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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul ciichi, il est film* A partir de I'angie sup^rieur gauche, de gauche h droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nicessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 •9^ •HI '" ' ■ I ■^^iiii«i^me«ppBavBMi iPiVPHMimi .y' i t !! J,' « %. . (J VISIONS •«?: *, 1 \®mw. r M i ^ .-t rt >/ ^ pis LAST REMAPS: ^' •', / -r ■■"'> i ' U ' feiyiNG AN ACCOUNT 0.^ d Jk J ^1 THB illiOIUES OF fiSAVSN, THE ' ■ W t c ^ TERROBS OF HEIil^^ ASfI> OF ^ * S9ll^ •», • » • k » • t < 1-r •• it 8T. CATHARINES, U. C. PRINTED !►§ HIRAM LEi?Y^N WORTH, FOR THE lBI|i^lt$01^« * » i^r ^V^ «- i j*i. 9'S^ii>4>^ f* '^, ■^♦: «■ ■* MAY 1 1933 .^«? » '«« *, ■»i • |«*^-,.~V,^'^^ » <• ** " ^^ ^•4' •«, ' W' PREFACE. \ Christian Reader: ^V The design of the following Treatf^y is thy spiritual advantage, that by dis* playing the heavenly glory to the eyes of thy mind, thou mayest have thy amo- tions and desires stirred up to choose it as thy chiefest treasure, and then where thy treasure is, thy heart will .«oon be also : and perhaps here is as much said to engage thy aflections as has been any where written upon this subject, and which, through the Divine blessing, maj* begefcin thee those breathings after th( happiness here described, which may is- isuein thy eternal fruition of it. It does '^not indeed pretend to give a graphical description thereof, (for it does not yet appear what we shall be,) but it gives such a descriptit)n of it as the Divine oracles will warrant •, showing wherein tkie na- ture of our happiness does chiefly con- sist, and resolving the most abstruse and cdftrious questions about it, accord- ing to the word of truth. And seeuig love and desire are the wings of the ^r^Ji >»ai2rACE. M r»,«gf ,*'Vhich i lies towards Heaven, M not but ibe devout soul will here >se all ractives that will insensibly ,t thiiher; ior what can more en- ^a-t our affections than the desire of fteEnlflint? iliat bi is;ht eternal excellency, who is altoscfc'ther desires, and whom the e;hurch describes as fairer than the child- ren of men \ And if he was so in the days of his humihation, how much more glori- ous is he on the throne, being crowned with glory and honour, as the apostle to the*Hebrews speaks? But although glorious things'be spo- ken of the citj? of God, which is repre- sented to us as an eternal excellency, pnd the joy of many generations-, yet, after the largest descriptions, we stall be ■^ forced to acknowledge, when we come to Heaven, what the Queen of Sheba did, when she saw the glory of Solomon, that the half has not been told us. However, there is enough to engage our hearts and ravish our affections, and to make us cry out with David, " How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord ot Hosts !" Buk as Jove and desire carries us after that which we apprehen* to be amiable and lovely, so fear is a paSsion "^ ♦he soul whereby it flies from ^a avc evi in i otl ma it, otl la^ an th tl tl p n d t i^«AiiK— -■ mil ilTITBIIIimitlll Heaven, will here isensibly more en- lesire of' cellency, vliom the the child- the days ore glori- cr owned d apostle Wbe spo- is repre- Lcellency, ons; yet, e shall be we come of Sheba Solomon, I us. to engage itions, and id, "How Lord of ire carries lend^ to be fr^m ^nd avoids whatever it a^reht ,vil • and tllis passion works a!> ? .Amp souls as love and desire 'otheT And o these the Visions V fn^arbe as useful to affright Aem^- IL the Visions of Heaven :d«^^ f^vToir ears t" thl°mo«.l of Tophet, brrs^!ti:i^';£a^e!&^^ S^on themselves eternal mtser^^^^^^^ F=nvSr:Serr. ' :j&ii^?o=ss nared an ark to the savuig of his house , Ld if the fear of the tomen^s of M rul^Ts» tl^ wr^h to come. " ffierny""o?et*»»-„r: is delivered under the simd. «de of a Vision; for so long as the truth^ herein conveyed are according to tneuue »"» t s ^ i. P3BKFiC«. Sat _..Ailh, thedrtv^s in which they are ay be very weil dispensed with. i^Jione herein like the physicians, 4it their physick in some pleasant ^^^iicJe, to inukc it j^o down the easier ivith their piitients; and since the way to Heaven has been su taking, under the .sirrnlitudc of a drc am, Avhy should not die journey's end be us acceptable un- der the similitude of a Vision? Nay, why should it not be more acceptable, vsince the end is preferable to the means, and Heaven to the way that brings us thither? The pilgrim met with many difficulties, but here they are all over; all storms and tempests here are hushed in silence and serenity. \ Let us stay no longer here, then, but inount thither upon the golden wings of faith and love: "For lo! the winter is past; the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the. voice of the turtle is heard in our land:" yea, the blessed Bridegroom of our souls c,alls to us, "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away:" which reader, that thou mayest make haste to do, is the ^desire sand praver of thy sours well-wisher, *^ ^ ^ "^ JOHN BUNYAN. \, •-*. they are (cd with, ysicians, pleasant le easier the way mder the ould not table un- 1? Nav, ceptable, le means, curings us ith many all over; e hushed then, but wings of winter is one 5 the the time i, and the. ur land :" our souls J fair one, , that thou he desire viSiier, JUNYAN. iTHB WOBM> TO COW^ VISIONS OF HEAVEN AND HlK^ INTRODUCTION. on in a course of s.n to that ^^ ^^^^ reason scarce hope ^^^ ^^l^^^^^tl^ for their sins, they to fear the J"«^ J^.^fT "^^ ^as no God to punish begin at first to wieh tha theie was ^^^ ^^ thin,, which they t'^'"^;; ^fiJeeWes that there is degrees come to f'f^^^J^.^^'^^^lves to study for ar- none ; and then they set ?^f "^"^'J^^^^rove what they gle'nts to back their op.mon and prov ^^ ^^.^ ^^^ Le willing to beheve ;7/^;^„rthy of the name cf brutes, (for ^h^y f^^^f^auBiness to be acquaint- of men,) that 1 ^/''^^i'^^tSw rnc"^<=^^'"° "^''" u' ed, who wou d be continuaUy n ^^^^^ ^^^ jj^^j. there was neither God n«^ "f;"\he politick inven-v and that those things we e only tne P ^^^^^ .^ Uons of such as were w.Uing to ^^ j^^^,^ ,„ af- \ awe, "just (says he) as we f^^^^^^ horrour and frighten <^l»'ld:';"fi' theS tCdiscourse, and there- trembling that I first hearaim ^^^^ fore I usually left ^I'^.^Jen hejeg l^ ^^ ^ topicks; but his speaking ottnem ^^^^^^ ^^ la^t prevailed with me *« ^"J^'J^'^'^i,^" ti^e I felt my had tor what he «?'d; and trom t^ and darkness mind perplexed with so much tioum EYcoSd haf y bear ;P ^a ftiot tlose ^'^td how to make out, to ray own , j. j^j t, i could ^vhich before appeared to me sell e_^^ ^ ^^^^^^^ not think there wao u« ««.., — - ^ •\*l ^VORLD TO come: OB .|?yet I called ill question the truth of his be- jula nor lu^ve parted with my hopes of Hea- V^vt been made heir of all the world; and •lUfciUoned whether there was any such place ..jrijtaie; and 1 btjjan to doubt whether there was any liell, and yet -.t the same time thought I found the tlanioft of il Hashing in my face. Thus was my niiud distracted with apparent contradictions, and I found i wais involvod in a labyrinth of confusion, out oL iviiicii 1 iiuJ iio olue to extricatt myself. In this perplexed condition I went to my false friend, to see \vhat comfort he could administer to me ; (which was like Saul's going to the witch of Endor, when God had forsaken him,) but what he said did more con> found than satisfy me. He indeed laughed at my fears, pretended to pity my weakness, and seemed to hug himself in the freedom and hberty which he enjoyed. He told me he was never molested in the prosecution of what he had to do, by the frightful mormo's of a future state, or an after reckoning; that nature was the great mistress of the universe, and that therefore he followed her dictates; and that all the care he took was so to live here, that when his dust should be next impregnated, it might be into some delightful species of being:, which would like- wise, in a great measure, be owing to the place of his burial; for if he were buried in a church, or laid up in a vault, it was possible his dust might be turned into spiders, toads or serpents, and therefore he de- signed to be buried in a field or garden, if he could, that there his ashes might spring up in curious and delightful flowers, which was the utmost happiness he could propose to himself; and should be very well satisfied to find all those spirits and powers he was now possessed of, exerted in variegated beauties of nature. And further he affirmed, that for audit he knew, in the various metemsychosis of nature, ■i i ji i i i' ni gmin'nn i aM ith of his be- 'pes of Hea- world; and ^ such place r there was ght I found lus was my tions, and I nfusion, out ^If. In this lend, to see (which was when God more con :hed at my nd seemed f which he 3sted in the he frightful )ning; that iverse, and md that all it when his fht be into kvould like- place of his or laid up ; be turned fore he de- f he could, urious and happiness Id be very powers he jd beauties \ for aught of nature^ VIStONS OF HEAVEN AND he miirht, some ages hence, again imp man body, as he believed he had aone mai. I then urged the Scriptures agf' "^J. ^\^ ^ telUffible system; but he exploded that, a only the engine by which politick men brough Sir designs ; and that to prove a deity by he fe tures, was the same thing as to PJ^ve the Div. original of the Scriptures by the bemg of a deit> which was idm per idem. f„Hhpr These discourses of his putting .ie stiil on ™r Sed "odoi':a„d yet they corujnudly ran - J niind : I wished a thousand «™e« J.^^«^^ "^''^'^hat ' iViAm and vct thcv were ever before me, wnai. sa?d i to tveein iB all my hopes of Heaven nothmg but a vain chimera 1 Have I served God for no- Sl^ or rath", have I fancied one, when there is ?o such bein"^? It is impossible to tell the agomes I fdtSnon my giving way to such thoughts as these, which Si wUh greater ^orce assaulted me, unhl at Tas 1 was huSe'd to the utmost V^^^f'^^!^'^^ Whv should I linger thus, thought I, between des- paM hope I Is it not better, «a.d I to m-df tj put a period to this wretched life, and to try the tiutn "^uSi'this, I took a resolution to destrojr myself. and?n order thereunto, went out one morning to an 2tcent wood, where I i«te"ded ^o act this^W^^^^^^ tragedy— which, as I was about to Perpetrate, me thoS I heard a secret whisper, saying: "O Epe- Sli plunge not thyself into ever^stingm^^^^^^^^^^ tn ffratifv thv soul's worst enemy : that fatal stroKe L'u art'aKt to give, seals -^}y--X:T:T^ol for if there be a God, as sure there 'S, how can you hope for mercy from him, when yo^tbus wiLully de_ stroy his image 1" i'rom wueuts uiis— . v. . -.- / ,•», ' larjil: world to come: or »■ ' 5.1 knew not, but do believe it was from r I am sure it came with so much power, it fling tiwav the instrument with which I had wtfd to oiTei* violence to m.y own life, and show- . vtr me in a moment, the wickedness thereof The hor:onr of this bai Ijarous intention set all my joints a tretiibliug, tdat I could hardly stand ; and then the iatai preci]Mce of my designed destruction was re- presented tc mr i.i that frightful view, that I could not but acknowledire my deliverance to be the work of some invifeioje and spiritual power, that came so seasonably to my rescue, and gratitude obliged me to return him thanks ; so I kneeled down upon the ground, and said — **0 thou invisible eternal power! which, though unseen by man, beholdest all his actions, and who had now withheld me from the defacing of thine im- age, I give thee humMe thanks: yes,"0 thou sove- reign Being of all beingG, I give thee thanks that I am still ahve, and able to acknowledge theri is such a Being. O do not hide thyself from my beholding, in such thick clouds of darkness, but let the sun of glory shine upon me, and chase away the blackness of my benighted soul, that I may never more ques- tion thy being or omnipotence, which I have had this moment so great an experience of.'^ Then rising from my knees, I went and sat me down upon a bank, my mind being greatly taken up with the adorning thoughts of that eternal goodness that had so eminently saved me from the dreadful gulph of everla3ting ruin, when I was just going to plunge myself into it. And now methought I could not but admire that I should be so sottish to call in question the being of a deity, which every creature was a witness of, and which a man's own conscience, trifiro fl-iQKt fs ^1'«^«<£.»«« J — .ix 1 I ^ ^ 1, ' ji- =^r-_-j-_ s.ii«;i ^ viivuwM-iiu Miiiiwoov^oj ii^UUiU iiOt UUl UiC* t^ate to him. M->#^< it was from ch power, it which I had J, and show- ^reof. The 11 my joints and then the tion was re- that I could be the work hat came so obliged me 'n upon the lich, though IS, and who of thine im- > thou sove- lanks that I leri is such ' beholding, fc the sun of e blackness more ques- I have had and sat me ly taken up d goodness he dreadful J St going to ght I could 3h to call in ry creature conscience, iot biit dic- VISIONS OF HEAVEN AND Now, whilst my thoughts were taken, meditations, as 1 6at upon the bank, I v ly surrounded with a glorious light, the w -- brightness whereof, was such as 1 had nev any thing like it before. This both surprise amazed me, and whilst I was wondering from wh it came,, I saw coming towards me a glorious appt ance, representing the person of a man, but cn-r-^ round about with lucid beams of inexpressible light and glory, which streamed from him all the way he came: his countenance was very awful, and yet mix- ed with such an air of sweetness as rendered it ex- tremely pleasing, and gave me some secret hopes he came not to me as an enemy ; and yet 1 knew not how to bear his bright appearance; »"« e"^^^" vourinff to stand upon my feet, I soon found 1 haa no more strength in me, and so fell flat down upon my face; but by the kind assistance of his arm, 1 was soon set upon my feet again, and new strength >\as put into me; which I soon perceiving, address- ed mvself to the bright form before me, saying :— "O my shining deliverer, who hast invigorated my feeble body, and restored me to new life : how shall I acknowledge my thankfulness, and in what man- ner shall I adore thee]'^ , To which he replied, both with, an air of majesty and mildness:— ''Pay thy adorations to the Author of thy being, and not to me, who am thy fellow crea- ture; and am sent by Him, whose very bemg thou hast so lately denied, to stop thee from falling into that eternal ruin, whereinto thou wertgoing to pre- cipitate thyself" / " ^'l This touched my heart with such a ^ep sense of my own uuworthiness, that my soul even melt- ed within me, and I could mi forbear crying out— ii.r\ K^«/ ii*+^i.Ur nnwA «Av Jim I of all this grace an^ mercy f'^ '•^^^f^''"^' 'k' ii ^ ^ l* » ^ M v. ' Mk: mU i^b4iiiiiilSi:-» &. % * WORLD TO come: OR 4 the hea\XTily messenger replied: "The lAj^'^ty does not consult, in showing mercy, .Mhines$, bu! his own unbounded goodness ..LOajpreheriSible love. He saw with how much ittince the «,^rR^d en^^niy of souls desired thy ruin, and let hfm go with hopes of overcoming thee, but i?till upheld thee by his secret power; through which, when Satan Ihousrht himself most sure, the snare is bfoken, and thou an escaped/' TheBc words njade me break forth in this ecpta- O, who the depths of this great love can tell, To save a tfempted, sinking soul from hell? O, glory! glory to my Saviour's name, ril now through all eternity proclaim! Who, when I on the brink of ruin lay, Saved me from him who wodld my soul betray: And now I know, though I no God would own. The Lord is God; yea, he is God alone! Angel. Well, said this heavenly visiter, with a pleasmg countenance, that you may never doubt any more of the reality of eternal things, the end of rny coming to you, is to convince you of the truth of them ; not by faith only, but by sight also : for I will show you such things as were never yet beheld by mortal eye; and to that end, your eyes shall be strengthened, and made fitting to behold immaterial objects. At these surprising words of the angel, I was much astonished, and doubted how I should be able to bear it; and said to him— *<0, my Lord, who is sufficient to bear such a sight?'' To which he replied—The joy of the Lord shall be your strength* And when he had said thus, he took hold of me and said— Fear not, for I am sent to siiow thee things thou hsMit not seen. And before ^ was aware, I ||4Jijd jpyself far above the earth, i m^m in^ tt jplied: "The 3wing mercy, led goodness ith how much ed thy ruin, ing thee, but rough which, the snare is n this ecsta- I tell, 3ll? 1 betray: M own, » siter, with a never doubt h the end of 'the truth of also : for I • yet beheld ►^es shall be I immaterial ngel, I was Duld be able ord, who is Lord shall id thus, he r I am sent And before the earth. \ ' .'^iimai.'fiL. At^hB AA tf MMMtMlw VISIONS OP HEAVES ANj. vvh ieh seemed to me a very small and . point, in comparison with that region o which I was translated. Then I said to my bright conductor— O ofiend mv Lord, if I ask a question or two ot To which he answered-Speakon; '* '« "/ to inform thee of such things as thou shal enqt of me- for I am a ministering spirit, sent forth v ^inTst;r to thee, and to those that shall be heirs ot "itin'aid, I would fain be informed what t!iat dmk snot so far below me, is ; which grew less and less, Stmounted higher and higher, and appears much Harker since I came into this region of light. ^^That i"tle spot, answered -y. ,7"4«<=;-' ^^W now looks so dark and contemptible, is hat world of which vou was so lately an inhabitant: heie you mav «ee how little all that world appears, for a small nart of which so many do unweariedly labour, and Fav out Til their strength and time to purchase it.- This is that spot of earth which is cantoned and subdivided into so many kingdoms, to purchase one of Xch so many horrid and nefarious villanies, so manv bloody and unnatural murders, have been SiUed^ea, this is that spot of earth to obtain one small part whereof so many men have run the Sazard of fosing, nay, have actually lost, their pre- dous souls ; so I'reciLs that the P^ce of Peace has told us, that though one roan, could gam the whole^ it could not countervail so great a loss. And the g\St reason of thei* folly is, because they do "O^ look to things above : for, as you will observe, as you ascend'nearer to this region, the world appears still less, and more contemptible ; and so U w"" do t« all who can, bv feith. once get their hearts above it^ For", could the sons of tn^n below but see me worm just as it is, they iftuld not covet i$ as they now do j ' .X ■'^ e_. WOULD TO CCJME : OR jf&m ! are in a state of darkness, and, wha. ^ they love to walk therein. For though, A^ of liight came down amongst them, and ,-^.y showed them the true light of life, (whichj :^^Sy his ministers, he still continues,) yet they go on! ' in darkness, and will not bring themselves into th light, because their deeds are evil. Epenetus. I asked Lim farther— What were those multitudes of black and horrid forms that hover in the air above the world? which I indeed should have been much afraid of, but that T saw, as you passed by, they fled; perhaps as not being able to abide that brightness with which you are arrayed. ^ng. To this he answered 'me — They were the fallen and apostate spirits, which, for their pride and their rebellion, were cast down from Heaven, and wander in the air by the decree of the Almighty; being bound in chains of darkness, and kept unto the judgment of the great day. And from thence they are permitted to descend into the world, both for the trial of the elect, and for the condemnation of the wicked. And though you now see they have black and horrid forms, yet were they once the sons I of light, and were arrayed in robes of glorious bright- t ness, like what you see me wear — the loss of whTch, though it was the effect of their own wilful sin, fills them with rage and malice against the ever- blessed God, whose power and majesty they fear and hate; ^but having lost their innocence and glory, they fly those spirits that have kept their station, and still continue their obedience to their great Creator; ia which they are confirmed by the blessed Son of God. Epen. But tell me, said I, U my happy conduc- tor, have they no hopes of bemg reconciled to God suine ui liielii orrom ir^-^^K n 4rr\w*m x^*:.„_ . J, 1 _ Jing, No, not at all, said he ; they are lost for ever; they wer^ the first that sinned, and hai no wi ii i i i iii i^it ii M | l i -.ii ii ►R ess, and, wha For thoughl gst them, and! f life, (which, et they go an selves into the hat were those that hover in ideed should saw, as vou being able to re arraved. 'hey were the >r their pride rom Heaven, the Almighty; nd kept unto I from thence e world, both condemnation see they have once the sons lorious bright- loss of which, ilful sin, fills ^ ever- blessed Bar and hate; lory, they fly tion, and still i Creator; in Son of God. appy conduc- iciled to God rme of them, y are lost for and had no VISIONS OF HEAVEN AND Hi .J-?* ■4 empter ; and they were all at once casi jwn fcom leaven. Besides, the Son of God, th.» * ,. lessiah, by whom alone salvation can be haa, took , ot upon him the angelick nature, but left the apos- ^ bte angels all to perish, and only took upon him- , self the seed of Abraham. And for this reason they have so much malice against the sons of men, whom it is a torment to them to see made heirs ot Heaven, , whilst they are doomed to hell. Bv this time we were got above the sun, whose vast and glorious body, above an hundred times far greater than the earth, moved round the great ex- panse wherein it was placed, with such a mighty swiftness, that to relate it would appear incredible. But my conductor told me, this mighty, immense, hanging globe of fire, was one of the great works ot God, and of so swift a motion, it moved above an hundred thousand miles in the small space of time we call an hour. And yet it always keeps its con- stant course, and never has the least irregularity in its diurnal or its annual motion; and so exceedingly glorious in its body, that had not my visible faculty been greatly strengthened, I could not have beheld it : nor were those mighty globes of fire we call the fixed stars, less wonderful, whose vast and extreme height, ten thousand leagues at least above the sun, makes them appear like candles in our sight, though every one of them exceeds in magnitude the body of the earth. And should but one of those vast bodies tail, it would burn the world to cinders in a moment ; and yet they hang within their spheres without anysup- t)ort, in a pure sea of ether, so thin, and of so great tenuity, that nothing but his word that first created them, could keep them in their station. r", rrkoo wnrria are enousrh. said 1 to ray coXctor.irco'nvince any one of the great power of their much more adorable Creator, and of the .Sik^iMom.