Contemplative Pictures with Wholesome Precepts Part 1

THE PICTVRE of GOD.

GOD is by contraction good, the prime cause of all his creatuers: Only one, one alone. Incomprehensible, infinite, invisible. A substance without composition, action without motion. A being spiritual, of himself eternal: before time, in time, and beyond altime: without beginning, without ending, the Alpha of everything, the Omega of all things: the first, & the last: without term of time. He is that kingly regencie, that lordly Souerainity. He doeth give to all life, motion, actiō; he bestoweth the quality and increaseth the quantity: yet is he good without quality, and great without quantity. He is the being & beauty of his creature. He made every thing good, & still from him flows goodness; bodies bliss, souls safety, goods, preservation, and grace. He is Supereminent above all, Superexcellent beyond all, abundant in love to all, and absolutely in perfect happiness without all. He is the highest in majesty, the greatest in glory, the largest in magnificencie, the powerfullest in omnipotency, and the ever only best in unspeakable bounty. Without him nothing available, with him all things possible, without, besides, and against means. He is present everywhere, without circumscription of place, neither included here, nor excluded there▪ he fills what is empty, sustaineth what is weak, directs what is not right, governs what is instable, and perfects whatsoever is i • defect. Heaven is hiS throne the firmament hiS pauilion, Paradise his palace, the earth his theate • Angels are his attendants the Princes of his army; all creatures his host. Th • azioured sky his comely curtain, his privy chamber, the place of unspeakable pleasure. His face is a flame of fire, his voice thunder, his wrath, dread, & terrible horror. If he meet his enemies, he rides upon the wings of the wind, his chariots are without number: he raineth upon them snares to entrap them, fire • o devour them, hailstones to kill them; he sends a smoke to smother them, a stormy tempest to terrify them, the stink of brimstone to annoy them, and hot thunderbolts to shoot them thorough. He is the Landlord to all the inhabitants of the earth; they are his Tenants, the best but his Stewards, the mightiest of his making. He preserveth by his power, ruleth by his providence; he hath in his hand a Scepter of irō, and doth reign as he list, over him that seemeth to outrage the most. Satan is but his slave, though he rule over faithless Princes and Peers. The loftiest creature, the highest man in Souereigntie, is but his footstool, and hardly a shadow of his glistering glory, & glorious eminency. He foreseeth everything before it be, wisely ordereth all things that are, and preordeineth all certainly what shall be. There is no preuēting of his will, no gain saying of his good pleasure: his power manageth his will irresistibly; his will is the rule of righteousness vnchāgeably: he maketh everything to bow at his beck: he altereth the order of nature, & changeth the course of times. He can span heaven with his hand, sound the depth of the Ocean feas, make the earth tremble at his prescence. Something he can make of nothing, & the least something is he able to multiply into in. numerable many things. He is admirable in his preservation, and wonderful in the creation: By subduction of his infiniteness, he left an inanity of substance, form, and force; so prepared he unspeakably an emptiness to frame & place his creatures: by reduction of himself again innarrably he made a kind of fullness, and caused that sensibly to be seen, what never had being of anything before. All his works lively demonstrate him; his word truly reveals him: yet no mortal eye can see him, nor any wit conceive him. He is mercy, he is justice, a fire burning, and yet not hastily cōsuming. He is all presence, his nameis, I am, nothing past with him, nor to come which is not in sight. Infiniteness it self is his compass, for time and place. His justice is without partiality, he judgeth ever righteously, and punisheth only offenders, and that deservedly. His pleasure is absolute in himself; what he delighteth in, without himself, is for that, which is only from himself. To conclude an endless matter without conclusion; He is mercisull without measure, pitiful in great compassion, but without any passion. He is repentant without sorrow, he maketh a change in his action, but is never alterable in his person. He is himself holiness, the very fountain of all goodness,: nothing evil from him, nothing evil by him. He before wills all things, which he causeth to be, and maketh also that good which he willeth to be. He is majesty, he is mercy, he is excellency, he is glory, he is power, he is principality, he is grace and goodness, life and happiness. All these, in, and from himself, in all perfection, beyond imagination, without limitation, endless. To him be praise perpetually. So be it.

The Picture of the holy Trinity.

GOD, the true God, is but one in unity, yet three in Trinity: One in substance without division, three in person by distinction, the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost. In order, one afore and after another: but essentially, all coequal, coeternal together. Al God, not three God's, yet ever three persons, never the same in propriety & manner of working Here is admiration, but no demonstration. This Catholik and Christian verity is an innarrable mystery.

The Picture of the Father.

