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course, and apply herself to many other the like exercises of different kinds and natures; but what is more to be confidered, the foul is capable of receiving a most exquifite pleasure and fatisfaction from the exercise of these its powers when they are gratified with their proper objects: fhe can be entirely happy by the fatisfaction of the memory, the fight, the hearing, or any other mode of perception. Every faculty is as a diftinct tafte in the mind, and hath objects accommodated to its proper relifh. Dr. Tillotfon fomewhere fays, that he will not presume to determine in what confifts the happinefs of the blessed, because God Almighty is capable of making the foul happy by ten thousand different ways. Befides thofe feveral avenues to pleafure which the foul is endued with in this life, it is not impoffible, according to the opinions of many eminent divines, but there may be new faculties. in the fouls of good men made perfect, as well as new senses in their glorified bodies. This we are fure of, that there will be new objects offered to all thofe faculties which are effential to us.

We are likewife to take notice, that every particular faculty is capable of being employed on a very great variety of objects. The understanding, for example, may be happy in the contemplation of moral, natural, mathematical, and other kinds of truth. The memory likewife may turn itself to an infinite multitude of objects, especially when the foul fhall have paffed through the space of many millions of years, and fhall reflect with pleasure on

the days of eternity. Every other faculty may be confidered in the fame extent.

We cannot question but that the happiness of a foul will be adequate to its nature, and that it is not endued with any faculties which are to lie useless and unemployed. The happiness is to be the happiness of the whole man, and we may eafily conceive to ourselves the happiness of the foul, while any one of its faculties is in the fruition of its chief good. The happiness may be of a more exalted nature in proportion as the faculty employed is fo; but as the whole foul acts in the exertion of any of its particular powers, the whole foul is happy in the pleasure which arises from any of its particular acts. For notwithstanding, as has been before hinted, and as it has been taken notice of by one of the greatest modern philofophers, we divide the foul into feveral powers and faculties, there is no fuch divifion in the foul itself, fince it is the whole foul that remembers, understands, wills, or imagines. Our manner of confidering the memory, understanding, will, imagination, and the like faculties, is for the better enabling us to exprefs ourselves in fuch abftracted fubjects of fpeculation, not that there is any fuch divifion in the foul itself.

Seeing then that the foul has many different faculties, or in other words, many different ways of acting; that it can be intenfely pleased, or made happy by all thefe different faculties or ways of acting; that it may be endued with several latent aculties, which it is not at present in a condition

to exert; that we cannot believe the foul is endued with any faculty which is of no ufe to it; that whenever any one of these faculties is tranfcendently pleased, the foul is in a state of happiness; and in the laft place, confidering that the happiness of another world is to be the happiness of the whole man; who can queftion but that there is an infinite variety in those pleasures we are speaking of; and that this fulness of joy will be made up of all those pleasures which the nature of the foul is capable of receiving?

We fhall be the more confirmed in this doctrine, if we observe the nature of variety, with regard to the mind of man. The foul does not care to be always in the fame hent. The faculties relieve one another by turns, and receive an additional pleafure from the novelty of those objects about. which they are converfant.

Revelation likewise very much confirms this notion, under the different views which it gives us of our future happiness. In the description of the throne of God, it represents to us all those objects which are able to gratify the fenfes and imagination: in very many places it intimates to us all the happiness which the understanding can poffibly receive in that state, where all things fhall be revealed to us, and we fhall know even as we are known; the raptures of devotion, of divine love, the pleasure of converfing with our hleffed Saviour, with an innumerable hoft of Angels, and with the fpirits of juft men made perfect, are likewise revealed to us in feveral parts of the holy writings.

There are alfo mentioned thofe hierarchies of governments, in which the bleffed fhall be ranged one above another, and in which we may be fure a great part of our happiness will likewife confift; for it will not be there as in this world, where every one is aiming at power and fuperiority; but on the contrary, every one will find that ftation the most proper for him in which he is placed, and will probably think that he could not have been so happy in any other ftation. These and many

other particulars are marked in divine.revelation, as the several ingredients of our happiness in heaven, which all imply such a variety of joys, and such a gratification of the foul in all its different faculties, as I have been here mentioning.

Some of the Rabbins tell us, that the cherubims are a fet of angels who know moft, and the feraphims a set of angels who love most. Whether this diftinction be not altogether imaginary, I fhall not here examine; but it is highly probable, that among the fpirits of good men, there may be fome who will be more pleased with employment of one faculty than of another, and this perhaps, according to those innocent and virtuous habits or inclinations which have here taken the deepest root.

Imight here apply this confideration to the fpirits of wicked men, with relation to the pain which they fhall fuffer in every one of their faculties, and the respective miferies which shall be appropriated to each faculty in particular. But leaving this to the reflection of my readers, I fhall conclude, with obferving how we ought to be thankful to our

to exert; that we cannot believe the f with any faculty which is of no uf whenever any one of these faculties is tr pleased, the foul is in a state of happ the laft place, confidering that the hap other world is to be the happiness man; who can queftion but that ther variety in those pleasures we are spea that this fulness of joy will be made u pleasures which the nature of the foul receiving?

We fhall be the more confirmed in t if we observe the nature of variety, wi the mind of man. The foul does no always in the fame hent. The faculticanother by turns, and receive an ado fure from the novelty of those ol which they are conversant.

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Revelation likewife very much conf tion, under the different views whic of our future happiness. In the defe throne of God, it represents to us a' which are able to gratify the fens tion in very many places it intim happiness which the understand receive in that state, where all vealed to us, and we shall kn known; the raptures of deve the pleasure of converfing wi with an innumerable hoft

fpirits of juft men mad

vealed to us in feveral

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