If Men could attain much greater Degrees of Knowledg, than 'tis poffible for them to do in this World, and could be fure of efcaping those evil Occurrences, which so often cut them off in the Bloom of Youth, or in the full Vigour of their Days; yet Old Age foon overtakes them, and makes a wonderful Impreffion on the Mind as well as on the Body: So that 'tis no uncommon thing to fee the Faculties of the Soul, that were once ftrong and lively, become very weak and languid; and what was acquir'd with much Diligence and Labour, is in a great measure loft during this Life; fo that many a Man may be faid to furvive his Learning, and even outlive his Reason. But no fuch Declenfion will attend the Knowledg of the Bleffed. None of the bright Ideas they have receiv'd fhall be blotted from their Minds, but their Understandings eternally improve by the Divine Truths that fhall be continually expos'd 1 John 3.2. to their View, when they fhall be like God, and fee him as he is.

(2.) Let us farther confider Man as a free Agent, and capable of Morality; and we shall find, that to make him truly and perfectly blessed, he must have a Happiness futed to this part of his Character, which indeed dignifies him more than all other Advantages. The Holiness, Juftice, Goodness, Mercy and Truth of God, which are term'd his moral Perfections, give us the most glorious Idea of him and fince a Creature is by fo much the more excellent, by how much the more nearly it resembles the Creator; and fince Men can refemble the Great God in nothing fo much, as in these moral Properties, in being holy as

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he is holy, and merciful as he is merciful; the 1 Pet. 1. 16. Felicity of the Saints in Heaven mult chiefly Luke 6. 36. confift in moral Perfection. It is especially, on this account, that Man is faid to have been created in the Image of GOD; it was Sin that defac'd this glorious Likeness, and 'tis the defign of Religion to renew it on the Soul, in order to render it happy for ever.

'Tis indeed impoffible to be happy without it; not only because God has, by an irreverfible Sentence, determin'd, that without Holiness Heb. 12. 14. no Man fhall fee him; but because, in the nature of the thing, 'tis neceffary, that the Powers of the Soul be turn'd and apply'd to their proper Objects, to render her compleatly happy. An unnatural Situation of the Mind will be attended with Uneafinefs, which will frequently recur, notwithstanding all the Amusements Men can poffibly invent to divert or allay it. And Creatures, capable of moral Agency, could not be happy, fuppofing they could be tranfported into Heaven, while their Souls are viciously inclin'd: For how could thofe, who are detitute of the Love of God, find pleasure in the View of his Perfections, the Beauty of whose Holiness would conftantly reproach them for the Deformity of their Sin; and the Severity of whose Juftice would ftrike fuch Terror on their guilty Minds, as would foon convince them, they could no more fubfift in his Prefence,than dry Stubble can dwell with devouring Fire? Since the Happiness of rational Creatures (as was juft now obferv'd) chiefly confifts in their Likeness to their Creator, and in their Communion with him; where there is no Resemblance, but contrary Inclinations, what Communion can there be? What CommuL1

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2 Cor.6. 14, nion hath Light with Darkness? And what Cor cord hath Chrift with Belial? And for the fame reafon, the Company of Saints and Angels would render the Wicked very uneasy, if they were join'd to that bleffèd Society; in which they could find nothing to footh and flatter their foolish Prejudices and corrupt Appetites, but fuch Sentiments and Difpofitions as would directly oppose and contradict them, nay cenfure and condemn them.

The Blifs of Heaven is defcrib'd by a State 57. 20, of Reft and Tranquillity; while the Wicked are like the raging Sea, when it cannot reft, whofe Waters caft up Mire and Dirt, as the Prophet fpeaks; and then folemnly repeats the fame thing in other Terms, There is no Peace, faith Their Souls are my GOD, to the Wicked.

2, &c.

agitated with furious Storms, and they are fo violently driven by impetuous Appetites, and fo diftracted with the Tumult of their contending Paffions, that if they seek Reft, 'tis impoffible they fhould find it, while they are poffefs'd with fuch a Legion of evil Spirits.

But as good Men afpire after nothing fo much as a moral Refemblance of the Divine Being, and as nothing makes them so uneasy in this World as the want of Conformity to their 2 Cor. 5. 1, Maker's Will, which often makes them groan, and defire to be diffolv'd, that they may put off the Body of Sin, and be divested of their earthly Tabernacle together; and makes each of them cry out in the Language of the PfalPfal. 55. 6. mift, O that I had Wings like a Dove! for then would I flee away, and be at reft: So this View of the future Glory, as a State of Immunity from all Sin, and of a compleat Conformity to the Will of God, is, in their account, the

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moft glorious and agreeable that can be given. As no Burden is fo great to them as that of their Sins, and no Sorrow fo pungent as that which is occafion'd by the confideration of their Folly and Deformity; fo nothing fo effectually revives their drooping Minds, and infpires them with fo lively a Joy, and fo ravishing a Pleasure, as the Hope of their Arrival at a State of perfect Holiness, which they know is the highest Glory of Creatures, and therefore will give them the greatest Joy and Satisfaction.

(3.) As Man is a Creature capable of various Appetites and Affections, his Happiness must be confider'd with reference to thefe, and must exclude those of them, which either fuppofe, or are the occafion of Imperfection, Mifery and Uneafinefs; and fix the reft on their proper Objects, giving them a futable Intenseness, and a conftant Pleasure, and that Satisfaction, which gives reft to the Soul.

Thus the Appetites of Hunger and Thirst will have no room in that bleffed State, where the Bodies of the Saints fhall not need those Reparations by Food and Drink, which their prefent Infirmities require. All Fear fhall be excluded, where there fhall be no poffibility of Danger, and where there fhall be perfect Love, which the Apostle fays, cafts out Fear. There will be no room for Anger, where there will be nothing to provoke and irritate, or give the leaft Uneafinefs; no Sorrow, where thère fhall be no mournful Scenes to excite that Paffion, and Hope it felf fhall be render'd ufelefs by the Enjoyment of a compleat Felicity. There all Defires will be regular, and these will find their true and full Satisfaction; Love

will be conftantly and intenfely imploy'd in the View of Objects infinitely lovely, and unspeakable Joy refult from the Fruition of substantial and eternal Good.

(4.) This Happiness will be accommodated to Mankind, as confcious of their own Thoughts and Actions. Now to render Creatures of fuch a Constitution happy, the Reflections they make upon their own Powers and Faculties, their Thoughts and Senfations, their Words and Actions, muft give them no Trouble or Anxiety; but, on the contrary, great Delight and Contentment.

The Confcioufnefs of the Dignity of our Nature, of the excellent Faculties, Talents and Endowments God has been pleas'd to give us, and the Abuse of these by what paffes in our Minds, and in our Lives, by the Vanity of our Imaginations, the Temerity and Partiality of our Judgments, and the Irregularity of both our Paffions and Actions, give us frequently a very juft occafion of Shame and Remorfe: Whereas the Reflections we make on the right ufe of the Powers God has given us, and on thofe Thoughts, Defires, Inclinations and Ac tions, which we have regulated by his Will, give us confiderable Pleasure and Satisfaction in this World, tho attended with many Infir mities and Imperfections. How happy then must the Righteous be in the heavenly State, when their Minds fhall be agreeably entertain'd with Reflections on the Powers and Faculties God has given them, when rais'd to the utmost pitch of Perfection of which they are capable! When they fhall fee the brightest Traces of the Divine Image on their own Hearts; when they shall feel no Reluctancy to the performance

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