The Parable of the Pilgrim, Parable · Chapter 14
CAP. XIV.
The manner of their life who live at Jeruſalem: and that all things concur to make it the moſt pleaſant of all other.
YOU have great incouragement then to make haſte to Jeruſalem, for you ſee they paſs their time there more delightfully then in any other place; and lead a life ſo much to their content, that one may truly ſay their imployment is to pleaſe themſelves, and to do according to their deſires. The moſt vigorous Soul that this earth affords, is but a drone in compare with the ſprightly air of them that inhabit thoſe Caeleſtial Regions. You would ſay the moſt pleaſant dayes that here we lead and ſtudy to prolong to an hundred years, are but like a ſleep and a dream, a meer image and ſhaddow of life; if you could but be raiſed for one minute to the ſtrength and activity of thoſe happy people, and receive but the ſleighteſt taſte of thoſe lively and eſſential delights which force the whole ſoul to attend unto them. The briſkneſs and chearfulneſs of our youthful time, doth not ſo much excell the flat and inſipid pleaſures of our decrepit Age; as they themſelves are ſurpaſſed by the quickneſs and height of thoſe joyes wherein the Citizens of Jeruſalem are eternally immerſed. It is impoſſible for me to declare the ſmalleſt part of the ſweet delectations which they reſent; but, to gratifie thoſe longings which I diſcern I have already excited in you, I ſhall run the adventure of deſcribing a few of thoſe pleaſures that guſh out of that full and ever-ſpringing fountain of Good with whom they live and maintain an happy converſe. And becauſe I believe you are deſirous to know, how they receive and take in thoſe voluptuous injoyments, I will indeavour with one labour to ſatisfie you in both.
You may conceive then if you pleaſe that ſuch a ſpirit as your own being advanced and fortified much beyond the feeble narrowneſs of this preſent ſtate, doth continually imploy the higheſt and moſt Soveraign powers that it hath, upon the higheſt and moſt ſupream Good. That it is daily admiring his excellent nature, loving and embracing his amiable perfections, bleſſing and praiſing his bounteous diſpoſition, ſtudying to conform it ſelf to all his deſires, rejoycing in the full ſatisfaction which he communicates to its heart, and in one word doing all thoſe actions which a ſoul is capable to perform upon any other object in this world: And then you will have a little Idea of that infinite delectation which ſuch a conjunction of the very top and flour of the mind with the beginning and original of all good muſt needs produce. Look how you are moved in the injoyment of any ſenſual good, and that will tell you what they do who live at Jeruſalem, and wherein the pleaſure of their life doth conſiſt. You ſee it or ſome way or other perceive it, you apprehend and lay hold of it; you feel it; you cleave unto it; you are tickled and delighted in it: and juſt ſo will you and all they live and be happy in God who arrive at that bleſſed place. Their life and felicity conſiſts in a clear and diſtinct perception of him; in a cloſe union and conjunction of heart and will with him; in a feeling of the pleaſures that are in him; in an ardent embracement of him that they may more feel him; and in an high delight and raviſhment of ſpirit in ſuch injoyment of him. Thither if we can but get, we ſhall love as much as we are able, and be able to love far more then we can now think. The greatneſs of the object will intend the affection. The vaſtneſs of the Good will force the will to deſire and love more then elſe it would. We ſhall injoy according to the wideneſs of our Capacit; and all our Capacities will be ſo inlarged, that they will exceed the extent of our preſent thoughts, as much as our preſent thoughts exceed our preſent injoyments. It is a life wherein we ſhall do nothing but what we deſire; and