Chap. Ill. Of HEAVEN. And a fubllantial unfadirlg Gl6ry will fhine in them infinitely above the perifhing Pride of this World, and ihe Glory of the Flejh, that is but an appearance, like the falfe Colours painted on the Feathers o~ a Dove, by the r~Aection of the Light, which prefently vanilhes, when th<; Poflure 1s chang'd, or the L1ght Withdrawn. Of thiS we have a fu re Pledg in the glorified Body of Chrift, who is the fir (I Fruits of them that Jleep : He fha/1 change our vile Bodies, that the] may be J4bioned like to his gl~riOt/4 Body, according to the working of his Power, whereby he is able to fubdue all things to htm(eif. What can be more ~~lib~s;h~1~otr~ ~f ~~n:~~ri'~a~~sr;~n~u~h~~tb~~i~~e~~ f!t~~lcs;~~t~~~f~~m~1K ficult. The raifin!;l the Body to an immortal flare of Glory, 1s as eafy to the Divi ne Power, asrheformmgitfirllin the Womb. As the Sun labours no mm·cm the Mines, in the forming Gold and Silver, the mofl precious and durable Metals, than m the producti~ on of a lhort-liv'd Flower. 2, The fupreme happinefs of Man is in the Soul's Communion with God. This wiU :c~~bj;a, ~~dr:~~~~o~~~rr:~~t~i!~~r~:~~::. of .r:rt'f~~~dt~~fT:J~:Ps~r~~nf: ~~ know and love himfelf according to his infinite Perfections. And 'tis the higheft happinefs of the reafonable Creature, to know and love Gbd: For he is a fpiritlial, infinite, u n- changeable Good, and can fully communicate all that is requifite to intire BlefTednefs, fu p- ply all the Wants, and fatisfy all the Wilhes of the immortal Soul. The Underftandin g and Will are our moft comprehenfive Faculties, the Principles of our moll eminent Oper a- tions. To know and to love, are efTemial to the reafonable Soul; and in directing tho fe Acts upon God, the Rectitude, the Perfection and Felicity of Man confills. As the i n- tellectual Creature by fetting its Mind and Heart upon earthly things, is degraded into a lower order, the thoughts and defires that are fpirirual with refpect to the Principle fro m whence they proceed, are fenfua l and perilhing with refpect to their Objetls : So when ou r noble Faculties are exercifed in their moll lively and vigorous preceptions upon the fupreme Good Man is advanced to ao equality of Joy and Perfection with the Angels. Now in Heav~n, God by his moft evident and effectual prefence, excites and draws forth all the active Powers of the Soul in their higheft degrees; and, fuch is the immenfity of his Pe r- fections, fillstheirutm~ft Capacity, from whence a Divine Pleafure, a perpetual Satisfatli: on fprings, a Joy that IS as unfpeakable as 'tls eternal. CHAP. Ill. 1he Underflanding foa/1 be (!early enligMened with the /(llowledg of god. Here the re'l>elation of God in l1is Work.r and Word is according to our capacities. In Hea- 'Vell 'tis mofl gloriotu, and our faculties are raijed and refi>l'd to recei'l>e it. The na• ture of God, his Decrees and Cotm{els, /,is pro'Vidential1Jifpenfatiom are re'l>ea/ed to the 'Bl~lfed. TO unfold th is more particularly. , I. The Underftanding !hall clearly fee the moft excellent Objects. Now we knon> bt1t in part, I Cor. I l· The naked Beauty of divine Things is veil'd, and of impoffible difcovery : and by natural or accidental weaknefs, the Mind is not proportionable to fuf - tain that dazling brightnefs. But when thAt which is perfeC1 is come, then that which is in part JbaU be done a•vay. In that enlightened State, the manifeftation of the Objefu !hall abun• dantly exceed the cleareft revealing of them here. And the Underftanding !hall be pre - par'd in proportion to take a full view of them. Therefore the Apoftle compares the fe · J;~r~~~:rt1r!.of :1/Ze~~u;~;1ch~~~;~~~k:h:sd:g~%~li ~:J.~:~;s~o~z:~J:v:r:lo~;z: ~: A Child: but when I became a Man, I put away chtldijh things. In Children the Organs, either from the excefs of moifture, or their fmallnefs, are indifpos'd for the vigorous ex - ercife of the Mind: fame llrictures of Reafon appear, a prefaging fign what will be, but ~~~;;:'~~n~~~~~~~~~~/J~ys~~~7.~~~l~~~~~~lv\t~.e come to their juft proportion and To explicate this, it is requifireto confider the expreffions in Scripture, that fignify the eminent degrees of Knowledg in the BlefTed. Our Saviour afTures us, that the Pure in Heart Jball fee God. Sight is the moft noble, extenfive, and affective Senfe, and therefore fit to notify the clear, fweet and fatisfying intuition of God in Heaven. ~Tis true, ~be Rrr z Deity 1
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