^ u THE WORLD TO COME, 1^ ^;ii blackness of that infidelity which can call in quej tiOn the being of a Deity, who has given the who) world so many bright evidences of his power an glory, that were not men like beasts, still lookinl downwards, they could not but acknowledge hj great power ana wisdom. ^ng. You speak what is true, replied he, but y( shall see far greater things than these: these all ai but scaffolds and outworks to that glorious buildin] wherein the blessed above inhabit, that house m made with hands, eternal in the heavens; a view which, as far as you are capable to comprehend it shall now be given you. ^3Qa(s>srs ©IP Qiaii^:[3ST9 AND THE GLORY THEEEOF. te 9 68 fl (i 10 ap icl What I had been told by my conductor, I founc good in a few moments ; for I was presently trans lated into the glorious mansions of the blessed, anJ^" saw such things as it is impossible to represent, anc ^*^ heard that ravishing melodious harmony that I cati never utter. Well, therefore, might the belovei apostle John tell us, in his epistle — "Now are w( the sons of God !'' and it does not yet appear wha we shall be. Whoever has not seen that glory, can speak but very imperfectly of it ; and they that have, cannot tell the thousandth part of what it is. And, therefore, the great apostle of the Gentiles, who tells us he had been caught up into Paradise, where he had heard unspeakable words, which it is not possi ble for man to utter, gives us no other account of it, but that --eye has uot seesi, nor ear heard, nor has^ it entered into the be|i|t ^, man to conceive, thef f in *e lu is el ra ;o ea er '-■''g^^BttdwawBMiBiiiiwwwwM ifjIp l l i HH' i iM I VISIONS OF HEAVEN, 17 [hings that God has laid up for those that love him.'' (ut I will give you the best account I can, of what 1 (aw and heard of the discourses I had with some oii; ied he, but y i: these all a Drious buildin that house n ens ; a view comprehend i rmst^ n call in quei iven the whol his power an cnowledffe hil'^® blessed, as near as I can remember. ^ I When I was first brought near this glorious pa* ace, I saw innumerable hosts of bright attendants, ho welcomed me into that blissful seat of happines^^, mving in all their countenances an air of perfect joy, nd of the highest satisfaction. And there I saw that erfect and unapproachable light that assimilates all hings into its own nature, ibr even the souls of the lorified saints are transparent and diaphanous. — ^^either are they enlightened by the sun, or any cre- ted luminaries; but all that light, that flows with much transparent brightness throughout those eavenly mansions, is nothing else but emanations f the Divine glory, in comparison of which the light f the sun is but darkness. And all the lustre of tlie fiost sparkling diamonds, the fire of carbuncles, apphires and rubies, and the orient brightness of the ichest pearls, are but like dead coals in compari- le blessed, andl^" *^ ^*® glory; and, therefore, it is called "the represent, am ^*^^^'^ of the glory of God," v*^herein the radiant lus- , -e of the Divine majesty is revealed in the most lustrious manner. The ineffable Deity, exalted on the high throne of is glory, receiving the adoration of myriads of an- els and saints, singing forth eternal hallelujahs and raises to him, was too bright an object for mortality view. Well may he, therefore^ be called **the od of glory,'^ for by his glorious presence he makes eaven whaft it is. There being rivers of pleasures erpetually springing from the Divine presence, and )nciliating cheerfulness, joy and splendour, to all F. iuctor, I fount resently trans ony that I car It the belove( -"Now are w( 3t appear wha that glory, can they that have, at it is. And, tiles, who tells dise, where he it is not possi account of it, Heard, nor hast conceive^ the ^PPy residence, and seat of his eternal empire ; herein the Divine Majesty diffuses the richest A l'\l^ol£J£2^ -mark l-k thou shalt be fixed for ever; \m the Divine will first tnust be obeyed. ^ » J i om Swift as thought, he presently conveyed »«e ^"^^J^ ^!^^^ thousands of those bright and winged spirits, and theiioersii presented me to that illustrious saint, the greaieai ii Elijah, who tabernacled in the world below so nrian}iconc( hundred ages past; and yet methought I knew himaigiorK first sight as well as if we had been contemporaries I Dome M^, Here is one, said my conductor to ElijahlJeciio WHO, DV ine coiiiiiiisoiu" ••"■" "■•- ^".j-- — '■;. r.Ivp* hi has been permitted to survey these realms of i'f ntjy" "' and I have brought him liither to learn from theJsense wherein its glory and its happiness consists. for 'tis to do praisei eayin§ power to the us to tongue our G I also Th( count to me ven a I can pi Ith of int forth i Bli upon ed go nessc nowg he thi Bh 1 sat upon conductor, t for frail id delight ie.'' ath enter» id immor- e ought to to be ever at exemp- VtSIONS Of HEAVEN. 1^ which hlsl Elijah. That, says the prophet, 1 shall gladly do ; se his forlfor His our meat and drink, in these blessed regions, Ito do the will of God and the Lamb— to sing hi» \ so far toJ P^^'^®*^ ^"^ ^^**^® ^^^ ^^^^ *^^ humblest adoration, from thaleaying:— ."Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever: for he has rtdeen.sd us to God by his blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made us unto our God, kings and priests: even so, Amen." And J also added my Amen, to that of the holy prophet. The prophet then enquired of me, on what ac- count this great permission and privilege was giveh to me! (By which I understand the saints ^io hea- ven are ignorant of what is done on earth : how then imperfect J ca** prayers be directed to them ?) tliee to one! I then rehearsed what I have here set down by way 1 converse! of introduction: at which the holy prophet broke and thenl f<^*'t^^ '"^^ ^^*^ exclamation. ' Elijah. Glory for ever be ascribed to him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb, for his unbound- ed goodness, and great condescension to the weak- ness of a poor doubting sinner ; after which he said, now give attention to what I shall speak. And then he thus began: Elijah. What you have seen and heard already d me thro" ^ ^^ s"**^ y®" never can relate so as to make it un- s andtheij^^^rstood: for it is bieyond what eye hath seen, or the greal^sir hath heard, or what the heart of man is able to w so manJconceiv^ ' I mean of those not yei translated to this new himai^^o^^^o"^ state, nor freed from their gross elementary inporaries. I^od*®®' ^^^ *s "^y being in the body here, any oli- r to ElijahJJ^ct^on to what I now assert; for tliough it has not ial throne! b^^'^ subject to the common lot of mortals, death ; IS of liffhtly^t has it suftered such a change, as has been in same 1 from thel*®"*^® equivalent thereto ; for it is made both spi- sts. I ritual and impassable ; and is now ferness, let ling taber idy fitted, led — Here, ' ever ; b*it 4^m 20 VISIONS OF HEAVEN. words *to your capacity, by the comparing tiuiigs that are here above to what you know below, although your eyes have told you how infinitely heavenly things transcend whatever can be found on earth. And in the second place I shall represent, (as far as your capacity will bear it,) what is that happiness the blessed here enjoy. First, then. The souls of all the blessed here are frfjed for ever, from whatsoever it is can make them miserable ; the chief of which, you are not ignorant, 18 sin: it is only that which brings the creature intp misery, and entails it on him: the blessed God, at first, made all things happy; all like himself, who is supremely so ; and had not sin defaced the beauty of Heaven's workmanshl, ^';e\s nor4nen had ne- ver known what is me- ^ mise.y: it was sin threw the apostate angels down into Hell, and spoiled the beauty of the lower world : it was sin defaced God's image in man's soul, and made the Lord of the creation a ^lave to his own lust; and by so doing, plunges himself into an ocean of eternal misery, from whence there is no redemption; and sure it is an invaluable mercy, that in this happy place all the inhabitants are freed, for ever freed from sin, through the blood of our redeeming Jesus: to whom blessing, honour, power, glory and eter- nal praises, be ascribed for ever. Below, the best I ! i*_^^-. 1_ _^^^.^ •.^^^M«t'^n4-1^ fliA Ki«i*4iiAri e\V "illlUI llUiiCOt biltiifij giUUii iiiiUx^i ».^«.«'JS UJw w«s iiii-:= -^-s corruption ; sin cleaves to all they do, and leads them captive oft-times against their wills. Who shall ijpia i jw i pMMW^I riBtoNS 01 Hexviw. 33 deliver me ! has been the cry of manv of God'e faith- ful Bcrvants. who at the same time have been deai o Je8U8. Sin is the heavy clog of saints themselves, while they are embodied in corrupted Hesh ; anrt, de eforc/when they lay their bodies down, the.r souls are like a bird loosed from its cage, and with an heavenly vigour mount up to this blessed region, Sumphing over sin, with which below they st. maintained a combat. Dut here the.r warfare .sU an end, and Death is swallowed up m victory. He e their bright souls, that were below deforme. and stained by sin, are, by the ever-blessed Jesus, pre- sented to the eternal Father, without spot or wrinkle. But. secondly. As here the blessed souls are freed from sin, so are they likewise from all occasions of it; which is a great addition to our happiness.— Adam himself in Paradise, though he was m his first creation perfectly innocent, and free from sin, yet was he not freed from temptation to it, which was his great unhappinees: Satan got into Paradise to tempt him, and he too fatally yielded to h.s temp- tations: he eat of the forbidden fruit, and fell; and by his fall, the human nature, and consequently his posterity, all are corrupted: sin, like a gangrene, having eat into the human nature, and corrupted all mankind. , v l And that corruption, which every mortal harbours In his breast, is a most dangerous, and often times prevailing tempter : but here each blessed soul is likewise freed from this. No devil here can tempt them, nor no corruption enter: nothing but what is pure and holy can find admission here : no sly sug- gestions from that apostate spirit can molest us here : that roaring lion that below is in constant motion, still traversing the earth, and seeking whom he ma^ devour, is, with respect to us in this biesscu icsion ^ life and immortality, bound fast in everlasting chamsih i L«v' 24 VISIONS or HEAVEN. ■ and shut up safe in an infernal prison, doomed to the vengeance of eternal fire. Nor shall the world, (which by the fall of man has lost its beauty, and '.3 degenerated into a shop of emptiness and vanity, and does, by its bewitching charms and false allure- ments, draw thousands to perdition,) be any more a tempter to those blessed souls, who have, through faith and patience, overcome its wiles, and arrived safely here. As strong as its temptations and allure- rnents are to saints themselves, who are still milita- ting with it in the world below, we that are here pos- sessed of heavenly mansions, look with contempt on all terrene enjoyments: we here are got above the world, and all it can tempt us with ; and through the blood of our triumphing Jesus, have got the victory over it, as these bright palms we bear do evidence. There is nothing here that can disturb our peace^ but an eternal calm crowns all our happiness^ being freed from sin, ami all temptations to it. And as a consequent hereof. Thirdly, We are here freed from the effects of sin, and that is punishment; which those that are con- lined to the dark regions of eternal misery are ever groaning under; as that which they cannot bear, and yet as that which they must ever suffer. It was sin that ushered death into the world below, and by Heaven's high decree, is the just wages of it, as every mortal finds: but through the conquest of the Prince of Life, the Lamb of God, slain from the world's foundation, who by his dying overcome both death and him that had the power thereof, the devil, triumphing over sin, death, and hell; sin, death, and hell, ard banished hence for ever : for which eter- nal song« of praise and triumph are ever rendered to his holy name. These are the things, (continued j|ie great prophet,) we are in this blessed state deli- Jrered from 5 and yet these make up but the least I VISIONS OF HEATER. 25 I part of the happiness of Heaven ; our joys are posi- tive, as well as privative; and what are those, 1 now proceed to show you. I. We here enjoy the beatifick vision, the blessed spring and eternal source of all our happiness: but what this is I can no more declare, tlian finite crea- tures comprehend infinity; only we find that it con- tinually irradiates our understandings, and fills our souls with joy unspeakable and full of glory; and with a love so flaming, that nothing but the blessed author of it can satisfy; uor not eternity itself can terminate : it is the reflecting brightness of the Divine presence, and transcendently glorious emanations of his goodness, that is the life of our Hves, the soul of our souls, and the heaven of our heavens ; and that which makes us live, and love, and sing, and praise for ever, and which transforms our souls in- to his blessed likeness. ^The saints below, whilst they are travelling to this blessed country, are in their pilgrimage supported by his everlasting arms: by which they are enabled to go from grace to grace, but we that are safe landed on the haven of eternal happiness, are changed from glory unto glory, even bytlie spirit of the Lord. But to bring things near- er to your understanding, by this beholding of God's face, we have a real participation and enjoyment of his love, and his blessed smiles niake glad our souls, and in his favour we r^oice continually; for in his favour is life. And then by this blessed vision rif God, we come to know him above whatever any di . below ; for it is a sight of him that irradiates our un- derstandings^ and gives us the light of the know- ledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ: so^iat though it be impossible to comprrfiend the Divine miyesty, (for who can find out the Atmight to perfeptiofl,) yet we have hiere, a perfect; appr^fi sion of his nature and divine attributest '^ ( 26 risiONS or heaveit. II. We have here not only the beatifick vision, whereby we see God as he is; but we have a real enjoyment and fruition of him ; and thereby come to be united to him, and to live in him, and he in us ; whereby we come to be partakers of the Di? ine nature, which shines forth in us with a resplendent brightn ss. In the world below, the saints do in- deed enjoy God in his ordinances ; but here we all enjoy him face to face: below, the saints enjoy God in measure, but here we enjoy him without measure: there they have some sips of his goodness, but here we have large draughts thereof, and swim in the boundless ocean of happiness: below, the saint's communion is many times broken off, and discon- tinued; but here we have an uninterrupted enjoy- ment of God; without intermission or cessation. IIL Here we enjoy the perfection of all grace: in the world below, the saints see but in part, and know but in part: but«here, that which is perfect being enjoyed, that which is imperfect is done away:— « below, love is mixed with fear, and fear hath tor- ment; but here, love is perfect, and perfect love casteth out fear : here we love the blessed God moro than ourselves, and on^ another like ourselves: wo here are all the children of one Father, and all our brethren are alike dear unto us: below, our love was still divided, and run in several channels; but here our love has but one stream, and centres in the ever blessed God, the fountain of our happiness. Our knowledge likewise in the world below was ve- ry imperfect, seeing but darkly, as through a bro- ken mirror; but here we see God as he is, and so come to know him as we are known. Our joy is likewise here in its perfection ; in the world below jt was interrupted by sorrow and sighing, and it was lecessarily so. for where there is sin, there will be orrow : but here all sin, (the cause < sorrow,) *.- VISIONS OF HEAVElf. 27 Sck vision^ have a real ireby come and he in the Difine esplendent ints do in- here we all enjoy God it measure I S9 but here vim in the the saint's nd discon- )ted enjoy-i )sation, i grace : in , and know feet being e away:-— [• hath tor- erfect love i God more selves: we ind all our ^, our love nnels; but centres m happiness, ow was ve- jgh a bro- is, and so Our joy is orid beloMT and it was ere will be >rrow,) be* ing done away, all sorrow, (the effect of sin,^ shall likewise cease: nay, our very sorrow for sin, when upon earth, does, through the bounty of our blessed Redeemer, give an accession to our joy, now we are here. _ IV. Here we have our capacities enlarged ac- cording to the greatness of the objects we have to contemplate; whilst we were in the world below, no light could shine into our minds, but through the windows of our senses, and therefore it was the blessed God was pleased to condescend to our ca- pacities, and to adapt the expressions of his majesty to the narrowness of our imaginations: but here, the revelation of the Deity is much more glorious, and our minds are clarified from all those earthly images that flow through the gross channels of the senses. Below, our purest conceptions of God were very imperfect; but here the gold is separated from the dross, and our conceptions are mort proper and becoming the simplicity and purity of God. Be- low, the objects of glory were humbled to the per- ceptions of sense; but -here the sensible faculties are raised and refined, and made the subjects of glory. Now therefore, that the Divine light shines with direct beams, and the thick curtains of flesh are spiritualized and transparent, the soul enjoys the clearest visions of God. We now see what we before believed of the glorious nature of the ever- blessed God, his decrees and counsels, his provi- dence and dispensations. We here clearly see, that from eternity, God was sole existing, but not solita- ry; and that the God-head is neither confused in unity, nor divided in number; that there is a pro- priety of order, but no superiority among the sacred persons of the ineffable Trinity, but that they are prtnalK' possessed of the same divine excellencieSt and the same divine empire, and are equally the ob^ '#fr-^ 28 VISIONS Of HEAVEN. ni ject of the same divine adoration. Those ways of God, that seemed below unsearchable, and that we thought unlawful to enquire into, we here see to be the product of Divine wisdom, with so much per- spicuity and clearness, that truth itself is not more evident. These things, (added the prophet in a different tone,) are some of those that constitute our hap- piness. Yet all these things are only what relate unto our souls: but still the happiness of the inhabitants of this blessed region is not complete, until their bo- dies are raised and re-united to their souls; in which, through the Divine munificence, myself and the blessed Enoch, do enjoy a more peculiar prefe- rence, being translated hither in the body, as types both to the anti and post-diluvian world, of the re- surrection of the ever-adorable Son of God, and of i^ the saints through him. Now because none but the great Messiah has been actually raised from the dead, he being the first fruits thereof, (for as for Enoch and myself, our bodies have not known death, though they have received a change equiva- lent thereto,) it is therefore most difficult to declare what the resurrection state shall be, it being to be discerned in its perfection, only from his glorious body, to which neither that of Enoch's nor mine are comparable, in respect to the glory thereof, though both are spiritual bodies; of which I will now show the distinct properties. I. The bodies of the blessed here, at the resur- rection, shall be, (as mine is now,) spiritual bodies ; and by your not only seeing, but touching me, (at which word the holy prophet was pleased to give _me his hand,) you may be the better able to know '^hat I mean by spiritual body: that is, a body ra- tified firom all gross allays of corruption, and made M*>«^MliHi ■igmii i a i w i iw i VISIONS OF HEAVEN* a» a pure and refined body, and yet a substantial one; not composed of wind and air, as mortals below are apt too grossly to imagine. Epen. Here I entreated the holy prophet to beat with me, if I acquainted him, that I always under- stood spiritual as opposed to material, and conse- quently that a spiritual body must be immaterial^ and so not capable of being felt, as I found it was. Elij. To this the prophet replied— That their bo- dies were spiritual, not only as they were purified from all corruption, but as they were sustained by the enjo> ment of God, without any material refresh- ments, as meat, drink, sleep and raiment, which were the support of our bodies below. Have you not read, (said the prophet,) that the blessed Jesus, at; ter his resurrection, appeared in his b#dy to his disciples, when they were met together in a cham- ber, and the doors shut about them; which plainly evidences the tenuity thereof: and yet he called to St. Thomas to come and reach his hand and thrust it into his side, which shows it as plainly to be sub- stantial. The beatifick vision is here what both our souls and bodies live upon and ai*e supported by forever. . . n. Our bodies in the resurrection shall be im- mortal, and incapable of dying: below their bodies are all mortal, dyin^ and perishing, and subject to be crumbled into dust every moment: but here our bodies will be incorruptible, and freed from death for ever, for our cofuption here shall put on incor- ruption, and our mortality be swallowed up of life. Epen. Here I desired the prophet to bear with me a little, whilst I gave him an account of my owa notions in this matter. Elij. Say on, for I am ready to solve your doubt. — ' '' learnt, said L in the holv scriptures. Epe that immortality is an att bate that belongs to Go* so VISIONS OF HEAVEN. 