OF all the workes of God, Heauen is the most anci­ent; Gen. 1.1. Psal. 33.6 Psal. 136.5 Act. 14.15. Reu. 14.7. it was made at the beginning of the world, and it was the first of all Gods works: 1 Cor. 2.9 Esay 64.4. Psal. 31.20 the felicity thereof cannot bee imagined, Mat. 5.12 1. Pet. 4.14 neither the blessings numbered: so incomparable as cannot be equalled; of such value as none can comprize it, so [Page 2] great ae cannot bee measu­red, Dani. 7.14. Luk. 1.33. Dan. 2.44. and of such eterni­ty, as neuer can be ended,

The very name of hea­uen to all is louely, because it is a hauen Math. 11.28.29. Iere. 6.16. for rest, Reu. 2.7. a Paradise for pleasure, Reu. 21.2 a City for beauty, Mat. 16.19. Luk. 19.12. a Kingdome of state, 1. Pet. 5.4 2. Tim. 4.8. a Crowne of glory, Reu. 22 1 Mat. 19.28. Reu. 3.21. a Throne of Maiesty, Mat. 19.29 & life euerlasting: it is desi­red of all, hoped for of ma­ny, Ioh. 6.44 but onely enioyed of the best.

All religions ayme at it, the wicked doe wish for it, the Iews expect it, the schis­matiques seeke for it, the Turkes would enioy it, and the Papists thinke to me­rit it: Ioh. 3.3. Mat. 19.28 2 Cor. 5.17 Iam. 1.18. 1. Pet. 1.3.But the true Pro­testant, the regenerate [Page 3] Christian, Mat. 9.29 1. Pet. 1.9. by faith Ezech. 18.21. and repentance, begges it, Lu. 12.32 Ioh. 3.15.16 and he through the me­rits of Iesus Christ shall en­ioy it.

As Heauen is the 2. Cor. 12.2. high­est place, Reu. 3.21 the Throne of God, the Court of Deut. 10.17. the great King, Exo. 6.3. the mighty Iehouah: So it is the Reu. 21.2.10. Citty of safety, Ps. 24.4. the har­bour of the Iust, 1 Pet. 2.9 Titus 2.14 the peculiar people, 2. Cor. 5.17. the re­generate Christians, the Iohn. 12.36. Ephe. 5.8. Children of Light, Mat. 25.34. the Elect by Gods Preordi­nation, where al are Kings, Gal. 4.7. Rom. 8.17. and heires with Christ, Rom. 9.23. inuested with glory, 2. Tim. 4.8. 1. Pet. 5.4 crowned with Maiesty, Reu. 7.9. clothed with security, dec­ked with delights, repleni­shed with pleasure, garni­shed [Page 4] with all graces, ador­ned with beauty, furnished with the best company, and flourishing with the flower of all Nations.

The chiefest reasons that the vnderstanding of mor­tall man can comprehend to the describing of Gods Kingdome, are specially these foure:

First, by the Titles.

Secondly, by the Magni­tude.

Thirdly, by the Ioyes.

And fourthly, by the E­ternity.

Heauen is described by the titles. To set forth hea­uen more fully to our vn­derstanding, it hath diuers [Page 5] glorious Titles, and names in the holy Scriptures: Mat. 25.14 Tim. 2.18. 2. Pet. 1-11 Luke 24. Reu. 21.11. Reu. 2.3. Marke 16. Luke 10. it is called an heauenly King­dome, a blessed and euerla­sting Kingdome, a Celesti­all and heauenly Ierusalem, a Kingdome of glory, a Throne of Maiesty, a Pa­radise of pleasure, the glory of God, and life euerla­sting.

In the Kingdome of heauen are three sacred and most blessed orders or dig­nities: The first of them is Supercelestiall, containing Cherubins, Seraphins, and Thrones: The second Ce­lestiall, containing Domi­nions, Principalities and Po­wers: The third Subcele­stiall, containing Vertues, Arch-Angels, and Angels.

[Page 6] Reu. 21.10 Iohn, to shew vnto vs in some measure, the vnspeak­able glory of heauen, des­cribes the place vnder the name of a great City; com­paring it with the most precious things of this world; inuironed round a­bout with a great wall for the safegard of the Citizens.