IN the unity, the Father is the first in the Trinity. He is not begotten, but from everlasting begetteth the Son, of his whole substance. He made all things by the Son, through the holy Ghost. What he willed he made good, and all of nothing by his word. This gracious father of his mere mercy, hath chosen many, without their merit. He calls his ere they come; & when they come, he confirms their faith. He knows them before they be, and makes thē friends by grace of deadly foes by nature; of Satan's slaves, his faithful Servants; of Servants, dear Sons, children adopted, yea kings, priests and Coheires with Christ. He careth for his children, whē he mostcasts thē down: He can allow them their godly will, but he permits them not to be wantō: when they do offend, he will fatherly forewarn; if they repent, he will not punish. He is full of commiseration, he doth speedily pardon the Penitent, and withal showeth great gladness to do them good. He doth send them his spirit, to assure thē of peace, & freely promiseth to bestow on them grace, either to prevent their fall, or to pardō their fault. Though we be neither worthy of being, nor breath, and deserve nothing, yet he affords us his blessing, and giveth needfully anything. Earthly Fathers are such, as they be, for a seasō, but this Heavenly Father is so for everlasting. He forbeareth with patience, and keeps his in eternal remembrance. He hateth never, where he loveth ever. Bountiful he is in his blessings, largious in his liberality, full graciously favorable, & without end in goodness. He is strict, but not extreme in justice: He calleth man to make satisfaction upon pain of destruction: yet if man can make no payment, his mercy hath ordained means to discharge the debt. Ere sinful man do die, his sinless Son must suffer death. Wrath must not reward us, his great goodness will needs have us guiltless. Is not his love enlarged towards us unspeakably? doth he not purchase us peace with the price of blood? He giveth an obedient Son, for a rebellious Sinner: Wrathfull displeasure must cease upon God's natural Son and an innocent, that pity may be shown to adopted childrē, to escape torment. The ever worthily beloved must undergo pains of Hel, to make for the unworthy of love, free passage to Heaven. See (Sinner) see the incrediblenesse of so great grace: Stand (thou Sinner) amazed, at this woēdermēt of good. O matchless mercy! Did ever a Father satisfy his wrath upon his dearest son, to appease his anger towards his deadly foe? did ever a loving Father put his darling to death, to prevent from his enemy the force of his wrath? We see it not, stories record it not, nature suffers it not. Yet this father killeth his best Son, to kiss his worst creature; forsaketh the Gracious, for a time, to receive the Gracelesse to mercy, forever.

The Picture of the Son.

THe Son is the second person in the Trinity, the Fathers natural Son begotten frō eternity, the Image and substance of his Father without inequality. From the father, by the Holy Ghost, he worketh together with the Father in all things: he is God, he is man, perfect in both natures. He hath a Father, he hath a mother, evē both truly; & also no father, nor mother but respectively. He is mā-God, & God-mā; yet not two persons, but only one Christ: One not by conversion, but by assumption; not by cōfusiō of substance, but by unity of persō. This is the seed promised; the prophet foretold the prince of peace. This is Melchizedek, the priest of the high God, the king of Salem, the Jews Messiah, the Christians Savior. This is he that will summō all to appear, & give true judgment vpō all, both quik & dead in the last day▪ Satā here he vanquished subdued the flesh & conquered the world. He hath mitigated God's wrath, performed our work: justice is satisfied, the law fulfilled. He hath made an atonement, obtained mercy, & freed us frō punishment. The father of his mercy gave him for us, & he in love bestowed himself of us. The father did will our peace, & he spared no pains. He came into the world poor, to make us rich. He was to the wicked a derision, that we with Angels might be had in admiration. He was blasphemed, to make us blessed; buffeted and scorned, to make us secure in true comfort. He wrought righteousness, that we might be free of wickedness: He was innocent, to procure us pard on being penitent. His holiness is our happiness, his suffering our safety, his grace our good. He was here in trouble for us, his life painful and miserable, so his end for us doleful, and his torments intolerable. In all his life, that we read of, he did never laugh; but often lament: He mourned to see men's madness, and wept for their woe. Here he sighed sore to make us sing, he sobd and sorrowed much to make us merry. He bare upon him unutterable torment patiently, that we might avoid the plagues of God eternally. His prayers were loud cries and strong, to make our prayers to pierce the Heavens. He sweat drops of blood to purge and sweeten us unto our God: he cried with bitter torment upon the cross, to save his servants from the dreadful curse. He did die as a malefactor, to become to every believer a benesactour. Euil did he none, we are the offenders; Heaven is his desert, Hell ours deserved: we have merited damnatiō, and he purchased for us salvation. We were bound to the Law, we were under the curse, in danger of death, and subject to wrath: but he hath sent us his Gospel, preched peace, promised pardon, and obtained grace. If the law would condemn us, he hath fulfilled it for us; his works prevent wrath, his cross, the curse. Conscience by the law would accuse, the Gospel by grace will quiet it and acquit us. If justice demand her due, his pains were our full payment. He is the way for us to walk in. He is the truth, we may believe him. He is the life, happy is he that lives in him. By him and through him all our wants are suplied, and all grace and goodness obtained. Are we in corruption? His purity purgeth us. Are we disobedient? He was most obedient. Are we subject to wrath? he covers us. Wander we? he recovers us. Seek we safety? He affords us solace. Want we a surety? He is our pledge. None in so great debt, but he can discharge: None so in disgrace, but he can procute him peace. He is ascended for life, that we might not descend to the place of death. We need not fear the Law, Satan, sin: he hath gotten us heaven, life and salvation, without danger of Hell, death or damnation.

