SECT. vuI.] THE HAPPINESS Or SEPARATE SPIRITS. 453 same graces of conversation among the blessed spirits there, but in a far superior manner, according to the unknown laws and customs of that region of light and love. He had a taste for universal learning; and ingenious arts were his delight from his youth. He pursued know- ledge in Carious forms, and was acquainted with many parts of human science. Mathematical speculations and practices were a favourite study with him in his younger years; and even to his old age, he maintained his ac- quaintance with the motions of the heavenly bodies, and light and shade whereby time is measured. And may we not suppose that there are entertainments amongst the works of God on high to feast the spirits of such a genius? May they not in that upper region look down and survey the various contrivances of divine wis- down, which created all things in these lower worlds in number, weight, and measure ? May not our exalted friend give glory there to his Maker, in the contempla- tion of the same heavenly bodies, though lie dwells in the region where night and shadows are never known, and above the need or use of sun -beams. But the book of God was his chief study and his di- vinest delight. His bible lay before him night and day; and he was well acquainted with the writers that ex- plained it best. He was desirous of seeing what the Spirit of God said to men in the original languages. For this end, he commenced some acquaintance with He- brew when he was more than fifty years old : And that he might be capable of judging of the true sense of any text in the New Testament, he kept his youthful know- ledge of the Greek language in some measure even to the period of his life. But earthly languages are of little use in heaven. There are too many defects and ambiguities in them to express the bright, the complete, and the distinct ideas of separate spirits. We may allow our learned friend therefore to be divested of these when he dropt mortality. Now he is out of the body, and caught up to dwell in Paradise, where St. Paul made heretofore a short visit, 2 Cur. xii. 2, 4. he hears and he speaks those unspeak- able words, it is not possible for a mortal tongue to utter, 2 G 3
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