Chap. VI. Of HEAVEN. equally content. ~or their moll ardent love being fet on God, that he is pleafed to glorify~~'·' ;~q; luhimfc!f by fuch various communications of his goodnefs, is full fatisfaEtion t? th:•r pe-ali u~ ali~~~i: fires. Belides, in thofe different Degrees of Glory, every one is fa content Wtthhisown, nus, _m lnc 1· that there is no poffible defire of being but what he is. · ~~~t~~~uv~- CHAP. VI. The Commmiion of the Angels and Saints in HMvw affords the purefi Pleafure . Love unites them. The allays of Lolle craft there. As Lolle is enlarged in its objeEI and degrw, fuch is the delight t/;at re{ults from it . T7it Joy of HealJm is ••ithout dejeEI or end. T/;e prod,.[lsJJe caujes of lt are. alJuays equal. 1/,e Face o( God always fhines there, and the contemplation of it 11 fixed. The conjlant en• joyrnent of God in Heawn does not. lejfen the del~ht of the Saints, The reafons why tbefruit•on of Jwjible tbrngs wrthout change H tedrous, All tbofe cau{es of di/JatisjaEiion ceafe in Heallen, The Saints !Jave as lively a perception of tbei, Happinefs for el!er as in the beginning of it. I N Heaven the InllumerAG!e Comp411J of Angels, And the generAl Affembly of the Church of the Firjl-born, as they receive Happinefs from the fight of God, fo they communicate the pureft Pleafure to one another. An unfeigned ardent Affcetion unites that pure Society. Our Love is now kindled; either from a relation in Nature, or acivil Account, or fome viGble Excellencies that render a Perfon worthy of our Choice and Friendfhip: but in Heaven the Rcafons arc greater, and the degrees of Love incomparably more fervent. All Carnal Alliances and Refpeets ceafe in that fupernarural State. The Apoftle tells us, If I have known Chrijl after the Flefb, I know him jo no more. By the Refurreetion and Afcenfion of Chrift he was tranfported into another World, and had communion with him as a Heavenly King, without low regards to the temporal Privilege of conver• fing with him on Earth. The fpiritual Relation is more near and permanent than the firieteft Band of Nature. The Saints have all relation to the fame Heavenly Father, and to']efus Chrijl the Prince of Peace, and Head of that happy Fraternity. The prin~ cipal Motives of Love here, are the inherent Excellencies of a Pcrfon. Wifdom, Holinefs, Goodncfs, Fidelity are mighty Attraetives, and produce a more worthy AffeCtion, a more intimate confederacy of Souls, than propinquity in Natura, or any carnal refpeas. Vertue is amiable in an old Perfon, rho wrinkled and deformed : Vice is hateful in a young Perfon, tho beautiful. There are clearer Eyes than thofe of Flefh, a purer Light than what is fcnGble, a diviner Beauty than what is corporeal, and a nobler Love than what is fenfual. David declares that .a his delight was in the Excellent. But there ari) allays of this Spiritual Love here. For, . 1. There are Reliques of Frailty in the beft Men on Earth, fome Blemifhes that render ~~~malfc~n~~~~b;~ '~~~~:.ifc~~~~~din;;r~u~h~~v~~~ce:h~~ ~i:~b:~~~~~~:·~~~e~~,:~~ not clouded with Error, miftaking Defeas for amiable Q!!alities. But in Heaven, the Image of God is compleat by rheunionof all the glorious Venues requifite roitsperfeC\ion. Every Saint there exaetly agrees with the firft Exemplar, a Divine Beauty Jbmes in them ever durable, a Beauty that darts no contagious Fire, that is inviolable and can fuffer no injury. The Apoftle tells us, The Church ]ball be glorious in Holinefs, with- ?"' jjot or wnnkle, or any thmg that may caft an Afpeet of deformity upon lt. li tampliuo. A lit• 2. In the prefenr fiate the leaft part of the Saints Worth is vifible. As the Earth is fru~tful in Plants a~d Flo:ve~·s, but its Riches arp in Mines of. precious Metals, and the 'f oli ~ni~um V ems .of ~a~ble ludden m 1ts. Bofom.. True Gra~e appears ~~~ fenfible A8ions, but its bon~ vlr! hceG/~? ts Wtthm. *The.lince.nty of A~ms, the punty of AlfeaiOns, the irnpreiTes of the ~~t ;:~ifi~ Spmt on the Heart, the mtenor Beauties of Holinefs, are ooly feen by God. Befides, pbcidoq; fol- ~~~~~:fs tt~e~urh~~! 0~:~~~~~;:~~~i ~~d~:she\~~~e it~~:~ftu~~n~~o~~~~u,~lit~~h~f~~e!; E3~~~:r~~~ and fulleft of L1g4t, ma1<e the leaft appearance to our fight. Bur all theil" Excellencies obfiup<f•IU Sff 2 ~ !ha11 clfcmus;tntt,
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