1st n only, and not to men, especially to the bodies of men, which every day's experience tells us are mor- tal. Therefore St Paul tells Timothy that God on- ly hath immortality. EUj. When I say the bodies of the blessed here are immortal, I intend it of bodies in their raised state, that then they are subject unto death no more : man in his corruptible state is mortal, and subject unto death : and there is nothing more evident to all that dwell in the world below, and even the bo- dies of all those glorified souls that are here, are at this time kept under the power of death. But at the resurrection-state, when they shall be raised up again, they shall then be immortal. And as to what you argue from the scripture, that the blessed God hais %nly immortality, it is very true; he is most eminently ar. 4 essentially so; whereas there is no creature, either angel or man, that can in that strict sense be said to be so. We are immortal, through his grace and favour, but God is immortal in his essence, and has been so from all eternity, and in that sense may well be said only to have im- mortality. And therefore it will not be amiss for you to observe — That whatever the blessed God is, he is eminently and essentially so; in which re- spect, it is likewise said of him— That he only is holy; and there is none good but God, none righ- teous nor none merciful but he : to whom be bless- ing and glory, and honour, and praise, for ever, and for ever more. % ■ Epen. I have one thing more to be satisfied in, and that is, that seeing there is only yourself and the prophet Enoch that are permitted in the body to be here, which you are pleased to say have suf- icit'U a Ciiaiigc ci|iiiV&ieiit lu ucttiii, uui uicu nut; what assurance have you that the bodies of the blessed that are now under the power of death, shall i i i < i »i. i ..n iii ' umm i iit>0l^^imt0jifiiiiut-JSiiiui -wmN *m V2S10N8 OF HEAVEN. ^1 be raised again! For I see they are gloriously blessed and happy without their bodies, and seem not to have any occasion for them, they have been long since perished and rotted in their graves: the greatest thing that I think can be said font, is, that the ever blessed Jesus, the spotless Lamb of trod, who was truly and really dead, is now alive, and lives for ever. Elij. To this the prophet, interrupting me» je- plied, what greater proof can you desire than this I Even. What I have to say to that, is, that the body of the blessed Jesus never saw corruption; and that there is no instance of any body that ever saw corruption, that was yet raised to life and iria- mortality. . ^^ ^, Elij\ To this the prophet again answ^d— 1 hat though it was true, there had been no such instance, vet was the resurrection of the body as sure as the present glorification of the soul ; for as the blessed Jesus died as a publick person, so did he also rise a^^ain ; and therefore is said to be the first fruits from the dead; he is the head of the church, and cannot be complete without his body, who m their order shall be raised up to be with him for ever.— The body shall la awaked out of its dead sleep, and as I was saying, quickened into a glorious im- mortal life; the body is an essential part of man, as well -IS the soul : and though the inequality be great in their holy operations, yet their concurrence is necessary. Good actions in the world below, were indeed designed by the counsel and resolution: of the soul, but performed by the ministry of the body; and every grace expresses itself in actions thereby. In the sorrows of repentance, tears were the tongue was used to break forth m the praises of God : and all the victories over pleasure and ¥i s> VISIONS OP HEAV£N. pain below, were obtained by the soul in conjunc- tion with the body. And can you think, (said tlie prophet,) that the Divine goodness will deal so dif^ ferently with them, that the soul should be ever- lastingly happy, and the body to be lost in forget- fulness? The one glorified in heaven, the other re- main in the dust? From the first setting out in the world below to the grave, they both run the same race, and therefore shall enjoy the same reward. — ^^^^i When the crown of righteousness and glory shalf be given to the blessed at the great day in the view of all, both soul and body shall partake of the ho- nour thereof. And this, (added the prophet,) is, I believe, enough to satisfy your doubts, as to the re- surrection of the body. Epen, ipo which I replied— That I had nothing further to object in that particular. And then de- sired him to go on in describing the glory of the body in the resurrection-state. Upon which the prophet thus proceeded : Elij. I have already told you, that the bodies of the blessed shall be immortal: but cannot for all that be so imLiortal as God is, who is so eminently and eiSsentially so, that as you well observed, he is said ONLY to have immorta'ity; nor yet are they immortal in the same sense as are the blessed an- gels, who being immaterial substances, are so crea- ted; whereas man was created mortal, and has his immortality through the purchase of the blessed Jesus, and the renovation of the Divine Image Nor is the immortality thus purchased for us, like that of the apostate spirits, who are immortal too; but it is with such- an immortality as brings along with it a greater weight of misery. Their immor- tality is ^uciilii fui^se as jnakes them wish a thou- sand thousands ^^^^^ that they might be annihilated : but that blessed immortality whifh we enjoy, is that VISIONS or HEAVEN. 33 which is the happiness of Heaven, and therefore riehtly styled a glorious immortality, and gives us an assurance, that the happiness we now enjoy,, we ''mf tnother'ha'ppiness the bodies of the blessed here enjoy, is-That they are impassible, and so are made Incapable of sufierings : below, the samts themselves have oftentimes their bodies made sc. many shops of misery ; or like an hospital, lull of diseases, which are the common harbmgers of death ; or when they are not so, are sometlnng worse than U; the infirmities of their bodies benig such, as of- tentimes make death much more desuable than such a life. How many times are even good men racked with the gout, or tormented by the ^tone^'th mos exquisite and excruciating pamsl So tl^t though Aey abound in the fullness of all those Ih.ngs tha Sals count the blessings of the life be ow, yet are they thereby all imbittered to them by those tor- menting pains which have seized on their bodies. And where this is not, but men have healthy, strong and vigorous bodies, they often meet with other suf- ferings, and are exposed to hunger, thirst, cold and nakedness, which render their lives very much un- comfortable : there, many times, they are shut up in prisons, immured between stone walls, and are as if were buried while they are alive, and are as men forgotten in the world. AH which considered, must needs render their bodies miserable while below. But, in this happy region, no such evils can at- tack them ; here their condition is extrenaely dif- ferent ; no curse can enter here ; and such are all those things I have related, as being only the effects of sin. My body is incapable of suffermg any evil, either of sin or sorrow ; but on the contrary, through the "grace of the blessed Sonof Uod, is now Decou.« a receptacle both of light and glory, and so sha all 34 VISIONS OF HEAVET^. the bodies of the saints be likewise, in their resurJ recti on-state. Which leads me to declare the fourth|d»' endowment, with which our bodies shall be everpce blessed. IV. Another happiness our bodies whall enjoy in the blessed resurrection-state, is, that they shall be truly beautiful. And this is none of our least pri- vileges; for below, our bodies are but vile bodies, tending to corruption in the grave, worms gnaw and feed upon their flesh, and thence proceeds a loath- some flavour: at the best, they are but houses of| clay, and their foundation is in the dust, but here it shall be otherwise; for the bodies of the saints shall be freed from those innocent infirmities that were inseparable from Adam in Paradise, whose souls unlftd to the body was the fountain of the na- tural sensitive life, which being in a perpetual flux, there was a necessity of continual repairs to pre- serve his life in vigour: whereas, in this blessed state, the body shall be spiritual in its qualities, and the principle of its life supported by the superna- tural power of the spirit, without outward nourish- ment; and not only so, but a substantial and un- fading glory shall shine in them, infinitely above the perishing pride of this world, and the glory of the flesh, and be made like unto the glorious body of Christ, who will change our vile bodies, that they may be fashioned like his glorious body; and this he will do, according to the working of that mighty power, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself; this transcendent beauty, which he will put upon the body, shall be the work of his own hands; and where omnipotence interposes, nothing is dif- ficult. For the beautifying of a raised body, and putting it into an immortal state of glory, is as easy to the Divine power, as the first framing in the womb. ^' ^Mi^ji TISIONa OF HEAVEN. 35 that our bo^ V. Another part of our happiness i aies shall be agile bodies, and move with an incon- ceiveable swiftness; our bodies, while below, are lumpish and heavy, and are as clogs, to the soul; I but in the raised state it shall be otherwise; our bo- dies shall be like the chariots of Aminadab, and move far swifter than the winged fowls in the aerial heavens, , i . mi VI. Another thing in which our happiness will very much consist, is, that our bodies then, (as mine is now,) shall be all pure; and this is an exceeding privilege : for though they should have all the other fore-mentioned qualities, and be immortal, spiritual, impassible, beautiful and swift, yet if they still were sinful, it would blemish all the rest, and would even spoil the happiness we here enjoy in Heaven, if sin could enter here. But it is far otherwise; our dory is, that here our very bodies shall be pure, and have no spot of sin at all upon them— below, indeed, the bodies of the saints are clogged with sin, and fettered with temptations, which makes them to cry out— O wretched man ! who shall deliver me from this body of death? But here they shall en- joy that b.essed redemption of their bodies, which they want for there. VII. And to conclude, the bodies of the saints shall, in their resurrection-state, be glorious bodies; 80 glorious, that they shall have a near resemblance to the glorious body of our blessed Redeemer. And this the Divine oracles inform us, as also how it shall be wrought: the glorious Lamb of God, the blessed Jesus, he it is shall change our vile and corruptible bodies, and make them like to his own glorious bo^ dy; it is by his power that the saints' bodies, that such dishonour, shall be raised in glory ; and in that blessed resurrection-state, shall shine more bright ■4 36 VISIONTIJ OF HEAVEIf. ;!! ^1 than the sun in this triumphant kingdom of thei Father. And thus, my son, said the great prophet to mej have I informed thee briefly, wherein the glory an the happiness of this blessed state, we here enjoyJi"g consists. Not that herein I have said the thou.Itha sandth part of that which might be further still re-ii" lated; nor could you understand it, if I should.-slam For there are some things here that we enjoy, likel^^^ the white stone, and the new name, which no onelp^' knows but he that does receive it. lem Even. The holy prophet having made an end, ilis J humoly thanked him for the information he had gi*|th( ven me, and told him, that though I was incapable,pco (clothed as I was, with such a lump of unrefined flesh,) to understand all I had heard, or utter what I saw, yet I had seen and heard enough for ever to| convince me both of the excellency and reality of heavenly things which, in the world below, so many! question, and so few believe. But let it not of. fend my Lord, said I to the prophet, if I desire yet further to be resolved in some few things. Elij, Speak, and I will endeavour to give you I satisfaction. Epen, The first thing, said I, I would humbly ask is, how the blessed here, which are but crea- tures, though thus glorified, and therefore finite still,' can have so perfect an idea of the incomprehensible! and infinite Three One, to know him so as we our- selves are known, as you before affirmed, or else it| was my weakness to misunderstand you so? Elij, In saying so, I did affirm no more than what! the sacred oracles contain: for the apostle of the Gentiles, speaking in the days of his flesh to them] that then inhabited the world below, told them, theyj then saw through a glass, but darkly ; but that these bright regions they should see him face '!:i^ ^ ±is^^:i£ ! s S ^i^3i>^ =! ,, ^. **. VISIONS OF HEAVEN. 37 face; that then himself knew but in part, but that Sen he was once got hither, he should know him even as he was known. But, my son, said the pro- Lhet, these words are not to be understood accord- Wm to the exactness of the expression; for the sun that lights the lower world, may as well be included „ a small npark of fire, as the incomprehensible rand infinite God maybe comprehended by our finite faculties: for beyond the fullest discoveries we can possibly make of the Deity, there remains st.ll an 'entire infinity of perfections, the knowledge whereof lis altogether unattainable by the most intelligent ot those glorious spirits, that are the bright and the continual attendants of the throne; and therefore that expression, as we are known, which gave vou 60 iust an occasion to enquire into the sense ot it, is to be taken as a note of similitude, and not of equality : the dim light of a candle as truly shine, as the bright luminary of the day; but not with the Batne extent and splendour. And therefore the .um of what I can say to this point, is, that we have here as perfect knowledge of the blessed God as created beings are capable of receiving, or our own hearts of desiring. , , ,1. , *„ ♦!,„ Even. I then returned my humble thanks to tne ereat prophet, and assured him, his answer had en- firely satisfied me, and that I found it was only a deficiency of my own understanding that I ha* given him that trouble. Elii. Still you mistake the state that 1 am in, re- plied the prophet, for there is no such rtiing astrou- ble here, nor can there be: for the diffusing of the knowledge of the ever blessed God, and setting forth his bright eternal excellencies, and the displaying of his fflorv, IS tnai wuicu givco luv „.,.„.-^„ .— - greatest satisfaction and delighi; and which will ever do so, throughout the numerous ages of eternity. 38 VISIONS OP HEAVEN. .'fiHi Epen, Then, with an air of greater confidence, I told tlie holy prophet, I had anothe. question to] ask him. ^ Elij. Say on, and I will answer you. Epen. 1 saw among the many blessed souls I passed by, as my bright messenger conveyed me to you, some that appeared to me to shine with greater brightness than the others, which gave me a desireJ to be informed whether or no there be not among^ the blessed different degrees of glory. Elij. The happiness and glory which all the blessed here enjoy, is the result of their communion with, and love unto theever blessed God, whose beatifick vision here, as I have said before, is the eternal spring from whence it flows ; the more we see, the more we love ; and love assimilates our souls into the nature of the blessed object of it; and thence results our glory. This needs must therefore make a difference in the degrees thereof: not as though there were any want of love to God, in any of the blessed here, for that is impossible :*^here is not one soul amongst the nu* merous inhabitants of these bright regions, but what adores and loves the ever blessed God with all his utmost powers and faculties. But then it follows, that as those powers and faculties are different, their love must be so too, and so their glory. Nor is there any murmuring or repining in one, to see another's glory much greater ihan his own ; but God is thereby magnified the more, as the eternal source of all their happiness. Nor can there be room for a thought, to think it otherwise: Who can com- plain, when all the faculties of each blessed soul is 80 replenished with the bright emanations of the Deity, that it can hold no more? The ever bless- Iinl'vrkiinnf:>i4 nnctrxn 1.S I J s^ -_- t.r i : vs. -_ vj v; -^■'i, ti » a f\P Ii/vlif ed God ifi n.n and joy and happiness, still filling every vessel that is put therein, till it can hold no more; and though ... .iii - .. - '-'^•JQ^- ■'i5«W''-^!'W:' .■•Cr^-1-"'^ VISIONS OF HEiVENi 39 *1,P vessels are of several sizes, whilst each is filled, here is none that can complain. Bes,4p. each hlessed soul is here wrought up, not only to an ac iniescence, but even to a satisfaction and compla- ^pTv Tn the Divine good pleasure, that all their happiness consists therein. ^Tlms, though thestars Sw are each one glorious, yet s.nce they are of different magnitudes, one star exceeds another m 'Xrv- and so, as the Divine oracles inform you, it fibe in the esurrection state. My answer, there- fore to your question, is, that those who have the mos e°ilarged facuhies, do love God most, and are Thereby assimilated most into ••-."keness which .s he highest glory Heaven can give. Nor let this seem Strang! to vou ; for even amongst God's fla- S m nisters, the blessed angels, there are diver- Ss of orders, and different degrees of glory. And Aese, perhaps, were some of those you saw, as you '^'Whllst'f w;s thus discoursing with the holy pro- nhet, and with delight heard the solution of those Soubts that I had long desired to be resolved ma shining form approached me, saymg, How ! Epene- '"l^^was lurprised to hear my name thus mentioned, and turning suddenly about, I soon perceived it was Se noble Junius, my late deceased friend, who thus """"jm^ Seix Epenetus, I am glad to see you in these blessed regions; but am surprised to see you here n^ yet divested of mortality. Instruct me, friend bv what means you came hither, and also, how it was you obtained'this privilege; for the unu- lualness of such a thing is that which makes me so inquisitive. . , p _„ „,^ ^g. Even. I was so overjoyea to ree ouv. "» >"/ "=- -•. quaStances, and one with whom I had been so fa- .^^ 40 /I VISIONS OF HEAVEN, miliar in the world, that I essayed to embrace him in my arms; which he refused, telling me mildly, he had some time ago laid down his body, which he had left below, resting in hope until the resurrec- tion ; and that, though he was still indeed a sub- stance, yet it was an immaterial one, not to be touch- ed by mortal. But how came you, said he again, more earnest- ly, to be brought hither in your mortal and unchan- ged body? Epen. I then related to him what I had before $^poken to Elijah, and told at large in the prefixed introduction to this Vision, of my temptation and de- liverance. Jan. Well, Epenetus, said the noble Junius, I see then there was need enough of such a lecture as I gave order to be set on foot in the poor world below, after my death, to evidence the being of the Deity, against a sort of men, far worse than those in hell, who both believe the being of a God, and trem- ble at his justice. But you, my friend, that had so long made a profession of his truth, and had such great experience of his goodness, that you should after all be brou^,t to question his being and his existence, was, indeed, something more than ordina- ry, and what I hardly could have ever thought ; and gives me fresh occasion to adore the ever blessed God, who through his abundant goodness has now delivered me from all those snares the enemy of souls was laying for me ; and thus preserved me to his heavenly kingdom: blessed for ever be his holy name. The blessed Elijah, having heard what my friend Junius said, told me, he now would leave me to my friend; and, ere I was aware, the prophet winged away— who having left us, I addressed 'myself thus to my noble friend : MhiMMM «e>- VISIONS or HEAVEN, 41 Dn and de- Epen. 1 could not doubt, said I, my dearest J un- ius but that thou wert one of the blessed inhabitants of this happy region; for such a bright and flaming zeal as that which in the world made thee so emi- nent, must needs meet with a suitable reward. Ju?i, O Epenetus, answered he, wert thou but once divested of mortality, thou wouldst have other thoughts than what thou hast : thou wouldst then see how infinitely short they fall of meriting the least re- ward, who in the world below have done their utmost; and that it is only grace, free and unmerited, that brings the soul to glory. For Heaven is purchased at no other price than that of the Redeemer's pre- cious blood ; whose dying love, and whose redeem- ing mercy, are so unspeakably, so vastly great, eter- nity will scarce suffice to utter it. Epen. Well, said I, worthy Junius. Jan. Call me not worthy, said he, (interrupt- ino- me,) for none are worthy here but he that sit- teth upon the throne, and the blessed Lamb ot God : and to ascribe all glory unto him, is here a o'reat part of our happiness ; for there are myri- ads of saints and angels round the throne, continu- ally crying with a loud but yet meH)dious voice, Wor- thy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. No, no, (continued he,) my Epenetus, here is no ascribing any thing to crea- tures : here, they that wear the brightest crowns, cast them before the throne, saying. Thou art worthy, U Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power. Even. Dear Junius, bear with me, said I, a ht- tie, because I am still clogged with mortality. O that I were but once divested of it! That 1, with thee, iniffht see the great Three One; and, b^eeing, be transformed into his hkeness ; which, as i Have heard Elijah tell, is the completion of all happiness. 