world, for the use and comfort of us mortal creatures, as the glorious sun, which can both enlighten and dazzle the eyes of all beholders: hast proportionably ordained a light to that higher world, so much more excellent than the sun, as heaven is above earth, immortality above corruption. And if Solomon could say, Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see the sun; how infinitely delightful is it, in thy light to see such light, as may make the sun in comparison thereof to be as darkness! In thy presence is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. What can be wished for more than fulness of joy; and behold, thy presence, Lord, yields it.

Could I neither see saint or angel in that whole imperial heaven, none but thine Infinite Self, that alone were happiness enough for me. But as thou, in whom we now live and move and have our being, detractest nothing from thine alsufficiency, but addest rather to the praise of thy bounty, in that thou furnishest us with a variety of means both of life and subsistence: so here it is the praise of thy wonderful mercies which thou allowest us, besides thine immediate presence, the society of thy blessed angels and saints, wherein we may also enjoy thee.

And if the view of any of those single glories be enough to fill my soul with wonder and contentment; how must it needs run over at the sight of those worlds of beauty and excellency which are here met and united. Lo here the blessed hierarchy of innumerable angels, there the glorious company of the apostles, here the goodly fellowship of the patriarchs and prophets, there the noble army of martyrs, here the troops of laborious pastors and teachers, there the numberless multitudes of holy and conscientious professors. What exquisite order is here, what perfection of glory!

And if, even in thine eyes, thy poor despised church upon earth be so beautiful and amiable, 'fair as the moon, clear as the sun,' which yet, in the eyes of flesh, seems but homely and hard favoured; what infinite graces and perfections shall our spiritual eyes behold in thy glorified spouse above-what pure sanctity, what sincere charity,

what clear knowledge, what absolute joy, what entire union, what wonderful majesty, what complete felicity! All shine alike in their essential glory, but in different degrees. All are adorned with crowns, some also with coronets; some glitter with a sky-like, others with a starlike clearness. The least hath so much as to make him so happy, that he would not wish to have more; the greatest hath so much that he cannot receivé more.

Oh divine distribution of bounty, where there is no possibility of want or of envy. of the saints! One heaven is more than a thousand kingOh transcendent royalty doms, and every saint hath right to all. Every subject is here a sovereign; and every sovereign is absolute, under the free homage of an infinite Creator. Lo here, crowns without cares, sceptres without burden, rule without trouble, reigning without change. Oh the transitory vanity of all earthly greatness! Gold is the most durable metal; yet even that yields to age. Solomon's rich diadem of the pure gold of Ophir, is long since dust. These crowns of glory are incorruptible, beyond all the compass of time, without all possibility of alteration. Oh the pressing and unsatisfying contentments of earth! How many poor great ones below have that which they call honour and riches, and enjoy them not; and if they have enjoyed them, complain of satiety and worthlessness. Lo here, a free scope of perfect joy, of constant blessedness, without mixture, without intermission. Each one feels his own joy, feels each others; all rejoice in God, with a joy unspeakable and full of glory; and most sweetly bathe themselves, in a pure and complete blissfulness. This very sight of blessed souls is happiness; but oh for the fruition.

Go now, my soul, and after this prospect, doat upon those silly profits and pleasures, which have formerly bewitched thee; and if thou canst, forbear to long after the possession of this blessed immortality. Repine at the message of such an advantageous translation; and pity and lament the removal of those dear pieces of thyself, which have gone before thee to this unspeakable felicity.

SECTION 6.

Employment of the Saints above.

SUCH is the place, such the condition of the blessed. What is their employment; how do they spend, not their time, but their eternity? How; but in the exercise of the perpetual acts of their blessedness, in vision, adhesion, and fruition.

