of God himself. For as the holy soul feels no more powerful motive to love God, than because he is most worthy of it, as he is God, a being of infinite excellencies, and therefore to be loved above the dearest persons and things, even itself; so the highest joy it partakes of is from this consideration, that God is infinitely blessed and glorious. For in this the supreme desire of love is accomplished, that the most beloved object is perfectly honored and pleased. In heaven the love of the saints to God is in its highest perfection, and they see his glory in the most perfect manner, which causes a transcendant joy to them. And this is one reason why the saints, though shining with unequal degrees of glory, are equally content. For their most ardent love being set on God, that he is pleased to glorify himself by such various communications of his goodness, is full satisfaction to their desires. Besides, in those different degrees of glory, every one is so content with his own,* that there is no possible desire of being but what he is,

CHAPTER VI.

The communion of the angels and saints in heaven affords the purest pleasure. Love unites them. The allays of love cease there. As love is enlarged in its object and degrees, such is the delight that results from it. The joy of heaven is without defect or end. The productive causes of it are always equal. The face of God always shines there, and the contemplation of it is fixed. The constant enjoyment of God in heaven does not lessen the delight of the saints. The reasons why the fruition of sensible things without change is tedious. All those causes of dissatisfaction cease in heaven. The saints have as lively a perception of their happiness forever, as in the beginning of it.

In heaven "the innumerable company of angels, and the general assembly of the church of the first born," as they receive happiness from the sight of God, so they communicate the purest pleasure to one another. An unfeigned ardent affection unites that pure society. Our love is now kindled, either from a relation in nature, or a civil account, or some visible excellencies that render a person worthy of our choice and friendship: but in heaven the reasons are greater, and the degrees of love incomparably more fervent. All carnal alliances and respects cease in that supernatural state. The Apostle tells us, "If I have known Christ

*Sic itaq; habebit donum aliud alio minus, ut hic quoq; donum habeat, ne velit amplius. Aug.

after the flesh, I know him so no more." By the resurrection and ascension of Christ he was transported into another world, and had communion with him as a heavenly king, without low regards to the temporal privilege of conversing with him on earth. The spiritual relation is more near and permanent than the strictest band of nature. The saints have all relation to the same heavenly father, and to Jesus Christ the prince of peace, and head of that happy fraternity. The principle motives of love here, are the inherent excellencies of a person. Wisdom, holiness, goodness, fidelity are mighty attractives, and produce a more worthy affection, a more intimate confederacy of souls, than propinquity in nature, or any carnal respects. Virtue is amiable in an old person, though wrinkled and deformed: vice is hateful in a young person, though beautiful. There are clearer eyes than those of flesh, a purer light than what is sensible, a diviner beauty than what is corporeal, and a nobler love than what is sensual. David declares that all his delight was in the excellent. But there are allays of this spiritual love here. For,

1. There are relics of frailty in the best men on earth, some blemishes that render them less amiable when discovered. Here their graces are mixed with infirmities, and but ascending to glory. Accordingly our love to them must be regular, and serene, not clouded with error, mistaking defects for amiable qualities. But in heaven, the image of God is complete by the union of all the glorious virtues requisite to its perfection. Every saint there exactly agrees with the first exemplar, a divine beauty shines in them ever durable, a beauty that darts no contagious fire, that is inviolable and can suffer no injury. The Apostle tells us, "The church shall be glorious in holiness, without spot or wrinkle," or any thing that may cast an aspect of deformity upon it.

2. In the present state the least part of the saints worth is visible. As the earth is fruitful in plants and flowers, but its riches are in mines of precious metals, and the veins of marble hidden in its bosom. True grace appears in sensible actions, "but its glory is within." The sincerity of aims, the purity of affections, the impresses of the spirit on the heart, the interior beauties of holiness, are only seen by God. Besides, such is the humility of eminent saints, that the more they abound in spiritual treasures, the less they shew. As the heavenly bodies, when in nearest conjunction with the sun, and fullest of light, make the least appearance to our sight. But all their excellencies shall then be in view, "the glory of God shall be revealed in them." And how attractive is the divine likeness to a holy eye? How will it ravish the saints to behold an immortal loveliness shining in one

*O si animum boni viri liceret inspicere, ex magnifico placidoq; fulgentem! nonne veluti numinis occursu obstupefacti essemus? Senec.

another? Their love is reciprocal, proportionable to the cause of it. An equal, constant flame is preserved by pure materials. Every one is perfectly amiable, and perfectly enamoured with all. How happy is that state of love? The Psalmist breaks out in a rapture," Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Love is the beauty and strength of societies, the pleasure of life. How excellent is the joy of the blessed, when the prayer of Christ shall be accomplished, that they all may be "one; as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." God is absolutely one in his glorious nature and will, and therefore unalterably happy : and their inviolable union in love is a ray of the essential unity between the sacred persons. There are no divisions of heart and tongues, as in this Babel; but the most perfect and sweetest concord, an eternal agreement in tempers and inclinations. There áre no envious comparisons; for love that affectively transforms one into another, causes the glory of every saint to redound to the joy of all. Every one takes his share in the felicity of all, and adds to it. Such is the power of that celestial fire wherein they all burn, that it melts and mixes souls in such an entire union, that by complacence, and an intimate joy, the blessedness of all is, as it were, proper to every one; as if every one were placed in the hearts of all, and all in the heart of every one. If in the church of the first-born christians in the earthly Jerusalem, the band of charity was so strict, that it is said, the "multitude of believers were of one heart, and one soul;" how much more intimate and inseparable is the union of the saints in Jerusalem above, where every one loves another as himself? It is recorded of Alexander, that entering with Hephestion, his favorite, into the pavilion of the mother of Darius, then his prisoner, she bowed to the favorite, as having a greater appearance of majesty, thinking him to be Alexander: but advised of her error, she humbly begged his pardon. To whom the generous king replied, "You did not err, mother, this is also Alexander*." Such was their affection, that whoever was taken of them, the other was taken in him; the less ascending in the greater, without degrading the greater in the less. This is a copy of the holy love of the blessed; but with the same difference, as between the description of a star with a coal, and its beauty in its proper aspect. And where all is love, all is delight. The act itself is its own reward. As that benign and pleasant affection is enlarged, with respect to the object, and its degrees, such is the complacence and delight that results from it. In that blessed society there is a constant receiving and returning of love and joy. And that double exercise of the saints, in the perfect circle of love, is like the pleasant labor of the bees, who all the day are flying to

