Dr. Thom1s M.mton's F1meral Sermon. the onl y begotten of the ou/y lu:?,ottm hi}j/Jel(, til e foi e Ht ir of all the Merits of his Son. Fvon• Soint mq wit h the inA1med Spoufe break forth in tbat Triumph of Love ; Af? Bdove.:l is IHiue , and I am his. Nay, the great number of the ~lorify'd Saims is fO far from leDt ning their Joy, th:tt it unfpeakably encreafes it. The innunJcraM;: Comp.my of A11gcls, tmd tbe GeNeral Aff"emb~y of the Church of the Firft-born, next to the Ha ppi;,,_ (S of enjoying God; are a chief part of Heaven. An unfeigned ar\.lent Affetl:i ou unites that pure Society. Our Love is now kindled either from a Relation in Nat:. rc, or fame vifiblc Excellencies that render a Pcrfon worrhy of our Choice and Friendil1ip: Btlt in Heaven the Reafons are greater, and the degrees of Love incomparobly more fervent. All Carnal Alliances and Refpects ceafe in that Supernatural State. The Apof\lc tells us, If I have k11ow" Chrijl after the Flejb, I k11ow him fo uo more. By the Refurretl:ion and Afcenfion of Chril\ he was tranfported into another V\iorld, and had Communion with him as an Heavenly King, withom low reg.,ds to the temporal priviledge of converfin)l with him on Earth. The SDiriruai Relation is more near and permanent than the rt:rifrefi: Band of Nature. ~;;~c~a~f~e;1~:,ea~11J ~~~dt~~ntl:~t ~;:~;~111 ;r~:~;i~;~>: ';~l~e~;ri~~fp~f 1.~'iv~1~t~~: here, is for the inherent Excellencies of a Perfon. Wifdom, Goodnefs, Holinefs, are mighty Attrafrivcs, and produce a more worthy Affection, a more intimate COnfederacy, of Souls, than propinquity in Nature. David declares that aU h;, delight wa; in the Exce//e"t. Bm there are allays of this Noble Love here. For, L There are Reliqucs of Frailty in the bel\ Men on Earth, fomeBlemifhes tbatren9er them leis amiable when difcovered. Here their Graces are mixt Infirmities, and but alcending to Glory. Accordingly our Love to them murt: be regular and fercne; J;iOt clouded with Error, mitl:aking DefeCts for amiable Qualities. But in Heaven the lma~>;e of God is compleat, by the Union of all the glorious Virtues requifite to.its PerfeCt ion. Every Saint there exaCtly agrees wjth tbe firfl: Exemplar, is transformed according to the Primiti ve Beauty of Holinefs. No fPot or wrinkle remai11s, or any fuch thing, t!Jat may call the leaf\ atpect of Deformity upon them. 2. In the prefen t 1\ate, the leaf\ part of the Saints Worth is viliblc. As the Earth is fruitful in Plants and Flowers, but its Riches are in the Mines of precious Metals» the Veins of Marble hidden in its Bofom. True Grace appears in fenfible Atl:ions bJtt it.r Glory is within. The fincerity of Aims, tbe puritY of Affell:ions, the im: f,~eg~d~f ~~fiJfs:ri~u~h i~l~~,~~:~il~~; ~~t:~:fnu:n~~:~::: tl[.t~b~n~~;ea;~e~~ho~~d in Spiritual Treafures, the lefs they fhew. .As the Heavenly Bodtes when in neareO: Conjunction with the Sun, and fullef\ of Ltght, make the leafl: Appea rance to our Sight. Bnt all thetr Excellenaes fhall. then be ~n vtew_. The Gio>J ofGod JbaU be revealed iu them. And how attratl:1ve IS the Dtvme Ltkenefs to an holy Eye? How will it ravifh the Saints to behold an immortal Lovclinefs fhining in one another?. Their Love is mutual and reflexive, proportionable to the Caufe of it. An equal conf\ant Flame is preferv'd by pure Materials. Every one is perfeCl:ly amiable, and perfectly enamour'cl.with all. Now can we frame a fuller Conception of Happinefs, than fuch a State of Love, wherein whatever is plcafant in Friendfhip is in Pcrfetl:ion, and whatever is dif\af\ful by i\1ens Folly and Weaknefs is abolifh'd. The Pfal-·. inif\ breaks Ot)t in a Rapture, B,ehold how good a11d pleaflmt it Hfor Brethren to dweU together ;, V11itJ / Love is the Beauty and Strength of Societies, the Pleafure of Life. How excellent is the Joy of the Blelfed, when the Prayer of Chrif\ fhall be accomplifh'd, that they all may be one ! A.r thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they alfo "'"J be 011e ;, '"· God is abfolutely One in his !\lorious Nature and Will, and therefore unalterably Happy: And their inviolable Union in Love, is a Ray of the Elfential Unity between the facred Perfons. There are no Divifions of Heart and Tongues, as in this Babel, but the moO: perfect and fweetel\ Concord, an Eternal Agreement in T empers and Inclinations. There are no envious Comparifons; for Love that affect ively transforms one into another, caufes the Glory of every Saint to redound to the Joy of alL Every one takes his fhare in the Felicity of all, and adds to it. Such is the power of that Celef\ial Fire wherein they all burn,. that it melts and mixes Souls in fuch an entire Union, that by Complacence and an intimate Joy, the Blelfcdnefs of all is, as it were, proper to every one; as if every one were plac'd in the Hearts of all, and all in the Heart of every one. If in the Church of the firfl: · born Chri.l\ians, in the earthly 'jemfalem, the Band of Charity was fo nritl:, that 'tis faid, tbe Mldtitude of Believer.r were of one Heart, and one So~t.l; How nmch more in timate and infeparable is the, Union of the Saints in '}e~·nfalem above, where every one loves anbther as·himfelf? 'Tis'
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