15. THE ETERNAL SABBATH.
15. THE ETERNAL SABBATH.
How is it that I, who pretend to love you—should ever be wearied with a Sabbath-day's devotion? If the body is fatigued, or the spirits exhausted, how shall I stand under much intenser ardors, through eternity itself? What do you say—you adorers round the throne? do you never long to rest from your divine employment? "O poor mortal! how ignorant are you of our frame, our faculties, our felicity and strength!
The rest you speak of would be our torment; an intermission of praise would pierce us with the severest pangs of anguish. Did you see him as we do, you would wholly melt in admiration, dissolve in love, and pour forth in praise—and never cease, and never tire through eternity itself."
O Father of lights! pity my darkness, and enlighten me! O fountain of life! pity my deadness, and enliven me! Though the saints in glory never are fatigued or dulled in their divine exercises; have not I had some happy moments, of which I did not weary?
Now, when in my best frames, I have found it so for a while. But corruption and infirmity daily distressing me altered all, else I would have found it so for a long time. But in heaven the spiritual frame is fixed, and infirmity and corruption are no more; therefore, with equal ease and vigor I will worship God through eternity, as I would one hour on earth. Well may the fire of love continually burn in heaven, having fresh fuel added to it by the hand of God; well may my soul follow hard after you, being upheld by the arm of your Omnipotence.
Then to worship at your throne shall be both the business and the bliss of my eternity! When once I have tasted what it is to rest in the bosom of God—to drink the spiced wine of bliss—to hold communion in the holy of holies—and to worship at the highest throne; then all created beings joined together will not drive me one moment from my dear enjoyment and divine employment! Come, O longed-for day, when I shall mourn no more over my feeble nature, and my perishing body; or my imperfect love; but rise to ardors only known above, and, full of heaven—live wholly for God!