42 VISIONS OF HEAVEN. Jun, My dear Epenetus, replied Junius, with an air of composed love and sweetness, the beatifick vision is that which does indeed complete our hap- piness, and fills our souls with love and joy that is inexpressible, and which is only known by them that feel it. But you must know, my Epenetus, the strong- est and the most enlarged faculties of all the bright intelligences here, cart bear but little of those radi- ant effluxes of Divine glory, they are so overco- ming; for there is no comparison between the most capacious of created beings, and the ineffable glory of the great Creator. Epen, O nobje Junius, I replied, I already be- lieve what you have said ; but yet, methinks, I am willing to know all I can never know enough of. And since I know there is nothing more delightful than to be always exercised in the displaying of the glory of the great Author of our happiness, deny not, dearest Junius, to your friend, (for such you know I ever was and am,) the satisfaction of hearing from your Hps, the mighty wonders of Divinest Love ; that I may join with you to sing his praise: display those mysteries of his Providence, which to the world below are aH enigmas, but to your enlarged understanding, are seen in their true light. Jun. The praises of the Divine Majesty, O my dear Epenetus, will be the mighty subject of our song, through all the ages of eternity; in which both saints and angels join together, and make up one great chorus. And therefore, that which you have asked of me, I will gladly undertake. That you may see, by that which he has done, that he alone is worthy of your love, and of those praises we ascribe unto him. For the most ardent love of all the blessed saints and angels here, is nothing else but the reflection of his love to us: for he that lay in love's own bosom tells us, We love him be- ig^sm f rnt mrnmrntrnttim Bi^W'H VISIONS OT HEAVEN. 43 cause he first loved us. Since, therefore, my dear Epenetus, the love of God to us .s the foundation of our love to him, let me present you first with an idea of his love to us, and the advantages that we re- ceive thereby, which are so many they are past reck- oning up, the mighty sum exceeding all arithmetick can count. But that 1 may, as you were intimating, set things in their true light, 1 will first show you how much we owe to his love and goodness for all his free and unreserved favours vouchsafed to us m the world below. And therefore, to begin— • First. In the world below, we owed unto his good- ness no less than all the goods we were possessed of- all that we were, and all that we enjoyed, was wholly owing to him. For it was he that made us, and not we ourselves ; and we were in his hands so like Ihe clay that is in the potter's, he might have made us other creatures: nay, more, we were so much that negative from whence we were extracted, ?hat, had he pleased, he might for ever have left us to that first nothing from whence we had our being. Needs must his love then be the first and original fountain blessing; all other blessings being but as conduit-pipes, by which he does con^^yh'^ •«!!""- to us; and he that sees not through all, is blind. Perhaps a man gets applause by his wisdom, and through his industry he heaps up treasures: but was it not from God he had that wisdom ^ And did he not both give and prosper all his boasted md««try ) Sure, God as much gave us all we enjoyed, as he that gives a besgar a thousand pounds, gives him his food and raiment and all that a thousand pounds can help him to, and which he had been otherwise *"s°"nndlv. But then, besides all these more ob- vious'presents of his bounty, there were many tiuiigs which, in the world below, we were delivered from, 44 VISIONS OF HEAVEN. that do as much enhance the value of the Divine Goodness to us; which, although perhaps less con- spicuous, are no less prized by those below, whom want of them makes sensible of their true value. "Should I, my Epenetus, but lead your thoughts un- to the gallies, and ryf^ow you there those wretched captives that lie chained unto fheir oars, exposed to all the miseries and hardships of a tempestuous sea, and yet do, through the barbarous treatment that they meet with on shore, less fear the ocean than any port, save death. O, should I draw the cur- tains of sick and dying men, and open to you the sad scenes of sorrow, on which so many pine and languish by distempers, so very grievous to be borne, that death is rather to be chosen than hfe: or should I bring you to the hospitals, and show you there the various shapes of human miseries, would you not, my dear Epenetus, think it a mercy worth acknowledging, to be delivered from them? And, ought we not to prize the Divine Goodness who has thus made us differ, and freed us from those vari- ous sorts of miseries to which so many mortals are exposed? Not but sometimes his wisdom sees it meet toexerci^ his own beloved children with long continued sickness and sharp pains, and other out- ward great calamities : but this, my Epenetus, is still a further evidence of love, and that he might pre- serve them from the far worse contagion of their sins, or cure them of the evil habits which they had contracted. Have you not seen, my Epenetus, (when in the world below,) a tender mother apply a painful caustick to the neck of her beloved infant, when threatened with an apoplexy? And have you not concluded from it, she thinks the trouble of an issue an inferiour evil to convulsion fits? So, when we see the ever bleseed God, our Heavenly Father, does send infirmities and crosses, to rescue those h^ •iMMi VISIONS OF HEAVEN. 45 loves from under sin's dominion, we safely "ay con- dude, he thinks affliction afar less evil than the Sit of sin ; since he is too wise and too indulgent a physician to cure with such a remedy as shall be worse than the disease. , r>«j WTWo. You may remember, Epenetus, t^at God, by Mo- \. ses gives the Israelites a caution, lest Ff P"'ty. J rwhich is so apt to make men forget all but heir '* Svments") should make any of them say m their Sr My power, and the might of my hand, hath cotten mfthis wealth: but, on *« coiUrary. corn- Cds them to remember the Lord their God for it s he that ffives them power to get wealth. And there was nee^ enough of such a caution for we were too apt to forget that God gave us our corn, and our Jin., and our oil. But, thirdly— * , The DiSe Goodness exceedingly recommends the advan Igeousnessof hisloveto u,, m that whilst we were befow, he gave us so great «" earne^^f «?»; ritual troods, and of expected joys, that made even rttm°e°sTiarge enougHi to subsij^^^^^^^ fort • and which really outvalued, and tar "anscena ed all those momentary pleasu-3s it required us to forsake or keep up a title to eternakones. But though the mercies that the ever blessed God beSowed u|on us in the life below, were both so many and sS great, as made it a fit theme to pra.se SmL in Hefven yet is his love of a more lastrng Sate than any thing that is known m the lower world : it dies not with our bodies, nor like the usu al custom of our ^^Jf^^XSI^ ^od^' ?o";e S'r's mos b righ" T^.^ closed -and then cleaves closest to the soul when T..,lJulZ^Ur.A^. mvinff each blessed saint Sne iUiour%5753 Mivrf ,^^-'~^j 7 o- -- _. +^ v>im what that arrives here, good ground to say to hm, what Naomi once did to Boaz, That he had not left ott 46 VISIONS OF HEAVEN. I his kindness to the living and the dead. And there- ' fore, Now indeed (says our great Saviour's happy favourite) are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be : but we know when we shall appear, we shall be like hira. And what that is, is now my present theme. It is the love of God, the ever blessed God, my Epenetus, that gives us this admission into Heaven: Heaven is the bright seat of so much happiness, that we here hardly count it amongst our joya, that Heaven is the seat of them. And here the excel- lency of the things that we possess, does as much disappoint our expectations, as in fruitions in the world below, the emptiness is wont to do. For you have already heard the apostle tell us, Eye hath not*i,seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it en^ tered into the heart of man, to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. And now, Epenetus, our experience tells us so : those pure refined delights that we enjoy, not only stoop not unto sense, but are sublime enough to transcend imagination. For whatsoever our fan- cy formed below, as the most perfect ideas, and most abstracted notions of complete happiness, our own more happy experience is of greater, plainly evince, came short of what we find. Heaven is a soil, whose fruitfulness is so confined to joy, that even our disappointments and mistakes, when in the world belovT, do here contribute to our happine^ss, which does so much partake of his immensity, whose gift it is, that even the sacred oracles themselves give but a negative description of it; and does not only remove our thoughts from all that we enjoyed below, but does exalt them above whatever we could fancy there. Nor will you wonder, Epeiietus, that it should be so, if you will but consider, that here our facul- ties are not only gratified with suitable and accepta- VISIONS OF HEAVEN. 47 ness. our ble objects, but are so heightened and enlarged, . that our capacities are both increased and filled. You know, that in the world below, a child not yet released out of the homely prison of the womb, can there have no idea of those delights, which by the pleasing noises and the glittering objects that will present themselves to him, after his birth, will afford him. And the same child, whilst he continues in his nonage, though he may with delight look upon emblems finely drawn and painted, yet he cannot imagine what pleasure the same objects will afford him°when age and study shall have ripened his in- tellectuals, and made him capable of understanding the excellent moralities contained in those curious emblems. Such a double advantage, Epenetus, among others, the admission into these sac||^d man- sions, brings to all those to whom that blessing is vouchsafed. For, besides that set of objects, if I may so speak, so new and so peculiar to this place, that their ideas could never once enter into their thoughts before they were admitted hither. Besides this,°our now enlarged capacities enable us, even in objects not altogether unknown to us before, to perceive things formerly undiscerned, and derive thence both new and greater satisfaction and delight Wonder not, my Epenetus, that in describing of these glorious things, I use expressions you have not before been used to hear; since my brigliMfceme is more above our praises, than this blessed il|ion is above the earth. For though my language may seem tumid and aspiring, yet seeming hyperboles may well be used in the description of felicities, which make the most hyperboles but seeming ones : for the joys of Heaven appear (like what the stars do to the Wufiu uciow, v}y icaduii ui wjoit i^ssi-^----- ness from them,) extremely little, though really in themselves they are so vast, that a less than the lar- 48 VISIONS OF HEAVEN. gest is much greater than the bigest object upon earth; nay, than the whole earth itself. And there- fore, Epenetus, I endeavour, (considering you are still clothed with mortality,) to give you an account of heavenly things, by representations transcending what they appear to you, that I may thereby give you notions less inferiour to what they truly are. For here, my Epenetus, the blessed enjoy happi- ness enough to rectify all those mistaken notions we had formed to ourselves of it below. We are in- structed here both how to name and rate all the fe- licity which ^e possess, which is made up of the confluences of perfection, and perpetuity of all true joys, being made happy (unlike to what philosophy pretends to) not by the confinement, but full fruition of our^Tiost desires, which neither fail in the choice of their objects, nor miss in the enjoyment of them ; but are unerringly just, and infallibly accomplished. Here w^e hot only see, but are made like those bless- ed saints whom we in the world below so much ad- mired. Those spirits of just men made perfect, of which the Divine oracles ha^^e told us, are here our constant and familiar company, into whose blessed society we J^re not only welcome, but mcrease it. Here, likewise, we behold those gloriouw spirits, whose nature does invest them with so bright a lus- tre, that all the disadvantages their disguises gave th^lMvhen they appeared to us below, would scarce sudK to hinder us from making them the objects of our admiration. But above all, we here behold, my Epenetus, a sight worthy the dying of that blessed Lamb of God, slain from the world's foundation in the Divine de- cree ; that glorious Saviour of whom the scriptures do so much and exceUently entertain us, and who having done and suffered so much for us, does so highly deserve of us, both upon the score of his in- VISIONS OF HEAVEN. 49 finite perfections, and upon the account of his ines- timable benefits. Yes, Epenetus, liere we behold that holy and divine Person, who, when he did vouch- safe to pitch his tent among the sons of men below, and dwell with them on earth, thereby to fit them, by his merits and exaniple, to dwell with l^m in Heaven, did in so admirable a manner mix an awful majesty with an humble meekness, and the assumed infirmi- ties of his human nature with the corruscations of his divine, expressing in his whciJe life so perfect and exemplary a virtue, with so much sweetness and gentleness towards those that were aspirers to it, though they came most short of it, that even the Jews themselves could say of him. That he had done all things well: nay, more, his very enemies that were employed to apprehend him as adp^ilefac- tor, confessed to those that sent them to do so, that "never man spake like him." Bat then, my Epe- netus, this blessed Son of God was in tneform of a servant, which he put on, that he might suffer for us, that he might exercise his priestly and prophetick function in the world below: but here we see him in that regal state and condition that belongs to him by virtue of his kingly office, on the account whereof he is styled, The King of kings, and Lord of lords^ all power and authority being invested in him, both in Heaven and earth, encompassed with such radiant majesty and shining splendour, that we mayg»ell esteem him, what the great evangelick prophet rong since called him, The Admirable. For here our ravished souls, by an attentive contemplation of his glories, still find more cause to imitate the spouse in Solomon's mystick epithalamium, who having dwelt upon the beauty of the several excellencies that concurred to the accomplishing the Divine Bride- groom, breaks out in thijepiphoneraa. He is altoge- ther lovely ! His sparkling eyes appear in his exalted 50 VISIONS OF HEAVEfT. glory upon the throne, (which the beloved disciple long sMice represented them,) like flames of active fire, and go into the ravished breasts of tiie behold* ers, shoot flames as pure, as holy and as deathless, as what the s^'aphinis themselves consist of. And, surely, Epenetus, since the divine oracles do assure us, as I have said already, It never entered into the heart of man to conceive what God has here reserved for those that love him : that glorv can be but imper- fectly expressed by the bare epithet of inconceiva- ble, with which the blessed God rewards the merito- rious sufferings and obedience of the only begotten Son of his love, for whose sake he is pleased to con- fer on all the numerous company of the elect, such unimaginable glories. He that vouchsafes unto so many#f his servants a brightness like that of the stars, you cannot but think. Epenetus, does commu- nicate a fai^more radiant lustre to the Son of Righ- teousness; although your present mortal state denies you to behold the brightness of his glory. But all this glorious greatness of our blessed Re- deemer, does not yet make his kindness less fami- ;iiar, but only more obliging: for he disdains not, even after his ascension hither, to say, Behold I stand at the door and knock ; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and supwith him, and he with me. And that King, in thgparable by whom our blessed Lord is represent- ed, is pleased himself to welcome each individual trusty servant with a peculiar, Well done good and faithful servant. Wonder ndt, Epenetus, that I seem so solicitous to give you an account of the high dignity and super- 1.1- _x iiicil have endeavoured thus to let you know, that the bright sun of righteousness is now incapable of suf- fering eclipses, but shines with an unclouded and an VISIONS OP HEAVEN. bl w, that the unequalled splendour; and that I now see Jesus, who, (as the author of the Hebrews speaks,) was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour. For it makes Heaven to be more than Heaven to ine, to find him reigning here, who suflered so much for me in the world below. And our Redeemer's liappiness, which is so great and so ineffable, brings an increase to ours, according to the ardency of our love to him. Nay, further, Epe- netus, let me add, that though our joys are here so great, they do not need endearing circumstances, (yet does it make our happiness more happy, as it is a proof of our Redeemer's love,) than as it is a donative of his bounty. If it was matter of rejoicing to the disgraced apos- tles, that they were counted worthy to suQW shame for his name, how much, think you, is their joy, now they are admitted to reign with him? His ha- ving supported the hardships and toils, to which the afflicted condition of our mortality was exposed, did 80 much alleviate them, and refresh us under them, that even in this sense also it might be truly said. The chastisements of our peace was upon hi^, aad by hia stripes we were healed. But can you think, Epenetus, that he who has re- lieved us, even by his cross, does not do more for us by his crown? Here he not only does admit, but does invi.e, each faithful servant to no less a bless- ing than to enter into his Master's joy. So rich a source of happiness did Christ make himself to us, in all his capacities and conditions, that in earth and Heaven it was and is his gracious and constant em- ployment, to share our griefs, or to impart to us his or increase our happiness by his felicity. Having thus treated of the happiness of tho^e (ce- lestial mansionp, resulting from the beatifick sight of 52 Visions op heaven. our redeeming Lord, the crown of all our blessed- nese, I now proceed to tell you, Epenetus, what you perhaps may have observed already; that here we do not only see our elder brother, Christ, but also our friends, kindred and relations, that in the world below lived in his fear, and died in his favour, which is a large addition to our happiness. Nor do we only know our friends, relations and cotemporaries, but all the saints that lived in all the ages of the world. Thus, though Elijah, whom I found discour- mng with you, lived in the world below, long before the blessed Messiah was made flesh, yet you no sooner saw than you straight knew him ; and'^so you will do Adam also, when you see him. Nor can I think this a new notion to you, since you might long ago have learned it from the sacred oracles : our blessed Saviour himself having told us, not only that the children of the resurrection shall be like the angels, (who, in the visions of the prophet Daniel, and the apostle John, appeared to be acquainted with each other,) but also in the parable of the mi- serable rich man and the happy beggar, the father of the faithful is represented as knowing not only tlie person and present condition, but also the past story of Lazarus; and the apostle of the Gentiles did, when in the world below, expect his convcted and pious Thessalonians to Tie his crown, at the great day, when the having turned many to righ- teousness shall, as the beloved Daniel tells us, con- fer a star-like and immortal brightness. And I am sure, Epenetus, you have ^^ten read of the transfi- guration of the blessed Redeemer in the holy mount, where Moses and Elijah were discoursing with him, and then you cannot forget how readily the three disciples knew them. This was no other but a type 2.J. viii ...1 _1l WiiCiU Uil tun ssaiiits are Known 111 uiiu anqtlier. Think you our knowledge here is less than I Our ""'*"#*■»''■■■*••*" ■ VISIONS or HEAVEN. 