dungeon, and groan more fervently to be with thee, and long for the day when all my longing shall be satisfied, and my soul be filled with thy light and love.' uniting and united love! If two or three candles joined together make a greater flame and light, what would ten thousand stars united do? When all the love of angels and saints in full perfection, shall be so united as to make one love, to God that is one, and to one another, who are there all one in Christ, O what a glorious love will that be! That love and joy will be the same thing: and that one universal love will be one universal joy. Little know we how great a mercy it is to be here commanded to love our neighbours as ourselves; and much more to be effectually taught of God so to love one another. Did we all here live in such unfeigned love, we should be like to heaven, as bearing the image of the God of love. But, alas, our societies here are small; our goodness, which is our amiableness, wofully imperfect, and mixed with lothesome sin and discord. But there a whole heaven full of blessed spirits will flame for ever in perfect love to God, to Christ, and one another. Doubtless, as I shall love the angels and saints in heaven, so I shall some way, in subordination to Christ, be a receiver from them: our love will be mutual; and which way soever I owe duty, I shall expect some answerable return of benefit. The sun shines upon the stars as well as on the earth, and the stars on one another. If angels are greatly useful to me here, it is likely they will be much more there, where I shall be a more capable receiver. It will be no diminution to Christ's honour, that he there makes use of my fellow-creatures to my joy, no more than it is here. The whole creation will be still one compacted frame; and the heavenly society will for ever retain their relation to each other, and their aptitude and disposition to the duties and benefits of those relations. As we shall be far fitter for them than here we are, so shall we have far more comfort in them. How gloriously will God Go then, go willingly, O my soul! Love joins shine in the glory of the blessed! How delight- with light to draw up thy desires! Nature inful will it be to see their perfection in wisdom, clines all things unto union; even the lifeless holiness, love, and concord! What voices they elements have an aggregative motion, by which use, or what communication instead of voices, the parts, when violently separated, hastily rewe shall shortly know: but surely there is a turn to their natural adhesion. Art thou a lover blessed harmony of minds, wills, and practice. of wisdom, and wouldst thou not be united to All are not equal, but all accord to love and praise the wise? Art thou a lover of holiness, and of their glorious God, and readily to obey him, love itself, and wouldst thou not be united to the and perfectly to love each other. There is no holy, who are made of love? Art thou a hater jarring or discordant spirit that is out of tune; of enmity, discord, and divisions, and a lover of no separation or opposition to each other. As unity here on earth, and wouldest thou not be God's love in Christ is our full and final happi- where all the just are one? It is not an unness; so nature, which hath made us sociable, natural union to thy loss: nothing shall be taken teaches us to desire to be loved of each other, from thee by it. Thou shalt receive by it more but especially by wise and worthy persons. than thou canst contribute: it shall not be forced Saints and angels in heaven will love incompar- against thy will. It is but a union of minds and ably better than our dearest friends on earth wills, a perfect union of loves. Let not natural can do; and better than they did themselves or sinful selfishness cause thee to think suspiwhen we were on earth; for they will love that ciously or hardly of it; for it is thy happiness best which is best, and where there is most of and end. What got the angels that fell to selGod appearing; else it were not intellectual love: fishness from unity? And what got Adam that therefore they will love us as much better when followed them herein? The further any man we come to heaven, as we shall be better. If goes from unity by selfishness, the deeper he we go from loving friends on earth, we shall go falls into sin and misery from God: and what to them that love us far more. The love of these doth grace but call us back from sin and selfishhere doth but pity us in our pains, and go weep-ness to God's unity again? Dote not then on ing with our bodies to the grave: but the love this dark divided world: is not thy body, of those above will joyfully convoy or welcome while the parts by a uniting soul are kept toour souls to their triumphing society. All the gether, and make one, in a better state than when holy friends that we thought we had lost, that it is crumbled into lifeless dust? Doth not went before us, we shall find rejoicing there with death creep on thee by a gradual dissolution? Christ. Away then from this sandy, incoherent state: O what a glorious state will be that common the further