The Picture of the Holy Ghost.

HE is the third person, his property is proceeding from the Father, and from the Son. He works ever from both, together with both. He is Christ's Vicegerent in his kingdom, his only Vicar General in his Church. He raised up the Prophets, he instructed the Apostles, and now qualifieth all Christ's true messengers. The bad he maketh good, in the good he increaseth grace. He reforms our ways, informs our judgment, and confirms our faith. He changeth discord into duties of love, and turneth all misdeeds, into Alms deeds; prattling into devout prayer, foolish prating into powerful and perswasiue preaching: the Preachers tongue he makes the pen of a ready writer. Evil lusts, where he cometh, he killeth, the dead works of darkness he expelleth. He is the spirit sanctifying the elect; he is not partial, but dealeth measurably to all, without sinister respect. He is to the Saints the blessed Comforter; he persuades them all, to call God Father. He works repentance, and giveth therupō true peace of conscience. Christ's Church is his Temple, and he the saueguard of his sheep. He signifieth our innarrable sighs, and makes us express our desires in prayer unto God. He helps us to indite, to frame our wills, to make our meditations, to moderate our affections, & orderly to dispose all our actions. Our eics by him do see into the Scriptures, he is the true commentary to understand the word. He learneth men to handle controversies, without contention; & to make a separation, but without Schism. By him crosses are not without comfort, and the day of prosperity, not without meditation of a change. He maketh everything to the godly profitable, and the greatest afflictions, never insupportable. It is only he that worketh in his faith by the word, distasteful wearisomeness of the world, a hopeful persuasion of heaven, without any dreadful fear of hell. He knits piety to right policy, and seuereth true devotion, from foolish superstition. Here in this life he beginneth grace, sets on to goodness, perswads to holiness, urgeth to charitablenesse, presseth on to godly practice, settling the soul in religious pureness, and so leads it forward with a resolved constancy to endless happiness, and perfects all in the life to come.

The Picture of the Devil.

HEe is that damned Ghost, the first siner, the first Seducer: One knowing much, yet never obedient, but by constraint. He is but a Slaue, as base, as he is beggarly: as malicious, as cursedly mischievous. Blasphemously careless of God, tyrannously cruel to men. A continual Tempter, God's gaoler, a dreadful tormentor. Euer is he out with God, and a hater of the good. What God commands, he condemns; he will allow, what God dislikes. A bright Angel, he was in heaven; but now the black Fiend in hell. To no man a frȳd, to the Church a most malicious foe. He is driven out of the penitent, he harbours in the disobedient▪ The lewd are his lodging the profane his habitation. He is the unclean spirit, the place most full of abomination, is his common harbor. All his motions, are to satisfy lust, he would have us live after our liking, to work wickedness, to rage in rebellion against God. He knows himself to be damned; all he cares for, is to make other like himself. This cursed spirit, is that Lion roaring, strong, fearful: that old Serpent, subtle, guilfull: that red Dragon, bloody, terrible. He reigneth where he gets any rule, and whom he gaineth, those willingly he will not let go. Antichrist is his eldest son, the damned crew his cursed children. He is the invent our of all villainy, the author of heresy, the setter up of idolatry, the plotter of conspiracy. He raiseth rebellion, and works treason. He turns religion into superstition, love into lecherie, friends into foes, consent into contention, peace into bloody persecution. He comes where the godly be and good excercises, not for love to them, but maliciously as an instrument to hinder them. He will send Cain to sacrifice with Abel, but afterwards to murder him: He will thrust Judas among the Apostles, but to betray Christ. He is equally envious, as malicious: If Christ plant a Church, he will erect a Chapel; if he have Apostles, this will raise up false teachers; If Christ sow wheat, he will scatter tares. He deceived Eve, which brought a curse to the earth: He provoked David, to fall to numbering, that the people might be plagued. He is that grand Liar, that shamlesse Slanderer: He is as impudent, as irrepentant. He tempted Christ himself impotunately, he vexeth his members, and that daily. He is full of fair words, he makes many promises, but doth never perform what is good. He is a Machiauellian, when he pretendeth most to do well, then he intendeth most mischief, and to do ill▪ He keeps men in ignorance, and persuades them of faith; he puts them in hope of salvation, and yet dissuades from the grace of sanctification. He would have the wickedly disposed to presume of mercy, and the godly penitent to despair in apprehension of justice. He induceth his to believe, that good meaning without the word, is warrant enough in God's worship, and blind devotion, to be a great growth in religiō. He commends wickedness with titles of goodness: He puts a fair visor over the ugly face of sin. Excessiue pride must be cleanely decency; no pomp. Filthy lust, but a trick of youth; no carnality. Bad company, with pot-mates, good fellowship; no vanity. Covetousness in the Nigard, thrifty husbandry; no sordid quality. Prodigal expenses frankheartednes; no unthriftiness. Intēperatenes in meetings, neighborly meriments; no gluttony, nor drunkenness: Riot, recreation; idle musing, contemplation. Thus he blindeth him that cares not to see sin, that so a man may be secure, in hastening to hell. He that is most in transgression, is his bestsonne; yet is the greatest sinner, his basest Slaue. Who so doth most for him, shall in the end, be most tormented by him. God commands his children for their own salvation; but Satan his servants, to bring them to confusion. All his are either carnal Atheists, gross Idolaters, Hypocriticall Time-seruers; foolishly superstitious, damnably mischievous, proud Heretics, or idle headed Schismatiks. He will allow some of his to be of the visible Church, yet only a Came, an Achitophel, a Saul, a Judas, without invisible grace. He will give them leave to profess, but not to practice. He lets them know verity, but not acknowledge it with sincerity; their service is only fashion. Hypocrites are his Saints, custom his Canon, Sophistry his reason. His kingdom is darkness; Schismatikes, his zealous servants; Heretics, his chief Champions. His company the accursed, the profane his principal attendants, next to the Fiends, the hellish inhabitants. The reward to his, wrath from God; seclusion from the good. The place for their abode, is the infernal pit, there to be tortured in torment, and plagued with erernall pains without end.

