Ob may thefe awful Thoughts and Ideas of it always accompany me, and Strike fuch a deep and lively Impreffion upon my Heart, in every Action of Life, as to deterr me from offending this Juft and Almighty Being, in whose power it is to deftroy both Body and Soul in Hell; and engage me in fuch a regular, ftrict, and confcientious courfe of Life, as to be always ready, whenever He shall please to fummon me, to give in my Accounts at the grand Audit, and with a Holy Affurance fly for Mercy and Succour into the hands of my Redeemer, and be permitted to enter into the Joys of his Reft.

I believe there are two other Worlds befides this I live in, a World of Mifery for unrepenting Sinners, and a World of Glory for believing

Saints.

W

Hen Death hath opened the Cage of Flefh, wherein the Soul is penn'd up, whither it flies, or how it fubfifts I think it not fo eafy to determine, or indeed to conceive. As for the Platonick Aerial and Etherial Vehicles, fucceeding this Terreftrial one, I find neither mention of, nor warrant for them in the Word of GOD. And, indeed, to fuppose that a Spiritual Subftance cannot fubfift of itfelf, without being fupported by a Corporeal Vehicle is, in my Opinion, too grofs a Conceit for any Philofopher, much more for one that profeffes himself a Divine, to advance or entertain. Only this I am fure of, that according to the diftinction of Lives here into Good or Bad, and the Sentences paft upon all hereafter, of Abfolution or Condemation, there will be a twofold Receptacle for the

Souls

Souls of Men, the one-of Happiness, the other of Mifery.

As to the firft, I believe, that at the great and general Aflizes of the World, there will be a Glorious Entrance open'd for the Righteous into the Holy of Holies, the Seat and Fountain of all Blifs and Happiness, where they fhall draw nigh to the most High GOD, behold his Prefence in Righteousness, and reign with Him for ever in Glory, where they shall fee him face to face, 1 Cor. 13. 12. and know him the only true GOD, and Jefus Christ whom he has fent, John 17.3. And this knowing and beholding GOD Face to Face is, I believe, the believe, the very Heaven of Heavens, even the highest Happiness that it is poffible a Creature fhould be made capable of: For in having a perfect knowledge of GOD, we fhall have a perfect knowledge of all things that ever were, are, fhall, yea, or can be, in the World. For GOD being the Being of all Beings, in feeing Him, we fhall not only fee whatsoever hath been, but whatfoever can be communicated from Him. The Contemplation of which cannot but ravifh and tranfport my Spirit beyond itfelf; efpecially when I confider, that in knowing this One-All-things, GOD, I cannot but enjoy whatfoever 'tis poffible

any

For the

any Creature fhould enjoy. knowing of a thing is the Soul's enjoyment of it. The Understanding being to the Soul, what the Senfes are to the Body. And therefore as the Body enjoys nothing but by its Senfes, fo neither doth the Soul enjoy any thing but by its Underftanding: And as the Body is faid to have whatsoever affects its proper Senfes, fo may the Soul be faid to have whatsoever comes under its knowledge. Nay, the Soul fo far hath what it knows, that, in a manner, it is what it knows; itself being, in a fpiritual manner, enlarged, according to the extent of the Objects which it knows, as the Body is by the Meat it eats; the Truths we know turning into the fubftance of our Souls, as the Meat we eat doth in the fubftance of our Bodies. But O! what a rare Soul fhall I then have, when it shall be extended to every thing that ever was or eyer could have been! What a happy Creature fhall I then be, when I fhall know, and fo enjoy Him that is all things in himself? What can a Creature defire more? yea, What more can a Creature be made capable of enjoying or defiring? And that which will always accompany this our Knowledge and Enjoyment, is perfect Love to what we enjoy and know, without which we fhould

M

fhould take pleasure in nothing, tho' we fhould have all things to take pleasure in. But who will be able not to love the chiefeft Good, that knows and enjoys Him, and therefore enjoys Him because he knows Him? Queftionlefs, in Heaven, as I fhall enjoy whatsoever I can love, fo fhall I love whatsoever I enjoy. And this therefore I believe to be the perfection of my Happiness, and the happiness of my Perfection in the other World, that I fhall perfectly Know and Love, and fo perfectly Enjoy and Rejoice in the most High GOD; and as known, fo perfectly loved and rejoiced in by Him. And, queftionlefs, for all our fhallow Apprehenfions and low Eftimations of these things now, they cannot chufe but be vaft and unconceivable Pleasures, too great for any Creature to enjoy, whilft here below.

If we have but the leaft drop of these Pleasures diftil'd unto us here upon Earth, how ftrangely do they make us, as it were, befides ourselves, by lifting us above ourselves? If we can but at any time get a glimpse of GOD, and of his Love to us, how are we immediately carried beyond all other Pleasures and Contentments whatfoever? How apt are we to fay with Peter, It is good for us

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