from the centre the further from unity: a unity indeed there is of all things; but it is one heavenly life, light, and love which is the true felicitating union. We dispute here whether the aggregative motion of separated parts be from a motive principle in the part, or by the attraction of the whole, or by an external impulse. It is likely that there is somewhat of all these: but surely the greatest cause is likely to do most to the effect. The body of the earth hath more power to attract a clod or stone, than the intrinsic principle to move it downwards: but intrinsic gravity is also necessary. The superior attractive love and loveliness must do more to draw up this mind to God, than my intrinsic holiness to move it upward: but without this holiness the soul would not be capable of feeling that attractive influx. Every grace comes from God to fit and lead up my soul to God; faith therefore believes the heavenly state, and love doth with some delight desire it, and hope aspires after it, that I may at last attain it. They that have pleaded against propriety, and would have all things common in this world, have forgotten that there is a propriety in our natural constitution, which renders some accidental propriety necessary to us. Every man hath his own bodily parts, and inherent accidents; and every man must have his own food, his own place, clothing, and acquisitions; his own children, and therefore his own wife, &c. But that the greatest perfection is most for community as far as nature is capable of it, God would show us, in making the first receivers of the extraordinary pourings out of his Spirit, to sell all, and voluntarily make all common, none saying, this or that is my own; which was not done by any constraining law, but by the law or power of uniting love they were first all as of one heart and soul. languages, but that we might understand all men, and be understood of all, and so might make our sentiments as common as is possible? Whence is it that men are so addicted to talkativeness, but that nature would make all our thoughts and passions as common as it can? Why else are learned men so desirous to propagate their learning, and godly men so desirous to make all others wise and godly? It seems one of the greatest calamities of this life, that when a man hath with the longest and hardest study attained to much knowledge, he cannot bequeathe it, or any part of it, to his heir, or any person, when he dies, but every man must acquire it for himself. When God hath sanctified the parents, they cannot communicate their holiness to their children, though God promise to bless them on their account. Much less can any man make his grace or knowledge common. Nature and grace incline us to desire it; but we cannot do it. For this end we talk, preach, and write; for this end we study to be as plain, convincing, and moving as we can, that we may make our knowledge and affections as common to our hearers and readers as we can. O what a blessed work should we take preaching and writing for, if we could make them all know but what we know, and love what we are persuading them to love! There would then be no need of schools and universities: a few hours would do more than they do in an age. But alas, how rare is it for a father of excellent learning and piety, to have one son like himself, after all his industry! Is not the heavenly communion then desirable, where every man shall have his own, and yet his own be common to all others? My knowledge shall be mine own, and other men's as well as mine: my goodness shall be my own and theirs: my glory and felicity shall be mine and theirs: theirs also shall be mine as well as theirs; the Take not then thy inordinate desire of pro- knowledge, the goodness, the glory of all the priety for thy health, but for thy sickness: che-heavenly society, shall be mine, according to my rish it not, and be not afraid to lose it, and measure not the heavenly felicity by it. Spirits are penetrable: they claim not so much a propriety of place, as bodies do: it is thy weakness and state of imperfection now, which makes it so desirable to thee that thy house should be thine, and no one's but thine; thy land be thine, and no one's but thine; thy clothes, thy books, yea, thy knowledge and grace, be thine, and no one's but thine. How much more excellent a state were it, if we were here capable of it, if we could say, that all these are as the common light of the sun, which is mine, and every one's as well as mine? Why are we so desirous to speak all capacity. Grace is the seed of such a state, which makes us all one in Christ, neither barbarian nor Scythian, circumcision, nor uncircumcision, bond nor free; by giving us to love our neighbour as ourselves, and to love both our neighbour as ourselves for Christ, and Christ in all: well might Paul say, 'all things are yours.' But it is here but as in the seed; the perfect union and communion is hereafter. Earth and heaven must be distinguished: we must not extend our hopes or pretensions here beyond the capacity of our natures; as perfect holiness and knowledge, so