*Non errasti, Mater, nam hic Alexander est. Curt. 1. 3.

the gardens, and returning to their hives, and all their art is in extracting the purest spirits from fragrant flowers, and making sweet honey. O how do they rejoice and triumph in the happiness of one another? With what an unimaginable tenderness do they embrace? What reciprocations of endearments are between them? O their ravishing conversation, and sweet intercourse! for their presence together in heaven is not a silent show. In the transfiguration, Moses and Elias talked with Christ: we may understand a little of it, by the sensible complacence that is among sincere friends here. In pure amity there is a three-fold union: a union of resemblance, that is the principle of it; likeness causes love: a union of affection, that is its essence; it is said of Jonathan, that incomparable friend, "his soul was knit with the soul of David, and he loved him as his own soul :" the union of conversation, that is requisite to the satisfaction of love. What an entertainment of love and joy is there in the presence and discourses of dear friends! their mutual aspects, like a chain composed of spirits luminous and active, draw and fasten their souls to one another: the felicity of love consists in their conversation. Now in heaven, whatever is pleasant in friendship is in perfection; and whatever is distasteful by men's folly and weakness is abolished. With what excellent discourses do they entertain one another? If David felt such inward pleasure from the sense of God's favors, that he could not restrain the expression of it, but invites the saints, "Come and hear, all ye that fear the Lord, and I will tell you what he has done for my soul:" certainly in heaven, the blessed with overflowing affections recount the divine benefits; the admirable methods, whereby the life of grace was begun, preserved and carried on amidst temptations; the continual succession of mercies in the time of their hopes, and the consummation of all in the time of their enjoyment. How joyfully do they concur in their thanksgivings to God for the goodness of creation; in making them reasonable creatures, capable to know, love and enjoy him, when they might have been of the lowest order in the whole spheres of being; for his compassionate care and providence over them in this world, but especially for his sovereign and singular mercy in electing them to be vessels of honor; for his powerful grace, in rescuing them from the cruel and ignominious bondage of sin; for his most free love, that justified them from all their guilt by the death of his only son, and glorified them with himself. They are never weary in this delightful exercise, but continually bless him for his "mercy that endures forever." We may judge by the saints here, when they are in a fit disposition to praise God, what fervors they feel in their united praises of him in heaven. The Psalmist in an extasy calls to all the parts of the world to join with him: "The Lord reigns, let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be glad; let the sea roar, let the fields be joyful, and

all that dwell therein." He desires that nature should be elevated above itself, that the dead parts be inspired with life, the insensible feel motions of joy, and those that want a voice break forth in praises, to adorn the divine triumph. With what life and alacrity will the saints in their blessed communion, celebrate the object of their love and praises? The Seraphim about the throne cried to one another, to express their zeal and joy, in celebrating his eternal purity and power, and the glory of his goodness. O the unspeakable pleasure of this concert! when every soul is harmonious, and contributes his part to the full music of heaven. O could we hear but some echo of those songs wherewith the heaven of heavens resounds, some remains of those voices wherewith the saints above triumph in the praises, in the solemn adoration of the king of spirits, how would it inflame our desires to be joined with them? "Blessed are those

that are in thy house, they always praise thee."

[3.] The fulness of joy in heaven is everlasting, without defect, and without end.

(1.) It is undecaying, the productive causes are conservative of it, being always equal. Those are the beatific object, and the continual fruition of it. Whilst we are here below, the sun of righteousness, as to our perception and sense, has ascensions and declinations, accesses and recesses. And our earth is not so purified, but some vapors arise that intercept his cheerful refreshing light. From hence there are alternate successions of spiritual comforts and sorrows, of doubts and filial confidence in the saints. It is a rare favor of heaven, when a humble believer in his whole course is so circumspect, as not to provoke God to appear displeased against him: when a christian (as those tutelar angels spoken of in the gospel) always beholds the face of his heavenly Father, and converses with him with a holy liberty. And what a torment the "hiding God's face" is to a deserted soul only they know who feel it. External troubles are many times attended with more consolations to the spirit, than afflictions to sense; but to love God with a transcendent affection, and to fear he is our enemy, no punishment exceeds, or is equal to it. As his loving kindness in their esteem is better than life, so his displeasure is worse than death. How do they wrestle with God by prayers and tears, and offer, as it were, a holy violence to the King of heaven, to recover their first serenity of mind, the lost peace of heart? how passionately dothey cry out with Job in the book of his patience, O that I were as in months past as in the days when God preserved me; when his candle shined upon my head, when by his light I walked through Darkness; as I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle! Job. 29. 2, 3. And sometimes God delays the revealing himself even to his dearest children; not that he does not see their necessities, and hear their prayers, or is so