63 that which Adam had in his first state of innocence? And yet you know that Adam knew Eve, his wife, when she was first brought to him, and told her, she was bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. But what need of further instance ? Your own experience has ah^eady told you that it is so; and were you but divested of your mortality, as in a few days you will, you will find it with far greater evidence. But let me show you, my dear Epenetus, the great advantage that the knowledge of each other, here, does bring to all the blepred. Here it is that the blessed dwell in an uninterrupt- ed, perfect union and communion with God, and with each other j but without knowledge can be no agreement, and without agreement no communion; and where there is no communion, there is no hap- piness ; so that to think we did not know each other, would be to think us short of happiness. Here, Epe- netus, the general assembly of the firstborn, as they receive their happin^ess from the bright vision of the ever blessed God, so they communicate the purest pleasure to each other; an unfeigned, ardent love uniting all that pure society. On earth our love was kindled either from some natural relation, or other civil tie; or else on tlie account of some visible ex- cellencies, that render a person worthy of our choice and friendship : but here our reasons are far greater, and the decrees of love incomparably more fervent: for in this supernatural state, all carnal alliances and respects do cease. . The blessed apostle, even when on earth, told us, If he had known Christ, after the flesh, he knew him so no more: for by the resurrec- tion and ascension of our blessed Lord, he was trans- ported into another world, and had communion with him as an heavenly King, without low regards to the tcmporai privilege of conversing with him on earth. Our spiritual relation is more near and permanent 54 VISIONS or HEAVEN. than the strictest band of nature; here we have all relation to the same heavenly Father, and unto Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and head of our happy fraternity. The principal motives of love, even on earth, are the inherent excellencies of a person. Wisdom, holiness, goodness, fidelity, are mighty attractives to affection, and produce a more intimate confederacy of souls, than propinquity in nature, or »ny other carnal respects. -Virtue is amiable in an old person, though wrinkled and deformed; and vice is hateful in a young person, though ever so beautiful. And you have seen on earth, my Epenetus, clearer eyes than those of flesh, a purer light than what is sensible, a diviner beauty than what is corporeal, and a nobler love than what is sensual; which made the royal prophet declare, That all his delight was in the excellent. But even spiritual love has its allays below ; for there are re- licks of frailty in the best of men there; and some blemishes that render them less amiable : but here the image of God is complete, by the union of all the glorious virtues requisite in its perfection ; and every blessed soul agrees exactly with the first ex- ampiar; a divine beauty shines in them ever dura- ble; a beauty that darts no continuous fires; a beau- ty that is inviolable, and cannot suffer injury^ The true worth of the saints below is very little vi- sible; the least part of it being seen. The earth is fruitful in its plants and flowers, but its riches are in mines of precious metals, and veins of marble, hidden in its bosom. True grace appears in sensi- ble actions, but its glory is within; but here their glories are in open view; the glory of the blessed (jiod is revealed in them. And ah! how attractive is the Divine Jjikeness to an holveve! How doth it ravish me to see my fellow saints shining with an immortal loveliness! And their love is reciprocal, % M,.".>.i.i3BK>>. VISIONS OF HEAVEN, 55 proportionable to the cause of it. An equal, con- stant flame ia here preserved by pure materials: here every one is perfectly amiable, and perfectly enamoured with each other. And, O how happv is this state of love ! Well might the psalmist break out into that rapture, ]3ehold, how good and plea^ Bant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity ! had he then seen that happy union which he now here enjoys with all the faithful ones. Love is the beau- ty and the strength of all societies, and the great pleasure of our lives below. How excellent, then, must be the jov of the blessed here, who witness the accomplishment of what our Saviour prayed for when on earth. That they may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. The blessed God is absolutely one, in his glorious nature and will, and therefore is un- alterably happy; and the inviolable unity of the saint's love is a bright ray of the essential unity be- tween the sacred persons: here love effectively transforms one soul into another, and makes the glory of each saint redound unto the joy of all. Such is the power of this celestial fire, where we burn, it melts and mixes souls in such an entire union, that, by complaisance and intimate joy, the blessedness of all is, as it were, proper to every one, and as if every one were placed in the hearts of all, and all in the heart of every one; and sure, where there is love like this, all needs must be delight. And how can it be otherwise, since, in this blessed society, there is a continual receiving and returning of love and joy, with the mutual reciprocations of endearment; and their conversation and intercourse is ravishing. Think, Epenetus, what an entertain- ment of love and joy there is in the presence and discourses ot dear uienas oeiuw j nuw i!ici4 iii«v-.;«* luminous jispect, like a chain composed of spirits, ^ 56 VISIONS OP HEAVEN. and active, fasten and draw their souls to one ano- ther: and though there be no friendship on the earth without alloys, yet the felicity of love consist- eth in their conversations; but whatsoever is com- mendable in friendship, is in perfection here : and whatsoever is in alloy, occasioned by men's folly or their weakness, is all abolished here. The blessed here mth overflowing of aiTection, recount the di- vine benefits, and all those admirable methods, whereby the life of grace was first begun, preserved, and carried on amidst temptations; the succession of mercies in the time of our hopes, and the consum- mation of all in this time of our enjoyment. Have you not yet heard, Epenetus, the melody both saints and angels make about the throne? And how they all concur in their thanksgivings to God, for making of them reasonable creatures, such as are capa- ble both of loving and enjoying him, when they might have been of the lowest order in the whole sphere of beings, for his compassionate care and providence over them in the world : but especially for his sovereign and singular mercy in electing them to be vessels of honour, and for his powerful grace in rescuing them from the cruel and ignomini- ous bondage of sin: for his free love, that justified them from all their guilt, by the death of his only Son, and has now glorified them with himself? We are never weary, Epenetus, of this delightful exer- cise; but continually bless him for his mercy that endures for ever: yea, the winged cherubims and seraphims about the throne cry one to another to ex- press their zeal and joy in celebrating his eternal purity and power, and the glory of his goodness. And O how unspeakable is the pleasure of this con- J. I 1 u 1-. _ ^..^ _ .^ ! ^ . <^ »-k ^ .#« ^-h ft^ 4-fttt* 1"^ ■« 4 ■ 1*% n. uuii; every ouiu uuiiig iiciiiiiuniuu^, aiiu i^^juii n^umig his part to the full musick of Heaven. O could the world below but hear the echo of those songs where- VISIONS OF HEAVEN. 67 with the heavens above resound ! those songs where- with the saints do here triumph in the just praise and solemn adoration of the King of spirits: how would it inflame their desire to be joined with them ! But besides the happiness that does here accrue to us by the knowledge of our friends, kindred, and relations, and that which does result from that com- munion we have here with God, and with each other, it is to me, my Epenetus, a mighty happiness I here enjoy, in understanding satisfactorily all those deep and obscure mysteries of religion which theprofound- est rabbies of the world below were not ashamed to own they could not fully comprehend ; but, after all the toil and industry of their most anxious inquiries, were reduced to sit down with the great apostle, [Rom. xi. 3,] in admiration of that depth, whose bottom they can never fathom. And I acknowledge that it is to me a mighty pleasure, that here I under- stand those obscure passages of the sacred oracles, which, notwithstanding all that bold criticks and learned expositors have attempted to illustrate, do to the world below remain so still : nor can it be well otherwise, because they cannot discern how ex- quisitely the several parts of sacred scripture are fitted to the several times, persons and occurrences, wherein their all- foreseeing Author intended most to use them : all which are obvious to us here, and consequently we discern a perfect harmony between those texts that in the world below seemed most at variance. Here, Epenetus, we have clearly expounded to lis those riddles of Providence, which but too often tempted even good men upon earth, to question God's conduct in the government of the world; •■>V>!1«4- f-Kfk no loivi if ifkcs orifl norcomif i rkllCi nr VirfllP tunn innocence seem approved by him who accumulates prosperity on their criminal opposers. Here we are 58 VISIONS OF HEAVEN. thoroughly convinced, that all those seeming irregu- larities which the heathens thought fit to impute to the giddy whimsies of a female deity, are not only consistent with the Divine justice and goodness, but are productions of it. And though such a belief do, to intelligent persons in the world below, seem a great piece of self-denial, yet here it does appear as reasonable as there they find it difficult. For Bildad, who was one of Job's well-meaning, but unkind comforters, has told us long ago, They that live upon earth are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because their days there are but a shadow. And the shortness of their transitory lives not per- mitting them to remain long enough there, to see above a scene or two of that great play acted by mankind on the stage of the world, it is no wonder that they are apt to harbour sinister thoughts of the contriver of a plot, neither the beginning nor end whereof they are acquainted with : but when once the whole of the Divine conduct, in the administra- tion of things, shall be disclosed, as here it is, all those revolutions and occurrencesof empires, states, families, and particular persons, which mortals are so prone to quarrel with below, do here to us appear so just, so requisite and seasonable, that those very things that while we were on earth tempted us to deny God, do here engage us to praise him. And, indeed, we are not so properly satisfied, as ravished, with the beauties of his providence. But, Epenetus, besides this general providence of God, of whose adorable wisdom, in the conduct whereof, I h^ve been speaking, we are here especial- ly transported with wonder and gratitude at these discoveries of the Divine goodness, which he is pleased to make of the reasons of his dispensations towards each one in particular. O Epenetus, I have seen towards myself, not only the necessity and jus- VISIONS OF HEAVEN. 69 irregu- pute to ot only 3SS, but lief do, seem a pear aa !aning, They 1 know iiadow. 3t per- to see ted by vender of the or end n once nistra- is, all states, lis are appear e very us to And, ished, ince of Dnduct )ecial- these he is lations [ have d jus- tice, but even the mercifulness of those verjjLafflic* tionsthati once, (when upon earth,) impvitedtohis severity; and I am now fully convinced, no stroke I met with in the world below, (and you can tell, Epe- netus, that there I met with many, as well as great afflictions,) either came sooner, or fell heavier, or stood longer, than the occasion that extorted it ex- acted : and I am satisfied my hopes were never dis- appointed, but to secure my title to better things than what I hoped for. Nor was my interest, (or what at least I thought then to be so,) ever prejudiced, but when it was more to the advantage of what was tru- ly such. Yes, Epenetus, all that unwelcome dark- ness that on earth surrounded my purblind under- standing, is now vanished, and did so at the first dawning of this bright eternal day, wherein the re- solution of all those difficulties, which upon earth not only exercised but distressed my faith, is granted to reward it. ^ Here, Epenetus, to draw to a conclusion, we do not only converse with saints and angels, but with that far more infinitely glorious Deity who made them what they are, without at all impoverishing him- self: here we not only enjoy Heaven, but its Maker, God; and see him as he is, who is our all in all: comprising all the goods we value in the creatures, more eminently and fully than the bright luminary of the day excels the twinkling tapers of the night: for we are here so taken up with the contemplation and fruition of that glorious object (in whose infinity all goods are both included and dilated,) that ages numberless, as are the joys of the be^tifick vision doth abound with, will scarce afford us leisure for a flivpi'ftinii tn nnv ntlipr nlpnssnrp fhari tlinssf ifsplfrrp- " ""J i ; ates; which are so numerous and so entire, that we desire nothing that we have not, except more tongues to sing more praises to the blessed GudjfcOf a capa- m 60 VISIONS OF HEAVEN. City to pay him greater thanks for what we have : and even those desires does his gracious acceptance make, in being but conceived accomplished. For, otherwise, the residents of these bright mansions do scarce know any other want, than that of need to wish; the complete blessedness of our condition re- ducing us to a happy usefulness of wishes, by giving us so full a prepossession of all the objects of desire. Here time, like fire, having destroved whatever it does prey on, does at last die itself, ^and so goes out into eternity. And here the nature of our joys is such, that though after some centuries of years they may seem to wax older, by having been enjoyed so many ages, yet do they really still continue as wel- come and as fresh as at the first: it is the pe^-'iliar property of our felicity, that it always is the same, yet ever new. Weariness argues imperfection, either in the object, or the appetite; the former of which is impossible in God, and the latter ceases here. For our felicity is here so great, there is no need of variety to be a part of it, or if it does admit vari- ety, it is such a one as consists only in the further view of its first object, God; like that which may be seen on earth in the diversified refractions of the same sparkling diamond. In God there is, if I may properly so speak, such an identical variety, that the fruition of him both satisfies and creates desires ; though that, without satiety—and this, without dis- quiet. Other delights do, like the clothes men usually wear, grow stale, and quickly are worn out. Whereas those heavenly pleasures w'e enjoy, parti- cipate of th^t prerogative of .the garments of the Israelites in the wilderness, not impaired by being used loner. But as thn npprllp. nnofy^ tntinhc^A x^iUU s_? - ^7 --f!,i-_--„- ^ ■5J- !.5 v i a ■t- Vi TT tiz£ the loadstone, would never uncompelled forsake it, but after ages cling no less closely to it than at the first moment of their union, so do the blessed e: and iptance For, ons do leed to ion re- giving desire, ever it )es out ioys is s they yed so IS wel- J^'jliar same, either which re. 3 need t vari- urther 1 may of the I may S that sires ; xt dis« i men n out. parti- of the being tx/ 1 f tk ^rsake ; than lessed VISIONS or HEAVEN. 61 here, with the same undiminished freshness, ever possess their joys, as if each moment was the first that they possessed them in. And if our happiness does not improve by our enjoyment of it, it is per- haps because the greatness of it does render it inca- pable of increasing: or if our pleasures do admit accession, they also do receive it, from the assurance that we shall taste them ever, and perpetually re- peat the same renewed fruitions, to an eternity en- deared by nothing more than by the quiet leisure it does afford us, undisturbedly to employ it in cele- brating of Jehovah's praises; and in a condition happier, in that by it we are past doing, than past euAering ill. In brief, our inexhausted joys are here so num- berless, and so immense, that we shall need (as well as have,) eternity itself to taste them fully. But I remember, Epenetus, you still are in the body, and may be tired with hearing what I could be for ever relating, so vast is the happiness that I fossess, and so great pleasure is there in relating it. shall now, therefore, only add one further proper- ty of our enjoyed happiness; and that is, That the vast multitude of blessed souls that are partakers of this joy and glory, does detract nothing from each private share, nor lessen the property each happy saint has in it in particular: this ocean of felicity being so bottomless, that the innumerable company of all the saints and angels never can ex- haust it: nor is this strange at all, for in the world below, which does consist of many spacious coun- tries, and many of them divided by large seas from one another, each several nation does alike enjoy the benefit of light; nor is tliere any can complain that they enjoy it less because another does enjoy it too, but all enjoy its benefit as fully as if none else enjoyed it but themselves. Indeed there is this I ■i'^ 63 VISIONS OF HEAVEN. difference between the sun of righteousness and that which shines upon the world below ; that where- as the latt2r by his presence eclipses all the planets, (his attendants,) the former, though radiant with a much greater splendour, will, by his presence, ini- part it to his saints; and so the great apostle of the Gentiles does inform you, where he says. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we appear also with him in glory. It is the language of each blessed soul to his Re- deemer, I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine; for each have a peculiar claim upon him. And David (who, when he lived on earth, was so well skilled in singing songs of praise to the Redeemer,) says of all them that put their trust in God, That he shall abundantly satisfy them with the fatness of his house, and make them drink of the river of his pleasure : as if he meant to insinuate, that as when a multi- tude of persons drink of the same river, none of them are able to exhaust it, and yet each of them has the full liberty of drinking as much as he can, or as much as he could, though none but himself should be allowed to drink of it ; so whosoever enjoys God, enjoys him wholly, or at least enjoys him so entirely in relation to his capacity, that the fruition of what- soever rests unenjoyed in God is forbidden by the immensity of the object, and not the prepossession of his rivals. Thus, Epenetus, I have given you a brief account of our celestial Canaan: it is not, indeed, the thou- sandth part of that which might be said, yet it is enough to let you see it is a land flowing with milk and honey ; and may well enough serve to whet VOUr loncrincr fnr n iYinr#aHinrp Ki«;ri.h*ni . ^^,,,, ._.._,, 5, _ &jj5^4Jiaii or else it seemed to me so, because more intenseness on her than on Eiij ble Junius: but taking it for granted looked T «. my ▼ISIONS or HEAVEir, tTier, I thus addressed her: My dearest motlier, I joy to see you clothed in that bright robe of glory, as an inhabitant of tliese blessed realms of light and immortality. Mother. Dear Epenetus, (said my mother to me,) for wliat I am, to him that is on the throne, and to the Lamb, be all the praise and glory; for he alone it is has made me so. -*f he robe of glory, which you see me wear, is only the reflection of his own bright beams I**' Ah, Epenetus! had not the blessed, for ever blessed, redeeming Jesus, first clothed me with his robe of righteousness, I never should have worn this robe of glory. I do not ask you, Epenetus, (she continued,) how you came thus to be admitted here ; for I have had already, from Elijah, a full account of that : and must acknowledge the Divine condescension has been exceedingly great in this permission ; for which eternal praise be given to him. Ah, Epenetus! through how many dangers does Divine grace conduct us to glory I I cannot think, but with the most admiring thoughts of Divine love, how near I once was to eternal ruin ! I once was poor, and blind, and naked ; cast oi? • u»^to the loath- ing of my own person, and lay pollrt* < in my filth and blood. But O the abundant grace that found me in that wretched, sad condition, and yet to me made it a time of love, washed me from all my fil- thiness, and purged me from my sin! I once was nothing else but darkness ; but, O miraculous and happy change! I am now full of light, and love, and joy : I once was poor and miserable, but now I am enriched with all that Heaven can give, or I receive: I once was naked and exposed to shame, but now was under sentence of eternal separation from the Divine presence, but now 1 am possessed of God, my only liie, and joy, and supreme good. O how 65 VISIONS OP HEAVEN. transporting ,s the comparison of these so wide and contrary ex remes! And O how pleasant is the bnght day of eternity, after a night so dark and so tempestuous! How does a vivid sense of those na^ ev.l3 produce a far more lively feeling and f uiUon lui^^rrr''-' Thismakestheeverlastinghale" Sk- '*' .""^ *° '"y victorious Deliveref, more ravishing, and more harmonious. ^Pen. I must confess I was amazed to find mv fm?7 '? r?'' ^" ^'^^'^'^y ^"d holy transport^ a"d IZl Ti, ^"'■''^^r '^y'*'^' ^^^ "y ^^^' "Other! you fL 1- '^^ -""^ "'at is indeed in Heaven, and {Z the mighty joys you are possessed of. ' Jnoth. O Epenetus! (she replied again,-) vou should not think this strange. The mighty wondm of d.vme love and grace will be the sSbject of ou" S. kT'* ^*"' 'h«"ld you call me mother here although I once was so; for here all such rela S "RrS^V^l T^'^^J*' "P •" ««'». «ho is Sone tne great l-ather of all this heavenly family and I must tell you. Epencus, you are far more dear to ^ /h y°"^«':\one that love and fear the Lord, and so through faith are his adopted son, than asyou are we have Go^-.'^tt'^^ ''f f'^^^ ^'^^'^^ mer^y, that that aU we .nlv • ^°""'"5 f ''"'^ happiness; and ohiLf IJIt ^^^ " '" ^""^ through him, who is an object that IS every way so adequate to our most en- larged capacities, that, in enjoying him, we em?y all that we can ask or think. "^ ^ Epen. I then desired to know if I should tell her m what condition I left my father and my brethren Mo7k'^4 helow, when f was carried th^then '" moth, lo this she answered. No- sinrp T hovn put the body off, I have with tha too p'ut offa I tela! tions in the flesh: here God (said she,^ is all in in unto ne,. I have no husba„dS,ut the b'llssed' h.M " M4uu.li .M iny soui; he who * '' ' (|iUOlU is fairer than the chil- . -^iLri.^^. Hs.", VISIONS OP HEAVEN. 67 dren of men ; who is alone desirable to me : nor have I here any relations else. We are all children of one Father here, and servants of one Master Those ttr? f™t.'