precious stones is too weak to express the material heaven we behold.
Briefly, therefore, where the soul hath the full measure and complement
of happiness, where the boundless appetite of that spirit remains
completely satisfied that it can neither desire addition nor alteration,
that I think is truly heaven: and this can only be in the enjoyment of
that essence whose infinite goodness is able to terminate the desires of
itself, and the insatiable wishes of ours; wherever God will thus
manifest Himself, there is heaven, though within the circle of this
sensible world. Thus the soul of man may be in heaven anywhere, even
within the limits of his own proper body; and when it ceaseth to live in
the body it may remain in its own soul, that is, its Creator. And thus
we may say that St. Paul, whether in the body, or out of the body, was
yet in heaven. . . . Moses, that was bred up in all the learning of the
Egyptians, committed a gross absurdity in philosophy when with these eyes
of flesh he desired to see God, and petitioned his Maker, that is truth
itself, to a contradiction.



ON HELL


Men commonly set forth the torments of hell by fire, and the extremity of
corporeal afflictions, and describe hell in the same method that Mahomet
doth heaven. This indeed makes a noise, and drums in popular ears; but
if this be the terrible piece thereof, it is not worthy to stand in
diameter with heaven, whose happiness consists in that part that is best
able to comprehend it, that immortal essence, that translated divinity
and colony of God, the soul. Surely, though we place hell under earth,
the devil's walk and purlieu is about it: men speak too popularly who