Some therefore fancy that we shall know one another by the assistance of our discourse. But our voice shall then be changed as well as our countenance; and it is doubtful whether we shall discourse of the former things which happened on earth; for our chief employment shall be to behold God's face, and to sing forth his praises. I had rather therefore affirm, that we shall know one another by an infused knowledge, by which we shall know all things which are possible to be known, and by the light of that glory with which God shall fill our souls. In short, this knowledge shall proceed from no other principle than that of all the knowledge with which we shall be crowned in that state of glory and perfection.

I am therefore more than fully persuaded, that we shall know in heaven our parents and our friends, and generally all the persons whom we have known here below. But we shall also perfectly know them whom we never knew in the world, and never saw with the eyes of the flesh. We shall know the holy and blessed Virgin Mary, the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, the evangelists, the confessors, the martyrs, and generally, without exception, all the saints, who shall be crowned with glory and joy in heaven. There is nobody can question, but that, in the celestial paradise, we shall have more knowledge and understanding, than ever Adam had in the earthly. Now when God caused a deep sleep to fall upon him, when he took one of his ribs, and formed therewith a woman, he had seen none of this done; nevertheless, when his eyes were open, he knew her. Therefore he declared his judgment in this manner, "This is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh." And shall not we, when God shall rouse us up from the deep sleep of death, with the sound of the last trumpet, know the spouse of the Son of God, which he hath drawn out of his side, and moulded with his own precious blood? St. Peter, when he was enlightened by a beam of our Saviour's glory in his transfiguration, knew 3 T Moses

14.

Moses and Elias, whom he had never seen before. And shall not we know all the children of God upon Mount Sion, when we shall be transfigured ourselves; and that we shall shine as the heavenly light, whereof that of Mount Tabor was but an imperfect shadow and representation? But tho' we shall know in heaven all the persons whom we have known on earth, we shall look upon them in another manner, and love them with another affection; for all that we have of the animal and earthly life shall be totally abolished; and as our knowledge shall be clear and certain, our love shall be pure and heavenly. I am not able to express this better than St. Paul doth in these words, "Although I have known Christ according to the flesh, nevertheless I know him no more according to the flesh." Christians, consider well these expressions; they will be able to remove all difficulty and doubts out of your minds. We are fully persuaded, that all the inhabitants of heaven shall know very well our Lord Jesus Christ; for how can it be otherwise, but that we must know this glorious Monarch of men and of angels, whose sacred countenance shall shine as the sun, and who shall sit upon his magnificent throne, about which legions of seraphims fly, and who shall be there adored for ever by all the church of glory? Nevertheless, St. Paul saith, "That although he hath known Jesus Christ according to the flesh;" that is to say, according to the manner of his low and earthly life, when he lived here on earth; at present he did not know him in the same manner, he did not consider him otherwise, but as he is at present invested with an unspeakable glory and splendour. In the same manner, although we shall know all them whom we have known on earth, we shall no more know them according to the flesh, that is to say, according to this animal and sensual life; our love shall have nothing earthly or carnal, but it shall be altogether spiritual and heavenly.

I beseech you, Christians, consider well what St. Matthew

tells

tells us in chap. xxi. The Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Christ to entangle him with this difficult question, "Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren; the first, when he had married a wife, deceased; and having no issue, left his wife unto his brethren; likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh; and last of all the woman died also; therefore in the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven, for they all had her?" Our Saviour answers not, That this woman shall belong to none of those husbands, because they shall not know her, nor distinguish her from other women; but he replies to them, "You do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God; for in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels of God in heaven." From hence we may conclude, that although in heaven we shall know one another, we shall have nothing of that carnal love which we have at present, and which causeth us to put so much difference between one person and another. A father may know his children, but his love shall not be grounded upon considerations of flesh and blood; he shall love them only, because they are amongst the children of God, and the heirs of the kingdom, and because he shall appear in the image of the heavenly Father, clothed with his light, and crowned with his immortal glory. Finally, We shall love nothing but in God and for his sake, as they shall be in God, and God in them. In this manner it shall not be possible to love them more or less; charity or love, the queen of virtues, shall then sit upon his throne, and attain to the highest degree of perfection.

If you think seriously upon this, Christians, you shall find arguments to answer the vain objections of such as say, That if we come to the knowledge of one another in heaven, that will be able to disturb us of our satisfaction. For as it is a

comfort

comfort and joy to meet there with our parents and friends; in like manner, it will be a trouble and affliction, not to find there all such whom we have formerly loved. We may form and retort the same objection, with more reason, against those who believe that we shall not know one another in heaven. For we may say also, that not knowing the persons, we shall not know whether our parents, or our friends, are there and this is likely to disturb and trouble the quiet and satisfaction of our minds. But to argue in this gross manner, is to confound heaven with the earth.

Grief and displeasure can never be admitted in a paradise of joy and perfect happiness. In this glorious condition, our knowledge shall be so clear, our charity so pure, our love to God so fervent, that as we shall love all things which God shall love, and where his image shall appear; so it shall not be possible for us to love them whom God shall hate, them who shall bear the marks and characters of the devil.

When David was yet here upon earth, he saith unto God, "Lord, do I not hate them that hate thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred; they have been to me as mine enemies," Psa. cxxxix. In the same manner we shall rather speak in heaven, in the state of perfection, when God shall be in us all in all, and we shall be all in God. Some there are that inquire, What kind of language we shall speak in heaven? Some reply, That we shall speak the language of angels; grounding their opinion upon what St. Paul says to the Corinthians, "Though I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."

But this is a fantastical opinion; for as the angels are pure spirits, they can have no tongue, nor proper language. I confess, in some holy apparitions, angels have spoken to men; but it was by moving the tongues of their borrowed

bodies,

bodies, or by employing some other corporal organ. Then they spoke in the language of those to whom they were sent, and had no particular or proper dialect. But if angels did speak, their language would excel as much that of men, as the angelical nature excels the human. By the tongues of angels, therefore, our apostle understands, an excellent tongue better than that of men.

Others fancy, that in heaven we shall speak no other language but the Hebrew, because, say they, that it is the tongue which God hath sanctified from the beginning of the world, in which he spoke to the patriarchs and holy prophets; in which he proclaimed his law upon Mount Sinai, in the audience of all the people of Israel, and in which he hath recorded his sacred law with his own finger. They say that 'tis the language which Adam spoke in the earthly paradise, in the state of innocency, and which all the inhabitants of the world made use of before God sent among them a division of tongues. And we may also affirm, that 'twas the language used by our Saviour while he was on earth. For the Syriac, which he commonly spoke as the rest of the Jews, is a dialect of the Hebrew, or a kind of corrupted Hebrew. Others are yet of opinion, that as then we shall attain to all the knowledge and sciences, we shall not be ignorant of any kind of languages, but that with them we shall declare the wonderful works of God, as the apostles at the day of Pentecost. As the holy scripture is silent upon the matter, I shall affirm nothing.

But in general terms I may declare, that as God caused a division of tongues to punish man's insolence and pride; and as the different languages of people is an effect of their sin, 'tis more certain, that this confusion and difference shall be altogether taken away, and that nothing shall be said in heaven but shall be very well understood by all the glorified saints. I may add, moreover, that in case we should speak so well all

manner