6o The prefent and fntnri Advanta,e Vol. II. In this World the Soul and Body are for the moh part very unequally yoked, fo that the Soul is not only darkued by the grofs Fumes and Clouds which rife from the Body, but loaded and oppreft by the dull weight of ir, which it very heavily lugs on and draws after it ; and the Soul likewife, and the vicious Incli- nations and irregular Paffions of it, have many times an ill influence upon the Body and the Humours ofit. Butin the next World they (hall both be purified, the one from Sin, and the other from Frailty and Corruption, and both be ad- mitted to thebleffed fight and enjoyment of the ever blefled God. But the Confideration of this, (as I laid before) is too big for our narrow ap- prehenfions in this mortal (late, and an Argumentnot fit to be treated of by fuch Children, as the wifeft of men are in this World ; and whenever we attempt to fpeakof it, we do but lifp likeChildren, and underftand like Children, and rea- fon like Children about it. That which is imperfea muff be done away, and our Souls mutt be railed to a greater Perfe&ion, and our Underftandings fill'd with a fironger and headier Light, before we can be fit to engage in fo profound a Contemplation. We mutt firh have been in Heaven, and poffefl of that Felicity and Glory which is there to be enjoyed, before we can either fpeak or think of it in any meafure as it deferves. In the mean time, whenever we fet about it, we (hall find our Faculties oppreft and dazled with the weight and fplendor of fo great andglorious an Argument; like St. Paul, who when he was caught up into Paradife, faw and heard thofe things, which whenhe came down again into this World, he was not able to exprefs, and which it was not poffìble for the Tongue ofman to utter. So that in difcourfing of the (late of the Bleffed, we muff content our fives withwhat the Scripture hath revealed in general concerning it ; that it is a Prate of perfe& freedom from all thofe Infirmities and Irnperfe&ions, thofe Evils and Miferies, thofe Sins and Temptations which we are liable to in this World. So St. yohndefcribes the Glory and Felicity of that ftate, as they were in Vifions re- prefented to him, Rev. 21. 2, 3, 4. And1 John faw the holyCity, the new Jerufa- hem, prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband. AndI heard agreat voice out of Heaven, Paying, Behold ! the Tabernacle .o fGod is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they fhall be his people, andGod himfelffhall be with them, and be their God. And God (hall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there fhall be no more death, neither farrow, nor crying, neither /hall there be any more pain ; for the for- mer things are pafféd away: that is, all thofe Evils which we faw or fuffered in this World, (hall for ever vanilla anddifappear, and, which is thegreat Privilege and Felicity of all, that there (hall no Sin be there, v. 27. There (hall in no wife enter into it any thing that defileth, and, confequently there (hall be no Mifery and Carle there. So we read, Chap. 22. 3, 4. And there foall be no more curfe; but the throneofGod and ofthe Lamb /ball be in it, and hisfervants fhall ferve him, and they (hall fee his face. In which laft words our Employment and our Happinefs are expreft ; but what in particular our Employment (hall be, and wherein it fhall confift, is impoffible now todefcribe ; it is fufficient to know in the general, that our Employment (hall be our unfpeakable Pleafure, and every way fuitable to the Glory and Happinefs of that hate, andas much above the nobleft andmoftdelight- ful Employments of this,World, as the Perfe&ion ofourBodies, and the Powers of our Souls, (hall then be above what they are now in this World. For there is nodoubt, but that he who made us, and endued our Souls with a define of Immortality, and fo large a Capacity of Happinefs, does underftand very well by what way and means to make us happy, and bath in readinefs pro- per Exercifes and Employments for that (late, and every way more fitted to make us Happy, than any Condition or Employment in this World is fuitable to a temporal Happinefs; Employments that are fuitable to the fpirits ofjuji men made perfe!l, united to Bodies purified and refined almo(f to the Conditionof Spirits; Employments which we (hall be fo far from being weary of xhat they (hall mi- nifter tous a new and fresh delight to all Eternity ; and this perhaps, not fo much from the variety, as from the perpetual and growing Pleafure of them. It
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