Is there not a contract betwixt God and the regenerate soul here below? Out of the engagement of his mercy and love, he endows the soul with the precious graces of faith, hope, and charity. Faith, whereby she knowingly apprehends her interest in him; hope, whereby she cheerfully expects the full accomplishment of his gracious promises; charity, whereby she is feelingly and comfortably possessed of him, and cleaves close to him. In the instant of our dissolution, we enter into the consummation of this blessed union. Wherein it pleaseth our bountiful God, to endow his glorified Spouse with these three privileges and improvements of her beatitude, answerable to these three divine graces. Vision answers to faith; for what our faith sees and apprehends here on earth and afar off as travellers, our state of glorification exhibits to us clearly and at hand; the object is the same, the degrees of manifestation differ. Adhesion answers to our hope; for what our hope comfortably expected and longed for, we now lay hold on as present, and are brought home to it indissolubly. Fruition answers to charity; for what is fruition, but a taking pleasure in the thing possessed, as truly desirable, and as our own; and what is this but the perfection of love? What is the end of our faith but sight; what the end of our hope but possession; what the end of our love but enjoyment. The inseparable and perpetual sight, possession and enjoyment, of the infinitely amiable and glorious Deity, is not therefore more the employment than the felicity of saints.

And what can be compared to this happiness? The man after God's own heart had one boon to ask of his

Maker: it must be surely some great suit, in which a favourite will take up his rest. 'One thing have I desired of the Lord, which I will require; even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to visit his holy temple.' Was it so satisfying a happiness to thee, oh David, to behold for a moment of time the fair beauty of the Lord in his earthly temple, where he meant not to reveal the height of his glory? How blessed art thou now, when thy soul lives for ever in the continual prospect of the infinite beauty and majesty of God, in the most glorious and eternal sanctuary of heaven! It was but in a cloud and smoke, wherein God shewed himself in his material house; above, thou seest him clothed in a heavenly and incomprehensible light; and if a little glimpse of celestial glory, in a momentary transfiguration, so transported the prime apostle, that he wished to dwell still in Tabor; how shall we be ravished with the full view of that all-glorious Deity, whose very sight gives blessedness. What a life doth the presence of the sun put into all creatures here below; yet the body of it is afar off, the power of it created and finite. Then how perfect and happy a life must we needs receive from the Maker of it, when the beams of his heavenly glory shall shine in our face. Here our weak senses are overcome with the brightness of the object; but our spirits above will never have to complain of excess. By how much more of that divine light they take in, they are so much the more blessed. There is no other thing in which our sight can make us happy. We may see all other objects, and yet be miserable; here our eyes convey to us an infinitude of bliss.

Yet not our eyes alone; but as the soul hath other spiritual senses also, they are wholly possessed of God. Our adhesion is as it were a heavenly touch, our fruition as a heavenly taste of the ever-blessed Deity; so the glorified soul in seeing God, feelingly enjoys him to all eternity, finding in him more absolute contentment than it can be capable of, and finding itself capable of so much as to make it everlastingly happy. Away with those brutish

paradises of Jews and Turks, who have placed happiness in the full feed of their sensual appetite. The Epicurean in the gospel could say, Let us eat and drink for to-morrow we die; but these men in effect say, Let us die, for we shall eat and drink; men whose belly is their God, and their kitchen their heaven. The soul that hath only tasted how good the Lord is, in the weak apprehension of grace here below, easily contemns these dunghill-felicities; and cannot but long after those true and satisfying delights above, in comparison whereof all the pleasures of the paunch and palate, are either savourless or offensive.

Feast thou thyself, oh my soul, with the joyful hope of this blessed vision and fruition. Alas, here thy dim eyes see thy God through clouds and vapours, and not without manifold hindrances. Here thou cleavest imperfectly to that absolute goodness, and with many interruptions; every prevalent temptation looseth thy hold, and makes thy God and thee strangers. Here thou enjoyest him sometimes in his favours, seldom in himself; and when thou dost so, how easily art thou robbed of him, by the interpositions of a crafty and bewitching world. There thou shalt so see him as never to look off, so adhere to him as never to be severed, so enjoy him that he shall ever be all in all to thee, even the soul of thy soul. Thy happiness is then essential, thy joy as inseparable as thy being.

SECTION 7.

The Connection between departed Saints, and Saints on Earth.

WE have seen what is the felicity of the separate souls of God's elect; but in the meantime, what relation do they bear to these human bodies, to these forlorn companions of their pilgrimage and warfare? Do they despise these houses of clay, wherein they once dwelt; or have