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THE HAPPINESS
OF
SEPARATE SPIRITS.
[DISC.
II.
of
the
saints.
They are ever pointing
to this
glorious
morning,
as
the season
when they
shall receive
their
re-
ward and their
prize,
their
promised
joy and their crown;
as-though
all
that
they
had received
before
in
their state
of
separation,
were
hardly
to
be
named
in
comparison
of that
more exceeding and
eternal
weight
of additional
glory.
What
new
kinds
of
sensations
shall
entertain
us
in
that
day, what a rich variety of
senses
we
shall enjoy,
what
'well-
appointed
and immortal organs we
shall
be
furnished
with, instead
of our present
feeble
eyes
and
ears,
and
.
what glorious and
transporting
objects shall
surround
us
in those unknown
worlds,
and
fill
the enlarged powers
of
the soul with sensible
as well as
intellectual delights;
These are
wonders too sublime
even for
our present
con-
jecture,
and
are
all
reserved
in
the counsels
of
God, to
complete the
final felicity
of the
saints.
Thus
we
have
made
it
appear,
that
the
knowledge
and
joy
that
belongs to the
spirits
of
the
just
made
perfect,:
may
admit of
large increase.*
But
can
their
holiness be
increased
too
?
Can
perfect
holiness receive
any
improvement
?
I
will
not assert
any
thing
in this
matter,
lestthe
man-
ner of
expression should
offend
weaker minds
:
But
I
de-
sire leave to
enquire, whether
those who know most
of
God,
dó
not
love
him
best
?
Whether
those
who have
the brightest
and
fullest
visions
of
him,
are not
most
transformed into
his image,
and
made most nearly
like to
him?
Now
if
the
separate
spirits
in
heaven
are
advanced
to different
degrees
of
divine,
knowledge, may they
not
in this sense have
different degrees
of
holiness
too.? Is
it
not
possible
that
one
saint should
love
God
more in-
tensely than
another, and
be
more impressed
with his
likeness, as he
beholds more
of
his
beauty?
Is it
not
possible
that
a soul shall grow
in
the strength and fervor
of
its love
and
zeal
for
God, and
be
more exactly
assimi-
lated
to him, as
it
gets
nearer to God, and
grows
up into
higher measures
of
acquaintance
with
him?
Has not
the
angel
Gabriel,
the
apostle Paul, and
the glorified human
nature of Christ
in
any
respect
more
of
holiness-
or
love,
4*
There
is
a
little treatise, called,
The
Future
State, Displaying the
Progressive
Knowledge
of
the
Blessed
in Heaven, written by
a
country
gentleman, published
in
1633,
wherein are many ingenious thoughts
on
this subject.