perfect unity and concord is proper to heaven, and is not here to be expected: the papal pretensions of an impossible union in one | praise to God and our Redeemer.' Whether governor of all the earth, is the means to hinder there be any voice, or only such spiritual activthat union which is possible. But the state of ity and exultation, as to man in flesh is not to perfection is the state of perfect union and be clearly understood, is not fit for us here to communion. Hasten then upwards, O my soul, presume to determine. It will be somewhat with the most fervent desires, and breathe after more high and excellent than our vocal praise that state with the strongest hopes; where thou and singing is; and of which this bears some shalt not be rich, and see thy neighbours poor analogical resemblance or signification. As all about thee, nor be poor while they are rich; nor passions earnestly desire vent and exercise, so be well while they are sick, or sick while they specially do our holy affections of love, joy, and are well. But their riches, their health, their admiration of God Almighty! There is in us joy, will be all thine, and thine will be all theirs, a desire of communion with many in such affecas the common light; and none will have the less tions and expressions. Methinks when we are for the participation of the rest: yea, communion singing or speaking God's praise in the great will be part of every one's felicity: it constitutes assemblies, with joyful and fervent souls, I have the very being of the city of God. This celestial the liveliest foretaste of heaven on earth; and I communion of saints in one holy church, above could almost wish that our voices were loud what is here to be attained, is now an article of enough to reach through all the world, and unto our belief: but believing will soon end in see- heaven itself. Nor could I ever be offended, as ing and enjoying. many are, at the organs, and other convenient music, soberly and seasonably used, which ex SECTION V.—THE CONSTITUTIVE REASONS FROM cite and help to tune my soul in so holy a work, THE HEAVENLY LIFE OR PRACTICE. Seeing and loving will be the heavenly life. But yet it seems that, besides these, there will be executive powers, and therefore some answerable practice. There are good works in heaven, and far more and better than on earth. For, 1. There will be more vital activity, and therefore more exercise for it: for the power is for action. 2. There will be more love to God and one another; and love is active. 3. There will be more likeness to God and our Redeemer, who is communicative, and doth good as he is good. 4. Our union with Christ, who will be for ever beneficent as well as benevolent, will make us in our places also beneficent. 5. Our communion in the city of God will prove that we shall all bear our part as the members of the body, in contributing to the welfare of the whole, and in the common returns to God. But what are the heavenly works, we must perfectly know when we come thither. In general we know, that they will be the works of love to God and to his creatures; that is, such as love inclines us to exercise. They will be works of obedience to God; that is, such as we shall do to please his will, and because he wills them to be our duty. They will be useful works to others. They will be pleasant to ourselves, and part of our felicity. They will carry all to God our end. Somewhat of them is particularly described in the holy scriptures: as, 'We shall in concord with the whole society, or choir, give thanks and in which no true assistance is to be despised. No work more comforts me in my greatest sufferings, none seems more congruous and pleasant to me while I wait for death, than psalms, and words of praise to God; nor is there any exercise in which I had rather end my life; and should I not then willingly go to the heavenly choir, where God is praised with perfect love, joy, and harmony? Had I more of a praising frame of soul, it would make me long more for that life of praise. For I never find myself more willing to be there, than when I most joyfully speak or sing God's praise. Though the dead praise not God in the grave, and dust doth not give him thanks; yet living souls in heaven do it joyfully, while their fleshly clothing turns to dust. 6 Lord, tune my soul to thy praises now, that sweet experience may make me long to be where I shall do it better! I see where any excellent music is, nature makes men flock to it; and they that are but hearers, yet join by a concurrent fancy and delight. Surely, if I had once heard the heavenly choir, I should echo to their holy songs, though I could not imitate them; and I should think it the truest blessedness to be there and bear my part. My God, the voice of thy comforting Spirit, speaking thy love effectually to my soul, would make such holy music in me, that would incline me to the celestial comfort; and without it all these thoughts and words will be in vain. It is the inward melody of thy Spirit and my conscience, that must tune me to desire the heavenly melody. O speak thy love first to my heart, and