The wall is made of Ias­per, to note the riches ther­of: in the wall are twelue gates, which doe open vnto euery quarter of the world, signifying the willingnesse of heauen to accept the E­lect in euery place, on euery side, and from euery Coun­trey and Nation.

Reue. 21.2 Esay 60.11These gates are made of pearles, and euery gate is a pearle vndiuided, without [Page 7] blemish: Reu. 21.25 They are euer o­pen, signifying security, to receiue with welcome, all that enter in.

At those gates are twelue Angels, whose names are written vpon the gates, Reu. 21.2. and they are the twelue Tribes of Israel. They are porters to keepe out all strangers, Reu. 21.21 Reu. 22.15 and to admit with welcom all Citizens. Euery gate hath a porter, to shew vigi­lancy: Euery porter is a Tribe, to shew the dignity: Reu. 21, 2, Euery porters name is on the gate, to the end that e­uery one should execute his owne charge.

The wall wherein those gates are, Reu. 21, 14 hath twelue foū ­dations, to betoken a sure & firme established ground­worke. [Page 8] In those founda­tions are writtē the names of the Lambes twelue Apo­stles, implying, that the foundation of the City is layde vpon the Rocke of Faith.

Reu. 21.2.The foundations of the wall of the City are garni­shed with all manner of pretious stones.

The first is Iasper, to fi­gure prosperity; the se­cond Saphir, in signe of truth; the third a Chalcedo­ny, to note perfection; the fourth an Emerald, in to-of victory; the fift Sardo­nix, implying security; the sixt Sardius, to demonstrate fidelity; the seuenth Chry­solite, to expresse purity; the eight Berill, to marke [Page 9] out content; the ninth a Topaz, alluding vnto plen­ty; the tenth a Chrysopra­sus, to designe beatitude; the eleuenth a Iacinth, to speake of Eternity; the twelfth an Amethyst, to manifest loue. And thus is the wall garnished, to shew vs the treasure and felicity thereof.

The City it selfe is all of pure gold, Reu. 21.21 Reu. 21, 23 Reu. 22, 1, 2, both the buil­dings and streets are gold, shining like cleere glasse: the light of this City is Christ: from his seate pro­ceedeth a riuer as cleere as Crystall; on both sides the bankes growes the tree of Life, that yeelds continuall fruite; it beareth twelue times euery yeare, twelue [Page 10] manner of fruits, to repre­sent the quantity, and vari­ety of the pleasures and ioyes of heauen: of which ri­uer and fruits all the inha­bitants may eate and drink their fill. Reue. 21.6

The riuer is neuer dry­ing, nor the fruits fayling, for the Lord maintaineth the same. There is no win­ter to nip the fruits, no sommer to consume the water; nor fall of the leafe to disgarnish the tree of his beauty: There is no heate to vexe, nor cold to grieue, no hunger nor thirst, no malice nor strife, no anger, no pride, no dissimulation nor deceit, no couetousnes nor griping, no whoredom or vncleannesse, no swea­ring [Page 11] or profaning, no dis­obedience.

There is no cosener to collogue, no parasite to dis­semble, no foe to fight, no inferiour to yeelde obedi­ence, no forrainers but brethren, no strangers but all of the houshold of faith, Rom. 8.17 Titus 3.7, Children of one holy Fa­ther, coheires with Christ their elder brother.

They shall not neede the helpe of any Doctor for Physicke, nor any Lawyer to pleade for their right: Mat. 24.25 the whole Kingdome is their owne, and their Letters pa­tents of Donation are re­corded.

This is the principal in­heritance of the Saints, and the habitation for all the [Page 12] Elect children of God, pre­pared for them from the beginning of the world.

To conclude this point, make vs, O Lord, to bee of the number of them whom thou hast ordained to reign with thee in thy heauenly Kingdome: write vs in the booke of Life, that we may bee in the assembly of thy righteous Saints: and giue vs grace to bee sorrowfull for our sinnes, fearefull of thy Iudgements, thanke­full for thy benefites, lo­uers of thy mercies, and mindefull of thy presence; that we may be diligent to please thee, haue grace to know thee and hope to em­brace thee, through the me­rits of Iesus Christ our Sa­uiour. Amen.

