Jesus and the resurrection justified by witnesses in heaven and in earth in two parts : the first shewing that Jesus is the Son of God, the second that in him we have eternall life / by Symon Patrick ...

IV.

WE must stay, as I have said be∣fore, for the resolution of such Questions, till we enter into that Joy. And for the present be glad to know, that our Souls being thus happily dispo∣sed, shining with the Divine Light, sa∣tisfied with the Divine Love, and re∣joycing in both, must needs issue forth in the most chearfull and delightsome Praises of God, who hath preferred us to such a blissfull state. For this we all find is one of the naturall effects of Joy, here in this Life. As it transports and raises the Soul above it self; as it makes us eager to possess, if it were possible, more of that Good which gives such de∣light; and as it makes us for the present forget all other things, all the cares and

troubles of this life; and, indeed, so much betters and improves our Soul, that of all other things we are not willing to forgo it: So it never fails likewise to employ the tongue in praising and com∣mending that Good, to which it owes it self. How barren soever the Mind be, or what slowness soever there be in our Tongues; joy and pleasure make us fruitfull in Thoughts, and quicken our Speech to declare the content we take in the company of that which is the cause of it. Nay, the Voice becomes bigger and louder by its means; and it never utters it self, but with earnest notes of its high satisfaction. And therefore it is impossible for the ravisht Soul, when it is come to the delightfull Vision of God, to refrain from joyning with the Heavenly Quire, to give Glory to God in the highest, that is, after the most excel∣lent manner, and with the most exalted affections.

As the Understanding, by reflecting upon the blessedness of the whole Man, will excite an extraordinary Joy in the heart, (as I have just now discoursed:) so, by reflecting upon the fountain from whence that happiness flows, and ear∣nestly

observing the Originall of its en∣joyments, it cannot but excite in it self admiration and wondering thoughts; and presently employ them to invent the no∣blest hymns and songs of praise, whereby to magnifie and laud this glorious Good∣ness of God. And this will make still greater additions to the Joy before spo∣ken of, which must necessarily be inter∣mixed with these most affectionate Thanksgivings; as every one can wit∣ness who hath tried this heavenly em∣ployment, which the Psalmist, in his ex∣perience, found so good, so pleasant, and so comely. cxlvii. 1.

Were all the mercies of but one day placed now in a clear view before your eyes, or could you but at once behold all the blessings that are crouded into e∣very moment; what admiration would it raise up in your hearts? what a volume of praises would you be able to com∣pose? and how much sweeter would this one act of lauding and praising God be, then the enjoyment of all the good things you praise him for? Raise up your minds then to conceive the height of those Praises, that will be continually springing and bubbling up from thank∣full

hearts, and always filling their mouths; when they shall be able to shoot their thoughts down to the very bottom of their days, and see all the cu∣rious Providences of God about them, all the favours they have enjoyed, and all the dangers they have escaped as they passed through the tumultuous Sea of worldly affairs. O what Hallelujahs will it create, when these shall be represen∣ted thick together, or stand at once be∣fore us? and when we shall not onely look upon the past loving-kindnesses of God in one train of thoughts; but in the next behold all our present enjoy∣ments, the quiet shoar where we are lan∣ded, with the riches and pleasures of the Heavenly Country? and when we shall also think again of those that are still fu∣ture; which are always beginning, and never ending, always present, and always to come? This sure will make the voice of praise more loud and shrill, and every note so sweet, that it will give the most gratefull touch unto the heart.

Look upon the little Birds, and hear∣ken how they chirp and sing in the wide and spacious air, where they have no li∣mits set to their liberty: and then think

what a chearfull life they lead, in com∣parison with one that is perpetually coup'd up in a cage, and spends many lonesome days and melancholick nights in that solitude. And look again upon your own Souls, which we think are capable of the highest pleasures; and cannot you conceive a little how delightfull they will find it, to be always singing in the vastest liberty and freedom; to be sprea∣ding their wings in the boundless Light to which God will bring them; and to be uttering their joys, as they see them∣selves incompassed on all sides with in∣numerable objects of contentment? O how infinitely will it transcend all that they are capable of while they are im∣prisoned, or rather pinioned, in this bo∣dy? though one moment of those Joys which are sometimes felt here by holy Souls, is not to be exchanged for all that the world can offer in its stead.