%°"r Perfect freedom: and as for those I left behmd me in the world below I have commuted them to God, in whose good p^^asure I am happy, whatsoever it be. I shall be glad, ind heartily rejoice, to see hem all heirs of this biessed if ST:1 ''n1%\t'''t' ^«» a-u-dSeSlI ot .lod IS so. But if they should close in with the grand enemy of thei salvation, and refuse the graS tl^t IS offered them, and thereby perish in theif urn belief, God will be glorified in his justice, and n his glory I shall ever rejoice. But since, d;a "Eiene- tus. you must descend again into the world bebw you cannot better show your love to God and S for the promotion of his glory, than by endeavour .ng to turn them from the ways of unrijh^eousnes" I nor do you know but that might be one end X this pecuhar privilege has been allowed yoS? ^ Whilst I was discoursing with my mother a nu- merous company passed fc-fore me, clothed ^nW robes, white as the morning brightness, and pure? fer ban any thing that ever yet diserved that nam J all having crowns of g orv oh thpir u^Ja i! • • sparkled forth in reful|e„TlusU'aTd ea'ch on! car rying m his right hand a palm of victory, and a« hey passed by I heard the^m say, sZln to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb • And another company, who had a very fflorious an parance, and covered their faces wit^h t h e r w „«? Im^ '^f *° ^ 'T'^' answered them sr;S thS.- '^'""!.' u^"'* ^'^'•y' an'' «'isdom, ^and thanksgivmg, and honour, and power, and miffht be^unto our God for ever and ever. Amen ^ ' . iiiicu enquired what the great comnanv wcr«i that were arrayed in garments^f ^0^^!^,^' 68 VISIONS OP HEAVEIf. With palms of victory in their hands: and I was told they were the noble company of martyrs, who, ha- vinjr endured great tribulations in the world, and laid down their hves for the word of God, and the testimony which they held, had now their robes washed in the blood of the Lamb, and had palms in their hands in token of victory. I then asked irom whence they came; and I was answered, ther came from under the altar, where they had been crying. How iang, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth! Epen. I thought that al! the saints here had that rest, and peace, and joy in God, which did not per- mit them to have any thoughts of revenge towards their /ellow creatures ; and I was the more ; nclined to thmk so, because many ^^ them had prayed for their persecutors in the world below, even at the very stakes, and when they have been under the nands of the executioners ; and it seems strange to me that that meek and forgiving spirit should be al- lered here in Heaven. Moth. The saints here do, indeed, possess that rest, and peace, and joy in God, which is the sum ot all their happiness ; but having resigned them- selves entirely to the divine good pleasure, they can- not but desire God's will may be fulfilled in all re- epects; and, therefore, knowing that it is the will ot Uod to render tribulation to them that have trou- bled them, and that he does design to glorify himself, by bringmg "own his judgements on the anti-chris- Uan whore, w lo hath made herself drunk with the blood of the saints, and of the martyrs of Jesus, thev cannot but desire the will of God may be done, and that his name may be srlorified : whinh fh^v Know will be the result of his executing judgement Ujpo^ the great whore : for, when Babylon is fallen. vas told ho, ha- Id, and and the r robes palms asked d, they d been ist thou it dwell ad that ot per- owards iclined ^ed for at the !er the nge to be al' 3S that le sum them- jy can- all re- le will B trou- mself, •chris- th the Fesus, done, I fhpv . - ement allea^ VISIONS OF HEAVEN. ^ a new song shall be put into their mouths; and then it sliall be said, Rejoice over her, thou Heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets! for God hath avenged you of her. Yea, then ^hall they sing. Hallelujah, salvation, and glory, and honour, and power unto the ^jord our God!" for true and righ- teous are his judgements; for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and having avenged the blood of his ser- vants at her hands; and therefore, praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear his name, both small and great! -And again they sing, hallelujah. So that their crying under the altar. How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth, is not out of any desire of revenge, but that God may be glorified for his righteous judgements, Epen. Having declared my satisfaction in her an- swer, I desired to know whether the souls of the blessed understood what affuirs were transacting in the world below, and whether they had any concern therein. ^" Moth, To this she replied. The sum of all our knowledge here is to [uiow God, the fountain of our happiness; but as to the afifairs of particular persons, we are not concerned with them, and are ignorant of them, beirg still finite, though glorilied creatures: and being present in all places is an attribute pecu- liar to God alone, to whose sight every creature is manifest. ^J hough the prosperity or adversity ot the church below, in their militant, is represented to us by the angels, who are ministering spirits, ant forth to n)inister to those that shall be heirs of salva- tion; and from what we learn fnun them we are ex- cited to renew our praises to him that sits unonthe throne, and to the Lanjb ibr ever. The admirable providence of God, in the deliverance and preserva* M TO VISIONS OF HEAVEiy. tion of his church, being what we reflect upon with the greatest pleasure and delight, and praise God for with the greatest ardency of affection, desiring also that his glory and his people's happiness, may be consummate by the redemption of the whole church, which shall not be till the bride hath made herself ready, and the mystical body of Christ be completed. Epen, I then told her I would only ask her one thing more, (for I believed my conductor was ready to come for me,) and that was, in what manner their time was spent in this blessed place, and what their general conversation with each other was? Moth. To this she replied, O my Epenetus! how much does that cloud of mortality you still bear about you, clog your understanding even in these bright regions ! You speak of us as still clothed with mor- tal flesh, and consider not that here mortality is swallowed up in life, and time is changed into eter- nity, without succession or end. It is true, indeed, that in the world below there is a continual flux of time, which is divided into hours, and days, and weeks, and months, and years; but here there is no such thing; here is no night by which days are dis- tinguished, nor circling orbs that make the several seasons of the year; but one eternal undivided point lasts here for ever; and therefore, Epenetus, here is no time to spend. But then, as to the other part of your question, What our general conversation with each other isi Eternity can only fully answer it. We all have work enough to do throughout the numerous ages of eter- nity, and that so very pleasant and delightful, it both creates our joy and still increases it: what is there ♦ Im .^ l.»^ I_J I A 1 you may then soon think how vast a field we have to trace in it. And as our knowledge does increase, VISIONS OF HEAVEN* 71 BO do the adorations we pay to the Divine Author of it: for this is our peculiar happiness, that all our disquisitions here, of whatsoever kind, tend to \U lustrate the high praise and adoration of the ineffa- ble Three-One. How many wonders of the Deity, my Epenetus, do shine forth in the works of nature in the world below, which still lie hid and undiscovered unto the most elaborate inquiries into them! How many things are there below, you know not how they are done, and yet are well assured that they are ! Who can tell how a tree grows from a seed, or a variega- ted, curious flower from a poor simple slip, without any diversity? And yet, that so it does is evident enough. Why the magnetick stone attracts the needle, or amber picks up straws, are some of the arcanes of nature which yet puzzle the wisest of mortals to tell by what secret sympathies it came to pass, although the matter of fact be very obvious. These thinga are made intelligible here, and all their occult cau- ses laid open to our view: which likewise does ex- cite our humble adorations and renewed praises to him who is so excellent in working. And then, again, the wondrous magnitude, aa well as contextures, of the celestial oibs, (which vain astrologers in vain pretend to penetrate,) are here, both in their causes and effects, made known unto the blessed, who, being filled with highest ad- miration, adore the ever blessed God, for all his works of wonder. Not that we have this knowledge barely by a sim- ple intuition, but by the mutual exercise of our dis- coursive faculties, whereby our knowledge still be- ^r^tmaci rwt-ifTVf^aatvfi Nor flo T Henv. but that, bv tuition, our here enlarged faculties receive a great ad- dition ; for here we at one view can behold more 41 n Visions op heavej^. than we can do successively below for manv yeara; to which the swiftness of our motion does also much contribute. But farther yet, the works of God's almighty pro- vidence, and with that wondrous wisdom he has overruled and governed all events, is such a theme as well becomes us here to be continually contem- plating; and which, (he more we view, the more we find occasion still to magnify the ureat and glorious name of the great Author of our happiness. These contemplations, Epenetus, have often been exceed- ingly delightful to me, when in the world below, where I saw things but very darkly, and lost much of the beauty of them, by reason of the vanity which was upon my purblind understanding, bv means of which, I could not see afar off : but now,\hatall my intellectual faculties are both enlarged and perfect- ed, and I can see the whole of what I then had but an imperfect view cf: how much more pleasant and delightful must it be? How much more must it magnify the wisdom of the great contriver, to see men eager in the prosecution of their own desii?ns and the fulfilling of their lusts, not having a regard to any thing besides the satisfying if themselves: and yet to see how ail these things" are overruled to the effecting of the Divine good pleasure, although those instruments knew nothing of it, is indeed well befittini,^ him who is so wonderful in counsel, and ex- cellent in working: to wlu>m be glory, and blessing, and praise, t'nough all the endless ages of eternity. Thus the eternal Father liad decreed our ffreat Redeemer should be born in Bethlehem, for so the prophet Micah had declared, sayini^, Uut thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, thougii thou "^be'litrle among flip tnrtiicdii/lt:! t\C T.>^ln)« .«.>«• 4. .. <* ai .1 II I — ..,,,..„^„,,j^,^ -^j »;unaiiy vci, itui ui mtie snaii he come forth unto me, who 'is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from ever- VISIONS OP HEAVEir. ts lastiniQ^. But when the time drew near he should be born, the blessed virgin lived at Nazareth, with her espoiie^ed husband, Joseph, desis^ning nothing else but to lie in there; which would have contra- dicted what the prophet Micah, by divine inspira- tion, had long ago foretold ; and therefore, at this time, Augustus Caesar, the Roman Emperour, puts out a decree, that all the empire should be taxed, and each one in his own city from whence he de- scemied, and that both men and women. This caused the blessed virgin and her espoused husband to go to Bethlehem, (big as she was, and far as was the way,) that they might there be taxed according to what Cc'r^sar had decreed; and there the Lord of life must then be born, according to what Micah prophesied. CcBsar aimed only at his getting money; and yet that aim of his, through the Divine wisdom over- ruling it, was made a means to bring about the ful- filling of the prophecy in so important a matter as the birth of the Messiah. This tends exceedingly to magnify the mifl^hty wisdom and overruling pro- vidence of God, who governs all events to his own glory, and his people's good. ^ You knew a person, Epenetus, in the world be- low, who, having proposed to go and see a friend, and stay at his house some davs, fell down, as he was getting upon horseback, and broke his leg, which put a stop to his intended journey; this he esteem- ed a very great affliction ; but in a few days after, he received intelligence that his friend's house was ca- sually burnt that very nii^ht that he intended to have lain there, and all the eople in it. This made him look on that which he at first thought to be an afflic- tion, to be a mercy to him; and that the breaking of his leg was but in order to the saving of his life. Many such instances of Divine love and goodness h. . -.-r'^-"' 74 VISIONS OF HEAVEN. might be given, which here the blessed retain a live* ly sense of, and mention in their songs of praise and hallelujahs to God and to the Lamb. Again, my Epenetus, here all the blessed are eternally employed in singing praises to him, who, by his wondrous grace has brought them to his glory. Here we see plainly that gulf of everlasting ruin, in which we were so like to plunge ourselves, had he not stopped our way. He often hedged up our way with thorns, that so we might not travel to destruc- tion. The various methods of his grace, whereby he brought us to himself, we here repeat to one ano- ther, and join in one great chorus to his praise : and whilst we praise him thus, he streams forth emana- tions of his grace upon us, whereby we are assimi- lated more into his likeness, which is our highest happiness. Thus, Epenetus, I have answered your last ques- tion, which you will better understand when you ehall come to be clothed with immortality. -^In the meantime, walk worthy of the grace you have re- ceived ; and let ruit your attainments puff you up, but give to God the glory of his grace; and fet what you have seen and heard have this effect, to make you so much more abhor yourself for your own vile- ness. The great apostle of the GenUies, who like yourself was once admitted hither, declares he soon met with a thorn in the flesh, lest he should else have been puffed up too much for the abundant re- velations that he had received. Let this example, therefore, keep you humble: humility will be your best defence ; such God exalts, whilst he the proud depresses. I see your guardian angel is coming to- wards you, and therefore, Epenetus, fare-you-well, come, and then we will part no more.- you Epen. She had no sooner spoken, butshedepart- ed, and the bright form that brought me from the world sent w An^ me; J tare ; is wor heave Epi been here I bright yet th( wish ] Ani reconc earth j the pri rewar( red, a would High, a comi wise t( world put of thy CO with a Epi were, earth, and W( I kne\ ven fo] within Divine thence ty, anc VISIONS OF HEAVETC. 7ff world below, into this place of happiness, was pre- sent with me ; to whom, as I was bowing— Aug. Bow to the throne, (said he,) and not to me; I have already told you I am thy fellow crea- ture; and therefore worship God alone, for he alone is worthy of adoration. Hast thou observed these heavenly mansions well? Epen. I then replied, I have observed, and have been almost ravished with their glory; but even here I could but see in part; their splendour was too bright, and too diaphanous for my beholding. And yet the sight was so extremely delightful, that I could wish I might stay here for ever. Aug, 1 have, replied the angel, a commission to reconduct you to the world below; not only to the earth from whence I took you, but to the regions of the prince of darkness, that thou mayest there see the reward of sin, and what incensed justice has prepa- red, as the just judgement of their rebellion, who would exalt themselves above the throne of the Most High. But do not therefore be afraid ; for, as I have a commission to bring thee thither, so have I like- wise to bring thee back again, and leave thee in the world from whence I took thee, till thou hast there put off mortality; and then I shall once more be thy conductor hither, where thou shalt live for ever with all the blessed here. Epen. These last words of the angel did, as it were, put new life into me : for to leave Heaven for earth, was that which did extremely discompose me, and would have rendered me inconsolable, but that I knew the Di^^ne will was such. But to leave Hea- ven for Hell, was that which turned my very heart within me. However, when I knew that it wa.i the Divine good pleasure that I should be returned from thence to the earth again, and there put off mortali- ty^ and then be reconducted up to Heaven, I was a m 1:1! «1 I 76 VISIONS OF HEAVEI?. little comforted, and found within myself an entire resignation to the will of God; and therefore said with some assurance to ray bright conductor. That which the blessed God has ordered, 1 shall be al- ways willing to obey, of whose great mercy 1 have already had so very large experience, That even in Hell itself 1 will not Tear, May I but have his presence with me there. Ang. To this my shining guardian answered mc, Wherever the blessed God vouchsafes his presence, there is Heaven, and whilst we are in Hell, he will be with us. Ej)en. Then bowing low before the Almighty's throne, swifter than thought my guardian angel car- ried me ten thousand leagues below the imperial heavens, where, when I saw those mighty globes of fire, those ever burning lamps of the ethereal hea- vens, I thus bespoke my bright conductor: That I had heard, when I was upon earth, that each one of these fixed stars were worlds; and I believed they might; because, though here they are of such a mighty magnitude, they seem to us on ejrth just such small things as what the earth seems here, al- though, indeed, the earth seems here more dark than they do unto those that are on earth. But ha- ving such an opportunity, I would willingly be in« formed from you what truth there is therein. Ang. To this my shining guardian answered me, To him who is Almighty, there is nothing impossi- ble; nor can there be a bound set to infinity. The ever- blessed God took six days tinve to make the world below, but could as welfhave^ade it in one moment, if he had so determined ; it was the put- .. *:«« ^^..fti *>r U\a AlrTiirrhtxr nnwpr thnt did pfTectit! and what that power can do, there is none can tell but he that does possess it. But from his power, to argue it is his will, is no good logick in the school of lies Heave pleases not so eternal curiosi nodou are st^ has do fore 01 By region forms, shinin, Epi guard forms. Ani apost£ and 01 they r you w ries; nalpi Iq true; much with s horric most of thi VISIONS OF HEAVEN. T7 intire said That )e al- have i me, ence, e will rhty's I car- perial )es of hea- rhatl h one lieved f such 1 just re, al- dark ut ha- be in* d mCt possi- The ke the in one le put- feet it % an tell ver, to school of Heaven. He does whatever he pleases, both in Heaven above, and in the earth below; and what ho pleases to reveal to us, we know; and what he has not so revealed, are secrets locked up in his own eternal counsel, which it is a bold and presumptuous curiosity for any creature to inquire into. There is no doubt but he can make as many worlds as thero are stars in Heaven, if it pleases him; but that ho has done so, he has not yet revealed, nor is it there- fore our duty to inquire. By this time we were come down to the lowest regions of the air, where I saw multitudes of horrid forms, and dismal dark appearances, fly from the shining presence of my bright conductor. Epen. These, sure, said I, are some of the van- guard of Hell, so black and so affrighting are their forms. Ang. These are, said my conductor, some of the apostate spirits, that wander up and down in the air, and on the earth, like roaring lions, seeking whom they may devour; and though they are fled hence, you will see them quickly in their own dark territo- ries; for we are now upon the borders of the infer- nal pit. VISIONS OF HELX.5 AND OF THE TORMENTS OF THE DAMNED. I QUICKLY found the words of my conductor very true; for we |pre soon surrounded with a darkness much more mack than night, which was attended with a stink more suffocating far than that of burn- in/. k..;rv^..4^/^rka . wiYT oora wf^rf^ lil^pwisf^ filled with tho horrid yellings of the damned spirits, that all the most discordant notes on earth werCj, in comparison of thiS| melodious musick. !L 111 78 VISIONS OF HELL. mf i Ang. Now, said my guardian angel, you are on the verge of Hell; but do not fear the power of the destroyer, for my commission from the imperial throne secures you from all dangers: here you may hear from devils and damned souls, the cursed cau- ses of their endless rv.in; and what you have a mind to ask, inquire, and they shall anf wer you : the devils cannot hurt you, though they would, for they are bound by him that has commissioned me, of which themselves are sensible, which makes them rage, and fret, and roar, and bite their hated chains, but all in vain. - , . . We now were come within Hell's territories, pla- ced in the caverns of the infernal deep ; there, where earth's centre reconciles all things, where all effects do in their causes sleep; there in a sulphureous lake of liquid fire, bound with the adamantine chain of Heaven's fixed decree, sat Lucifer, upon a bur- ning throne; his horrid eyes sparkling with hellish fury, as full of rage as his strong pains could make him. Those wandering fiends, that, as we came from Heaven, fled before us, had, I perceived, giy- en notice of our coming, which had put all Hell in an uproar, and thus made Lucifer to vent his horrid blasphemies against the blessed God; which he de- livered with such an air of arrogance and pride, as plainly shows he only wanted power, but neither rage nor malice. • t « • j Lucifer. What would the thunderer have? said he. He has my Heaven already, whose radiant sceptre this bold hand should bear^nd for those never fading fields of light, my fair inheritance, con- _ fines me here in this dark house of death, sorrow ^ and woe ! What ! would he have Hell from me too, that he insults me here ? Ah ! could I but obtain an* other day to try it in, I would make Heaven shake-, and his bright throne to totter. Nor would I feajr the utr than 111 day, til Heavci I did. : that da to thes comfor on my I will y Epe and CO justly J Ang spirit, blasph the ho We of unn mentei them i they