wherein all things ſhall be juſt as we will our ſelves; and wherein we ſhall will nothing but that which is moſt to be choſen. A life every act of which muſt needs be ſweet, and full of joy, beyond all the meaſures of all our preſent wiſhes. When we think, we ſhall rejoyce; when we love, we ſhall rejoyce; when we adore or praiſe, we ſhall rejoyce. Whatſoever we do it will have infinite delight and pleaſure in it; and when we have done it never ſo oft it will be eternally to be done again: and we ſhall likewiſe have more power to do it; and every repetition of ſuch acts will be with a freſh addition of contentment in the doing of them. There is no ſatiety nor loathing in the injoyment of that good; no fainting nor growing weary: but we ſhall alwayes think we have enough and yet ſtill be injoying more; we ſhall be in a perpetual youth and vigor, and yet daily growing more ſtrong and able to converſe with God. For that great Good cannot be known at once, nor can all the ſweetneſs of that life be inſtantly taſted, nor the rivers of thoſe pleaſures be drunk up at one draught: but freſh delights will continually entertain us; new pleaſures will be ſpringing forth unto us, and a flood of joy that we never knew before will over-flow us, out of that full fountain who now iſſues forth in ſo many ſtreams, and diffuſes himſelf in ſuch great varieties in this world; that our minds may be every moment imploy'd in ſome rarity of nature which till then did never affect their eyes. A happy life ſure this will be, when we ſhall have before us ſuch an inexhauſted ocean of Good to fill us, and ſuch great appetites to be filled, and ſuch repeated ſatisfaction in the filling of them, and ſuch an increaſe of ſtrength by their ſatisfaction; and wider capacities alſo created by the continual flowing in of that good upon us, which will diſtend and ſtretch our ſouls by its injoyment, to make us more able to injoy it.
And now need I be at any pains to perſwade you that this City is a place which abounds ſo much with a plenty of all good things, that there can be no want at all; but a perfect fulneſs of whatſoever may be an happineſs to us? It is apparent already that whatſoever we can deſire, there it is preſent, and whatſoever is preſent is Good, and whatſoever good there is, it is all Good, pure good, without any evil; and that pure Good is all in one Good, GOD himſelf, who can be nothing elſe but Good. How much do the Good things of this world delight us, which yet are not Good by themſelves, nor contain in them all that Good is, nor are only Good neither, but come with a great mixture of trouble to us? Will not the injoyment then of him give us infinitely more pleaſure and make us perfectly happy, who is Good by himſelf and not by derivation from any other, and ſo is perfectly Good, and nothing elſe but Good without any thing at all to abate his ſweetneſs. Theſe things here below (ſaith an ancient Guide to Jeruſalem whom I have met withall) are ſomething Good,St. Aug. elſe how ſhould they at all delight us? but they could not be Good at all, if it were not for him that is All Good and only Good who hath made them to be what Good they are. For all Good was created by him, and he is that Good which was created by none. He is Good by his own Good, and not by any participated Goodneſs; He is Good from his Good ſelf, and not by adhering to any other Good. As much therefore as he excells all other Good, ſo much muſt our injoyment of him excell all other injoyment. As he is a Good that is from none but himſelf, ſo our happineſs will be a Good that depends on none but his happineſs. When we are with him we ſhall but aſk, and we ſhall ſee; we ſhall but ſee, and we ſhall love; we ſhall but love, and we ſhall eternally rejoyce: or rather we need not aſk at all, for he will but preſent himſelf before us, and force us to love and rejoyce without any meaſure.
