Centuries of Meditations

33

Had the Angels brought it to me alone, these several inconveniences had attended the vision:–(1) It had been but one sudden act wherein it was sent me whereas now God hath been all ages in preparing it: (2) It had been done by inferior. ministers; whereas now it is done by God Himself: (3) Being Satan is able to transform himself into an Angel of Light, I had been still dubious, till having recourse to the excellency of the matter; by it I was informed and satisfied: (4) Being corrupted, that one miracle would have been but like a single spark upon green wood, it would have gone out immediately: whereas I needed ten thousand miracles to seal it, yea and to awaken me to the meditation of the matter that was revealed to me: (5) Had it been revealed no other way, all the world, had been dark and empty round about me: whereas now it is my joy and my delight and treasure, being full of knowledge, light, and glory: (6) Had it been revealed at no other time, God had now only been good unto me; whereas He hath manifested His love in all ages; and been carefully and most wisely revealing it from the beginning of the world: (7) Had He revealed it to no other person, I had been weak in faith, being solitary and sitting alone like a sparrow upon the house-top, who now have the concurrent and joint affections of Kingdoms and ages, Yea, notwithstanding the disadvantage of this weakness, I must have gone abroad; and published this faith to others; both in love to God, and love to men. For I must have done my duty, or the book would have done me no good, and love to God and men must have been my duty, for without that I could never be happy. Yea finally, had not the Book been revealed before, neither had God been glorious, nor I blessed, for He had been negligent of other persons, His goodness had been defective to all ages, whom now I know to be God by the universality of His love unto Mankind, and the perfection of His wisdom to every person.