Page:Last publick sermon, being a faithful and free one, preached by Mr. Hugh Mackaile ... upon the Sabbath immediately preceeding that 8th of September 1662, the day affixed for the removing of the ministers of Edinburgh from their kirks.pdf/41

( 41 ) " and Gibbet, overcome the Impreſſion of all theſe " To which he anſwered ; " By conceiving a deeper Impreſſion " of a Multitude of Angels, who are alſo Onlookers ; ac- " cording to that, we are a gazing Stock to the World, An- " gels and Men. 1ſt, For the Angels, rejoicing at our " good Confeſſion are preſent to convey and carry our Souls, " as the Soul of Lazarus, unto Abraham's Boſom, not to "receive them, for that is Jeſus Chriſt's Work alone, who " will welcome them to Heaven himſelf, with the Songs " of Angels and bleſſed Spirits ; but the Angels are mini- " ſtring Spirits, always ready to ſerve and ſtrengthen all " dying Believers. 2dly, As Stephen ſaw the Heavens " opened, and Jeſus ſtanding on the Right Hand of God, " who then ſaid, Lord Jeſus receive my Spirit, ſo (ſaid he) " do I believe that Jeſus Chriſt is alſo ready to receive the "" Souls of his dying Sufferers.” 2dly He inquired, “What is the way for us to con- " ceive of Heaven, who are haſting into it, feeing the " Word faith, Eye hath not ſeen, nor Ear heard, neither " hath it entered into the Heart of Man the Things which " God hath prepared for them that love him?" Whereunto he anſwered, " That the Scripture helps us two Ways to " conceive of Heaven ; the firſt is by way of Similitudes, “ as in that, Rev. xxi. where Heaven is held forth by the " Repreſentation of a glorious City there deſcribed, but " in the fame Place it is alſo termed the Bride; but, O " how unlike are theſe two, a Bride and a City! which " doth clearly evidence the Inſufficiency and vaſt Diſpro- " portion of all ſuch similitudes ;” and therefore lie add- eth, " The Scripture furniſheth yet a more excellent Way " to conceive of Heaven, and that is firſt by conceiving " the Love of Chriſt to us, even what is the Breadth, " and Length, and Depth, and Height, and the Immenſe- " neſs of that Love of Chriſt, which paſſeth Knowledge, " which is alſo the higheſt and ſincereft Motive of Praiſe D 3 " unto