II. The bleffed Society and the Place.

III. The enjoyment of the Godhead.

As to the firft,

If in this World, when the Soul muft have a groffer Way of thinking, as immerfed in the Dregs of Matter, a well-regulated Mind, and an enlarged Understanding, are yet confiderable Springs of Pleasure; with what exquifite Joy will they affect us, when we shall throw off this dull Mortality, when our Bodies shall be fashioned in the glorious Likeness of our Redeemer's, and our Souls transformed into the Image of our Creator? Now we fee through a Glass darkly; but then (in a future State) Face to Face. Now I know in Part, fays St. Paul, but then I fhall know, even as I am known.

If Knowledge appears fo very beautiful,

when we find it fo difficult of Accefs, and when we only fee fome broken Sketches and imperfect Outlines of Truth; how much fuperior Luftre muft it needs difplay, when it fhines forth in its largest Dimensions and in its full Proportion? Shall we, who hardly guefs aright, at Things before us, who, if there were not another Life, might juftly complain with the Philofopher, that Nature has given indeed a very large Scope to our Curiosity, but fet

SER M.

XV.

XV.

SER M. very narrow Bounds to our Knowledge; fhall we, I fay, in God's Light, fee Light, nay, even fee God as he is, or have direct and immediate Ideas of him, as he is in his own Nature; whereas we now derive all our Knowledge from the Sources of Senfation and Reflection?

Here the Body is not able to keep pace with the Soul in its Inquiries; it clogs the native Energy of our Thoughts: But, when our glorified Souls fhall act in glorified Bodies, they will be ever on the Wing, without ever flagging, or exhaufting their Vigour.

We may farther fuppofe, when the Soul fhall have furvived Millions of Years amidst these pure and unfullied Joys, with what unfpeakable Pleasure the Memory fhall look backward over that wild Field of Bliss, which we have already paft; and the Imagination with much greater Tranfport, may look forward to that EndlessOcean of Delight yet to come; ftill prefs onward, and still find nothing to terminate its Views. In vain our Mind widens to take in the vast Idea of an everlasting Happiness In vain it adds Thousands to Thoufands, and Millions to Millions : Our Thoughts are loft in Eternity.

Were it not that this Life is the Foundation of our future Happiness, who knows but that in the unbounded Extent of Eter

XV.

nity, at fome far diftant Period of Duration, S ER M.
our Thoughts being engroffed by an infinite
Variety of nobler Objects, except our Me-
mory be very tenacious, we may forget, or
at least not think it worth our attending to,
that ever there was fuch an Ifland as this,
in which we live ; fuch an Earth, as con-
tained this Island; or fuch a Sun as enlight-
ened this Earth? The Idea, how great
foever, may, in fuch an undetermined Pro-
cefs of Duration, be neglected, and give
Place to nobler Guests, which will fupply
its Room. When that which is perfect
Shall come, and that which is imperfect, be
done away; the Eye of the Understanding
may then command a moft fpacious Pro-
spect, may trace the Oeconomy of God's
Providence from the first Birth of Time to
it's laft Period, and furvey the whole
Theatre of Nature; and then, from this
Light of the Understanding, what Heat of
Devotion will arife! And how apt fhall we
be to cry out, as to the Workmanship of
the Creation, Great and marvellous are thy
Works, Lord God Almighty! And, as to
the Conduct of his Providence, fuft and
true are thy Ways, thou King of Saints!
ever adoring that Being, who is too great-
to be worthily praised, too good not to
accept of our unworthy Praises.

And as our Happiness will confist in the
Perfections of Soul and Body; fo will it,
A a

II. In

SER M.
X V.

II. In the bleffed Society and Place.

A Heathen who, in other Places, expreffes himself very diffidently about a future State, yet breaks out into this triumphant Exclamation : "O glorious Day,

fays he, when I fhall depart from this "Crowd of Men on Earth, this Sink of "Pollution; and be admitted into the

Affembly of divine Spirits!" Our Author means those exalted Perfons, who had done an Honour to human Nature, and, by their virtuous and noble Actions, left behind them a bright and lafting Track of Glory. This is undoubtedly an enlarged Reach of Thought. But how much more does that Religion draw back the Veil, and display to our View a brighter Scene, which tells us, that we fhall hereafter refide with the Spirits of juft Men made perfect, with an innumerable Company of Angels, with Jefus, the Mediator of a better Covenant, and with God, the Judge of All? Father, faith our Saviour, I will that thofe, that thou haft given me, may be with me, that they may bebold my Glory.

When once the Soul is thus upon the Wing, when once it foars upwards, how do the Glories of the World leffen to our View! Who, when he thinks of these Things, does not defpife the little Greatnefs here below, and pity the little Men,

who

who can be fo low-thoughted, as to be reft- SER M. lefs in the Purfuit, or elate with the Pof- XV. feffion of worldly Honour? What would this folemn Pageantry of Grandeur be to him, who could have a direct and immediate Converse in Heaven, with that infinite Being, who is his Father, and those ennobled Spirits, who are to be his Brethren and Affociates for ever and ever?

Those who want to be refolved whether we shall know one another in a future State, may confider, that God's Justice in punishing or rewarding, will appear the more by our Knowledge of the Perfons who are rewarded or punished; fince Crimes admit of feveral Alleviations or Aggravations from perfonal Circumftances; infomuch that it is a known Saying, that when two Perfons do the fame Thing, yet it fhall not be the fame, by Reason of the different Circumftances of the Offenders. They may reflect that the rich Man and Abraham know one another in the Parable, that the Apoftles knew Mofes and Elias on the Mount.

But however that be, to live amidft this auguft Affembly of Spirits in an uninterrupted Circulation of mutual Endearments, while the Light of our Joy grows greater by mingling with another's Flame, and the Beams are redoubled by Reflection; to join with this awful Congregation of Men and Angels in one great Chorus to our Maker; A a 2

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