The Picture of Goodness.

GOodnes is grace, a picture of God: the worst in general approve it, but the Saints specially rejoice in it. It is heavens path-way, the righteous man's aim: no earthly thing can purchase it, it is only God that gives it. In it self it is beyond any price, and maketh other things precious. It is the difference between creature & creature, between men & mē in their words and works. Goodness makes man good, the person, his speech and practice. It banisheth brutishness, forceth fraud to be flying, allayeth contentious heat of spirit, and meekneth the untameable nature of man. It suffereth no revengement, it is not rigorous in punishment. Love springs from it, patience waits of it, and charity vshers it. It is that which makes a man friendly, to procure relief for the needy; and without delay to help the distressed soul. It is defective of no duty, it is pliable to all the works of mercy. Will is never wanting by goodness, though ability be away. It inhabiteth ever in true piety, and lodgeth with godly pity. It banisheth malice and michiefe far from it, and is a deadly bane to rancor and rage. It forbeareth a fiecre adversary very quietly; where it may fully revenge, it forgiveth readily. It will pass by wrong through mercy, yet not show partial pity, to overthrow justice; it keeps moderation and measure in all things. It is borne up of humility, strengthened by patience; the word of life doth nourish it, the Lord of life doth cherish it; the spirit gives it quickening, and God's glory sets it on working. It is from heaven above, in earth entertained of few: he is full that hath it, and he ever in want that is without it. It moves us to mind God more then goods, the Lord's precepts, more then our profits. It thinks of death before death, to be fit for death. It prepares the body for the earthly grave, and the soul for the heavenly glory It brings to a man peace within, and praise abroad; here commendation, and after salvation. This is goodness, the form is true godliness, the cause is grace. It makes a man study to be quiet, it keeps patience within us, contentment about us, wickedness far from us. Good is he, that hath this goodness, he shall attain to everlasting happiness.

The Picture of Badnesse.

