The affection and bent and frame of soul due to these things is admira- tion, and not only simple hearing. If these things in their beginnings here be set out by words of admiration, ' peace that passeth understand- ing,' and ' joy unspeakable and glorious,' what afJ'ection and frame of spirit is suitable to the hearing of those things that are kept for us in another world ! If the light that we are brought into here be admirable, great (we are brought out of darkness into admirable wonderful light), if the light of grace be so wonderful to a man that comes out of the state of nature, as it is indeed (a man comes out of a damp into a wonderful clear light), what then is the light of glory ! Therefore let us often think of it. Those that are born in a prison, they hear great talk of the light, and of the sun, of such a glorious creature ; but being born in prison, they know not what it is in itself. So those that are in the prison of nature, they know not what the light of grace is. They hear talk of glorious things, and have conceits of them. And those that here know not the glory that shall be after, when they are revealed, that afiection that is due to them is admira- tion and wonderment. ' So God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,' John iii. 16 ; and ' Behold what love the Father hath shewed to us, that we should be called the sous of God,' 1 John iii. 1. What love ! He could not tell what, it is so admirable ; and to know the love of God, that is above all knowledge ! Who can comprehend the love of God, that gave his Son ! Who can comprehend the excellency of Christ's gift ! The joys of heaven by Christ, and the misery of hell, from which we are delivered and redeemed by Christ ! These things come from the gospel, and the spring from whence they come is the large and infinite and incomprehensible love of God. And if it be so, what afiection is answerable but admiration ? Behold what love ! If God have so loved flesh and blood, poor dust and ashes, so as to be heirs of heaven, and of such glory as eye sees not, nor cannot in this world ; nor ear hears not ; nor hath entered into the heart of man, till we come fully to possess them ; let us labour to admire the love of God herein.
And labour to know more and more our inheritance, as we grow in years, as children do. They search into the great matters their parents leave them, and the nearer they come to enjoy them, the more skill they have to talk of them. So should we : the more we grow in Christianity and in knowledge, the more we should be inquisitive after those great things that our Father hath provided in another world. But to go on.
How shall ive know lohether these things he j^repared for us or no ? ivhether we he capable oj these things or no ? God hath prepared them, and he hath
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prepared them for those tJiat love him ; bat how shall we know that God hath prepared them for us ?
In a word, n-hom God hath prepared rp-eat viatters for, lie prepares them for great matters. We may know by God's preparing of us, whether he hath prepared for us. God prepared paradise before Adam was created : so God prepares paradise, he prepares heaven before we come there. And we may know that we shall come to possess that, if we be prepared for it. What preparation ? If we be prepared by a spirit of sanctification, and have holy desires and longing after those excellent things ; for certainly there is preparation on both sides. It is prepared for us, and us for it. It is kept for us, and we are kept for it. Whom God keeps heaven for, he keeps them for heaven in a course of piety and obedience. We may know it by God's preparing of us, by loosing us from the world, and sanctifying us to himself. Thus a man may know whether those great things be pre- pared for him or no.
But the especial thing to know whether they be provided for us or no is love. God hath prepared them for them that love him : not for his ene- mies. He hath prepared another place, and other things for them ; those torments that ' e3'e hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man,' for those that are his enemies, that would not come under his government ; but these things are prepared ' for those that love him.'
' For those that love him.' Especially that love is all in all, in the dis- position of a holy man. All graces are one in the spring, which is love. They are several in the branches, but they are one in the root.
Thus you have heard the use we are to make of this, that there is a reser- vation of a glorious condition for the people of God so great that neither * eye hath seen,' &c.