Spiritual ferftC!iun. 5 . Ollr prefbu .J oy , anJ future Glory, are improved according as we rife to P~:rfe8ion here. Tht:: L1fe of a Saint may be compar'd to the Labour of the B~es, who all the dJ.y c i ~ her fly from their Hives eo tl~e Flowers, or from the Flo:.vers to their Hives ; and all rhe1r art and exercifc is , where t here is fragrancy or fweernefs. In divine Worrn ip the .-,oul afCends to God, by holy thoughts and ardent defires, and Gcd defceods into the Soul, by rhe communicarion of Gr3ce and Comfort. ' Tis rruethe Carna l Man cannot fee nor r2fle the divine delight, that a Saint has real Ex. per icnce of ; for a lowe r Nature is incapable of the perceptions and enjoymems of an higher: A Pl ant cannot apprehend the pleafure of Senfe, nor a Beall: the pleafures of Reafan ; and Reafon mufl be prepared and elevated to enjoy the pleafures of Holind;, which makes all the charming Conrencs of this World infipid and nauf:::ous: For according to the excellency of the Ot>ieEts , and the capacity and vigour of the Faculties exercifed upon t hem, fuch is c1-e deligh t t hat refults from their union . The holy Soul is a Heaven in· li ghtened with the 8edms of t he Sun of Righreoufit~fs; a P.aradife planted with immor. ta l f ruits, the Graces of the fanEtify ing Spirit ; and God walks in it, communicating the fcnfc of his Love. , Ate not Li fe and Light,and Libert y, prod uClive and prefervative of Joy? And confequent· ly, a~ the natura l L1fe, the mo re hve ly and vigorous, the more plea fa m i t is; fothe fp~ntual. The more we are like God , the more q,e are loved of h im, and the more clear revelations of his Love are communicated to us . The more we are freed from the chains of Sin, a nd bondage·of Satan, the more joy ful and g lorious is our Liberty. Inclccd, the Saints arc fomerimes in darknefS, bu t t heir Sorrows are from the ir defe8s in Holinefs; from their n ot improving the means of Grace, whereby they might rife eo Perfc8 ion: For as when Sadnefs oppreffes us, the vital Spirits retire to the Hea rt, and are !but up in their fprings, t hat N atu re does not perfo rm its operations w it h delight ; fo when the Holy Spirit, the E ternal C om forte r, is gr ieved , by our quenching his pure M otions, he w ithd raws his cam.. forcing Infl uences, and the Soul is left defolate. The Experience of all the Saints is a dernonfla t ion, that Heltg10n the more it fallens us ro our Duty, and to G od, by the bands of Love, the happie r we are; and that the ftate of a renewed Chti llian, is fo far from being gloomy and me lancholy, that 'tis the joyful begin ning of Heaven. By excelhng in Hol inefs, our futu re Glory will be encrcas d. T he hfe and order of Government confill:s in the difpcnfing Rewards and Punifhmencs. God will recompence the wicked according to the Rule of Ju fl ice and their Defer<; and the futu re Happi ne fs of the Saints wi ll be in degrees, accordi ng to the degrees of their Holinefs. Not as if t here we1eany Merit in our Works to procure the Eternal Reward, which is the Gift of hi s moll: free Love ; but his Love rewards us according to his Promife, that t hey who (o fTJ hountif uUy, fb ;/lreap bountifully ; and in proportion, as the Graces of the Saints are ~ xt rci4 fed here, their Glory will be in Heaven. In this the Goodnefs of God is admirable, he , works all in us J and rewards his own work: His Service i'i t he bell ; for he rlu t commands, works ; and he that obeys, re igns. If we refpefr the Glory of God and our own, let us endeavour to be corn plea t in Holinefs. 'Tis true God bellows his Favours as a free Lord, and liberal Benefaa or, variouDy ; bu t he dill:ributes R ewards in the next Life as a Governour, according to the inviolate Rule ell:ablifh'd by his Wifdom in his Word. As the qual ity of the Reward is according to the kind of our Works, fa the degrees are according to the mearure of them. To imagi ne that a Carnal Manmay be faved without Holinefs, is as unreafonable , as to thin k that a Man may be made mife rable without Sin. It is to attribute an irregula r Clemency to him. We mu ll: di lti nguifh between the deferc of the Reward, and the order of dif. P"nfi ng it. There is no poffibility orfhadowof Merit; for the Grace of Obedience is an· tecedentto the Grace of the Reward. CHAP.
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