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THE
HAPPINESS OP SEPARATE
SPIRITS.
DISC.
II.
promised
glories
of another
world,
when
I
meet with
disappointments here
?
They
had
a
large share
of
christian experience,
a
rich
stock of divine and spiritual observations
by
much con-
verse with God and with their own
souls.
What
have
I
got
of
this
kind
for
the
support of
my soul
?
or are all
these
strange things
to me
?
Believe
me,
my
dear and honoured
friends, these are
matters
of
infinite
importance; I
am
sure you will
think
so
one day
:
And
I
trust
and
persuade
myself, you
think
them
so.
now.
I
cannot
give
myself leave
to
imagine
that
you
put
these
thoughts
far from you. Some
of
you
have made
it
appear
that
they
lie
next
your
heart, and
that
your souls are
deeply
engaged
in
the
ways
of God
and
goodness. O
that
every one
of
you
would
give
the
same comfort and joy to
your friends
!
Be
not satisfied
with
a
mere negative holiness, an
unspotted character
in'
the
eyes
of the
world
;
but
let the
world
know
that
you dare
be
religious, and
profess universal piety
in
a
degenerate
age.
Let
those
that honour
the memory
of
your parents, and
love
your
souls,
rejoice
in
your
public
christianity.
Let
them
know,
that
there
are the
foun-
dations of
heavenly
glory laid
within
you all,
and
the bles-
sed work
begun
on
earth, that
shall
surely be made
per-
fect among the
spirits
of
the
just
in
heaven.
And
methinks I
would not
have
you
contented
with
the
lowest seat there
;
but
stir up yourselves
to
a
most
unwearied pursuit
of holiness
in
the sublimer degrees
of
it.
And
thus labouring
in
the christian race, contend
for
some
of
the
brighter
prizes,
some
of
the richer crowns
of
glory.
Be'not
satisfied to
sit
at
a
great distance below
your parents
departed,
even
in
the heavenly
country:
But
strive
with
a holy
ambition that
you may come
near
them, that
the whole
family
together
may arrive at some
superior degrees
of
blessedness.
And
O
may
divine
grace grant
me
the pleasure
to
be
a
witness
to
your ex-
alted stations,
and
to worship
and
rejoice amongst
you
there
!
Amen.