very various, and exactly suited to their charge and business. And it is no improbable thought, that the souls of men differ from each other as much as angels.

But if there were no difference at first betwixt the turn and genius of different spirits in their original formation, yet this we are sure of, that God designed their habitation in flesh and blood, and their passage through this world, as the means to form and fit them for various stations in the unknown world of spirits. The souls of men having dwelt many years in parti"cular bodies, have been influenced and habituated to particular turns of thought, both according to the various constitutions of those bodies, and the more various studies and businesses and occurrences of life. Surely then we may with reason suppose, the spirits departing from flesh to carry with them some bent and inclination towards various pleasures and employments.

So we may reasonably imagine each sinful spirit that leaves the body, to be more abundantly inflamed with those particular vices which it indulged here, whether ambition, or pride, or covetousness, or malice, or envy, or aversion to God and to all goodmess: and their various sorts of punishments may marise from their own variety of lusts, giving each of them a peculiar inward torment.

And why may not the spirits of the just made perfect have the same variety of taste and pleasure in that happy world above, according as they are fitted for various kinds of sacred entertainments in their estate of preparation, and during their residence in flesh and blood?" He that has wrought us for the self same thing is God," 2 Cor. v. 5.

In the world of human spirits made perfect David and Moses dwell: both of them were trained up in feeding the flocks of their fathers in the wilderness, to feed and to rule the nation of Israel, the chosen flock of God. And may we not suppose them also

trained up in the arts of holy government on earth, to be the chiefs of some blessed army, some sacred tribe in heaven? They were directors of the forms of worship in the church below under divine inspiration: and might not that fit them to become leaders of some celestial assembly, when a multitude of the sons of God above come at stated seasons to present themselves before the throne? Both of them knew how to celebrate the praise of their Creator in sacred melody; but David was the chief of mortals in the harmonious work: and may we not imagine that he is, or shall be, a master of heavenly music before or after the resurrection, and teach some of the choirs above to tune their harps to the Lamb that was slain?

But to come down to more modern times, is there not a Boyle and a Ray+ in heaven? Pious souls who were trained up in sanctified philosophy; and sure they are fitted, beyond their fellow saints, to contemplate the wisdom of God in the works of his hands. Is there not a Moret and a Howes, that have exercised their minds in an uncommom ac quaintance with the world of spirits? And doubtless their thoughts are refined and improved in the upper world, and yet still engaged in the same pur suit. There is also a Goodwin and a Owen, who have laid out the vigor of their inquiries in the

* The Honorable Robert Boyle, Esq. a most pious inquirer into Hature, and an improver of experimental philosophy.

+ Mr. John Ray, one of the ministers ejected for nonconformity 1662; he employed most of his studies afterwards in the cultivation of natural philosophy, in collections and remarks on the variety of plants, birds, beasts, fishes, &c. and wrote several Treatises to inprove natural philosophy in the service of religion.

Dr. Henry More, a, great searcher into the world of spirits, and a pious divine of the church of England.

§ Mr. John Howe, a name well known and highly honored for his sagacity of thought, his exalted ideas, and converse with the spiritual world, as appears in his writings.

Dr. Thomas Goodwin; and

Dr. John Owen, two famous divines of prime reputation among the churches in the last century.

'glories and wonders of the person of Christ, his bloody sacrifice, his dying love, and his exalted station at the right hand of God. The first of these, with a penetrating genius, traced out many a new and uncommon thought, and made rich discoveries by digging in the mines of scripture. The latter of them humbly pursued and confirmed divine truth, and both of them were eminent in promoting faith and piety, spiritual peace and joy, upon the principles of grace and the gospel. Their labors, in some of these subjects, no doubt have prepared them for some correspondent peculiarities in the state of glory. For though the doctrines of the person, the priesthood, and the grace of Christ, are themes which all the glorified souls converse with and rejoice in; yet spirits that have been trained up in them with peculiar delight for forty or fifty years, and devoted most of their time to these blessed contempla tions, have surely gained some advantage by it, some peculiar fitness to receive the heavenly illuminations of these mysteries above their fellow-spirits.