a er, one cursed My m this, f thou d me thi and y< brougl exam] know, happ5 was! wretcl had i\ bornt VISIONS OF HELL. 79 re on f the perial may I cau* ave a you: d, for 1 me, them lains, , pla- svhere jffect3 ireous chain abur- lellish make came [, giv- [ell in borrid iie de- pride, either ? said ad i ant those 5, con- sorroMT le too, lin an- shake^ I feajr the utr w^ of l.is power, though he had fiercer flames than tilt :o throw me in. Though then I lost the day, th* ^ault was not mine : no winged spirit in Heavv.. o arched roof bid fairer for the victory than I did. But ah ! (continued he, with a changed voice,) that day is lost, and I am doomed, forever doomed, to these dark territories! But it is at least some comfort to me still, that mankind's sorrow waits up- on my woe. And since I cannot on the thunderer, I will wreak the utmost of my rage on them. Epem I was amazed to hear his impious speech, and could not forbear saying to my conductor, How justly are his blasphemies rewarded. Ang^ What you have heard from this apostate epirit, is both his sip. and punishment; for every blasphemy he belches against Heaven, makes Hell the hotter to him. We then passed on further, amongst dismal scenes of unmixed sorrow, and saw two wretched souls tor- mented with a fiend, who, without ceasing, plunged them in liquid fire and burning brimstone, whilst they at the same time accused and cursed each oth- er, one of them saying to his tormented sufferer, O cursed be thy face, that ever I set eyes upon thee! My misery is long of thee; I may thank thee for this, for it was thy persuasions brought me hither; thou didst entice me; thou it was that didst ensnare me thus. It was your covetousness and cheating, and your oppression and grinding of the poor, that brought me hither. If you had but set me a good example, as y^ did an ill one, I might, for aught I know, have been in Heaven, and there have been as happy as I am now miserable: but, O wretch that I I /Vll :«^**<^..M M4-#%Mn 3-ir»ci nnr.c'a ^•C'lT 111 fhia Wcib i iiiV iUiiUWilig y liui oicpo jicis? »£x i'--^ t- - === -^ wretched state, and ruined me for ev 3r! O that I had never seen thy face, or thou bads: never been born to do my soul the wrong that you udve done. 1 80 VISIONS OF HELL. m The other wretch replied, and may I not as well blame you ? For do you not remember how at Buch a time and place vou did entice me, and drew me out, and asked me if I would not go along with you, when I was about my other busmess, about my lawful calling? But you called me away, and therefore are as much in fault as I: though I was covetous, yet you were proud ; and if you learned of me your cbvetousness, I am sure I learned from you my pride and drunkenness; and though you learn- ed of me to cheat, you learned me to whore, to he, and scoff at goodness. Thus, though I stumbled you in some things, vou stumbled me as much m others; and therefore if you blame me, I can blame you as much. And if I have to answer for some of your most filthy actions, you have still to answer for some of mine: I wish you never had come hi- ther; the very looks of you do wound my soul, by bringing sin afresh into my mind: it was with you, with you it was I sinned. O grief unto my soul ! And since I could not shun thy company there, O that I could have been without it here. From this sad dialogue I soon perceived, that those who are companions upon earth in sin, shall be so too in Hell in punishment. And though on earth they love each other's company, they will not care for it in Hell. This, I believe, was the true reason why Dives seemed so charitable to his breth- ren, that he would have them warned, that so they might not come into this place of torment; it was love unto himself, and not to them, ^t was his mo- tive; because had they come thither, his torments would havf, thereby been increased. But theie were yet more tragick scenes of sor- row; for, leaving those two accursed wretches ae-^ fusing each other, for being authors of each othfer^« mwery, we passed on further, beholding several wo* ful spe< flaming mentin ty and Epe ing of ally pc her thr Fiei plied \ such a enougl I pour ruined when I than e not lei with w she th bagsM and a if itw that a nal, a out tl becau sure i nor Ic fear < all sh cheat of me ehild brou^ of it her C her b mMM jg^ VISIONS OF HEI^'* 81 I well 3w at drew with [ibout ^ and [ was ed of [1 you earn» :o He, nbled ch in )iame me of iswer rie hi- 111, by you, soul ! re, O 9 that shall gh on ill not e true breth- 9 they it was is mo- ments # f sor- les ac» 3th6r'« al wo* ful spectacles ; and, among others, one who still had flaminff sulphur forced down her throat by a tor- menting spirit, which he did with that horrid cruel- ty and insolence, I could not but say to him: Epen. Why should you so delight in the torment- inff of that accursed wretch, as to be thus perpetu- ally pouring that flaming and infernal hquor down her throat? , . ^' ., . Fiend. This is no more but a just retribution, re- plied the fiend: this woman, in her hfe-time, was such a sordid wretch, that, though she had gold enough, could never be satisfied, and therefore now I pour it down her throat. She cared not whom she ruined and undid, so she could get their gold ; and when she had amassed together a greater treasure than ever she could spend,her love of money would not let her spend so much of it as to supply herself with what the common necessities of life required ; for sh^ then went often with an empty belly, though her bags were full, or else she filled it at another's charge : and as for her apparel, it either never grew old, or if it were so, it was always so supplied with patches, that at last it was hard to say which piece was origi- nal, as it is among the learned men on earth to find out the original of the Nile. She kept no house, because she would not be taxed; nor keep her trea- sure in her hands, for fear she should be robbed; nor let it out without good bonds and mortgages, for fear of being cheated; although she ever cheated all she could, and was herself so great a cheat, she cheated her own body of its food, and her own soul of mercy. Md yet this cursed wretch had but one child in all the world to give it to, whom she had brought up so, she knew no more how to make u&e of it than her mother did. Since gold, then, was her God on earth, is it not just that she should havfe her belly full in Hell ? . S2 VISIONS OP HELl), * Epen, When her tormentor had done speaking*, I-^asked her whether what he sai^were true or not? To this she answered me, No ; to my grief it is not. How ! to your grief? said I. Yes, to my grief, said she; because, were that which my tormentor tells you, true, I should be better satisfied: he tells you, that it is gold that he pours down my throat; but he is a lying devil, and speaks falsely ; were it but gold, I never should complain ; but he abuses me, and in the stead of gold, he only gives me hor- rid stinking sulphur; had I my gold, I should be happy still— which I so truly value, that if I had it here, 1 scarce would bribe Heaven with it, to be re- moved from hence. I could not forbear telling my conductor, I was amazed to hear a wretch, in Hell itself, so to doat upon her riches, and that too whilst in the tormen- tor's hands. Aug. This may convince you, (said he,) it is sin that is the greatest of all evils ; and where love of that prevails, that soul is lost for ever : and therefore it is the greatest of all punishments to be abandoned to the love of sin. The love of gold, (to which this cursed creature is given up,) is a more exquisite and fatal punishment, than that which the apostate spi- rits here inflict upon her. Epen. Oh! (said I,) could but wicked men on earth, for one small moment lay their ears to this mouth of Tophet, and hear these horrid shrieks c^ damned souls, they could not be in love with sin again. Ang. Eternal truth has told us otherwise : for those that will not fear his ministers, nor have regard to what his word contains, will not be warned, though one should come from Hell. We had not come much further, before we saw a wretched soul lie on a bed of burning steel, al- most c under which 1 that I 1 and th Sou O thej sandy avoid : sand > an end be fo'i state ii cun fully h ]y am tary p Howo presse sure t( But I, charm toli^ m qui nkl pericn too la ver. made' Viuie V to de^ builiv And y not! 1 iVilgh offeree once, given x c^ VISIONS or HELt* most chokedWth brimstone; who cried out, as one under a dreadful anguish, with a note of descriptiorf, which made me desire of my conductor to stay awhile, that I might listen more attentively to what he said ; and thereupon I heard him speak as follows : Soul, Ah! miserable wretch ! Undone for ever! O these killing words, /br ever/ Will not a thou- sand years suffice- to bear that pain, which, if 1 could avoid it, I would not bear one moment for a thou- sand worlds. No, no, my misery will never have an end : after the thousand thousand years, \t will be for ever still. O hapless, helpless, hopeless state indeed ! It is this for ever is the hell of Hell ! cursed wretch! Cursed to all eternity! How wil- fully have I undone myself! O what stupendous fol- ly am I guilty of, to choose sin's short and momen- tary pleasure, at the dear rate of everlasting pain ! How oft have I been told it would be so ! How often pressed to leave those paths of sin, that would be sure to bring me to the chambers of eternal death! But I, like the deaf adder, lent not an ear !mto those charmers, though they charmed so wisely. They toM me often, that my short-hved pleasures would qu^nkl^' issue in eternal pain; and now tao sad ex- perience tells me so — it tells me so, inleed, but it is too late to help it, for my eternal state is fixed for er. Why had I reason given me! Why was I made with an immortal soul, and yet should take so liule care of it! O how my own neglect stings me to denth, and yet J ^mow I cannot, I must not die, but live a dying life, worse ihe»ntn thousand deaths. And yet I might once have helped 11 this, and would not ! O that is the gnawing woiiii that never dies ! 1 might have once been h&ppy : salv^ition once was offered me, and I refused it. Ah! had it been but once, yet to refuse it, had been a folly not to be for- given J but it was offered i:ie a thousand times, ai^ 8K- I. m ■'ON«n»i» i *« " i|ii . na i w i iii ■ ■: * " ■ " q !ge f r ^ VISIONS OF HELL. yet, (wretch that I was!) I still as olren refused it^ O cursed sin ! that witch deluding pleasure bewitches mankind to eternal ruin ! God often called, but I as often refused ; he stretched his hand out, but I would not mind it. How often have 1 set at nouglit his counsel ! How often have I refused his reproof! But now the scene is changed, the case is alter- ed: for now he laughs at my calamity, and mocks at that destruction which is come upon me. He would have helped me once, but then I would not, and therefore those eternal miseries I am con- demned to undergo, are but the just reward of my own doing. Epen, I could not hear this doleful lamentation, without reflecting on the wondrous grace the ever- blessed God had shown to me — eternal praise to his holy name! For my heart told me, that I had de- served, as much as that sad wretch, to be the object of eternal wrath ; and it is his grace alone had made us differ ! O how unsearchable his counsels be! And w4io can fathom his Divine decree! After these reflections, I addressed myself to the doleful complatner, and told him, I had heard his woeful lamentation, by which I perceived his misery was grjeat, and his loss irreparable; and told him I wGuld willingly be informed of it more particularly, which might possibly be some alleviation of his suf- ferings. Soul No, not at all. My pains are such as can admit of no relief— no, not for one small moment But by the question you have asked, I do perceive you are a stranger here : and may you ever be so. Ah! had I but the least hopes still remaining, how would I kneel and cry, and pray for ever, to be re- deemed from hence ! But ah ! it is all in vain : I am lost for ever. \- VISIONS OP HELL. 85 used it i witches but I as t, but I no u gilt eproof ! is alter- [ mocks \e. He I would im con- iward of jntation, he aver- se to his had de- e object ad made If to the sard his s misery Id him I ;icularly, r his suf- h as can moment perceive er be so. ing, hovr to be re- lin : I am Though, tliat you may beware of coming hitherf I will tell you what the damned suffer here. Our miseries, in this infernal dungec.!, are of two sorts: what we have lost, and what we undergo. And these I will reduce, each to their several heads, although the sad relation will give a greater sting to what I feel. First, then, for what we have lost: In th id dark abode of misery and sorrow, we have lost ine presence of the ever blessed God, and this is that which makes this dungeon, Hell, Though we had lost a thousand worlds, it would not be so much as this one loss. Could but the least glimpse of his favour enter here, we might be happy, but we have lost it to our everlasting woe. 2. Here we have likewise lost the company of saints and angels, and in their room have nothing but tormenting devils, 3. Here we have lost Heaven, too, the seat of blessedness : there is a deep gulph betwixt us and Heaven, so that we are shutout from thence for ever. Those everlasting gates that let the blessed into hap* piness, are now for ever shut against us here, 4. Here we have also lost all pity, and this is to the miserable a great loss. To have that God, who does iaO pity sinners, that he has given his belove^ Son to die for them, to be so far from pitying us, that he re- joices in our misery, and will do so for ever, is that which stings us to the very heart, and makes our misery beyond measure miserable. And what can be more cruel and tormenting, than to have that Re* deemer, thrtf gives his very blood for others, deny to pity us? Nor will the saints and angels pity us: but whilst we here are howling in our misery, under the wrath of an incensed God, the saints too rejoice that we are damned, and God is glorified in our de- struction. Behold the dismal issue of our &ia ! *• t^ .g^aJBlj r/ o VISIONS OF HELL. . 5. To make our wretchedness yet for more wretch- ed, we have lost the hope of ever being hi a better state; which renders our condition truly hopeless. He th?t upon earth is the most miserable, has yet hope left as a reserve. And, therefore, it is acom- . mon proverb there, That were it not for hope, the . heart would break. Well may our hearts break then^ since we are here both without hope and help. This is what we have lost, which, but to think on, is enough to tear, and rend, and gnaw upon our mi- serable souls for ever. Yet, O that this were all! But we have sense of pain as well as loss: and ha- ving showed you what we have lost, I am now to show you what we undergo. 1. And first, We undergo a variety of torments : we are tormented here a thousand, nay, ten thou- sand several ways. They that are most afflicted upon earth, have seldom any more than one dis- temper at a time: but should they have the plague, the gout, the stone, and fever at a time, how mise- rable would they think themselves! Yet all those are but like the biting of a flea, to those intolerable pungent pains that we endure. Here we have all the loathed variety of Hell to grapple with : here is fire that is unquenchable to burn us with ; a lake of burning brimstone ever choking us; eternal chains to tie us; here is utter darkness to alright us, and a worm of conscience, that gnaws upon us everlastingly : and any one of these is worse to bear, than all the torments mankind ever felt on earth. 2. Bui as our torments here are various, so are they universal too; afflicting each part of the body, and tormenting all the powers of the soul: which renders what we suffer most insufferable. In those distempers you men are seized with on earth, though some parts are afflicted, other parts are free: al- dteiM our VISIONS or HELL. 81' dis- thougli your body may be out of order, your head may yet be well and although your head be ill, your vitals may be Ir^e ; or though your vitals be affected, your arms and legs may still be clear. But here it IS otherwise : each member of the soul and body is at once tormented. The eye is here tormented with the sight of devils, who do appear in all the horrid shapes, and black appearances that sin can give them. The ear is continually tormented with the loud yellings and continual outcries of the damned; the nostrils snio- thered with sulphureous flames, the tongue with burning blisters ; and the whole body rolled in flames of liquid fire. And all the powers and faculties of our souls are here tormented: the imagination, with the thoughts of present pain; the memory lost with reflecting on what a Heaven we have lost, and of those opportunities we had of being saved. Our minds are here tormented with considering how vainly we have spent our precious time, and how we have abused it. Our understanding is tormented in the thoughts of our past pleasures, present pains, and future sorrows, which are to last for ever. And our consciences are tormented with a continual gnawing worm. 3. Another thing that makes our misery msup- portable, is the extremity of our torments. The fire that burns us is so violent, that all the water in the sea can never quench it ; the pains we suffer here are so extreme, that it is impossible they should be known by any one but those that feel them. Vin- dictive justice here displays its power in the sus- taining of our dying lives, under those great and excruciating pains, which scarce an angel's strength could undergo. 4. Another of the sad ingredients of our misery, is the continuity of our torments, as various and as mUHmi*' 68 TISIONS OF HELL. universal, and as extremely violent as they are, they are continual too; nor have the least intermission from them; our miseries are both extreme, and al- ways so. If , there were any relaxation, it might be some allay: but this makes our condition so de- plorable, that there is no intermission of our tor- ments, but what we suffer now we must for ever suffer. This causes a hatred to arise in our minds against God ; and our hatred against God continues our miseries upon us. 5. The society or company we have here, is ano- tlier ingredient in our misery. Tormenting devils and tormented souls are all our company : and dreadful shrieks and howlinfi^s, under the fierceness of our pain, and fearful execrations against Him whose power and justice keeps us here, is all our conversation. And here the torments of our fellow- sufferers are so far from mitigating our misery, that they increase our pain. 6. The place in which we suffer is another thing that increases our sufferings : it is the abstract of all mi- sery — a prison, a dungeon, a bottomless pit, a lake of fire and brimstone, a furnace of fire that burns to eternity, the blackness of darkness for ever, and, lastly. Hell itself. And such a wretched place as this must needs increase our wretchedness. 7. The cruelty of our tormentors, is another thing that adds to our torments. Our tormentors are de- vils, in whom there is no pity; but being tormented themselves, do yet take pleasure in tormenting us. 8. All those particulars that I have reckoned up, are very grievous; but that whicli makes them much more grievous is, that they shall ever beso ; that all our most intolerable sufferings shall last to all eter- nity. O wretched state of men ! to be the everlast- ing objects of God's revenging justice. