Many Descriptions we have of this Happy Spot; Tho' very fhort, and little certain. Alcuin Sings like a Poet,

Hic Ver affiduum, &c.

So mild the Air of Eden, foft and sweet,
Where every Day a fresh new Spring you meet:
Noboiftrous Blafts to difcompofe your Gear ;
A Weather-beating Storm you need not fear,
Where Clouds keep off, and never black the Face
Of Heav'n, that ever fmiles upon that Place.
What need the pouring down of any Show'r,
Where Native Dew feeds every Herb and Flower?
There's no Extreme, of Cold, or Torrid Zone,
But Flowers of Spring, and Autumn Fruit's fill
(shown.

S. Bafil thus; There God planted Paradife, where's no Violence of Wind, nor Inclemency of Seafons; No Thunder and Lightning, No Hail or Whirlwinds; No Winter's Froft, or Springs Wet, or Summer's Heat, or Autumn's Drought: But Temperate and Pacific Concord of Seafons, Sweetly dancing round the Place, and confpiring to Bless it with all their Goods; The Spring with its Sweets, the Summer with its Mirth, the Autumn with its Fruits, and the Winter with its Reft. The Waters thin and Transpa rent, carrying much Pleasure in their Loaks, but more Profit in their Ufe. First God chofe the Place, fit to receive his Plants; and then

plac'd

plac'd in it all the sweet and rich Variety, fit for fuch a Place.

Next S. Aug. What could Men Fear or Grieve, in fo much Affluence of such great Goods? Where neither Death was apprehended, nor any Impairment of Health. Neither was there wanting any thing that a regular Choice could Wish; Nor any thing Lurking there to of fend Body or Nind of the Man, that would live Happily. There was Uninterrupted Love to God, as well as between the Yoke-fellows, that lived in true and faithful Fellowship. And from this Love fprang mighty Joy. For what was Loved fail'd not to be Enjoyed. As long as Sin was Avoided, no other Evil was to be Dreaded.

To name no more Authors: Whatever any may think of thefe Particulars, We muft conclude that the Place was better than any we now Inhabit. Man, for the Punishment of his Sin, being Difpoffeffed of it, Gen. 3. 17, 18. God faid to Adam, Because than baft eaten of the Tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it, curfed is the Ground for thy fake; In forrow fhalt thou eat of it all the days of thy Life. Thorns alfo and Thiftles fhall it bring forth; and thou fhalt Eat the Herb of the Field. And ver. 23. Therefore the Lord God fent him f b from the Garden of Eden, to Till the Grounds fram whence he was taken..

In

་

In Paradife there had been no Barrenness, nor any need of Toyl: Norany thing to Annoy, and give Man Trouble. No Sorrow of Child-birth to Women, nor any Subjection, but what would have gi ven fweet Satisfaction. The Life truly Happy they would have led ; without any Pains, or Straits, or Grief, to be ever Felt or Fear'd.

And if the Earthly Paradife would have been fo free from Evil, and fo fruitful of Good, What then fhall we think of the Heavenly? which muft needs be as much Happier,as it is Higher; and fo much Better, as it is Prepared for them that shall be made far Better. The Height of the Saints Heaven, beyond all Comparifon, out-reaches that of Adam's Paradife. And the Bleffed in Heaven, that can neither Sin nor Die How much Better are they than any Inhabitants of the Paradife befow, who fadly made it appear, That they could both Sin and Die And together with themselves, could alfo Involve infinite Numbers in their Guilt and Curfe? But fo happily now is it brought to pafs, That the Calestial Paradife is not only freed from all Evil; But abounds with all manner of Goods; fuch as are unfpeakably Greaser and Better than any that were to be found in the Paradife Terreftriak.

And

And upon this account, O what Obligation have we to be Thankful to our God; That thro' the Redemption now wrought by the Death of his own Son, Inftead of the Earthly Paradife, Ravish'd from us by the Envy of the Devil, we have obtain❜d a Heavenly; which is by infinite Degrees more Blessed! And that we may not be found the moft Ingrateful to fo gracious a Deliverer, nor the worst of Enemies to our Selves, O may we set our Hearts, and Exert all our Might, to get an Entrance into this Heavenly Paradife; by fuch a lively Faith, and humble Hope, and unfeigned Love, Love, and all Good Works; as are the fure and ready Way, to that moft Sweet and Joyful Seat of 'all the finest Entertainments, all the ⚫ higheft Satisfactions, and moft Exquisite Delights.

CHAP. XI.

Comparing both the Goods of the World, and of the Earthly Paradife, with the Goods of the Heavenly Paradife only.

Ta

proceed farther; Compare we now all the Goods of the World, and of the Paradife on Earth in a Lump together,

fet

fet over against the Goods of this Heavenly Paradife alone; And fee, whether are to be preferr'd. In order to which, fuppofe we all the Wealth and Empire and Pleasure and Honour of Solomon, and all fuch like, as are counted the Happiest Men upon Earth, That it could without any Trouble be Got, and without any Fear be Kept: Yea, that the fame moft Happy Men fhould never Sin nor Die: Yet fo, that poffibly they Might both Sin, and Die: This fuppofed, I am bold to affirm, That the fole Goods of that Paradife above, would far out-weigh the Goods of this World, and of the Earthly Paradife conjunct Which from hence I do infer; Because all thofe Goods can never fill the Mind of Man, nor at all satisfy his Defire; Seeing his Heart is Receptive, and capable of an Infinite Good; And the most promising Matters here are at best but Curt and Finite. That therefore of S. Aug. ftill holds Good, Lord thou haft Made us for Thee; and our Heart will for ever be Unquiet, till it Center and Reft in Thee. To which purpose that in Pfal. 17. laft ver. I shall be fatisfyed, when I awake with thy Likeness. Never before. And as long as the Heart is Reflefs, it will be Wretched. And if fo; be fure, not Blef fed. But the Heavenly Paradife has that in it, this prime Excellence,) To fatisfy the Soul, and put a full Period to all its