Secondly, Heauen is described by the Mag­nitude.

AS Heauen is a most glorious Kingdome, so it is a most spacious and large place: the Angel mea­suring the same, Reu. 21, 16, 17, findeth it to bee euery way 12000. furlongs, euery which fur­long hauing in it twenty fiue Geometricall paces, eight of them doth make a mile, which is fiue thou­sand foote: So that these twelue thousand furlongs, are made fifteene thousand miles, which beeing made square by addition, there [Page 14] are thrice so many, for the other three parts, or three squares of the City.

This is that large King­dome which containeth the innumerable multitude of all the Elect children of God. Thousand thousands doe minister vnto him, and ten thousand times an hun­dred thousand, doe stand a­bout the seate and Throne of God: Reu. 7, 9, Of euery Tribe of Israel were sealed twelue thousand: and great mul­tituds which no man could number, of all Nations, and Kindreds and people: and the Inhabitants of heauen exceede in number the stars in the firmament, or the sands by the Sea shore.

Baruch 3, 24.O Israell, how great is [Page 15] the house of God, and how large is the place of his pos­session. In domo Patris mei multae sunt mansiones, Iohn. 14, 2. In my Fathers house there are many mansions, sayth our Sauiour Iesus Christ: Whereof this proportion may be made, that as far as the whole world in great­nesse and compasse of place doth exceede the wombe of one priuat womā, so much doth the place of blisse passe all the whole worlde in greatnesse and quantity. And as much as a man li­uing in this world doth passe a child in his mothers wombe, in strength of bo­dy, beauty, wit, vnderstan­ding and knowledge; so much and so farre more [Page 16] doth a Saint in heauen passe men of this world in all heauenly knowledge.

This place is so great & spacious, as if wee compare the whole cōpasse of earth­ly things with the multi­tude of heauenly, all that e­uer God made besides hea­uen it selfe, is but as a prick or small point, or period, beeing matched with the workemanshippe of hea­uen.

This is that large and glorious Kingdom of God, which he hath prepared to set forth his glory, and to expresse vnto vs his migh­ty power.

To conclude this point, though heauen be large and great, which no tongue can [Page 17] expresse; yet streight is the way, & narrow is the gate to goe into it: Many seeke it, and few finde it: for the streitnesse of the way is af­fliction; y ^e narrownes of the gate is true contrition; the Suburbs is the Church; & the dore is Christ, by whō (if we truly seek) we shal sure­ly enter in. O let vs there­fore striue to auoyd sin, y ^e our wayes may be verity; our paths piety; Gods holy spirit our cōductor; his Word our director; Our Faith holde the Anchor, while Grace steeres the Helme: Let our teares bée the seas, and our sighes the gales of wind, to arriue at Gods heauenly Kingdom; which God hath prepared [Page 18] vs; Christ hath merited for vs, the holy Spirit doth as­sure vs, and our godly life will witnesse the same vn­to vs: which the Father of mercy, euen for his Sonne Iesus Christ his sake, for e­uer grant vnto vs. Amen.

Thirdly, Heauen is described by the Ioyes.

NOw as Heauen is a most glorious place, a Kingdome which hath no end or measure, either in power or glory: 2. Pet. 1.11 1. Cor. 2, 9 So in the same are contained Ioyes vnspeakeable. As a learned Father saith, that it is an easier matter to know [Page 19] what God is not, then to know what hee is: It is much easier to tell what is not in heauen, then to tell what is there: the ioyes thereof are so great, that all the Arithmeticians in the world cannot number; the Geometricians measure, nor Rhetoricians with all their eloquence vtter and expresse the same: it doth exceede the power of our e­loquence, and the capacity of all our intelligence.

Saint Paule was rapt into Heauen, 1 Cor. 2.9. Esay 64.4, Ps. 31.20. and saw the ioyes thereof: & they were so exceeding great, that his tongue was not able to ex­presse them: Therefore he saith, that neither eye hath seene, nor eare hath heard, [Page 20] nor the heart of man con­ceiued the greatnes of hea­uenly ioyes. They which are there wish nothing but they haue it before them; they desire nothing but they enioy it; they dwell in loue, they liue in peace, and continue in the fruiti­on of all blessednesse.