THis is sin, the creatures deformity, the turning of the will from God, and the mind from good. It is the seed of Satan, the fruit of temptation, and man's destruction. The Devil is the Father, concupiscence the Mother. The Serpent subtly suggested it, our first parents foolishly did entertain it. Satan yet is ever in begetting it, worldly objects provoke it, the senses let it in unto the soul. Consent is conception, the heart is the womb of conceiving. It quickeneth by fleshly reasons, it travaileth in desire to be doing. It bringeth forth by opportunity, the Midwife; expelling first God's fear, laying aside his precepts, contemning his presence. Holy piety hath here no place, conscience is not called to this business, remembrance of God's mercies is quite out of mind, thoughts of his wrath hidden in the earth: God's word must be no warrant, goodness is forgotten. These bring not sin to birth, these hinder sin for coming forth. Doubting of God's word makes preparatiō, lust lays it in bed, infidelity brings it to perfection. It is wrapped in vanity, it is laid in the cradle of security. The Devil closeth the eyes with ignorance, and filleth the ears with Sophistry: the head is covered with presumption of mercy, over the heart is laid hardness, the judgment is overspread with blindness. It is nursed by the world, suckled upon the breasts of pleasure and profit. It grows great by custom, and spreads by community. Bad examples do countenance it, plausible terms confirm it. It is clothed with the hope of pardon, tied with the girdle of common favors, imagined to be of God's special grace Shamlesnesse attends it, persuasion of time enough to repent, gives it rest, and conceit of finding favor in the end, rocks it asleep. Sins sleep is conscience deadness, the judgments blindness, the wills perverseness, affections disorderliness, and a resolved carelessness. Tho sin have such a sleep, yet sometime upon a fearful terror, it will suddenly awake: and waking, the pleasant ditty of Satan's song gets it soon asleep again. It hath four parts: the Tenor, cark and care thou for the world: the Mean, thou mayest repent when thou wilt: the Treble, rejoice thyself in thy youth: the Base, think death is not yet at hand. Heereby it snorts in a carnal safety, spreads in breadth, waxeth big, and hie by hardness of heart. It is very foul at the first, worse by continuance, but loathsome at the last. It bastard-like, brings shame to the begetters, disgrace to the abettors, confusion to the followers. Where it getteth strength, there hardly it is cast out: where it is not timely mastered, there it will have the upper hand. It is lordly, and couets to rule: it is raging, and tyrannous, if it reign. He that subdues it, easily kills it; and he that strives not to stifle sin, works his own woe, and neglects his own safety. Sin where it is not killed, will kill; if it die, we live; i • it live, we die most certainly. It was at the first, personal; it is now original, and natural: From God's mercy in the elect only venial; in it self and in all other, deadly and mortal. Good is propounded in the suggestion, pleasure is conceived in the consent, and so wickedness is approved, by the heart deceived, till the time come of torment. Seduced souls bewitched with the works of the flesh, know not the evil of sin: but behold and see, how it defaceth God's image, makes man a monster; of God's child, the devils creature. It dislodgeth goodness, it keeps out godliness; inwardly it delights the heart with filthiness, and outwardly sets the hand to act unrighteousness. God and man by it are at ods, who werebefore at one: the Earth in creation blessed, by transgressiō is accursed. It takes from us what good we have, & brings the evils upon us, which naturally we hate. It cast the Angels out of Heaven, Adam out of Paradise; by it Reuben lost his birthright, Judas his Apostleship, by it cometh death to men terribile, and their persons to God execrable. It maketh the Law condemn us, and conscience to accuse us. By it godly exercises grow loathsome, godly company becomes irksome. No blessing should be wanting, if sin put not in a bar: ever contentment, without discomfort: ever internal peace, without external disgrace. It is wickedness, that works our wretchedness. Shame is sins raiment, dishonor the cognizance, reproach the praise, an ill name the recompense. In itself it is vanity, the gain but misery. It is a strife with the truth, an heresy against verity, Idolatry against sincerity. It is a conflict with God, and a resisting of goodness: nothing worse then herein to have the victory. Mans opposing of the word, is a taking part with Satan, against the Lord: and man's joy in sinning, is to be glad of the devils triumphing. All men have sin, but he that committeth sin, is a slave to sin. It rules in some, in other it is ruled: He that makes the least of it, shall, as with wizards, have least to do with it. It is as an impudent guest; though it come seldom, yet is ever troublesome; small kindness doth work great boldness; much courtesy, intolerable saucinesse. It is ever to the godly vexation of spirit; if but once in act, yet greatly grievous; if it be liked, and often welcome, and never forbidden, there grace and goodness will grow into a consumption, and the party run headlong into perdition. It is of diverse colors, and keeps not one shape; it is of diverse natures, and not of one sort In one it is pride & lordly, in another humility in show, but indeed hypocrisy. In the cholerike it is ireful, in some other nature lustful. It is sometime adultery, and makes a man filthy; it is sometime drūkennesse, and makes a man beastly. It hath the commandments, ten witnesses to name it; it hath also the same law to declare against it. One precept terms it Idolatry, another saith it is adultery: this maketh it superstition, that treachery and rebellion; as the Law looks upon sin, so the commandments do name it, and thereupon withal disclaim it. It turns a man into it self, and makes a man to show it, against himself. One sin is linked in with another, and everyone forceth out the proper fruit, of it own nature. By covetousness man grows niggardly, an oppressor, unmerciful: by pride, arrogant, haughty and hateful: by gormandizing, gluttonous; by faithlesnesse, treacherous: by ignorance, superstitious; by carnal service, Idolatrous: by contempt of other, and abuse of wit, against the word, heretical; and by immoderate passion, and strong affection, Schismaticall. It is in everyone more or less; the child hath it, but knows it not: the young man is carried with it, but cares not; the grown man forced with it, but resists not: and old age with it Crammocklike crooked, but feels it not. Yet is nothing more in use to be known; more hindering man's good, to be avoided; more subtle, to be looked unto; more inward, to be felt; more perilous, to be prevented; more forcibly assaulting us, to be strongly of all resisted. By it Satan gets of the heart possession; by it is hindered the spirits illumination. Our understanding by sin is darkened, our thoughts from God estranged; the heart in goodness is fainted, the faculty of the will weakened, and the quietness of conscience interrupted. Faith falls to doubting, hope lets go her hold, and love turns her liking into loathing. Yea, if repentance, upon every sin, cut not the cord of vanity, and grace grow up in the room with sincerity, this death in sin, will bring death for sin, which will turn salvation offered, but carelessly rejected, into confusion deserved, but now not greatly feared.