And ſeeing it is a place of ſuch full ſatisfaction you will not queſtion its tranquillity and repoſe: eſpecially ſince it is (as you heard before you came hither) the very Viſion of Peace. The life which they lead there is ſo full of content, that they are not diſturbed by any paſſion, nor diſquieted by the violence and diſorder of any unruly affection. A life it is, void of all ſadneſs, free from all grief, quit of all care, and rid of all anxiety of mind. Where there is no adverſary to aſſault, no forbidden fruit to tempt, no impetuous deſire of the fleſh to moleſt them, and no fear neither that ever they ſhall be haunted with theſe enemies of their peace and contentment. O how happy ſhould we find our ſelves if we were but come to the top of that high Mountain, which will ſeem the more clear and quiet, becauſe ſo many clouds have here ſo often overcaſt us, and ſo many ſudden blaſts have ruffled and diſcompoſed us. There we ſhall not accuſe one another of any injuries, becauſe we ſhall not do the leaſt; nor be troubled to purſue our right, becauſe we ſhall not be wronged. There we ſhall live without jealouſies; and converſe (as I have told you) without ſuſpition; and paſs Eternity without any difference of opinion, or debates and controverſies in Religion, which now are no ſmall diſeaſe and bring no little burden upon our hearts. Nay, the very actions of Piety many of them, will be of a different kind from what they now are, unattended with thoſe paſſions to which we are now moved, which make us ſuffer evil, while we do good. Here, as the forenamed perſon well obſerved to me, we do good works, when we deal our bread to the hungry, and receive the diſtreſſed ſtranger, and clothe the naked, which is a kind of affliction and tribulation which we indure by our ſympathy with them to whom we pay our Charity. For we find miſerable perſons on whom to exerciſe our Mercy, and the miſery which we ſee they lye under, makes us compaſſionate, that is, to ſuffer with them. How much better then ſhall we be, when we ſhall find no hungry mouth to feed, no ſtranger to entertain, no naked body to caſt our garments over, no ſick men to attend, no priſoner to viſit, no tormented perſon to commiſerate, no differences to compoſe, no contenders to reconcile: but our Love ſhall be of another ſort, all joy, all pleaſure in the good and in the perfect happineſs of every one that we behold. And if there were nothing elſe there to entertain us, but the comforts of that friendſhip I told you of, and the delights we ſhall interchange by a conſtant amity and good will, to one another; it were ſufficient to recommend this life to any wiſe mans affection, and make him willing to forſake this world, to go to a place of ſuch endleſs love and kindneſs.
And, doth there now need any demonſtration that this is a place of great ſafety and ſecurity environ'd on all ſides with the power of God againſt the attempts of all the enemies of our happineſs? No ſure; for then we ſhould be in danger of ſome diſturbance. If we ſhould conceive indeed any forces could be gathered againſt it, and that it were not impregnable in it ſelf, we might eaſily imagine that ſo many troops of illuſtrious friends, ſo many bands of holy Lovers as here inhabit, would perform ſtrange things againſt the moſt puiſſant Invaders. There is nothing, I told you, ſo ſtrong as Love by the force of which in one ſingle perſon, incredible things have been atchieved: and therefore much greater would the united power of it appear in ſo many hoſts of noble ſpirits all inſpired with the higheſt degree of this affection, who would do their utmoſt for the ſervice and ſafety of one another. But yet we need not have recourſe to ſuch fancies as theſe, for the aſſurance of our peace in that bleſſed place. It is impoſſible that any thing ſhould wound the quiet of ſuch happy ſouls, or make the leaſt breach in any of their enjoyments. There cannot be ſo much interruption given to them as the ſcratch of a pin among us amounts unto; becauſe they are out of the reach of the evil one, and placed in ſuch ſtill and calm Regions, where nothing breathes, but only that love and dear affection for ever.
Upon which account alſo it is, that there can be no intermiſſion of their injoyments, no more than there will be interruption and diſturbance. It being a full and perfect happineſs, there will no time paſs wherein they will not be happy. The dayes there have no nights: The life hath no ſleep, which is but the Image of death. There will not be ſo much diverſion there from the proper exerciſes of that life, as meat and drink now creates, which are the preſent ſupport of our infirm bodies: Much leſs will there be any diſeaſe or decay of ſtrength, or the incumbrance of any of thoſe imployments which ingage ſo great a part of our time and thoughts. Our Love therefore ſhall never languiſh, or ſtand in need of any refreſhment; our charity ſhall not cool and abate its heat; our joy ſhall not exhauſt our ſpirits, and leave us dull by the exceſs of it, as here it ſometimes doth. But, as I ſaid before, we ſhall rather gather ſtrength, and grow more apt to receive an increaſe of joy, by the greatneſs and force of that which we have already received.
