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TITE
IidPPII.VESs
OF
SEPARATE
splRlfis.
tDtSi'.St.
twining
the
knowledge
of
the
nature
and
will
of
God,
according to the utmost of
its
own'
present
capacity, and
the
means
of
discovery
which it enjoys,
and
in
the
vari-
ous exercises
of
love
to,God
in
an
exact proportion
to its
knowledge
:
or w
express it
briefly thus, an
.
innocent
creature
is
perfectly
holy,
when it
knows
and
loves
God
to
the utmost reach
of
its
present powers.
If
this
be
done,
there
is
no
sinful defect, no guilty imperfection
;
and
yet there
may be
almost an infinite difference
in
the
various
degrees
of
power and
capacity,
of
knowledge
and
love,
amongst
innocent
spirits
:
One
spirit
may
he
formed capable
of
knowing much more
of
his
maker than
another, and
may
be
favoured
with
richer
discoveries.
Now
if
every
new
divine discovery raise an equal
pro
-
portion
of
love in
the
soul,
then
it
is
possible
that
any
soul
might
be
perfectly holy
at
its first
entrance into hea-
ven,
and yet
may
make sublime
advances in holiness
hourly.
Can
we
suppose
that innocent
Adam,
at
his
very'for-
mation
in
paradise, knew
all the
wonders of
divine
wis-
dom and
goodness,
that
ever
he
was
designed
to
attain,
had
he
lived sinless
and immortal
?
And then
can
we
believe since
his
knowledge
of
his
Maker's
goodness and
wisdom'wäs
to
receive
continual
advances,
that
he
should
admire
him
no more,
and
love him no
better
after
a
thou-
sand years converse
with
hirn,
than he did
at
his
first
creation
?
Now the
case
of
the saints in'
heaven
is
much
the
same.
The
rule
and
measure
of
their duty
is
their
knowledge, and the rule and
Measure
of
their
knowledge
is
their
own
capacity, and
their
means
of
discovery.
They never
fall
short
of
their duty, and therefore
they
have no
sin
:
And thus
their
holiness may
be
every mo-
ment
perfect,
and
yet
perhaps every moment increasing,
as
their capacities
are
enlarged, and receive
new
disco-
veries,
through
all
the ages
of
their
immortality.
Happy
souls, whose
aspiring
knowledge,
and
love,
and
zeal, move
onward hourly, and get
still
nigher
to see
their
God
!
Surely
while
they behold
his
face
in the,
unveiled
beauties
of
his
holiness, they shall
love him with
warmer
zeal, and
be
more
abundantly
satisfied with his
likeness;
Psalm.
xvii.
15.
After
all
that
I
have
said on this subject, some will
insist, on
this objection,
vi,z.
Can there
be
any such
thi.ñg,