fons, never fo much more Taking and Berter.

Often alfo do we fee men that are in Love, (whether thro' Enchantment, Humour, or Accident,) moft Fond of Perfons very Courfe, and fuch as others would call Deformed; Yet fo pleas'd with their Company and Converfation, that they refent it as a heavy Crofs and Misfortune, to be Torn from 'em. This fure could never be, Were not Love the Charming Ingredient, which gave the pleafing Relifh to all that's counted Amiable. And if this be fo, How fublime then will be the Saints Pleasure, To be ever Converfant with God, and all the Bleffed; whom they cannot but always the moft ardently Love; And not thro' any Error of Judgment, Miflake 'em, But in the greateft reality, know 'em to be the Fairest and the Beft; And fuch alfo from whom they are fure, never to be Parted; and by whom they'll never ceafe to be Loved! As on the contrary, Twill be one of the bitter Torments of the Damned, To be always Linkt to fuch, as they most of all Abbor; and by whom they know themfelves to have been Circumvented, and moft cruelly and bafely us'd in a thoufand parti

culars.

II. Ano

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II. Another thing which will create for great Joy in the Wills of the Bleffed, is the full and perfect Reft and Tranquillity, which will render 'em every way, and at all times, Content and Eafy. Too notorious it is, that here on Earth, scarce any, Body is Satisfy'd with his Lot. No body but defires many things, which he cannot Compass. So that all here are Hungry, all are Thirfly, all Reflefs, and fome way or other Uneafy. And no Wonder at the matter: When our Mind is capa-ble of an Infinite Good; and all the Created things which Tempt or Flatter us here,. C are fmall and Frail, and at best, cannot hold out Long. O with what Joy then will the man abound, who finds himfelf in that Place and State where he fhall Call manner of ways,) Live most highly Satisfy'd Where he fhall defire nothing,. Fear nothing, afpire after nothing, ever any more. O Peace indeed, paffing all understanding! Such as the World cannot give. And only found in Jerufalem above,, the City of the great King of Peace. After thee breaths and groans our poor Exile here, So full of Tryals, Troubles, and Difreft And 'tis only in the Remem brance and Expectation of thee, that we find fome little Eafe and Rest.

III. That which brings more Joy Yet to the Bleffed's Will, is the perfect Righ teousness there; more perfect, even than that Original Righteousness in Adam: which did (it's true,) fubject the Inferior part to the Superior, as long as the Superior was fubject to God: But this does not only fubject the Inferior part to the Superior; but the Superior also to God; and with fuch a band, as is never to be Diffolved. That was like a Woollen or Linnen Garment: This all Silk and Gold: And that which makes the Will moft Fair and Lovely to God, to it felf, to Angels, and all the Bleffed. This is the perfect Righteousness, that's without any manner of Spot or blemish. And of the Soul fo clad, it may be faid, as Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all Fair, my Love: There is no Spot in thee. This includes the Univerfality of Virtues, without any mixture of Imperfetion. And what a Tranfporting Pleasure and Gladness, like the continual Feast, will fuch Righteoufnefs bring? Inftead * of Prov. 15. 15. I cite, Ecclef. 9.7. Go thy way; Eat thy Bread with Joy, and drink thy Wine with a merry beart: For God accepteth thy Works. That is the tru ly Secure Mind, which never feels any Re morfe of Confcience: Being fo establish'd in Good by perfect Righteoufnefs, that it

cannot

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cannot Slip, but for one Moment. Hear the Apoftle, Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdom of God is Righteousness and Peace, and Foy in the buly Ghost. A Joy, that does not lye in Meat and Drink; in pleafing the Throat, and filling the Belly: But in the Righteoufnefs, which fills the Mind with a folid Peace, and cordial Joy's For he that is compleatly Righteous, has not any thing in his Heart to Condemn him; Nor in his Actions, For which he might be Condemned by others. And hence arifes that moft fweet and found Peace, with God with it felf, and with all others. From which Results that Joy in the Holy Ghoft, unfpeakable and full of Glory; with which Joy no Earthly Temporal Gladness and Satisfaction, is ever to come in Competi tion.

231

CHA P. IV.

Of the Joy of the Memory.

HE Memory, by Recalling many a former Tranfaction, will bring in no Imall matter of prefent Joyful Reflection, For

(

I. The Remembrance of God's Benefits, fo many and precious, which we found throughout our whole Life, Spiritual and Corporal, Natural and Supernatural, Temporal and Eternal Goods, cannot but fill the heart with incredible Gladness. When the Faithful shall call to mind how many Times and ways they were Prevented, and Followed with fweet Bleffings, Lovingkindness, and tender Mercies.

II. To Recolle& the Dangers, out of which by wonderful Means the Lord Refcued us in all our days; When fo often. we were Threat'ned, and in fo many cafes, fore put to it: What Reviving will it bring! What Gladness afford And above all other Dangers, may I place that of Deadly Sins; which expofe us to the continual Peril of dropping into an endless Hell; When God, even our own God, either by his powerful Grace, kept us from the great Tranfgreffion; or of his Tender Mercy, Pardon'd us for it. This Mercy fo Rich and Peculiar, often fhew'd upon his. Elect, when it comes to their Minds, in that fafe and ferene Region above, O what an overflowing Gladness muft it needs create! And fuch Remembrance of Mercies, fhould it be there wanting, How would they, (according to Pfal. 89. 1.) Sing of

the