I need but juſt remember you, it being a thing you have heard no doubt an hundred times, that this life of theirs is without any death: An eternal life (as the Holy Books call it) where we ſhall not have ſo much ſadneſs as the thoughts of its having an end would beget. But we ſhall rejoyce firſt, that we have ſo much, and next of all, that we ſhall never have leſs, and then that we ſhall ſtill injoy more; and above all, that what we do enjoy ſhall live as long as God who is the cauſe of it, that is, for ever.
I believe you are not weary of ſo delightful a diſcourſe, yet leſt I ſhould keep you too long from the reſt of my Inſtructions, I ſhall ſhorten it as much as I can, and ſhut up this deſcription with a meditation of that devoute perſon, who, as I told you long ago, undertook the Guidance of men to Jeruſalem. How different, ſaith he, is the life of thoſe in that place, from that of ours here? Here there is falſhood; there is truth. Here is perturbation; there is a faithful poſſeſſion. Here is bitterneſs and hatred, there is dilection and eternal love. Here is dangerous elation of mind, there is ſecure exultation of ſpirit. Here we are in doubt, whether they that love us may not change their thoughts; there is perpetual friendſhip, and no poſſibility of being enemies. Here whatſoever is good, we are afraid may periſh; there whatſoever we receive will be preſerved by him that gave it. Here there is death, and there is nothing but life. Here we enjoy what the eye, and the ear, and our thoughts preſent unto us; but there we ſhall ſee what the eye hath not ſeen, and hear what the ear hath never heard, and underſtand what the heart cannot now comprehend: And ſeeing, hearing and knowing after that manner, we ſhall rejoyce with joy unſpeakable. For what kind of joy muſt that be, when thou ſeeſt thy ſelf in the company of Angels; a partner in the Kingdom of Heaven, to raign with the King of the world; deſiring nothing, to poſſeſs all things; rich, without covetouſneſs; charitable, without mony; triumphing, without the fear of any barbarous Invaders; and living this life, without any death? O ſweet life! the more I think of thee, the more I love thee; the more vehemently I deſire thee; the more I am pleaſed in the remembrance of thee; I love to ſpeak of thee, I love to hear of thee, I love to write of thee, to confer of thee, to read of thee; that ſo I may refreſh the pains and the ſweat, and the dangers of this tedious life, by laying my weary head in the boſome of thy ſecure pleaſures. For this end I enter into the Garden of the Holy Scriptures; I gather there the ſweet flowers of Divine Sayings; that which I gather, I eat; that which I eat, I chew over again; and that which I have taſted, I lay up in mine heart; that by ſuch ſweetneſs I may allay the bitterneſs and irkſomeneſs of this miſerable life. O that my ſins were done away! O that laying aſide the burden of this fleſh, I might enter into thy eaſe and quiet! To receive the Crown of Life; to be aſſociated to the caeleſtial Singers; to behold the face of Chriſt; to ſee the uncircumſcribed light, and without fear of death to rejoyce without any end. There is the goodly fellowſhip of the Prophets, there are the glorious twelve Apoſtles; there is an innumerable Army of Martyrs; there is the holy Company of Pious Confeſſors; there are the Divine Lovers of Solitude and Retirement; there are the holy Women that have overcome the infirmities of their ſex, and the powers of the world; there are the brave Youths and Virgins, whoſe holy manners tranſcended their years; there are the Sheep and the Lambs that have eſcaped the danger of glutting themſelves with theſe earthly pleaſures; there perfect Charity reigns, becauſe God is there All in All. There they ſee without fear, and love without meaſure, and praiſe without ceaſing. There loving they praiſe, and praiſing they love, and it is their work to do ſo alwaies without any interruption. But alas! Who can tell what a Great Good, God is? (as he proceeds in another place) Who can declare how full he is, or relate the happineſs that he will give us? We cannot tell it, and yet we cannot hold our peace: It is more than can be uttered, and yet we cannot chuſe but talk of it. And if we cannot tell it becauſe of our ignorance, and yet cannot hold our tongues becauſe of our joy for what we know; in what condition are we, which will neither let us ſpeak, nor yet be ſilent? What ſhall we do with our ſelves, if we can neither tell what it is, nor yet ceaſe to ſpeak of it? Ile tell you in two or three words; Let us rejoyce: Let us praiſe God: Let us keep a perpetual Jubilee here in our hearts: thanking him very much that we know ſo much of this happineſs; and thanking him more, that it is ſo great that we cannot know it all.
