they forgive us, and we ſhall trouble them no more.
XLIV. Selfiſhneſs and croſs intereſts here jar, and mar our converſation.
There perfect Love will make the Joy of every Saint and Angel mine.
XLV. A militant Church imperfectly ſanctified here liveth in ſcandal and ſad diviſions.
The glorious Church united in God in perfect Love, hath no contention.
XLVI. Sin and Errour here turn our very publick Worſhip into jars.
The Celeſtial harmony of joyful Love and Praiſe is to Mortals unconceivable.
XLVII. VVeak, blind and wicked Teachers here keep moſt in deluſion and diviſion.
There glorious Light hath baniſhed all Lies, deceit and darkneſs.
XLVIII. The wills of blind Tyrants is the Law of moſt on Earth.
The Wiſdom and Will of the moſt holy God, is the Law of the heavenly Society.
XLIX. Lies here cloud the Innocency of the Juſt, and render Truth and Goodneſs odious.
All falſe Judgments are there reverſed, and Slander is ſilenced, and the Righteous juſtified.
L. Government is here exerciſed by terrour and violence.
But there God ruleth by Light, Love, and abſolute Delight.
LI. Enemies, Reproach, and Perſecution here annoy and tempt us.
All ſtorms are there paſt, and the Conquerors crowned in joyful Reſt.
LII. The Glory of Divine Love and Holineſs is clouded here by the abounding of Sin, and the greatneſs of Satan's Kingdom upon Earth.
But the vaſt glorious heavenly Kingdom, to which this Earth is but a Point and Priſon will baniſh all ſuch erring Thoughts and Glorifie God's Love and Goodneſs for ever.
LIII. This is the World which as corrupted is called an Enemy to God and us, and which as ſuch we renounced in Baptiſm, and muſt be ſaved from.
That is the World which we ſeek, pray and wait for all our lives, and for which all the tempting Vanities of this muſt be forſaken.
LIV. This Body an World is like our riding Clothes, our Horſe, our Way, and Inn, and travelling Company: All but for our Journey homeward.
The other is our City of Bleſſedneſs and Everlaſting Reſt, to which all Grace inclineth Souls, and all preſer… Means and Mercies tend.
LV. The very ignorance of Nature and Senſible things, makes this life a very Labyrinth, and our Studies, Sciences and Learned Converſation to be much like a Dream, or Popet Play, and a Childiſh ſtir about meer Words.
But in Heaven an Univerſal knowledge of God's wonderful Works will not be the leaſt of the Glory in which he will ſhine to Saints.
LVI. Diſtance and Darkneſs of Souls here in Fleſh, who would Fain know more of God and the heavenly World, and cannot, doth make our lives a burden by theſe unſatisfied deſires.
There Glorious Preſence and Intuition giveth full ſatisfaction.
LVII. Our ſin and imperfection here render us uncapable of being the Objects of God's full complacential Love, though we have his benevolence which will bring us to it.
But there we ſhall in our ſeveral meaſures perfectly pleaſe God, and be perfectly pleaſed in God for ever.
LVIII. All things here are ſhort and tranſitory, from their beginning, poſting towards their end, which is near and ſure, and ſtill in our Eye: ſo ſhort is time, that Beings here are next to nothing; the Bubble of worldly Proſperity, Pomp and fleſhly Pleaſure, doth ſwell up, and break in ſo ſhort a Moment, as that it Is, and and Is not almoſt at once.
But the heavenly ſubſtances and their work, and Joys, are crowned by Duration, being aſſuredly EVERLASTING.
Such, O my Soul, is the bleſſed Change which God will make.