SECT. TI?.) THE HAPPINESS OF SEPARATE SPIRITS. 380 with sweeter harmony ? And yet what a reluctance 'lost thou shew to enter into that world of joy and praise, 'be- cause the dark shadow of death hangs over the passage ? Come, awake, arise, shake off thy fears? and let the sense and notice of what the spirits of thejust above en- joy, raise thy courage, and excite thee to meet the first summons with sacred delight and rapture. But I fear I have dwelt too long upon these three last particulars, because they are matters óf more obvious notice, and more frequent discourse; yet they are so entertaining, that I knew not how to leave them. But I would not spend all my time on common topics, while I am paying honour to the memory of an uncommon christian. I proceed therefore to the next general head. SECTION III. Of the various kinds and degrees of the employments and pleasures of heaven. Havingshewn that by the spirits ofdust men in my text we are to understand the souls of all the pious and the good that have left the body ; and having described their perfection as a state of complete knowledge, holiness and joy ; the third thing I am to consider is, what sort of per- fection this is, or what are some of the special characters of it. And here I beg your attention to some pleasing speculations which are agreeable to the word of God, and to the nature and reason of things, and which have often given my thoughts a sacred entertainment. I. It is such a perfection as admits of great variety of employments and pleasures, according to the various turn and genius of each particular spirit. For the word perfection does not necessarily imply a state of universal and constant uniformity. That: the mind of every man here on earth has a dif- ferent turn of genius, and peculiar manner of thought, is evident to every wise observer. Andwhy shouldnot every pious mind or spirit carry to heaven with it so much of that turn and manner, as is natural and inno- cent ? I grant it is a possible thing, that many different ge- niuses of men on earth, may perhaps be accounted for 2 c 3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=