Page:Goldentreatiseof00pete.djvu/111

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glory of their bodies. Fifthly, the complete perfection of all abundant good.

In the excellency of the place, take notice of the admirable and wonderful spaciousness of it; in approved authors thou readest, that the least of the fixed stars of heaven, is bigger than the whole earth, and some of them do exceed the earth two or three hundred times in bigness. Then cast up thine eyes to heaven, and consider the innumerable multitude of them in the firmament, and thou shalt see a great deal of void space, where many more may be placed, how canst thou then but be astonished at the greatness of so rare a fabric.

Then consider the beauty of that place, which no tongue is able to express, for if Almighty God, in this place of banishment and vale of misery, hath made many things of admirable and comely hue; of what great beauty, and how much adorned dost thou think that place to be, which God would have to be the ordinary seat of his glory, the palace of his majesty, the mansion of the elect, and the paradise of all pleasure?

After the beauty of the place, consider the nobility of the inhabitants, whose number, sanctity, riches, and glory, are far beyond our imagination. St. John saith,the multitude are so great that they are innumerable. St. Dionysius affirmeth, that the multitude of angels do far exceed the number of sublunary creatures. Whom St. Thomas following, thinketh, that as the heavens by many degrees exceed