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SECT.
It.]
THE HAPPINESS
OF
SEPARATE
SPIRITS.
383
tempteth,
"
nothing
that
defileth
;"
Rev.
xxi.
27.
It
is
the mixture
of
sinful
thoughts
and
idle
words,
sinful
ac-
tions and
irregular
affections,
that
makes
our state
of
ho-
liness:
so
imperfect here
below. We
groan within
our-
selves,
being
burdened
;
we
would
be
rid
of
these
crimi-
nal weaknesses, these guilty
attendants of
our
lives
:
But
the spirits above are
under
a
sweet necessity
of
being for
ever
holy
:
their natures
have
put
on
perfection
;
the
image
of God
is so
far compleated
in them,
that nothing
contrary
to the divine
nature
remains
in all
their frame;
for
they
see
God
in
all
the fairest beauties
of
his
holi-
ness,
and
they
adore and
love.
They
behold
him
with-
out
a
veil,
and are changed into
the
same
image,
from
glory
to
glory,
2
Cor.
iii.
18.
If
these words
are ap-
plicable
to the
state
of
grace, much more
to
that of
glory.
They
see
Christ
as he
is,
and
they
are
made
com-
pletely like
him,
1
John
iii. 2.
which
is
true
concerning
the state of
separate
spirits,
as
well as
the
hour of resur-
rection.
As
their
love to
God
is
perfect,
so
is
their
love to
all
their
fellow-saints.
We try to
love
our
fek'3w-
creatures and
fellow-
ehris-
tians here
on
earth
;
but
we,thave so
many
corrupt
passions
of
our
own,
and
so
many infirmities
and imperfections
belong
to
our
neighbours
also,
that
mutual' love
is
very
imperfect.
"
Love
is
the fulfilling
of
the
law
;"
Rom.
xiii.
10.
But
we
shall never
fulfil
that
law
perfectly till
we
are
joined
to
the spirits of the
just
in glory,
where
there
is
no
inhabitant
without the
flame
of
sacred
love,
no sin-
gle
spirit
unlovely or unbeloved.
In
those
happy
mansions
there
is
no
envy
raised
by
the
perfections or the honours of
our
neighbour spirits
;
no
detracting thought
is
known
there,
no
reproachful
word
is
heard
in
that
country
;
and,
perhaps,
no
word
of re-
proach
is
to
be
found
,in
the whole heavenly language.
Malice and slander, and
the very names
of
infamy,
are
unknown
in
those regions
;
and wrath and strife
are eter-
nal strangers.
No
divided opinions,
no
party quarrels,
no
seeds
of
discord are
sown
in
heaven.
Our
little
angry-
jars
and contentions have no place there, and
the noise
of
war
and
controversy ceases for ever.
There are
no
offences
given,
and none are taken
in
that
world
of
love.
Neither
injury, nor
resentment,
is
ever
known or
prac-
1