Mat. 5.8, Reu. 19, 9, Psal. 64.4. Ioh. 3.33,Blessed is their estate, blessed their beginning, their present beeing, and their neuer ending: They are crowned with ioy and gladnesse, and remaine for euer in a most blessed e­state. As they haue beene here members militant, there they are all trium­phant, all Kings reigning, and all victoriously trium­phing. There the King is [Page 21] Verity, Rom. 3, 4. and the law Loue and Charity, the honor E­quity, the peace Felicity, and the life Eternity. Luk. 9, 33,

If Peter said onely vpon Christ his transfiguration, it is good to be héere: O how much more shall the childrē of God reioyce in the King­dome of heauen, when they enioy not onely Heauens beauty, and the beholding of Christ in his glory, but shall themselues bée glorifi­ed, Mat. 13, 43 Dan. 12, 3, Mat. 13, 43, and shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father?

All the Ioyes, Pleasures, 1 Cor. 2, 9 Delights, & comforts that this worlde can yéelde, are but shaddowes, if they bée compared vnto the true Ioyes in the Kingdome of [Page 22] Heauen. Esay 64.4, Phil. 3, 21 Dan. 12.3 The ioyes of our bodyes shall be infinite, the ioyes of our souls vnspeak­able: Our earthly and vile bodyes shall bée made like vnto the most glorious bo­dy of the Son of God, like vnto the brightnesse of the Firmament, like vnto the Angels, like vnto the Sun in his strength.

Reu. 22.4. 1 Ioh. 3, 2, Exo, 34, 30We shall sée God face to face; we shall sée him as hée is; all the parts and pow­ers both of body and soule, shal be filled with the sight, presence, and fruition of God. As the Lords glory reflected vpon Moses, did make his face to shine vpon the Mount: So will our Sauiour Jesus Christ re­fine and beautifie with the [Page 23] perfection of grace, Phil. 3, 21, that they may bee like vnto his glorious body. It was one of our Sauiors last requests in the behalf of his Church, Father, I will that those whō thou hast giuen me, Ioh, 17, 24, be with mee where I am, that they may behold my glory. For the glory of Christ is so de­lightfull to be séene, so swéet to bée possessed, and so plea­sant to be inioyed; and his continuall presence is so ioyfull vnto all the Saints in Heauen, that if the least drop thereof should descend into hell, it would sweeten all the paines of the dam­ned.

The fountaine of Hap­pinesse is called by Diuines, visio Dei beatifica, the sight [Page 24] of God which maketh vs happy. Haec sola est sum­mum bonum nostrum, this onely sight of God is our cheefest happinesse: which Christ also confirmeth whē he saith to his Father, This is life euerlasting, Ioh. 17, 3, that men know thee the liuing God, and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

In seeing him, wée shall know the power of the Fa­ther, we shal know the wis­dome of the Sonne, and we shall know the goodnesse of the holy Ghost; wee shall know the inuisible nature of the most sacred and bles­sed Trinity.

This sight of God is the full beatitude and glorifica­tion of man: Psal. 16, 11 for in seeing [Page 25] him, we shall possesse him; in possessing him, wee loue him; in louing him we shall praise him; and in praising him we shal liue and reigne with him: for hee is the In­heritance of his people, the possession of their Felicity, and the reward of their ex­pectation. He is superemi­nent aboue all, superexcel­lent beyond all, and most a­bundant in Loue to all.

All persons generally haue the participation of ioy, and euery one in parti­cular the fruition of glory. But this one thing let vs cōsider, that there is a two­fold equality of proportion, & quantity of glory, which ariseth not from the Ob­iect, Almighty God, which [Page 26] is euer the same; but from man, the subiect, which is not in euery particular a­like capable of glory: Yet happy, and thrice happy shall they bee, who shall bee partakers of the least of hea­uenly glory.

They that haue least can desire no more, and they that haue most, discerne no wants in others, but haue a contented pleasure with profit; safety with solace, felicity with vnity, peace with perfection; and agree­ment with grace.

