[ 1162] The joyes of Heaven, not to be expressed.
St. Augustine tells us,* 1.1 that one day while he was about to write something up∣on the eighth verse of the Thirty sixth Psalm; Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures; And being almost swallowed up with the Contemplation of Heavenly joyes, one called unto him very loud by his name, and enquiring who it was, he answered; I am Hierom, with whom in my life time thou hadst so much con∣ference concerning doubts in Scripture, and am now best experienced to resolve thee of any doubts concerning the joyes of Heaven; but onely let me first aske thee this question, Art thou able to put the whole Earth, and all the waters of the Sea into a little 〈◊〉〈◊〉? Canst thou measure the waters in thy fist? and mete out Heaven with thy span? or weigh the Moun∣tains in scales, and the hills in a ballance? If not, no more is it p••ssible, that thy under∣standing should comprehend the least of those joyes: And certainly, The joyes of Heaven are inexpressible, so sayes St. Paul, 1 Cor. 2. 9. The eye may see farre, it may reach the Stars, but not the joyes of Heaven; the ear may extend it selfe a great deal further then the eye, as to know the glory of all the Monarchies that are past,