438 THE HAPPINESS OF SEPARATE SPIRITS. tDISC. II. Paul was of this opinion. However, this we are sure of, that a sanctified soul released from the body, shall be made free from everysin, and its absence from flesh and the world have a large, if not a sufficient influence to effect this freedom. And if .we should grant it, that a soul just dismissed from this world is not perfectly sanctified by the mere influence of this release ; yet this perfection is suffici- ently secured by its dismission from flesh ; for when absent from the body; it is present with the Lord : And this leads me to the next particular, viz. IV. At death the spirits of the just released from bodies, enter into another state, a different world, were they have a thousand advantages for improvement in knowledge, and advances in holiness and joy, vastly beyond what any thing in this world could furnish them with. They see God, and are for ever with him. They be- told, him face to face, as I have before explained it, in a more immediate and intuitive manner; and doubtless such a sight fills the spirit with a clearer and brighter idea of the nature and attributes of God, than all the former lessons it had learned in the books of nature and of scripture could ever give it. They see our Lord Jesus Christ, our glorified Saviour, in such a way and manner as glorified separate spirits can converse with spirits imbodied ; and one suchview as this will perhaps lead us into more intimate acquaintance with his human nature and his united godhead, than many years of converse with him by all the mediums of ordi- nances, those divine glasses wherein we see him darkly, as the apostle sneaks, and whereby God and Christ re- present and manifest themselves to saints on earth. And as our' knowledge shall receive immense and surprizing improvements by these new methods of dis- covery, so I think it shall in due proportion advance our holiness or conformity to God the Father, and his brightest image Christ Jesus : for we cannot behold them in suet) a manner without a glorious transformation into their likeness, as I have hinted already. When a soul, that bath a new nature given it by sancti- fying grace, is placed in the immediate view and pre- sence of God the most holy, it will ever be growing into 4
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=