The Picture of Heaven.

HEauen is the haven of rest: desired of all, hoped for of many; but only enjoyed of the best. It is the highest place, the seat and throne of God, the habitation of Angels, the harbor for the just. It is the court of the great King, the mighty Creator. It is the Lord's Tabernacle, the faithful man's receptacle: the Region resplendent, the comfortable continent, the City of safety, security: the sacred sanctuary of peace, prosperity. All in it are without misery, never after subject to calamity. It is a Paradise for pleasure, a City for beauty, and a Kingdom for state. Here is life temporal, there life eternal: here the beginnings of grace, there the perfection of goodness. There is God in his fullness of glory, yet to none dreadful, there he reigns in justice, and yet with none wrathful. The company are all triumphant, as here they have been members Militant. All is in tune, concord, never discord; sweet melody, never any bitter malady. Such fullness there is of all things, such love mutually in all, such respect from all to each others state and place, as no excess is seen, nor any defect is felt; who that have least can desire no more, and those that have most, discern no want in other. All is beautifulnesse there without blemish, immeasurable beyond all motion, excellent beyond all imagination. The walls thereof are of stones most precious, the streets paved with pure gold, all the work is framed curiously, set out with all sorts of pearl very sumptuously, and adorned with all skil mostgloriously. It is decked with all delights, replenished with all pleasure, garnished with algraces, beutified with the best company, flourishing with the flower of all nations. There is the royal Priesthood, the peculiar people, the children of light, the new creatures, the elect by God's preordination, the separated Society by God's effectual 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 Patriarchs and Prophets, Priests and Professors, Apostles and Apostolical men, Saints, true servants to God, Ministers of the Gospel, and Martyrs for the truth. They are all there noble, none ignominious, all Kings reigning, all victoriously triumphing: None contemptible, all honorable. All invested in glory, crowned in Majesty, clothed in sincerity. Their faces shine with comely beauty, their hearts are filled with piety, their tongues extol the Lord with spiritual alacrity, and in their hands they hold Palms in token of victory. This heavenly happiness cannot be imagined; the blessings are so many, they cannot be numbered; so innumerable, as they cannot be comprehended, so incomparable, as cannot be equaled; of such value as cannot be prized; so great, as not to be measured; and of such eternity, as they never can be ended. They be joyful in an ever-rejoicing joy, they cry aloud Hosannah, and sing cheerfully Halleluiah. They stand before the face of God in inestimable favor, in the view of Angels with brightness ouershining the Sun. Mercy embraceth them, without doubt of misery: in comfort without discontentment, in peace endless, in glory matchless. There is mirth without sadness, health without sickness, soberness of countenance without sorrow, tranquility without undermining treachery, livelihood without labor, 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 never decaying, strength never abating, comely countenance never withering: liuelinesse is without fading, couragiousnesse of heart and spirit without danting. There is ever love without loathing or dislike, victory without fear of after vanquishment, gladness without diminution of goodness. Mortality hath put on immortality, corruption glorification. No sin is there to be seen, the Law is fulfilled, the curse is removed, death subdued, the promises of the Gospel fully accomplished. Faith hath her perfect work in charity, hope her desired happiness, love a large scope in everlasting unity. There is no Foe to fight, no Cousener to collogue, no Parasite to dissemble, no Superior among them to command, no Inferior to yield obedience: no maligning envy, no proud Soueraignetie. All are now equal members, no divided orders; no sorrainers, but brethren; no strangers, but all of the household of faith: Children of one holy Father, coheirs with Christ, their elder brother. There are no tears, the cause is taken away: No torment, Christ freed them by his punishment; no dread, Christ set them at liberty from death; no crying, there is no pain; no pangs or sorrowful passion, they possess peace in Paradise. No disease can infect the body, it is not subject to sickness, 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 lamentable complaints for injuries offered, no wrongs can there be wrought. No ill success nor woeful wants, no grief of mind nor anguish of spirit, no cruel oppression, nor ominous action find there a subject to harbor in, neither practiser nor patron. Care combers no man's mind, nothing weakeneth the understanding, nothing blunts the apprehension. Judgment cannot be infected with error, zeal with corrupt affection, patience with anger. Will is there without willful frowardness, the heart without deceit and hardness. Thoughts are not troubled, they be not corrupted: affections not distempered, they be not disordered. The holy spirit rules all, the holy Lamb leads all, God by his power preserves them, by his grace doth ever assist them. All mercies are received thankfully, all commands are obeyed rightly: in heart without hypocrisy, willingly without grudging, readily without lingering, faithfully without altering, ioifully without murmuring, and constantly without ceasing. Their drink is the sweet water of life, Angels food their delicate nourishment, Christ's righteousness their holy raiment, and their perfect fullness joyful contentment. In a word, there is happiness with goodness, felicity with unity, safety with solace, peace with perfection, pleasure with profit, agreement with grace, lowliness without contempt, exaltation without pride, security without carnality, stability without wavering, abundance without ever-wanting. All persons generally have the participation of joy, and everyone in particular the fruition of glory. Nothing there is here to the eye discernible, nothing there but innarrable, all things to human reason incredible. A man may imagine much, a tongue may speak much, the ear may hear much, yet heavenly happiness is beyond all relation, all imagination. The name of heaven to all is lovely, many do wish it heartily. All Religions aim at it: the Jew expects it, the Turk wisheth it, the wickedest desire it, the Papist would merit it, the Schismatic seeks for it; the sound Protestant, the devout Christian by faith begs it, and he through Jesus Christ shall enjoy it; to whom be praise and glory for evermore. Amen.

