in Contriving Man's Redemption. Spiriwa l Body, and be preferved as the Angels by the foie Vinue of the quickn ing Spi- ~1 g~·v in!1~o7~~~ ;~a~vfir~a~;e~~e~r~ in X: f~11~ v~~~ fl~~~~~ts~~Jn~~~~e~o~ ~~l~l~·r rin~~1;~~;~~~~· and free from all corru_()r ive Change; as the Sun , which for fo many A g~s h~rh _l hined with an equal bri ghrncls to the World, and bath a durable fu lnefs of Lrght rn rt. In thi s refpeCt rhe Childrm of the Rejitrretliou , are equal to t!Je A11gcls, Lu ke ~o. 36. who being pure Spirits, do not marry to perpetuate rh~ir ki nd, for they never dte. 0nd the glorified Body fuall be cloathed with a more Divine Beamy in the l~cfurreclron,. than Ad<wJ had in the Creation. The Glory of the fecond T emple Ora l! excel drat " ' the Firfl:. In fbort, the firO: Man lVM of the Earth earthly,' I Cor . I ~ - 47 · :mJ could dt'- rive but an earthly condition to hisdifcendams : But the Lord Chrift IS trom 1-leaz.•w, and is the principle of an Heavenly and Glorious Life to all that are united to him. Ill. The Felicity of Heaven exceeds the firfl:, in the manner and degrees ot the fruition, and the conrinuance of it. I. T he Viilon of God in Heaven is immediate. Adan1 was a Specbror of God's Works, and his Underfl:anding being full of Light, he clearly difcover'd .rhe Di' ine Attri butes in their Effects. The Oroaks of the Creator's Hand are e10graven rn all the parts of the Univerfe. The Heavens, and Earth, and all things in them, are ev ident Tcfrimonies of the Excellency of their Author. The invifiblc things of God from the Creation. of the World arc clearly,Jcw, Rom. I. 2 0. And the Knowledge that fhined in his Sou l, produced a tranfcendem efleem of the ~dry , in whom.Wifd?m a.nd Po w~r are u nite~ in their fu preme degree, and a fuperlat1v e Jov~ and delight m h1m for Ius Goodnds. Yet his fight of God was but thro•gf a Glafs, an ecl ipilng Medium. For in fe riou r Beings are fo imperfect, that they can give but a weak refembl ance of his rnfini te PerfCCtio ns. But the light ofGod in Heav~n, is called thefeeing of hi1;t llf he is, r John ~· .2. and fignifies the mofl: clear and compleat Knowledge, whi ch the rational Soul when pu-· rilled and raifed to its mofl: perfeCt ftate can rective, and om-fhines all the d ifcoveries of God in the lower World. Adam had a vifible Copy of hi s invifible Beauty, bm the Saints in Heaven fee ·the glorious Original. He faw God in th e Refl ection of rj1e Cre,tture, but the Saints are under the diretr beams of Glory, and fie him face to face, I Cor. q. 12. All the Attributes appear in their full anJ brightefl: lufl re to them : Wildorn, Love, Bolinefs, Power, are manifef\:ed in their exaltation . And the glorified Soul , to qualify it for conver~ with God in this intimate manner, hath a more exceJlent Con!litution than Was given to it in the Creation. A new Edge , is put upon the Faculries:, whereby they are fitted for thofe Objects which are peculiar to Heaven. T he inrellechral Eye is fortified for the immediate intuition of God. Adam in Par,ldife was abfent from the Lord, in comparifon of the Saints who encompafs his Throne, and are in the Pn:- fence of his Glory. Befides, Tis the Peculiar Excellency of the Heavenly Life, that the Saints every mo· ment enjoy it without any aUay, in the highefl: degree o f its Perfection. T he Life of Adam was always in a circle oflow and mean FunClions of the Animal Nature, whi ch be-. ing common to Him and Beans, the acts of it are not firiCtl y Humane. But the Spirit1utl Life in Heaven is entirely freed from thofe fcrvile Necefiities, and is fpen t in the eternal performace of the mofl: noble Actions of whi ch the inteUigent Natu re is capable. The Saints do always contemplate, admire, love, enjoy, and prai fe their eve rl afting BenefaCl:or. God h to them aU inaU. · In fhort, That which prefers the Glory of Heaven in.fnitely before the jirft fl:a te of Man, is the continuance of it for ever : 'Tis an unwithering and neve r fad ing Olorr• .Adam was liable ro Temptations, and capable 9f Change, he fell in the Garden of EdCII, and was fentenc'd to d ie. But Heaven is rhe SanB:uary of Li fe and Irnmon ality; 'cis in- 'ccefli ble to any Evil. The Serpent that corrupted Paradifc with its Poifon , cannot enter there. As ~here. is n~ Seed of Corruption within, fo no Caufe of it without. O ur Redeemer offer d Hunfelf by the Etemal Spirit, and purchafed an Eternal Inh eritance for ~~~:~~fl;~rfe1h:~r[~~~it~~~~~~:,::~t~~~e~e~lin::~~~.ut ~~~eg~y ~'}' J~~ g~~~:~'{: ~:\~: ed rhe Laji DaY. : For Days, and Woeks, and Months, and Years, the Revolmions whi cl1 now meafn re T1me, fhall rhen be fwallmved up in an unchangeable Eternity. The S:tints fba/1 be for evcl' >Vith the urd, I Thef. 4· And in all thefe refpects, the Glory of rile Redee_me~ , as far exceeds the Felicity of Man in the Creation, as bleaven, the bright Seat of It, rs above the fad ing Beauty of the Terrefl:rial Paradife, CHAP.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=