The Immortality of the Soul, Part 3
Of the Joyes of HEAVEN.
GOD will give an eternall Kingdome of glory in heaven for ever, where there ſhall be reſt, love, joy, peace, riches, honour, plenty and great knowledge, health, ſtrength, beauty, and fulneſſe of pleaſure for evermore; and God will wipe away all teares from their eyes, and place them in blisfull plight in heavenly and glorious Manſions, where we ſhall behold our glorious, excellent and mighty God and Father and his eternall love in Ieſus Chriſt ſhining upon us to our everlaſting joy and comfort, and there we ſhall behold thouſand thouſand millions of men women and children changed like Angels, ſhining as bright as the Sun in their Fathers Kingdom all the good works and godly fruits all the Prayers, Humiliations Faſtings and Teares which which we have ſhed for our ſins, and for the ſins of others; and in prayers for grace for others in obedience to Chriſt Ieſus Commandements, ſhall be rewarded in Heaven with eternall crownes of glory: all the good works of almeſdeeds, charity and love, which wee have done in giving to the poore, and in giving for the increaſe of Chriſt Ieſus Kingdome of grace here upon earth by our good example ſhall be rewarded in Heaven with eternall crowns of glory, all the contending and ſtriving for Gods true worſhip and godly truth, and ſtudying for …cuity mercy, true juſtice and judgment in men that are called thereto,Mal. 3.16. all the good works that men do through faith in obedience to Chriſt Ieſus, ſhall be rewarded in Heaven with eternall crowns of glory, all that have beene faithfull unto death will God give a crown of life for ever;Rev, 2.10. Be thou faithfull unto death, and I will give thee a crown of … every m…n according to his works; all our patient ſufferings reproofs ſl…nders for Chriſt Ieſus ſake; allour godly meekneſſe and peace-making in obedience to Chriſt Ieſus Laws ſhall be rewarded in Heaven with glorious crowns of hap…neſſe all the little good works which we have done in obedience to Chriſt Ieſus Lawes through faith and love in Chriſt Ieſus, w… make them all well pleaſing to God, and he will reward them with exceeding great rewards: never did man imagine, nor his tongue able ſufficiently to ſpeak of the joys which God hath prepared for them that love him; there ſhall all the godly Kings and Q…eenes come which have mayntayned Gods true worſhip, and loved the right; and have peace and reſt, and ſatisfying joys with full content, in beholding the glorious viſion of God Almighty for ever: there ſhall the godly Prieſts and Miniſters come which have preached Chriſt Ieſus, and his Lawes purely with an upright heart, and ſhine as bright as the Stars in Heaven: there ſhall godly Magiſtrates which have prayed to God, and ſtudied to find out the truth and ſo proceed in juſtice or mercy according to Gods Laws; for Chriſt Ieſus ſake finde reſt and joy for ever, there ſhall the rich, bountifull men which have clothed Chriſt poore, miſerable and diſtreſſed members hereupon earth; and giving meat to them that wanted for Chriſt Ieſus ſake, they ſhall receive treaſure in Heaven, plenty for ever, there ſhall the poore man which hath been patient in his poverty, and prayed to God to ſupply his wants and truſted in Gods providence, and uſed the means that God hath appointed, and ſerved God with an upright heart in Heaven, hee ſhall have r…ches, plenty and honour enough; unto that City ſhall …ll faithfull married people come, and chaſt vertuous ſingle people which have loved Chriſt Ieſus, and his excellent righteouſneſſe to Heaven, alſo ſhall thouſands of innocent children come by Gods mercy which knew not their right hand from their left, by the meritorious humble works of Chriſt Jeſus the means to be uſed, baptizing; and God requireh the faithfull prayers of the parents; yea, many of all Nations ſhall come from the Eaſt, and from the Weſt, and from the North and from the South; and ſhall ſit downe in the Kingdome of Heaven with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, and the reſt of the Saints in that great and excellent City of our God, the heavenly Jeruſalem ſo large, beautifull and great, that ſome of the Learned have ſaid, the wombe of the mother is not ſo ſtrait for the child, in reſpect of this large World, as is the Kingdome of Heaven in greatneſſe and excellency above this World: and others affirme, that ſome of the Stars are greater then all the earth, the deſcription of the heavenly Jeruſalem, Revel. 21.16.in the Revelation of Saint John ſayth that it is twelve thouſand f…rlongs long, and twelve thouſand furlongs broad, and twelve thouſand furlongs high; which maketh fifteen hundred miles every way: yet this place of Scripture doth not deny but that it may be infinite larger. O feare Jeruſalem, how fair and beautifull is the City of our God? heaven is his throne, and earth is his footſtool heaven is his houſe wherein are many manſions for dwelling places for the ſonnes and daughters of men in pleaſure and joy for ever more. There would be much joy among a ſhip load of men, which at ſea were almoſt drowned with ſtormes and tempeſts, in want of all good things ſhould preſently come to an Haven where they ſhould have all entertainment with joy and hearty courteſie of the King, Princes and Nobles of the Country, and have gold and ſilver, and lands given them for ever: but a thouſand times more joy will it be, when the wandring ſonnes of men in the ſea of this world, have almoſt been drowned with temptations, the waves of diſpair, the rocks of pride, the number of vain deſires and worldly luſts, and yet though the love of God and their faith in Jeſus Chriſt ſhall not be caſt away, but ſhall come to the haven of heaven, where they ſhall be entertained with all joy, the Lord God himſelf will entertain them ſaying Come ye bleſſed of my Father, receive the Kingdome prepared for you, the heavenly Angels will be very joyfull to ſee heavie ſinfull fleſh and bloud to have …pa…ſed this mortall death and trouble, and now changed ſo royally, and come to dwell with them in joy for ever, exceeding great joy will there be among the Saints when they ſhall ſee one mother there, yea, their deereſt friends and acq…aintance: O the love, joy and hearty good will that there will be when wee ſhall ſee Abraham, Iſaack and Jacob, and all the Prophets and Martyrs, Adam and Evah, and all our ancient predeceſſors, and our children and ſucceſſors which have lived godly, and truſted in Jeſus Chriſt; exceeding great joy and comfort will there be when all the Saints from the beginning of the world to the ending of the ſame are all come together to this heavenly Jeruſalem which is above, to ſee their glorious, excellent, great and beautifull Lord God, and their redeemer and ſanctifier, the glorious viſion of almighty God, and his love unto them ſhall give them ſuch joy, that they ſhall praiſe him with delight for ever, and love one another moſt deerly for ever, becauſe they ſhall all be loved of God, and drinke of the full torrent and ocean of pleaſure for ever, the pure river of water of life is there ever flowing, the pleaſant tree of life is there ever growing, and yielding alwayes forth pleaſant fruit, the gate, and walls of that City of diamonds, pearles, and precious ſtones,Revel, 21. the houſes and ſtreets of that City, more pure then gold; all the cities of this heavenly Jeruſalem more glorious then Kings: but into that Citie ſhall no unclean perſon come no murderers, nor adulterers nor idolators nor covetous nor thieves, nor enviers of goodneſſe nor ſlanderers, nor ſuch as love lies, nor careleſſe people of Gods true worſhip, except they be waſhed clean by faith and repentance in the bloud of Chriſt Jeſus our Lord and Saviour. But O Lord, for Jeſus Chriſt his ſake, give us grace to love, fear and honour thy holy name, that we may enter into thy holy Kingdom there to praiſe thy holy name for ever more Amen.