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, is that which is VISIONS OF HELL. 89 perpetually sounding in my ears. O that I could reverse that fatal sentence! O that there was but a bare possibility of doing it ! What is it that I would not do or suffer to effect it? And yet, Almighty power can inflict no more than what I suffer now. But that I shall for ever suffer it, is what I know not how to bear, and yet what I must ever undergo. Thus have I showed you the miserable case that we are in, and shall be in for ever. This wretched soul had scarcely made an end of what he was saying, before he was afresh tormented by a hellish fury, who bade him cease complairyng, for it was in vain ; besides, said he, do not* you know you have deserved it all ? How often were you told of this before, but would not then believe it? You laughed at them that toid you of a Hell: nay, you were so presumptuous, as to dare Almighty jus- tice to destroy you ! How often have you called on God to damn you? And do you now complain that you are answered according to your wishes? What an unreasonable thing is this, that you should call so often for damnation, and yet be so uneasy under it? You own yourself, you had salvation offered you, and you refused it. With what face, then, can you complain of being damned? I have more rea- son to complain than you, for you have had a long time of repentance given you; but I was turned to Hell as soon as I had sinned ; you had salvation of- fered you, and pardon and forgiveness often tender- ed you ; but I never had any mercy offered me, but was consigned, as soon as I had sinned, to everlast- ing punishment. If I had had the offer of salvation, I never would have slighted it as you have done; and it had been better for you, that you had never had the offer of it neither; for then damnation had been easier to you. Who do you think should pity you, that would be damned in spite of Heaven itself I 90 VISIONS OF HELL. This made the wretch cry out, O do not thus con- thiue to torment me, I know that my destruction is of myself. O that I could forget it! The thoughts of that is here my greatest plague. I would be damn- ed, and therefore justly am so. Then turning to the fiend that tortured him, he said, But it was through thy temptations, cursed de- vil : It was thou that temptedst me to all the sins I have been guilty of; and dost thou now upbraid me? You say you never had a Saviour offered you ; but you should call to mind, you never had a tempter neither, as I have had continually ofthee, from whose importunate solicitations I never could be free. To this the devil scornfully replied, I own it was my business to decoy you hither; and you have oil been told so by your preachers ; they told you plain enough we sought your ruin, and went about conti- nually like roaring lions, seeking whom we could devour; and I was oft afraid you would believe them, as several did, to our great disappointment; but you were willing to do what we would have you; and since you have done our work, it is but reasonable that we should pay your wages. And then the fiend tormented him afresh, which caused him to roar out 80 horridly, I cotild no longer stay to hear him, and so past away. Epen. How dismal, said f, then, to my conductor, is the condition of these damned souls! They are the devil's slaves while upon earth, and he upbraids and then torments them for it when they come to Hell. Ang, Their malice against all the race of Adam, said my conductor, is exceeding great, because the blessed Redeemer died to save them, and they en- joy that happiness from which those spirits were cast down. And though it is impossible they should prevail upon the elect, so as to make one perish, — -s r .a. r yet sin not to as knoi and be ces, th( ruin, to theii will see to satis are me and the againsi listenin saw a 1 ing the the ton quid fir in the r about 1 manne that so so crue Fieri these £ others selves ' ther. 1 factors a partic ligence will be these h but all by thei Epej for He 1 VISIONS OF HELL. 91 yet since they know not who they are, they cease not to tempt all to sin, by all the means they can, as knowing that is the way to make them miserable: and because many souls are ignorant of their devi- ces, they easily prevail upon them to their eternal ruin. And how they treat them here, for listening to their temptations, you have seen already, and will see more of it quickly. And though they do it to satisfy the rage they have against them, as they are men, yet are they therein the Aim ighty^s agents, and the jointexecutioners of his deserved vengeance against sinners, who wilfully destroy themselves by listening to the devil. Passing a little further, we saw a multitude of damned souls together, gnash- ing their teeth with extreme rage and pain, whilst the tormenting fiends, with hellish fury, poured li- quid fire and brimstone continually upon them ; they, in the mean time, cursing God themselves, and those about them, in blaspheming after a tremendous manner. I could not forbear asking of one fiend that so tormented them, who they were that he used so cruelly^ Said he — Fiend, They are those that very well deserve it: these are those cursed wretches that would teach others the right road to Heaven, whilst yet them- selves were so in love with Hell, that they came hi- ther. These are those souls that have been the great factors of Hell upon earth, and therefore do deserve a particular regard in Hell. We use our utmost di- ligence to give every one their share of torments, but will be sure to take care these shall not want; for these have not only their own sins to answer for, but all those too, whom they have led astray, both by their doctrine and example. Epen, Since they have been such great factors for Hell, as you say, methinks gratitude should ^^^M.M^^ jfUlJi lt\^ i4M^ iiiUiii A A&viJL^ iiivriw Aiiivil V • •f r. r'J ■! ■cr IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // 4' fc 1.0 I.I 1.25 lASiM |2.5 ^ i^ III 2.2 li£ 12.0 us lU ■it 1.4 1.6 - 6" ">, nl 4.^. It i iiuiu^cipiutj Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716)872-4503 ^ ^\^ ^ '^A^ ^ 92 VISIONS OV HELL, Fiend. To this the fiend answered me, in a scoff- ing manner, they that expect gratitude among devils, will find themselves mistaken: gratitude is a virtue, but we hate all virtue, and profess an immortal en- mity against it; besides, we hate all learning, and were it in our power, not one of them should be happy. It is true we do not tell them so upon earth, because there it is our business to flatter and de- lude them; but when we have them here, where they are fast enough, (for from Hell there is no redemp- tion,) we soon convince them of their folly in belie- ving us, Epen. From the discourse I had heard of this and other of the devils, I could not but reflect, that it is infinite and unspeakable grace, by which any poor sinners are brought to Heaven; considering how many snares and baits are laid by the enemy of souls to entrap them by the way. And therefore it is a work well worthy of the blessed Son of God, to save his people from their sins, and to deliver them from the wrath to come. But it is an unaccountable madness and folly in men to refuse the oflTersof his grace, and to close in with the destroyer, Ang, It is sin that thus hardens their hearts, and blinds their eyes, so that they are incapable of ma- king a right judgement of things, until the holy spi. kit comes and anoints their eyes with his eye salve, which makes the scales of ignorance and errour to drop off, whereby they come to see things in a truer light. Epen. Going further on, I heard a wretch com- plaining, in a heart-breaking strain, against those men that had betrayed him hither. Soul I was told, (said he,) by those that I de- pended on, and thought coulr* have informed me rigiit, tnat li 1 sata but ijord * ave mercy on me, when I c^me to die, it would be enough to save me| l^xm^Uimmm'r VISIONS OF HELL. 93 scoff- devils, nrtue, tal en- ?, and Id be earth, id de- ft they iemp- belie- f this t, that h any iering my of fore it od, to them titable o( his 3, and »f ma- yspi. salve, 3ur to truer com- those Ide- d me [i me, erne; but O how wretchedly I find myself mistaken, to my eternal sorrow ! Alas! I called for mercy on my death bed, but found it was too late. This cursed devil here, that told me just before, that I was safe enough, then told me it was too late, and Hell must be my portion, as I find it is. Devil, You see I told you true at last, and then you would not believe me. A very pretty business ! is it not, think you? You spend your days in the pursuit of sin, and wallow in your filthiness; and you would go to Heaven when you die.' Would any but a mad man think that would ever do? No, he that in good earnest does intend to go to Heaven when he dies, must walk in the ways of holiness and virtue while he lives. You say some of your lewd companions told you, that saying, Lord have mercy on you, when you came to die, would be enough : a very fine excuse ! You might have known, if you would have given yourself but leisure to have read the bible, that without holiness, there is none shall see the Lord ! Therefore, this is the sum of the matter: you were willing to live in your sins as long as you could ; you did not leave them at last because you did not like them, but because vou could follow them no longer; and this you know to be true. And could you have the impudence to think to go to Heaven with the love of sin in your heart? No, no ; no such matter: you have been warned often enough, that you should take heed of being deceived, for God would not be mocked; but such as you sowed, you should also reap; so that you have no reason to complain of any thing but your own folly, which you now see too late. Ejpen This lecture of the devil was a very cutting one to the poor tormented wretch, f said I to mv con* ductor,) and contains the true cai^ of many now oa «artb, as well as those in HelL But O what a fer .JI|H~. . WNJl w^^^^^tmi^fm^^ 94 VISIONS OF HELL* different judgement do they make in this sad state, from what they did on earth ! Ang, The reason of that, is, replied my guardian angel, becai.je they will not allow themselves to think what the effect of sin will be, nor what an evil it is, whilst upon earth. It is inconsideration is the ruin of so many thousands, who think not what they are doing, nor whither they are going, till it is too late to help it. We had not gone much further, before we heard another tormenting of himself, and aggravating his own misery, by reflecting on the happi»iess of bless- ed souls. Soul, How brightly, said he, do the saints in Hea* ven shine in the glory of the Divine image, whilst I am deformed ! And yet I was once as capable of that glor)' as they, had the same nature with them, the same reason, the intellectual faculties and powers; but, O what a prodigious monster am I now become ! That I should hate, and hate eternally, the eternal Excellency — now sin and death are finished upon me: and O how vast is the difference between us! They have the human nature in its most exalted beauty and perfection ; but I, accursed I, have the same nature in its utmost turpitude and depravation ; •which renders the comparison unspeakably far more unequal, than that would be of the most amiable lovely person, flourishing in all the gayety and prime of youthful strength and beauty, with a putri- fied and rotten carcass, deformed by the corruption of a loathsome grave. Ah ! w hence is this amazing difference, but through my wilful and accursed sin? It is sin, it is only sin that has undone me, and brought me here to suffer, as the just reward there- of, _the dreadful vengeance of eternal fire. Epen, We we«e diverted from giving any further ear unto these stinging self-reflections of this poor VISIONS OP HELL. 95 state, rdian es to Q evil is the tthey is too heard \g his bless- iHea* hilst I if that n, the wers; :ome ! ternal upon n us! malted 'e the ition ; more liable y and putri- jption lazing i sin ? 3, and there- Lirther i poor lost creature, by seeing a vast number of tormenting fiends lashing incessantly a numerous company of wretched souls, with knotted whips of ev^r-burning steel ; whilst they roared out with cries so very piercing, and so lamentable, I thought it might have melted even xruelty itself into some pity ; which made me say to one of the tormentors, O stay your hand, and do not use such cruelty as this to them who are your fellow creatures, and whom you have yoursel es betrayed to all this misery. BeviL No> (answered the tormentor very smooth- ly,) though we are bad enough, no devil was ever as bad as they, nor guilty of such crimes as they have been: for we all know vthere is a God, aUhoughwe hate him; but these aiNe such as never could be broughttoown (til) they came hither,) that there was such a being. JEJpew. Then these, said I, are Atheists, a wretched sort of men indeed ; and who had once like to have ruined me, had not eternal grace prevented it. I had no sooner spoke, but one of th# tormented wretches cries out, with a sad mournful accent — SouL Sure, I should know that voice : it must be Epenetus. I was amazed to hear my name mentioned by .the' infernal crew; and therefore, being desirous to know who it was, I answered, Yes, I am Epenetus; but who are you, in that sad lost condition, that knows me? Soul. To this the lost unknown replied, I was once well acquainted with you upon earth, and had almost persuaded Jtou to be of my opinion. I am the author of that celebrated book, so well known by the title of Leviathan. Epen. What I the great Hobbs? (said I,) are rou come hither? Your voice is so much changed, did not know it* || ^ - 96 TISIONS OF HELL. Hobbs, Alas ! replied he, I am that unhappy man indeed, but am so far from being great, that I am one of th>5 most wretched persons in all these sooty territories. Nor is it any wonder that my voice is changed; for I am now changed in my principles, diougli changed too late to do me any good: for now I know there is a God ; but O, I wish there was not ! for I am sure he will have no mercy on me, nor is there any reason that he should. I do confess, I was his foe on earth, and now he is mine in Hell, where he makes me suffer all that Almighty power can m- flict, or that a creature is able to sustain. I feel— I feel, to my eternal woe, that I am now the subject of that power I once so wickedly derided ; and it is that wretched confidence I had in my own wisdom, th^t has thus betrayed me^ Epen. Your case indeed is miserable, and yet you needs must own you suffer justly: for how industri- ous were you to make proselytes of others, and so involve them in the same damnation. None has more reason to know this than I ; who had almost been taken in the snare, and perished irrecoverably. Hobbs. It is that, says he, that stings me to the heart, to think how many perish by my means; I was afraid, ^hen first I heard your voice, that you had likewise been consigned to punishment. Not that I can wish any person happy, for it is my plague that any are so whilst I am miserable; but because t«very soul that is brought hither, through my seduc- tion whilst I was on earth, doubles my pains m Hell. Epen. But tell me, for I fain would be informed, and you can do it: did you iirfeed believe, when upon earth, there was no God? Could you ima- agine that the world could make itself, andthat-the creatures were the causes of their own production I iiad you no secret whispers in your soul, that told you it was another made you, and not you yourself? VISIONS OF HELL. 97 1 man I am sooty )ice is ;iples, )rnow 3 not! nor is I was where an in- eel— I jectof is that n, th^^t et you dustri- ind 80 16 has almost drably. to the ans; I lat you . Not plague ecause jseduc- n Hell brmed, J, when )u ima- thaHhe jction % lat told urselfl And had you never any doubts about this matter? I have often heard it said, when upon earth, though there are many that profess there is no God, there is not one that thinks so; and it would be strange there shouM, because there is none but carry in their bosom a witness for that God whom they deny* Now you can tell whether it is so or no ; and you have now no reason to conceal your sentiments. Hobbs. Nor will I, Epenetus, answered he, although the thoughts thereof sting me afresh. I did at first believe there was a God, who was that sovereign self-subsisting power that gave a being to all other creatures; hut falling afterwards to vicious courses, which rendered me obnoxious to his wrath, I had some secret wishes there was none; for it is impos- sible to think there is a God, and Jot withal to think him just and righteous, and consequently that he is obliged to punish the transgressors of his law. And, as I was conscious to myself, I lay obnoxious to his justice, it made me hate him, and wish that therij was no such being; but still pursuing the same vi- cious courses, and finding justice did not overtake ine, I then^began to hope there was no God ; and, from those hopes began to frame in my own breast ideas suitable^ to what I hoped; and having thus, in my own thoughts, framed a new system, of the world's original, excluding thence the being of a Deity, I found myself so fond of these new notions, that I at last prevailed upon myself to give them credit, and then endeavoured to fasten the belief of them on others. But before I came to such a height as this, I do acknowledge thatl found several checks in my own conscience for what I did, and all along should now and then be troubled with some strange uneasy thoughts, as if I should not find all right at last, which I endeavoured tq put off as much as in me lay. And now I find those checking thoughts, €W^' 98 VISIONS OF HELL. % 1^ that might hiive been of service tome then, are here the things that most of all torment me. And I must own, the love of sin hardened my heart against my Maker, and made me hate him first, and then deny his being. Sin, that I hugged so close within my bo- som, has been the cursed cause of all this, woe, the »erpent that has stung my soul to death ; for now I find, maugre my vain philosophy, and those new systems I endeavoured to obtrude upon the world. There is a God, and that a great and terrible one. I find too, now, that God will not be mocked, although it was my daily practice in the world to mock at Hea- ven, and ridicule whatever things are sacred, which were the means I used to spread abroad my cursed notions, and whicli I always found very successful. For those I could but get to ridicule the sacred ora- cles, I always looked upon to be in a fair way to become my disciples. But now the thoughts there- of are more tormenting to me than all the tormei3bts I sustain by whips of burning steel. For nothing more provokes the offended Majesty of Heaven, than thus to ridicule what he has made so awful. Epen, By that which you have said, it is easy to discern the great malign^ of sin against the ever blessed God, from whose most righteous will and law it is a deviation. And it was alone your giving Way to sin, that entailed all yOur miseries upon you ; and, doubtless, it is a cruel and tormenting thought ^o think, that what you suffer is most justly. But it is not my design to aggravate»your miseries, only I woald ask another question, that 1 woi^ld be re- solved : I heard vourself, and others in the same con- dition with you, cry out*of burning steel, and fire, and flames^ and yet I cannot djscern it. Where there is fire, there must be some degree of light; and yet, for aught appetrs to me, you are still in utter 4arkness. ** Ml «l ire here I must in St my sn deny my ho- ^oe, the r now I se new I world, one. I [though It Hea- , which cursed :essful, ed ora- way to sthere- irmeats lothing ieaven, ful. easy to ^e ever ill and giving n you ; hought . But s, only be re- ne con- d fire, Where r light; still in VISIO|fS OF HELL. Q& Hohbs. O that I could but say I felt no fire ! IIow easy would my torments be, to that which now I find them! But, out alas ! the fire that we endure, ten thousand times exceeds all culinary fire in fierceness,%nd isof a quite different nature from it: whicli you already well observed in one particular, which IS, there is no lisrht at all attends it, as doe^f upon such fire as burns upon earth ; but, notwith- standing all the fire in Hell, we are in utter dark- ness. But then, the fire you burn on earth, is of a preying and devouring nature; for whatsoever it takes hold of, it consumes to ashes; and when it meets with no more fuel, it goes out. But here it IS not so, for though it burns with that tremendous fierceness, which none but those that feel it know, yet does it not consume, nor ever will ; we shall ever be burning, yet not burned ; it is a tormenting but not a consuming fire. The fire that is bunjed on earth, is a corporeal fire, and cannot seize on immaterial substance ; and such are souls. But here the fire seizes upon our souls, and puts them into pam 80 exquisite, and so tormenting, as cannot be expressed.^ It was my ignorance of this, when upon earth, that made me ridicule the notion of immate- naF substances being burned by fire, which here, to my own cost, I find too true. And then another ditierence, betwixt the fire that burns us here, and that which burns on earth, is this, that you can kindle that whenever you please, and quench it when you will ; but here it is otherwise : this fire is kindled bv the breath of Heaven, like to a stream of brimstone^ and it burns for evir, and therefore is most properlv styled, Fire unquenchable ; which is here like to be our everlasting porticm. And this is what I have to anawei* "D'^n fhf» loaf Qorl /^ii^«*i^« -ii-_^ _„i j ..- . ..^ ._, ,„^ ,.„„ vjii^w^.vrii liioii yuu asKcu me. ±jpen. Sad indeed ! said I. See what Almighty power can inflict on those t^ violate his righteo^ *^ft;^-* "■'■■-'*'" mmm^f'^' 100 VISIONS OF HELL. law ! I was making some further observations on what I heard, when the relentless fiend, that was be- fore tormenting of ihem, thus interrupted me: Devil. You see, by him, what sort of men they were when in the world ; and do not yoll think that they deserve the punishment they undergo? Epen. To which I answered, Doubtless it is the just reward of sin which now they suffer, and which hereafter you shall suffer too; for you, as well as they, have sinned against the ever blessed God ; and for your sin shall suffer the just vengeance of eternal fire. Nor is it in the least any excuse to say, you ne- ver doubted the being of a God ; for though you knew there was a God, yet you rebelled against him, and therefore shall be justly punished with everlast- ing destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Devil. To this the fiend replied, It is true, we know we shall be punished, as thou hast said ; but if it be a reason why mankind should have pity showed them, because they fell through the temptations of the devil, it is the same case with me, and all the rest of the inferiour spirits ; for we were tempted by the bright sun of the morning, to take part with him, and therefore, though this aggravates the crime of Lucifer, it should extenuate that of inferiour spirits. Ang. To this my bright conductor (who haJd not spoken to them since my coming hither,) thus replied with a- stern angry countenance: O thou apostate, wicked, lying spirit! Canst thou affirm those things, and see me here? Dost thou not know it was thy proud heart that made thee talf glo- etches , That jfused ) to ac- cept it. My shining guardian told me, hereupon, that he muet now conduct me to tr 3 earth again, and leave me there to wait with faith and patience, till my expected happy change should come. And add- ed, likewise, that it wouW be my wisdom to retain always such a due sense of my own unworihiness; for, to be vile in my own eyes, would make me pre- cious in the sight of God : and that I should^ take that caution ill, because the enemy of souls^-eadi- est with temptations to puff up those who have had great discoveries and revelations of the mind of God, for there is nothing that the devil aims at more, than to destroy those who are most dear to God: and though he ever fails in his attempts, he is unwearied still in his endeavours; and oftentimes prevails eo far acrainst them, as to persuade them to commit those si^ns, which make them afterwards go maurning to their graves. I gave him thanks for the good coun- sel he had given me, and told him I should be much wanting to myself, if I did not accept it as the great- est kindness he could show me. C„ie then, said he, and let us leave these realms of woe and horrour to the possession of their black inhabitants. And in a very little space of time I found myself on earth again, and in that very place where I de- signed to have committed that black sin of being my own murderer, cerorae by the temptations . ■i it^Ski'