Of HEAVEN. Chap. V. which is more, from the Majell~ wherein he there reigned, and was vifible to the Angels; he became Man that he mtght dte, to redeem us from. the moll woful Captivity, ti·om Death, and thejlmg of Death, Sm, and the jlrength of Sm, the Lan>, and obtain a bleffed Life and Immortality for us. 0 unexampled Love ! Greater Love bath no Man than this to lay down Ius Life for Ius Friend, And what is the Life of a finful Man, a vani!hing Vapour, a L tfe miXed wnh troubles and vexation? and to lay down this for a Friend defervedl~ de~r, is the highell exi'reffion of human Love: But for the Son of God to Jay down Ius Ltfe, a Ltfe wtthbut Sm, and wnhout End, for Immortality was a Privilege due to his Innocence, and for Enemies, for the worll Enemies, Rebels by revolture from obedience to their Creator and King, is a Love truly Divine, and infinitely furpaffing no~ only the AffeCiions, but the tmderjlandmg and knowledg of all Creatt~res, Ephef. 1: Bnefly, he gave Ius Ltfefor us, and gtves himfelfto us, the moll excellent teftimonies of Love that we can receive from Love it felf; and we !hall love him with all the ftrength of our glorified Spirits. CHAP. V. Union with God by l\!towledg and Lol!e, caufes the Per{cEiion and Felicity of the Sai11t1. That Union briefly unfolded. The Plea(tm that Jpriup from l\!JOwledg. In Heal!CI! the I(nowledg of the SaintJ incomparably exct!J the f\!JOwledg acquir'd here. The Felicity that jlotvJ from the enjoyment of God, that fully fatiifp the Lol!e of the Saints. T!JC blejfed Communion between the Saints and Chrijl in Heal!en. 1he Lo~e of the Saints is mojl fully plea(ed in the Glory of God, UNion with God by Knowledg and Love, accompli!hes the PerfeCiion and Happinefs of the Samts. The moll: pernicious effi:a of Sin is the feparation of the Soul from God.: and the relloral of us to Happinefs, is by reunion with him. This we obtain by Chnfr, who IS Eman11elm hJS Nature, and by Office; who took our Flefh, wh1ch he ot: fer'd as a Sacrifice to God to atone his Difpleafure, and gives his Spirit to dweO in m, as a permanent aCiive Principle, by whofe fpecial Operation Faith is produced in our Hea rts; that is, fuch a belief of his Love in redeeming us, as infpires us with a ftncere and fuper - )ative Love to him. And by thefe vital Bands we are united to him, and as his true Members, live the fame Life with him in Grace and Glory. Now in Heaven our Union with God is more near and noble, more intimate and influential, more infeparable and eternal. 'Tis obfervable in natural Caufalities, that what is of a more refin'd and purer Nature, is more aCiive and penetrating, and more clofely unites with other things, than what is more grofs and material. Light, which is thepurefl: ~a!ity in the World, aCiuates all Colours, and makes them vi fib le, and aCiuates theEye, and conveys the lively Image of the ObjeCi with lhining Evidence-into it. The SunDJOots its invifible Virtue into the deepeft Mines. Fire is more fubtile and pur~ than Water, and will pierce into folid Metals, which the Water cannot foak into. The glowing Iron feems to be all Fire. Now God is the purell Spi rit, and of infinite energy, and can unite himfelf to our Spirits more intimately than the clofell Union between any Creatures in the World. He unites himfelf to the Underllanding by an immediate irradiation, and t~c~~f;l, 7~~~telY1 ~~~0h".' zt'~f:11:';i:~~ i~fu~~nL~f"~isft~~~~:~~ l ~~ft;h~e t::;~~~ L/gi;;; our Love to him~ This Union i~ compleat in Heaven, and moll: communicative of the Divine Influences to the Saints, and confequemly their conformity and fruition of God is in the highell degrees that created Spirits are·capable of. This is the moll defirable and perfeCi State of reafonable Creatures ; for God is the everflowing Fountain of Felicity, the only llable Center of the Soul, wherein it repofes it felf for ever. Accord ingly the Pfalmill fpeaks, Retttrn to thy Rejl, 0 my Soul, for the Lord bath dealt bountifully with tlee. When the Soul opens its Eyes to the clear difcoveries of the firll T ruth, in which is no fl1adow of Error, and its Breall to the dear and intimate imbraces of the Supreme Good, in which is no mixture of Evil, and beyond which nothing remains to be known, .nothing to be enjoy'd, what a Deluge of t he purell and fweetell Pleafures Will over flow 1t ? We cannot afcend in our Thoughts fo high, as to conceive the excefs of Joy that attends rhofe Operations
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