The Picture of Hell.

HEll is the place for the impenitent, every such person is the hellish inhabitant. It is the prison for those that be separate from God's presence, the dreadful dungeō of utter darkness, the fearful Topheth, and deep pit bottomless. It is the lake burning with brimstone, the hollow cave and Chaos of confusion. It is terror with lamentation, it is dread with desolation, and horror with utter destruction. There is death, there is ever dying, and yet nener without being. It is a gulf devouring, a swallowing whirl pole, a flaming furnace: God's justice makes it, his power upholds it, and it is blown with the bellows of his wrath. There is scorching fire unquenchable, and freezing cold intolerable. Stinking smoke is for the smell, loathsome filth for the stomach: the ear shall hear a hideous noise, the eye shall see gastlie sights, and horrible visions: what not there to breed amazedment? what not there to cause fearful astonishment? It is the valley of God's utmost vengeance, the fullness of his wrath, & perfection of his plagues. The Lord's jail, the exilement of souls, the sink of sinners, the foul harbor for infernal Hags. Oh what woe is there with wailing from hearts comfortless; what rivers of tears, because of torturing torments, and yet remediless? Forlorn creatures, cursed caitifs; full of travel, painful weariness: full of frightings, fearful terrors endless. They be in themselves helpless, of God's mercy hopeless. Oh the clamorous outcrying, the yelps and yelling, the sighs and sobbing, the mad rage that there is and roaring! No heart so hard, as can suffer a mortal eye to behold it, no ear to hear it, nor mind to muse of it. The devil there hath his full damnation, the fiends are outrageous and filled with fury, the rest fret and sum, and are as in a wood frenzy. Their desire is revenge, their devotion, cursing; their blessing, blaspheming. The wicked there be so fagoted up with the bands of God's justice; as bundles of sticks so cast into the fire, by the power of his might, so held in vndurable torment by his perpetual displeasure, as they blaspheme God's benignity, for feeling his justice in severity. They be in a huge Sea of misery, in an Ocean of calamity. Fire, flames, and flashing about them, the worm of conscience gnawing within thē; rage, madness, ireful indignation among thē: ugly visages of black devil saffrighting them, monstrous apparitions, an uncomfortable company about thē: Sulphur and hot burning cinders under them: the revenging hand of God over them, and pouring forth the viols of his wrath, full of variety of plagues without ceasing upon them. Egyptian plagues are there increased, the tempests of lightening and thunder multiplied. They may remove from place to place, so exchange in plagues, but never either be eased of pangs, or freed from pain. They are chained up perpetually, to endure real punishment upon body and soul eternally. They have heavy hearts loadned with passion, they be woefully distressed with all Calamities, without any commiseration. There is care, but no comfort; vexation, without consolation; lamentation but none show compassion. They weep, they cry, they wail, & mourn, they howl, and pitiously bemoan their ever-during misery. Ah, alas, saith one, in cold freezing, and yet extremely burning: Woe to me, saith another, in hot water-scalding, and yet so cold, as his teeth may be hard chattering, his body may behold so to quak, and in every joint to quiver, as if bone from bone would fall a sunder. Hence such roaring, such yelling, such bitterness in banning, such scritching and outcries, at the sudden renewing of torments, at the continual removing into exchange of tortures, and yet remaining always in contrary plagues, as the ear never heard, the eye never saw nor mind of man able to apprehend: Woeful doleful, horribly fearful, insufferably painful. This stinking Sidde and dungpit crawles full of the venomous generation, bloody Cainits, with sorcerous Balaamites, persecuting Saul's, with crafty Ahithophel's, the Serpents seed, the reprobated race, and the accursed workers of iniquity. There the rageous may rend and tear one another, and none part them; the envious gnash for anger, and gnaw one another to the bone, and none regard them. He that here sinned for his pleasures, will there sin more because of his plagues. Every sin shall there be punished, accordingly as they were here committed. There is penury for gluttony; extreme dryness and thirsting, for exessiue drinking; burning, for lecherous lusting; outrageous madness, for blaspheming; want, for ill gotten wealth; a fearful agony, for bloody cruelty; for oppression utter desolation. Then is seen with sorrow enough their time spent in vanity, their childhood in foolishinesse, their youth in lustfulness, their manhood in wickedness, and their old age in covetousness, their first