Where Christ his righ­teousnesse is their holy ray­ment, and his perfect fulnes their ioyfull contentment: Their drinke is the most sweete water of Life, Reu. 21.6. An­gels [Page 27] food their delicate nou­rishment: they shall haue the blessing of the holy Tri­nity, with all the spirituall riches & vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen, to be powred vp­pon them.

O who can tel the great­nesse of this ioy? When & where togither shal meete the Head and the Body, Christ and his Church, the Prince of peace, and his Spouse: our two old friends our soules and our bodyes, shall meete after so many yeeres of separation, with Angels, Arch-angels, Che­rubins and Seraphins, Pa­triarches, Prophets, Mar­tyrs, Apostles, and all the blessed Saints of God: also fathers and mothers, hus­bands [Page 28] and wiues, maisters and seruants, brothers and sisters, parents and childrē, neighbours and friends, all shall meete together: what cryes and shouts will there be for ioy? what clapping of hands and sweete em­bracements one of ano­ther?

O great shall be our ioyes when we behold our long-desired purchase, which we haue so often wished for: and most great shall bée our ioy, more then euer it was, when wee both with body and soule, shall sée and be­hold our Creator as hee is; where wee all shall thinke one thing, and all shall sing one song, Halleluiah, Salua­tion commeth of our God. [Page 29] O we shal not onely behold our most blessed Sauiour who so deerely bought vs, but we shal also reign with him, triumph with him, sit in the iudgement seat with him, & iudge the very An­gels with him. O what more hope could be thought vpon, except it were to bee Gods our selues? All the ioyes, all the riches, all the happines that heauen con­taineth, shall be powred vp­pon vs. To these ioyes, to these felicities, and to this blessed Inheritance, bring vs, O Lord, for thy deare Sonne Christ Iesus his sake.

Fourthly, Heauen is described by the Eternity.

As this Kingdome is full of ioyes vnspeakeable, so the ioyes thereof are also eternall: Psal. 145, Thy Kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome, and thy Dominion indures throughout all generatiōs.

Dani. 2.3. Mat. 19.29, 2. Cor. 4 17 Ioh. 16.22.The God of heauen shal set vp a Kingdome which shal neuer be destroyed: this kingdom is life euerlasting, this glory is eternall, these ioyes are permanent, 1. Pet. 5.4. 1 Pet. 1.4. the Crowne neuer fadeth, the Saluation is perdurable, the Inheritance immortal, and the Habitation perpe­tuall.

[Page 31]The Author to the He­brewes saith, Heb. 12.18. We receiue a kingdome which cannot be shaken. Saint Iohn heard in Pathmos great voyces from heauen, saying, Reu. 11. The Kingdomes of this world are our Lords, and his Christs, and he shall reigne for euermore.

Thus God will bestow vpon his Saints a glori­ous, ample, ioyfull, and a perpetuall kingdom, where they shall be ioyfull in an e­uerlasting ioy. The ioyes of heauen are exquisite, the felicity permanent, and the glory eternall: where faith hath her perfect worke in charity, Hope her desired happinesse, and loue a large scope in euerlasting Vnity.

[Page 32]They that haue receiued here smal things for a time, shall receiue there great things for euer: they that haue beene faithfull here o­uer a few things, shall bee made there rulers ouer ma­ny things: they that haue suffered sorrow heere for a short time, shall enter into ioy there for euer, which is called the ioy of the Lord: They that haue beleeued in God, shal reioice in his pre­sence for euer: they y ^t haue liued in his feare, shall liue without feare of any ene­my for euer: they that haue kept holy the Lords Sab­boths here, shall there kéepe holy day for euer: they that haue honored their Parēts, Ministers, Masters & Ma­gistrates, [Page 31] shall be honoured of God and Angels for e­uer: they that haue chasti­sed their bodyes and suffe­red with Christ Iesus, shall bee indued with the light of euerlasting immor­tality, and reigne with him for euer: they that haue lo­ued their neighbours shall be beloued of God for euer: they that haue mourned & sorrowed, and truly lamen­ted for their sinne, shall re­ceiue Crownes of glory for euer: they that haue wat­ched & praied in the night, & fasted in the Bridegroomes absence, shall now rest in the day that hath no night, and be richly feasted in the Kingdome of God for euer: They that haue labored in [Page 32] the Lords Vineyard, shall there receiue the penny of eternall blisse for euer: they that haue ouercome the World, the Flesh, and the Deuill, shall triumph in e­ternall glory with Christ, and his holy Angels for e­uer: and they that haue here wrung their hands for sorrow, shal there clap their hands for ioy, for euer more.

