Of HEAVEN. Chap. VI. lhall then be in view, The GlorJ of God fbaO be revealed in them. And how attraB:ive is the Divine Li kenefs eo a holy Eye? How will it ravilh the Saints to behold an immor. t ai Lovelinefs fhining in oge another? Their Love is reciprocal , proportionable to the ca ufe of it. An equal, conftant Flame is prefcrv'd by pure Materials. Every one is perfeB:Iy amiable, and ~:erfeB:Iy enamour'd with all. How happy is that llate of Love? The Pfalmiit breaksout m a Rapture, Behold how good andple.fant tt is for Brethren to dweO together in Vmty! Love is the Beauty and Strength of Societies, the Pleafure of Life. How excellent is the Joy of the Bleffed, when the Prayer of Chrift lhall be accomplifh. ed, that they aU may be one; as thou Father art m me, and I in_ thee, that th9 alfo may be one in us. God is abfolutely One in his glorious Nature and Will, and thereforeunaltera. bly Happy: And their inviolable Union in Love is a Ray of the Effential Unity between the Sacred Perfons. There are no Divifionsof Heart and Tongues, as in this Babe/; but the moft perfeB: and fweeteft Concord,anEternal Agreement in Tempers and Inclinations. ~~(;; th: ~fo~~v~fu~v~~;/.~~i[~~sr~J~~~o;~ ~~~tjo~~l":1 1£. tr~~:~;~~e0~:k~stoh~~0fl,~;~ in the Felicity of all, and adds to it. Such is the Power of that Celeftial Fire wherein they all burn, that it melts and mixes Souls in fuch an intireUnion, that by Complacence and an intimate Joy, the Bleffednefs of all is, as it were, proper to every one; as if every ~f~he~fi~8~b~~ni~t~r~M=~~n°;h:1 ~~hta~e~~$~~~~h~ 0~~~erlf 0~hari~; i~~~~;~ri~ that 'us fa~d, the Multitude of Beltt'!Jers were of one He.rt, and one Soul; How much more intimate and infeparable is the Union of the Saints in 1emfalem above, where every one loves anot~er as lumfel!? 'Tis recorded of Alexander, that eotriog with Hephejlton h!S Favome. mto the ~avliton of the Mother of D.rius, then. ht~ Prifoner, !he bowed to the Favonte, as havmg a greater appearance of MaJefty, thmkmg him to be Alexander: But advifed of her Eror, lhe humbly begg'd his Pardon. To whom the Non errafii, generous King replied, Toa did not err, Mother, this is a!fo Alexander. Such was their :~~~~r AffeB:ion, that 'Yhoever was taken of them, the other was taken in him ; the Jefs afcenda <fi.£"'·'·3· ing in the greater, without degrading the greater in the lefs. This is a Copy of the holy Love of the Bleffed ; but with the fame difference, as between the Defcription of a Star with a Coal, and its Beauty in its proper AfpeB:. And where all is Love, all is Delight. The Aa it felf is its own Reward. As that beni{ln and pleafant AlfeB:ion is enlarged with refpeB: to the ObjeB:, and its degrees, fuch IS the complacence and delight that re- ~~~s~~~~ i~nd1~~~aJo~~fee~;e~\}~Yo~h~~~i~:i~~s:~~n:h:C~~T.fia~~c!:t~[nt:,~~; i:J~: the plcafant labour of the Bees, who all the day are fl ying eo the Gardens, and retur-ning to their Hives, and all their Art is in extraB:ing the pureft Spirits from fragrant Flowers, and makingfweet Honey. 0 how dotheyreJoyce and triumph in the Happinefs of one another ? With what an unimaginable tendernefs do they embrace? What Reciprocati· ~~:;~rTe~dfu~~~=i~;~~f~~~:t~:et'~:rrr:~ ~e~~~~ r:~~~~nhie~~~;;~:tio~~ ~h~.f~~~~~~: ration, Mofes and Elias talk'd with Chrill: We may underlland a little of it, by the fenfible complacence that is among fincere Friends here. In pure Amity there is a three- . fold Union: a Union of Refemblance, that is the principle of it; likenefs caufes Love: a Union of AlfeB:ion, that is its Effence; 'tis faid of 1onathan1 . that incomparable F~iend, his Soul was kmt with the Soul of D~vtd, and he lovedhtm as bu,own Soul: the Umonof Converfation, that is requifice to the facisfaB:ion of Love. What an entertainment of Love and Joy is there in the prefence and difcourfe• of dear Friends ! their mutual Afpetts, like a Chain compos'd of Spirits luminous and aCtive, draw and faften their Souls eo one another: The Felicity of Love confifts in their Converfation. Now in Heaven whatever is pleafant in Friendfhip is in perfeB:ion; and whatever is dillallful by Mens Folly and Weaknefs is abolifhed. With what excellent Difcourfes do they entertain one another? If David felt fuch inward Pleafure from the fenfe of God's Favours, that he could not reftrain the expreffion of it, but invites the Saints, Come and hear, all ye t/Jat fear the Lord, and I wiUteUyouwhat hehas done f or mJ Soul: Certainly in Heaven, theBleffed with overflowing AlfeB:ions recount the Divine Benefits ; the admirable Methods, where- :n~~J;t~~fc~ffi~~ ~f'U':~~~; ~~e;i~;'~~~~rr:~~t 0H~~!~," ~~~h~ri~~Fut~~~:i~;~£ all in the time of their enjoyment. How joyfully do they concur in their Thankfgivings to God for the Goodnefs of Creation; jn making them reafonable Creatpres, capable to know, love and enjoy him, when they might have been ?f the lowell Ord~r in ~he whole Spheres of Beings; for his compaffionate Care and Prov1dence over them tn this Wo~~;
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