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THE HAPPINESS
OF
SEPARATE SPIRITS.
[DISC
TT.
the
same delightful
work
;
for
which
they have much
more
concern,
and a dearer interest
in it.
We
know
something
of
God by.the
light
of
nature.
The
reason
that
is
within each
of
us,
shines like a slen-
der
candle
in
a
private
room, and
gives, us
some
twink-
ling and
uncertain notions of
our Creator. The notices
that
we
obtain
by
the light
of
grace,
or the
gospel here
on
earth, are far brighter
and surer,
like the
moon
at
midnight, shining upon
a
dark
world, or
like the rise
of
the
morning star, and
the dawning
of
the
day.
But
the
knowledge which
departed
spirits obtain
of
their Creator
and their Redeemer
in
the light
of
glory, is
as
far
supe-
rior
to
that of
nature
and grace,
as
the
lustre of
the me-
ridian
-sun exceeds the pale moon
-
beams,
or the
glim-
mering
twilight
of
the morning.
This
is
what the apostle
describes,
1
Cor.
xiii.
9, 10,
11,
12.
For
we know
but
in
part,
and
we
prophesy in
part. But
when
that
which
is
peifect
is
come,
then
that
which
is in
part
shall
be
done
away.
When
I
was a child,
I
spake
as a
child,
I
understood
as
a
child,
I
thought
as
a
child;
but
when
I
became
a
man,
I
put
away childish
things.
For
now we
see
through
a
glass
darkly
;
but
then
face
to
face
:
Wow
I
know
in
part
;
but
then
shall
I
know even
as also
I
am known.
The
imperfection
of
our
knowledge
in
this world consists much
in
this,
that
we
are liable
to
perpetual
mistakes. A
thousand
errors
stand thick around
us in
our enquiries after truth,
and
we stumble upon
error
often
in
our
wisest
pursuits
of
knowledge;
for
we see
but
through
a
glass
darkly, but
then
we
shall
know,
even
as
we
are
known,
and
see face
to
face
;
that
is,
we
shall have
a
more
immediate and
in-
tuitive
view
of God
and
Christ, and
of
the Holy
Spirit,
without
such mediums as
are
now
necessary for our
in-
struction. We`shall
know
them
in a
manner
something
a
-kin
to
the
way
whereby
God
knows
us,
though not
in the
same degree
of perfection;
for
that
is
impossible.
Yet
in
these respects
our
knowledge shall
bear
some re-
semblance
to the
knowledge
of God
himself,
viz.
that
it
shall be not merely a
rational
knowledge,
by
inferences
drawn from
his
works,
not
merely
a
knowledge
by
narra-
tion, or
report
and testimony, such
as
we
now enjoy
by
his
word
;
but
it
shall
be
such
a sort
of
knowledge
as we
have
of
a
man when
we
see his
face,
and it.shall
also be
a