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SECT.
III.]
THE
HAPPINESS
OP
SEPARATE
SPIRITS.
401
able'
to the
means
he
useth
;
and
therefore
he
infuses
more and
higher glories into
vessels
more enlarged
and
better 'prepared.
Some
of
the spirits in heaven
may
be
trained
up by
their stations and
sacred services
on
earth
for more
ele-
vated
employments and
joys
on
high.
Can
we
imagine
that
the soul
of
David, the sweet psalmist, the
prophet,
and
the king
of
Israel,
is
not
fitted
by
all
his
labours
and
trials, all
his
raptures
of
faith,
and
love,
and
zeal,
for
some
sublimer devotion
and nobler
business
than
his
own
infant
child, the
fruit of
his
adultery
?
And
yet
our
divines have generally placed
this
child in heaven, be-
cause David ceased to
mourn
for
him 'at his
death,
and
`said
that
he
himself
"
should
go
to him
?" 2
Sam. xii.
20, 22.
Deborah, the prophetess,
judged
Israel, she
animated their
armies,
and
sung
their
victories
:
Is
not
Deborah
engaged
in
some
more illustrious
employment
among
the heavenly tribes,
than
good
Dorcas
may seem
to be
capable
of,
whose
highest
character
upon
record
is,
that
"
she was full
of
alms-
deeds,
and made coats
and garments for the
poor;" Acts
ix. 36, 39.
And yet
perhaps Dorcas
is
prepared
too
for
some
greater enjoy-
ments, some sweeter relish
of
mercy,
or
some
special
"taste
of
the divine goodness
above
Rahab
the
harlot;
Rahab,
whose
younger character
was
lewd
and
infamous;
and the
best
thing
that
we
read
of
her
is,
that
her faith
'under
the
present
terror of
the armies
of Israel taught
her
once to
cover
and conceal
their.
spies:
And,
unless
she made
great
advances
afterward
in grace, surely
ber
'place
is
not
very high
in glory.
The
worship
of
heaven,
and
the
joy
that attends
it,
may
be
exceedingly different
in
degrees according
to
the
different capacity
of
spirits;
and
yet
all may be
perfect
and
free from sinful
defects.' Does not the sparrow
praise the Lord
its
Maker upon
the ridge,
of
á
cottage,
chirping
in
its
native perfection
?
and
yet
the
lark ad-
vances
in
her
flight
and her
song
as
far
above the
sparrow,
as the clouds
are
above the house
-
top.
Surely
superior joys
and glories
must.
belong
to
supe
rior
powers and services.
Can
We
think
that
Abraham
and
Moses,
who
-were
trained
up
in
converse with
God
face
to face; as
a
man
converses
with
his
friend,
and
who
followed him
through
VOL.
III.