

40 -
The L.ife
of
GOD
Another thing which difl:urbs the plea–
The prefence
fure of love, and renders
it a
of the belo·-
miferable and unquiet paffion
is
!ed perfon.
abfencc and
fcparation
fron1
thofc
we
love.
It
is 110t without a fen–
fiblc
affliction that friends do part, though
for f<)me
little time.
It
is fad to be de–
prived of that fociety which is_fo ddight–
ful;
ou~
life becomes tedious, being {pent
in an
impatient expeCtation of the happy
l1our
wherein we may n1ect again.
But
if
death have made the feparation, as fome
time or other
it ._.
muft,
this occafions
a
grief fcarce to
he
parallelled
by
all
the
n1isfortunes of human life, and wherein
we pay dear enough for the con1forts of
our fricndfhip.
But
0
how happy are
thofe who have placed their love on hin1
\V
ho can never
be
abfent from
them
!
They need but open their eyes, and they
fhall
every where behold the traces of
his
prefence and
glory,
and converfe with hin1
-whom their foul loveth. And this makes
the darkeft prifon, or wildefi defart, not
only fupportable but delightful to then1.
In
fine,
A
lover is miferable if the per-
The divine love
111
akes us par–
take ofan
infinite
happinefs.
fan \\ hom he loveth be fo.
They who have made an ex-
change of hearts
9Y
love, get
thereby
an
interefl:
in one
~nother'-s
-.