years run on in ignorance, the middle age consumed in negligence, and the term of life ended without repentance. They out of measure are vexed to consider what they were, and might have been, what they are, and must be, what they would be, and cannot attain to. They think of time past, but without thought of recovery, they taste of the time present in unspeakable misery, and do look to the time to come, without hope of delivery. One curseth his birth, and bewails his ignorance; another curseth his education, and parents negligence; a third, direfully banns himself for his irrepentance. Their own senses do enlarge much their sorrows; they behold Heaven, and themselves in Hell; the godly in gladness, themselves in grief; Christ's faithful people in order, and honor, themselves in confusion and fearful horror; the Saints of God in glorious prosperity, themselves in shameful infamy, and miserable adversity. They hear in heaven blessing, melodious singing; in hell cursing and lamentable mourning; before the eyes are flashing flames, and a thick smoke ascending; for the nose is prepared a noisome smell euerlastinglie stinking. In steed of sweetness, there is gallie bitterness; for delicate fare, farnishment; for liberty, inthralement; fire brands, for beds; for soft lodging, pich and brimstone with iuniper coals burning; in steed of music and pleasant harmony, a hellish noise of discordancy. They feel torments unspeakable, pains intolerable, and the same always durable. By impatience their plagues are increased, by their obstinacy continued, and by God's power and justice maintained. Thus are their hearts in continual heaviness, their pale countenance in doleful sadness. To heaven they look up, bewailing their mishap, in hell they look down with shame of face. If they would repent now they cannot: if they could, it is then to late; they were reckless in the days of amendment, and their case is remediless, in the time of punishment. There is not any grant of the least comfort to the greatest torment, nor to the extremest pange any kind of easement. They may cry, and cry again, Lord, Lord; they may entreat for mercy, but never be heard: no grace, no peace, all pain, all plagues; none blessed, everyone accursed. He that is afflicted, shall be more tormented; he that is condemned, shall ever be damned. Heaven have they lost, and not to be purchased, Hell have they duelie deserved, and the place must needs be endured. None among themselves can help one another, and among the celestial company they shall not find one comforter. If children should call to parents, they will not pity them they have lost that natural affection, they can have no such compassion. Though parents should make petition & pray their children, they will not be cared for. Tho they cry and call, saying ôh our bowels, and our blood. Oh once bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, speak for your poor tormented parents: Is there no natural love now left? What no compassion? Shall we perish? can you see us thus plagued, and show no pity? Have mercy, dear children, on us so in misery, sweet Babs, once loving and beloved, speak, oh speak one word for us; are we not plunged in unspeakable pain? look upon your now forlorn Father, who once fed you with food: ah, alas, have some remorse of your mournful mother: Oh for God's sake seek this time our good: let some sparkles of your love appear. Can you be in pleasure, and suffer us to lie in perpetual pain? We spared no labor for your education, and can your eyes behold us languishing in this place of destruction? If you did call, we came speedily to succor: when we heard you cry, we were in care for you; your misery was to us calamity; your adversity, the abatement of our prosperity; and can you hear our pitious groaning, and see the Devils grinning as dogs upon us, your ears hear our bitter crying and they again barbarously tormenting us and be silent? Oh, woe is unto us, fire, consume us; vengeance, do you utterly make an end of us. All this will not work, words are but spent in vain; natures force hath lost the effect; there is no knowledge of kindred, or kinsfolk; the godly regard God's glory, and therein only rejoice. To conclude, they now know, and to late believe, that the good do dwell with God, have Christ's company and Angels glory; but themselves to be hated of God, neglected of the good: to be with black devils damned, with savage furies accompanied, with barking helhounds horribly affrighted, and with barbarous tormentors cruelly handled; so as they always in this liveliness living, weep, mourn, and lament for such hellish pains: and in this deathless dying cry, yelp, howl, yell, for such ever during plagues: from which (O Lord) deliver thine, and show them mercy (O God) that they decay not in goodness, that so they never feel these punishments for their wickedness. Amen.