soul, thy beloved calleth thee " away from the dens of lions, and the mountains of the leopards";" "O that I had wings like a dove, for then would I flee away and be at rest"."

2. We read that the Lord brought Moses to the top of mount Pisgah, and shewed him the promised land; where having the wilderness behind him, and the happiest of all lands before him, he represents the devout and heavenly-minded soul, who considering the manifold troubles in the wilderness of this world, and the joys and felicities of the world to come, is highly ravished in the contemplation and desire of the one, to the extreme contempt of the other. Did I but seriously consider the ways of my present peace and contentment, I could not but observe that the commandments of God have SO much intrinsic sweetness and felicity in them, as to excite the most simple and stubborn soul to obey them; and yet so excessive are the ardours of Divine goodness and love, as to engage our obedience by the promises of celestial joys. Unto this immarcessible crown of glory we are

n Can.

created by God the Father, redeemed by God the Son, and sanctified by God the Holy Ghost in the sacred waters of Baptism, wherein we are adopted, not only sons, but heirs of the kingdom of Heaven.

What blindness then doth so much possess the minds of the greatest part of the sons of men, that all their desires and endeavours should be so wholly taken up with the vain, frail, empty and dying things of the earth, to the slight and neglect of those never-fading joys of Heaven?

The first and largest step we take towards Heaven is from the state of sin into the state of grace: the other, viz. from grace to glory, is a more easy and ready passage; there being nothing betwixt the one and the other, but a frail mortal life, which taking end, the soul that is enriched with the ornaments of Divine grace is immediately clothed with the robes of glory and therefore both the one and the other is styled by our Lord, life eternal; "This is life eternal; that we might know Thee "."

3. The happiness of Hea

P John xvii. 3.

ven is the end of all holiness upon earth; and that must needs be the greatest good, which is the end of all that is good, for "the end is more noble than the means." It is the last good we hope for, and so the most perfect, as being the perfection and accomplishment of all the good we can imagine or desire; nay, it is a blessedness beyond our frail imaginations to comprehend: "As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him 9."

4. Raise up thy affections, O my soul, as to be ravished with the love of Heaven, so to lament with tears of sorrow and shame thy sloth and negligence, thy coldness and indevotion, thy sinful security and earthly-mindedness, and what obstructs thy way and slackens thy pace towards this place of joy unspeakable and glorious.

Ở how slight and trivial, how inconsiderable are all the most strict and rigid

labours of repentance and mortification,` of the most profound piety and ample charity, in respect of those celestial joys whereunto they lead thee!

And if it shall once please God, through the merits of Christ, to receive thee into Heaven, thou wilt then think all thy prayers and tears, sighs and groans, fastings and watchings, all thy labours of love both to God and man, very well spent, that they have wafted thee over the troublesome waves of this world's vast sea, into the haven of eternal peace and felicity".

Vouchsafe me, O Lord, a good end of my life, a happy passport out of this world, and lead me in the straight and even path that leads to Thy kingdom; where that I may at last arrive, it shall neither be my care nor fear, what, and how great things I suffer and undergo in my passage thither.

MEDITATION II.

Of the place we call Heaven; and first, its greatness. That empyreal Heaven,

which is the seat of God, and of all His holy Angels and Saints for ever, is called also "the third Heaven," and "the highest Heaven," and "the Heaven of heavens;" and it is of all the places of the universe the most spacious, large and ample for it contains all the heavens and the earth also, even the whole creation within its verge and

compass.

Do but consider the vastness of the sun, and of the moon, with the multitude and magnitude of all the lights of heaven, most of which are greater, and some of them far bigger than the whole body of the earth: consider also, that besides the vast number of stars, there are empty spaces in the firmament for as many, nay, for many more than as many yet and then admire with astonishment the vast extent and amplitude of the Heaven of heavens, which containeth all these, and all that is above, and all that is below all these, within its circuit and circumference. Secondly, Its Brightness and

Beauty.

The brightness of the sun, the moon and the stars, do

but imperfectly represent the beauty and brightness of Heaven, as it is described'. "And the city had no need of the sun nor of the moon to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof:" which exceeds as much the light of the sun, as the sun's light transcends that of a glimmering taper.

The air of this country of Heaven is continually pure and clear, bright and splendid; it is not capable of any clouds, mists or vapours, not liable to any rains, storms and tempests, no thick infectious air offends the inhabitants of this happy land; whilst the wretched miscreants of the nether hell are involved in blackness of darkness, stifled with the suffocating fumes of sulphureous fire, without the least hope of any purer air wherein to breathe for ever.

Thirdly, Its Tranquillity.

All in this city of God is peaceable and quiet, tranquil and secure, and free even from the fear of the least disturbance; "no evil comes nigh this dwelling"."

It is promised by our

ble servants in all assaults of our enemies, that would disturb our peace: that we surely trusting in Thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ.

MEDITATION III.

Of the good things of
Heaven.

1. HONOUR. Honour in Heaven is not that which swells with vainglory, and is puffed up with the infectious breath of flattery, and the praise of men, "but the honour that cometh from God only."

Honour is the reward of virtue; and He who is the Donor of virtue and obedience, has promised to honour the obedient and vir- | tuous, saying, "If any man serve Me, him will My Father honours." What, and how great this honour is, we read: to him that overcometh, will I give to sit with Me in My throne: even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne"." There cannot be surely a higher honour than this, to be exalted by the right hand of

John v. 44.

the Most High, and placed in the same throne with the "King of kings, and Lord of lords." O what_hymns of Divine praise, what applauses and exultations, what shouts of joy shall sound through the whole court of Heaven, when "thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honouri.”

2. POWER.

2. Honour, without power, is but a titular, empty, airy happiness: and the Saints shall have all power of what they will, as God hath of what He wills: for as God can do what He will by Himself, so can they do what they will by Him: for as they will nothing but what the Lord wills, so the Lord wills nothing but what they will have; it is not possible but that they have power to do what they will. The power of the Saints in Heaven is promised by the Lord of all power, saying of the "faithful and wise servant, He will make him ruler of all His goods":" implying a power given to His Saints, not only over all that is called good upon earth, but also over all the

Esth. vi. 11.