This shall be the blessed estate of all Gods Saints, that shall dwell in the king­dome of God for euer.

These cōsiderations cau­sed the Patriarches, Pro­phets, and the Saints of the olde world to long for, & desire that eternall, swéet, & most ioyfull inheritance [Page 33] of Gods heauenly King­dome. Toby, Iob, 2. King. 19. and Eli­as, wished thēselues in that Kingdome: Paule desired to bee dissolued, Phil. 3. and bee with Christ. Salomon counted all the glory of his King­dome but vanity, and the continuance thereof but as a wéede. Dauid lamenteth y ^t hee is so long kept away frō this glorious & eternall Kingdome: Woe is mee, (saith hee) that I am con­strained to dwell with Me­sech, and to haue my habi­tation among the tents of Kedar. And againe, Like as the Hart desireth the water brooks, so longeth my soule after thée, O God, my soule is athirst for God; yea, euen for the liuing God: O [Page 34] when shall I come to ap­peare before the presence of God? And againe he saith that he should vtterly haue fainted, but that he did rest in hope of a better King­dome, and beleeued verily in short time, to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the Liuing.

Why did Abraham for­sake his own natural coun­trey, and his fathers house, and to goe out he knew not whither? Why did Moses forsake Egypt, Heb. 11. and refused to bee called the son of Pha­raohs Daughter? Why did so many Saints, and holy men & women, leaue their ancient houses and riches, and wander vp and downe in wildernesses & in moun­taines, [Page 35] and in dens & caues of the earth? Surely for this cause: they had respect vnto the recompence of the reward, that was Regnum Dei, the Kingdome of God: they counted their Coun­trey but banishment, and a cursed vale of misery; their worldly glory but vanity; their dwelling and abode here but a Iayle, a prisō, or a dark dungeon; their plea­sures but sorrow, mour­ning and teares: and all their doings were to this end, that they might enioy a better Inheritance, that is, this glorious kingdome of Almighty God.

This is the Inheritance whereof the Apostle speak­eth, Heb. 12. Proposito sibi gaudio susti­nuit [Page 36] crucem, He suffered af­fliction for the ioy that was set before him.

This is that pretious pearle and treasure, which the Merchant found in the field, Mat. 13. and sold all that hee had, and bought it. This is that Inheritance, Phil. 3. in respect whereof S. Paul estéemeth all the world as dung. The same Inheritāce for which Ignatius, that godly Mar­tyr, biddeth this price; Fire, gallowes, Hieron. in catalogo. 3. beasts, breaking of bones, quartering of my members, crushing of my body, al the torments of the Deuill together, let them come vpon mee, so I may enioy the treasure of Hea­uen.

Thus you see, that our [Page 37] Summum bonum, our chiefe good thing; our Vltimus fi­nis, our last farewell; our Terminus ad qu [...]m, the end whereunto all our actions, endeauours, hopes and de­sires doe tend, and bend, is that we may liue for euer.

And so the end of all our preaching, the scope of all our hearing, the fruit of all our beleeuing, the effect of all our knowledge, and the maine point of all our pro­fession, is, to liue, that wee may enioy this euerlasting Kingdome.

To conclude, and briefly end, (though Gods king­dome of glory, and the glo­ry of Gods kingdome hath no end:) The Lord in his mercy correct our present [Page 38] sinfulnesse, erect our fur­ther weaknesse, and direct our future frailty; that we may earnestly desire, adui­sedly search, truly know, and perfectly fulfil al things that may please him, wher­by we may walke vpright­ly in his wayes, and liue truly in his Loue, to our comfort and his glory; that in the end we may obtaine that long desired and beau­tifull Diadem, wherewith he crowneth his Elect; and reigne with him in his e­uerlasting Kingdome, to behold the delightful coun­tenance of his most glori­ous Maiesty, & to be filled with the excéeding swéetnes of his most blessed presence, which is life for euer.