Here, if the Guide had not made a little ſtop, I think the Pilgrim had interrupted him; for he had kept his ſilence thus long with great difficulty, and now cryed out with a more than ordinary vehemence; Bleſſed be God that he hath brought me to this place! This is none other than the ſuburbs of Jeruſalem; this is the Gate of Heaven. Happy was the day which let me ſee your face! I heard ſomething of Jeruſalem before by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eyes ſee it, and I am all inamoured of it. You have ſhown me a ſight ſo glorious, that it is beyond our thoughts, and beyond our deſires; I was going to ſay, beyond our Faith, and beyond our hope. Sure you are one of the Angels of God ſent from Jeruſalem to fetch me thither. You had inflamed me with an high Degree of Love before, but now you have put me in a fiery Chariot, and methinks I am not upon the earth, but aſcending up to thoſe heavenly Regions. Nay, you have tranſported me to the City of God already. Methinks I ſee the Lord of Glory. I behold the Thrones that are erected for all the Noble Travellers to that Holy Land. I fancy my ſelf in the dear embraces of thoſe Glorious Lovers. And I am apt to embrace you as one of the Seraphims that have fired my ſoul with the ſame Love. I ſee the bleſſed Jeſus preparing himſelf for his appearance; and begin to think that I am triumphing with him. Or, if I am but in a dream of theſe things, yet it is ſo pleaſant, that I could wiſh it might laſt for ever; and that nothing might awake me out of ſuch a delightful ſlumber. Not ſo, ſaid his Guide (interrupting his ſpeech) I love you better than to let you enjoy ſuch a wiſh; and I would rouze you up to demonſtrate their reality, if I thought you took theſe things for charming dreams, and painted ſhadows. You ſhall not make ſuch a mean ſuppoſal, nor content your ſelf with ſuch aiery pleaſures; for I will make you know at once both that there is ſuch a bleſſed place as I have deſcribed; and diſcover to you more perfectly the way unto it. There is another dear name incloſed in thoſe words which I told you muſt alwaies be ſealed upon your heart, and that is the Holy JUSUS. On whom I do not intend that you ſhould look only as he ſits on his Throne of Glory at Jeruſalem, but as he walked up and down the world, and was a Pilgrim like your ſelf travelling to that place. He publiſhed the Glory of it; He brought life and immortality to light; He ſet open the Gates of Jeruſalem to all faithful Travellers; He run the Race himſelf wherein you are to follow; and for the joy that was ſet before him when he ſhould come thither, he was not aſhamed of a poorer habit than the meaneſt Pilgrim wears. If you take a view therefore of his life, and trace his holy ſteps; you cannot miſs the Rode which I would have you take, nor fail to be convinced that it can carry you to no other place but the City of God. For, Do you not remember that this perſon hath ſtiled himſelf the WAY? There is nothing ſo neceſſary than in all that ſentence as this one word Jeſus to have alwaies in your mind: whom I ſhall now deſcribe unto you as a fair Copy, not only of that Humility and Charity which I named before; but of all other things that you muſt reſolve to undertake if you mean to come at Jeruſalem.