Laftly, More Safe, because more Eafie; there being not fo much danger of yielding to what a Man can eafily forbear, as to that which he muft abftain from with pain and uneafiness,

But the greatest Bleffednefs of all is the Vifion of God. Which I fuppofe may be extended beyond that Beatific Vifion of him, which is the Happiness of Angels and Saints in Heaven, and may fignifie fome peculiar Advantage belonging to the Pure in Heart even in this Life, namely, the clearer Perception of all Neceffary and Ideal Truths (which may well be call'd feeing of God, they being one and the fame with the Divine Effence) efpecially fuch Ideal Truths as are of a Moral and Spiritual Nature, to the Dif covery of which, Purity of Heart is an excellent Preparative. According to that of the Angel to Daniel, Dan. 12. 10. Many fball be purifi'd and made white, and none of the Wicked fball understand, but the Wife ball underftand. But having profeffedly difcours'd of this elsewhere, I fhall ftay no longer upon this part, but proceed to that other Vifion of God which is called Beatific.

* Refle&. on

the Condu&t of Human Life.

Here I remark, that this is the only Beatitude to which the exprefs Promise of the Vifion of God is annex'd. This indeed is implicitly contain'd in fome others, but there

only

only openly expreffed. And becaufe 'tis reafonable to think that our Lord does fuit his Rewards to the Natures of the Excellencies here fpecifyed, We may well conclude that he intended fome peculiar Honour and Priviledge to this holy difpofition of Soul, and to fignifie that it has a more than ordinary Title to the Happiness of the Beatific Visi on. This will include two things,

I. That the Pure in Heart shall have a clearer and more inlarged fight of God. II. That they fhall take a greater delight in what they do fee of him.

And First, They shall have a clearer and more enlarged fight of God. This will depend upon two Suppofitions.

I. Upon the peculiar Aptnefs of this Difpofition for the Vifion of God.

II. Upon the Will of God to afford a greater and clearer manifeftation of himself to a Soul fo difpofed.

That Purity of Heart has a peculiar aptnefs in order to the Vifion of God, we need not doubt, if we confider that the only reafon why we fee not God, now, is the groffnefs of this Tabernacle wherein the Soul is incafed. This is that Glass through which

we

we now fee fo Darkly, and which makes us do fo, 1 Cor. 13. 12. This is that black Skreen that parts the Material from the Intelligible World. The more abftract therefore we are from the Body, and from the Bodily Life, the more fit we shall be both to behold, and to indure the Rays of the Divine Light. We find that even now the purer and finer our Blood and Spirits are, the freer and clearer are our Thoughts. The more bright and tranfparent this Glass is, the more the Ideal Light will dart in upon our Souls. And the fame will hold in proportion hereafter. The purer the Soul is, the purer will all its Faculties and Operations be; the less it will retain of corporeal Gufts and Relishes; the more recollected and undivided will be its Powers; for Unity of Thought follows Unity of Desire; and the fewer things a Man defires, the fewer will be his Thoughts, and confequently the more ftrong and vigorous upon the Object where they fix. To which we may add, that the purer the Soul is, the purer will alfo be her Resurrection Body; which is of great moment to the Vifion of God, as well as to other Spiritual Operations. For we must then fee through a Glafs as well as now; only the Glafs will be clearer, according to the different Purity of the Soul, which even in this Life gives a particular Brightness of

Air to the Countenance, and makes the Face to fhine with an unimitable Luftre. Purity of Heart therefore even upon this fingle account has a peculiar aptnefs in order to the Vifion of God. But to this may be added Secondly the Will of God to afford a greater and clearer manifestation of himself. to a Soul so disposed. For 'tis highly rational to believe, that God who is fo great a Lover, will also be a liberal Rewarder of inward Purity; and that he who delights to dwell in pure Hearts now, will reveal himfelf in a very plentiful measure to fuch hereafter. So that both from the aptness of the Difpofition and from the Will of God we may conclude, That the Pure in Heart fhall have a larger fhare of the Beatific Vifion.

Nor fhall they only fee more of God, but Secondly, take a greater Delight in what they do fee of him. And this is the principal Ingredient of their Happiness: For 'tis not the meer having, but the delighting in a thing that makes a Man happy. And this is the Condition of Pure Souls. The fame Purity which procures them a more inlarged fight of God, will alfo make them to delight in the Vifion of him, fo that they fhall Tafte as well as See how good Godis, Pfal. 34. For the purer the Soul is, the liker it is to God who is Effential Purity; and the more it refembles God, the more it muft needs love and delight in him. Like

Likeness is the greateft indearment of Love, and the moft natural Foundation of Delight and Complacency. We fee this in all the Orders of Being, and in all the Degrees of Life. In the Sympathetic Affociations of Vegetables, in the Voluntary Confortings of Animals, and in the chofen Friendfhips of Men. But most of all may this be feen in God himself. What is it but the moft perfect Likeefs and Conformity of Effences, Understandings and Wills that renders the Sacred Perfons of the mysterious and adorable Trinity fo infinitely lovely and agreeable to each other! This was that which made the Father fay of the Son, Heb. 1. 3. This is my beloved Son in whom I am wellpleafed, because he faw there the Brightness

his Glory, and the exprefs image of his PerJon. And upon this is founded that mutual Delight which the other Sacred Perfons enjoy from each other. That therefore which makes the Perfons of the Holy Trinity delight in one another, muft needs make the pure Soul delight in the Holy Trinity. A pure Soul cannot but delight in a pure God, and the purer fhe is, the more fhe will love and delight in him. Purity of Heart does even here Anticipate, much more then will it hereafter increase the Joys of Heaven.

It remains therefore, that having this excellent Hope, we study to purifie our selves