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There is also the soul of an ancient Eusebius*, and the later spirits of an Ushert and a Burnett, who have entertained themselves and the world with the sacred histories of the church, and the wonders of divine providence in its preservation and recovery. There is a Tillotsong, who has cultivated the subjects of holiness, peace, and love, by his pen and his practice; there is a Baxter, who has wrought *Eusebius, one of the fathers of the christian church, wrote the history of the primitive ages of christianity.

+ Dr. John Usher, in the last centory Archbishop of Armagh, whose chronological writings and piety have rendered his name honorable in the world.

Dr. Gilbert Burnet, late Bishop of Salisbury, whose serious religion and zeal to promote it among the clergy, made him almost as famous as his History of the English Reformation. § The name of Dr. John Tillotson, late Archbishop of Canterbury, and of

Mr. Richard Baxter, a divine of great note among the protes tant dissenters, need no farther paraphrase to make them known,

hard for an end of controversies, and labored with much zeal for the conversion of souls, though with much more success in the last than the first.

Now, though all the spirits in heaven enjoy the general happiness of the love of God and Christ, and the pleasurable review of providence; yet may we not suppose these spirits have some special circumstances of sacred pleasure suited to their labors and studies in their state of trial on earth? For the church on earth is but a training school for the church on high, and, as it were, a tiring room, in which we are dressed in proper habits for our appearance and our places in that bright assembly.

But some will reprove me here, and say, What! must none but ministers, and authors and learned men have their distinguished rewards and glories in the world of spirits? May not artificers, and traders, and pious women, be fitted, by their character and conduct on earth, for peculiar stations and employments in heaven?

Yes, doubtless, their zeal for the honor of God, their fervent love to Christ, their patience under long trials, and the variety of their graces, exercised according to their stations on earth, may render them peculiarly fitted for special rewards on high; the wisdom of God will not be at a loss to find out distinguishing pleasures to recompense them all; though, where the very station and business of this life is such as makes a nearer approach to the blessedness and business of heaven, it is much easier for us to guess at the nature of that future recompeuce,

Let me ask my own soul then, "soul, what art thou busy about? What is thy chief employment during thy present state of trial? I hope thou art not making provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof; for then thou art fit for no place in hea ven, the doors will be for ever shut against thee, But what special works of the spirit art thou engaged in? Dost thou redeem what hours thou art able

from the necessary businesses of life, to do more immediate service for God, to converse with things heavenly? Art thou seeking to gain a proper meetness for the sublimer employments of that upper world, and a relish of the most refined plea

sures?"

But I proceed to the second particular.

II. The perfection of the spirits above, not only admits of a rich variety of entertainments, according to the various relish and inclination of the blessed, but it is such a perfection as allows of different degrees even in the same blessedness, according to the different capacities of spirits, and their different degrees of preparation. The word perfection does not always require equality.

If all the souls of heaven were of one mould, and make, and inclination, yet there may be different sizes of capacity even in the same genius, and a different degree of preparation for the same delights and enjoyments; therefore, though all the spirits of the just were uniform in their natures and pleasures, and all perfect; yet one spirit may possess more happiness and glory than another, because it is more capacious of intellectual blessings, and better prepared for them. So, when vessels of various sizes are thrown into the same ocean, there will be a great difference in the quantity of the liquid which they receive, though all may be full to the brim, and all made of the richest metal.

Now there is much evidence of this truth in the holy scripture. Our Saviour intimates such differences of rewards in several of his expressions, Matt. xix. 28. He promises the apostles that they "shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And it is probable this may denote something of superior honor or dignity above the meanest of the saints. And even among the apostles themselves he seems to allow of a difference; for though he would not promise" James and John to