pugnance or indifferency, so neither can any acts of reason be to our rational; the pleasure of all acts, whether sensitive or rational, consisting (as I shewed before) in the sprightfulness and vigour of them. And this is the cause why men now find so little felicity in these most rational acts of godliness, because by their own bad customs they have rendered themselves averse, or at least very cold and indifferent to them, which necessarily renders us dead and listless in the exercise of them; and consequently causes them to go off with little gust, if not with an ungrateful relish. But even in this imperfect state, we find, by experience, that the more our corrupted nature discharges and disburdens itself of those vicious indispositions, which do so cramp and arrest it in these its heavenly operations, the more it is pleased still and delighted in them; yea, and that when it is so far inured to a godly life, as to be able to practise the several virtues of it, but with the same degree of activity and vigour as it was wont to do its most beloved lusts, it is unspeakably more pleased and satisfied; and finds more sweetness, by a thousand degrees, in its love and adoration, obedience and imitation of God, than ever it did in the highest relishes of epicurism and sensuality; that the more perfectly we love and adore, &c. the more of heaven we taste in these blessed acts; and that when, by a long and constant practice of them, we have once rendered them natural to us, we enjoy such an heaven upon earth, in the easy, free, and vigorous exercise of them, as we would not exchange for all the pleasures and felicities which the world can afford us. And yet, God knows, the most perfect state of godliness which we attain to here hath so

many degrees of imperfection in it, and in this we are so disturbed and interrupted by bodily indispositions, and the troubles and necessities of this present life, that from the joy and pleasure which results from it here, we can hardly guess at those ravishing felicities which will spring out of it hereafter when we shall be perfectly released from all the encumbrances of flesh and blood, and sin; when we shall be translated into a free and quiet state, wherein we shall have nothing else to do, but only to know and love, obey and imitate, and have no imperfection, either natural or vicious, to clog or disturb us in this our beatifical employment. Wherein we shall act with all our vigour and might, and thrust forth the whole strength of our souls in every love and every obedience; so that every motion of our souls towards God shall have the vehemence of a rapture in it, without the violence. When, I say, we shall be eternally fixed in a state of such perfect freedom and activity, our happiness must needs be as large as our desires, and as great as our utmost capacity or power of acting upon God. For now we shall imitate the most perfect, and adore the most adorable, as much as ever we are able; that is, we shall perform with all our might and vigour the acts that are most agreeable to our reasonable nature and in the utmost vigour of such acts (as I have already shewed) consists our utmost happiness.

Suppose we then a society of rational beings placed in such a state, wherein they have an object of infinite perfections always before them, and no evil from without or within to check or divert them from exerting all their powers upon him in the most reasonable actions: suppose them now to be moving

with unspeakable vigour and agility, like so many ever-living orbs-about this their everlasting centre; to be as full of love and duty to him as ever their hearts can hold; to be copying his perfections, and adoring his excellencies with an uncontrollable freedom and alacrity, and breathing forth themselves to him in cheerful praises and rapturous hallelujahs; in a word, to be exercising themselves about him to their utmost strength and power, in all those blessed offices which his nature and their relation to him call for suppose, I say, all this, and you have before ye that which is the very top and flower of the heaven of a reasonable creature; who in this blessed state is fixed, as it were, in his own proper element, where, without any let or disturbance, he freely moves and acts according to his most natural tendence and inclination.

And now, by this time, I think it is clear enough, that the main and principal part of the heaven of a man, considered as a reasonable creature, consists in knowing and choosing of God. But besides this, there are other blessed ingredients of heaven; the principal whereof is, the knowing and choosing those that are most like unto God; namely, the blessed Jesus in his human nature, and the holy angels and saints, who are all, in their several measures and degrees, the express and lively images of God. And therefore if to know and choose God be the supreme felicity of heaven, then doubtless the next to that is, to know and be acquainted with these blessed images of him, and freely to choose their company and conversation, and be entirely united to them in affection; without which, it would be no felicity to dwell in the same place with them. For to cohabit with

Jesus, and with saints and angels, and not be acquainted with and united to them in heart and affection, would be rather a burden than a pleasure. The happiness therefore of being in their society consists in knowing and choosing them. And this is every where implied, where our being in them is mentioned as a part of our heaven. Thus, 1 Thess. iv. 17. to be ever with the Lord, is the same thing with being ever in heaven: but then, it is to be ever with him upon choice: for so those words imply, Phil. i. 23. I desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better. And accordingly this is mentioned by the apostle as a dear privilege of our being members of the Christian church, whereby we are entitled to the society of holy myriads of angels, of the general assembly and church of the first-born, of God the judge of all, of the spirits of just men made perfect, and of Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, Heb. xii. 22, 23, 24. And indeed this must needs be an inestimable happiness, not only to cohabit, but be acquainted with, and in heart and will united to this blessed and glorious company. For what soul that has any spark of cordial love to Jesus, the best friend of souls that ever was, any grateful remembrance of what he did and suffered for our sakes, would not esteem it a mighty felicity to be admitted into his presence, and to be an eyewitness of the happy change of his past woful circumstances? To see him that was so cruelly treated, so barbarously vilified, tortured and butchered for our sakes, raised to the highest pitch of splendour and dignity, to be head and prince of all the hierarchy of heaven, to be worshipped and celebrated throughout all the noble choir of archangels

and angels, and spirits of just men made perfect? Verily methinks had I only the privilege to look in and see my dear and blessed Lord surrounded with all this circle of glories, it would be a most heavenly consolation to me, though I were sure never to partake of it. The very communion I should have in the joys of my Master would be a kind of heaven at second-hand to me, and my soul would be wondrous happy by sympathizing with him in his felicity and advancement. But, oh! when that blessed Person shall not only permit me to see his glory, but introduce me into it, and make me partaker of it; when I shall not only behold his beloved face, but be admitted into his dear conversation, and dwell in his arms and embraces for ever; when I shall hear him record the wondrous adventures of his love, through how many woful stages he passed to rescue me from misery, and make me happy, and in the mean time shall have a most ravishing feeling of that happiness; how will my heart spring with joy and burn with love, and my mouth overflow with praises and thanksgiving to him!

And as our acquaintance with and choice of the blessed Jesus must needs contribute vastly to our happiness, so must also (though not in so high degree) our being intimately acquainted and united with saints and angels; who being not only endowed with large and comprehensive understandings, but also with perfect good nature, and most generous charity, must needs make excellent company. For as their goodness cannot but render their conversation infinitely free and benign, so their great knowledge must necessarily render it equally profitable and delightful. And then being so know

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