then I shall joyfully speak | more noble superior bodies, even the stars, are it to my brethren, and shall ambitiously seek that communion of them that praise thee better than sinful, groaning mortals can: though my sins here make discord in my songs, I hope my groans for those sins, and their effects, will make no discord. Sighs and tears have had the honour to be accepted by thee, who despisest not a contrite soul; but if thy Spirit will sing and speak within me, and help me against the discordant murmurs of my unbelieving heart, and pained flesh, I shall offer thee that which is more suitable to thy love and grace. I confess, Lord, that daily tears and sighs are not unsuitable to the eyes and voice of so great a sinner, who is under thy correcting rod! What better could I expect when I grieved thy Spirit, than that it should prove my grief? Yea, this is far better than the genuine effects of sin. But this is not it that is meet to be offered to the God of love: he that offereth praise doth glorify thee.' Is not this the 'spiritual sacrifice acceptable through Christ,' for which we were made priests to God? I refuse not, Lord, to lie in tears and groans when thou requirest it, and do not thou refuse those tears and groans; but O give me better, that I may have better of thine own to offer thee. By this prepare me for the far better which I shall find with Christ: that which is best to us thy creatures, will be accepted as best by thee, who art glorified and pleased in the perfection of thy works. It is at least very probable that God makes glorified spirits his agents and ministers of much of his beneficence to the creatures that are below them. For, we see that where he endues any creature with the noblest endowments, he makes most use of that creature to the benefit of others. We shall in heaven be most furnished to do good, and that furniture will not be unused. Christ tells us that we shall be like or equal to the angels: which though it mean not, simply, and in all things, yet it means more than to be above carnal generation; for it speaks of a similitude of nature and state as the reason of the other. That the angels are God's ministers for the good of his chosen in this world, and administrators of much of the affairs on earth, is past all doubt. The apostle tells us that the saints shall judge the world and angels: judging in scripture is often put for ruling; it is therefore probable at least, that the devils and the damned shall be put under the saints, and that, with the angels, they shall be employed in some ministerial oversight of the inhabitants and affairs of the promised new earth. When even the of so great use and influx to inferior bodies, it is likely that accordingly superior spirits will be of use to the inhabitants of the world below them. But I think it not meet to venture here upon uncertain conjectures beyond the revelation of God's word, and therefore shall add no more, but conclude, that God knows what use to make of us hereafter as well as here, and that if there were no more for us to do in heaven, but with perfect knowledge, love, and joy, to hold communion with God and all the heavenly society, it were enough to attract a sensible and considerate soul to fervent desires to be at home with God. Here I must not over-pass my rejection of the injurious opinion of too many philosophers and divines, who exclude all sense and affection from heaven, and acknowledge nothing there but intellect and will. This is because they find sense and affection in the brutes; and they think that the souls of brutes are but some quality, or perishing temperament of matter; and therefore that sense and affection is in us no better. But, what felicity can we conceive of without any affection of delight or joy? Certainly bare volition now without these doth seem to be no felicity to us, nor knowledge either, if there were no delight in knowing. Yea, I leave it to men's experience to judge, whether there be now any such thing in us as proper willing, which is not also some internal sense of, and affection to, the good which we will. If it be complacency or the pleasedness of the will, this signifies some pleasure; and love, in the first act, is nothing else but such an appetite: if it be desire, it hath in it a pleasedness in the thing desired, as it is thought on by us; and what love is without all sense and affection? Why doth the scripture ascribe love and joy to God and angels if there were not some reason for it? Doubtless there is great difference between the heavenly love and joy, and ours here in the body: so there is also between their knowledge and ours, and their will and ours: but it is not that theirs is less or lower than ours, but somewhat more excellent, which ours gives us some analogical, or imperfect, formal notion of. What though brutes have sense and affection, doth it therefore follow that we have none now, or that we shall have none hereafter? Brutes have life, and must we therefore have no life hereafter, because it is a thing that is common to brutes? Rather as now, we have all that the brutes have, and