And these Songs will be made the more melodious, by the company that shall joyn together in the most harmoni∣ous consort. All the Saints and Angels will make up but one happy Quire; and will all strive, we may imagine, with an holy emulation to excell each other, and

without any envy contend who shall sing the loudest and sweetest praises to our Creatour and Redeemer. And what delight, may we conceive, will they take in the delicate strains of each o∣ther? How will they be pleased to hear their own voices accompanied with the hymns of so many celestiall creatures? How will the whole number be even rapt out of themselves by the melting airs of the whole Quire; when they all lift up their voices together, as those my∣riads of holy ones which St. John saw (v. Rev. 11.) acknowledging the Lamb worthy to receive power, and riches, and wisedom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing, which (as he says v. 13.) all good Christians even in this world delight to ascribe unto him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever?

The Pagans had some little sense of this pleasure, as we may learn from Me∣trodorus himself: who, though an Epicu∣rean, yet in these words, as Clemens A∣lexand. observes, spoke divinely. Re∣member, O Menestratus, who art born mor∣tall, and hast received a life which will have an end, that ascending with thy Soul even

till thou comest to eternity and the infinity of things, thou shalt see both things to come, and things that have been. For, according to Plato, we shall contemplate with the happy Quire 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the blessed Vision and Spectacle. Where we attending upon Jupiter, and others upon o∣ther Gods, shall be admitted, if it be law∣full to speak it, to celebrate the most blessed Mysteries. Which we shall joyfully observe, being intire, and insensible of any of those evills which expected us in our latter days. And we shall be admitted to the mysterious contemplation of those perfect and steady sights, in pure light: being our selves pure and disingaged from this body, which we carry now about with us; to which we are tied as fast as an oyster is to its shell. They felt, it appears by these words, very strong motions in their Souls after a sight of those things, to which they could not reach while they were in these Bo∣dies. And they had a faint hope also, that, when they were got loose from these shackles, they should neither be confined nor clouded; but in pure light and liberty rejoyce and be glad in the love of their gods, who they expected would admit them to the knowledge of such secrets, as they imparted onely to

their Friends. For that's the meaning of celebrating the Mysteries; which were Secrets that all were not permitted to see, and when any had seen, they might not reveal; but were kept with festivall joys, after the most solemn manner, by those who were thought worthy of them. To the delight of those feasts he com∣pares the joy they should have in the o∣ther life; which they were wont to pro∣mise to all those who were admitted to the sight of their Mysteries. There they fansied they should rejoyce in a nobler manner then they did when they fol∣lowed the pomp of Bacchus and Ceres; (to whose mysteries this Authour al∣ludes;) and without that noise and tu∣mult which accompanied such trains, be∣hold in quiet the unknown spectacles of the invisible World.

But if you think that all the expressi∣ons I have used borrow too much from sensible things; yet remember at least what delightfull touches a sweet voice, or other excellent musick, hath in any moment given your Soul; and conceive then what a pleasure it would be, to have two hours continued like that one minute, or your spirits so delicately

moved for one whole day together. By this means you will the better understand the truth of what I have said: for just such is the pleasure of those Souls, which now strike themselves and touch their own hearts with a lively sense of the Goodness of God towards them; and which feel withall the finger of God gi∣ving the like stroaks upon them. There is nothing so delicious as this, nothing so powerfull to ravish them out of their bodies. The very strings would crack, and the Soul and flesh would dissolve their Union, should there remain such a powerfull and delightfull motion for some hours, as for a little space they sometime feel transporting them. They cannot but imagine, that the prolonged harmony of one day, should it bless the Soul, would make it account all the plea∣sures in this world harsh and trouble∣some; and cause it to cry out, as the man St. Hierom speaks of, who after he had dreamt he was in Paradise, called still to those who were about him,

Set me again in those flowry fields: restore me to those pleasant walks. O let me enjoy that melody once more; let me hear those sweet songs: trouble me no more with any of these worldly

noises; but bless me again with those heavenly touches.

Lift up your minds then by such thoughts as these, to conceive what not one day, or year, or age, but an eternity of such rare ravishing delight would be; and that is a part of that blessed LIFE which I am treating of. Which by your own confession must needs be more desi∣rable then all that can be expressed by Musick and sweet Airs, and melodious Strains and Songs, or any such like words: which must be acknowledged to be weak and imperfect, able to express onely the outward images and shadows of those Divine enjoyments. And the more perfectly you digest and frequent∣ly excite such thoughts as these, the more you will apprehend of this bliss; and the more impossible it will be, that any thing should hinder you from beginning to be so happy, by devoting your selves to a Christian life. One part of which is, to praise and bless the Lord at all times; to bear in your gratefull minds a faithfull remembrance of his benefits, and to express it as oft as you can in the most thankfull acknowlegments. In which exercise whilst you seriously employ

your selves, you will be able thereby to know in part what the blessing of Eter∣nall Life is, wherewith our Lord hath promised to reward our hearty obedi∣ence.

Notes

• Lib. v. Strom. p. 614.