no more, so shall we then have | lent sense and affections of love and joy, as well life, sense, and affection of a nobler sort than as more excellent intellect and volition; but such brutes, and more. Is not God the living God? as we cannot now clearly conceive of. Shall we say that he lives not because brutes live? Or rather, that they live a sensitive life, and man a sensitive and intellectual, because God is essential, transcendent, infinite life, that makes them live. But if they say that there is no sensation or affection but by bodily organs, I answered before to that the body feels nothing at all, but the soul in the body. The soul unites itself most nearly to the parts, called the spirits; and in them it feels, sees, tastes, smells, &c. That soul that feels and sees, doth also inwardly love, desire, and rejoice; and that soul which doth this in the body, hath the same power and faculty out of the body. If they judge by the cessation of sensation, when the organs are indisposed, or dead, so they might as well conclude against our future intellect and will, whose operation in an apoplexy we no more perceive than that of sense. But I have before showed that the soul will not want exercise for its essential faculties, for want of objects or bodily organs; and that men conclude basely of the souls of brutes, as if they were not an enduring substance, without any proof or probability. Tell us idle dreams, that they are but vanishing temperaments, &c. which are founded on another dream, that fire is no substance either; and so our unnatural somatists know none of the most excellent substances, which actuate all the rest, but only the more base and gross which are actuated by them: and they think they have well acquitted themselves, by telling us of subtle acted matter and motion, without understanding what any living, active, motive faculty, or virtue is. Because no man knows what God doth with the souls of brutes, whether they are only one common sensitive soul of a more common body, or whether individuate still, and transmigrant from body to body, or what else. Therefore they make ignorance a plea for error, and feign them to be no substances, or to be annihilated. I doubt not but sensation, as is aforesaid, is an excellent operation of the essential faculties of real substances called spirits; and that the highest and noblest creatures have it in the highest excellency. Though God fits every thing to its use, hath given, e. g. a dog, more perfect sense of smelling than a man ; yet man's internal sense is far more excellent than the brutes', and thereby is an advantage to our intellect, volition and joy here in the flesh. That in heaven we shall have not less, but more, even more excel Therefore there is great reason for all those analogical collections which I have mentioned in my book called the Saints' Rest, from the present operations and pleasures of the soul in flesh, to help our conceptions of its future pleasures. Though we cannot conclude that they will not inconceivably differ in their manner from what we now feel, I doubt not but feel and rejoice we shall, as certainly as live, and that the soul is essential life, and that our life, and feeling, and joy, will be inconceivably better. THE APPLICATION OF THE GENERAL SUBJECT. I am convinced that it is far better to depart and be with Christ, than to be here but there is much more than such conviction necessary to bring up my soul to such desires. Still there resists, I. The natural aversion to death, which God hath put into every animal, and which is become inordinate and too strong by sin. II. The remnants of unbelief, taking advantage of our darkness here in the flesh, and our too much familiarity with this visible world. III. The want of more lively foretastes in a heavenly mind and love, through weakness of grace, and the fear of guilt. These stand up against all that is said, and words will not overcome them: what then must be done? Is there no remedy? There is a special sort of the teaching of God, by which we must learn 'so to number our days as to apply our hearts to wisdom,' without which we shall never effectually, practically, and savingly learn either this, or any the most common, obvious, and easy lesson. When we have read, heard, spoken, and written, the soundest truth, and most certain arguments, we know yet as if we knew not, and believe as if we believed not, with a slight and dreaming kind of apprehension, till God by a special illumination bring the same things clearly to our minds, and awaken the soul by a special excitement to feel what we know, and suit the soul to the truth revealed, by an influx of his love, which gives us a pleasing sense of the amiableness and congruity of the things proposed. Since we separated ourselves from God, there is a hedge of separation between our senses and our understandings, and between our understandings and our wills, and affections, so that the communion between them is violated, and we are divided in ourselves, by this schism in our faculties. All men still see the demonstrations of divine perfections in the |