excellent Glory of God the Father we heard when we were with him in the Holy mount and were eye-witnesses of his Majesty 2 Pet. 1. 16 17 18. And the same he repeated again a third time before a Multitude when Andrew and Philip brought the Greeks to him For before them all Jesus Prayed Father Glorifie thy Name And thereupon came a voice from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again John 12. 28. And this is a most sensible and satisfactory way of God's declaring himself not meerly by shows and resemblances of things which are impressed by Visions and Dreams upon Mens imaginations but by plain proper and significant words such as he used in conversing with Adam in paradise Genesis 3. 8 9. and with Moses at the bush Exodus 3. 4. when assuming a Glorious Light the usual way of shewing himself particularly present he spoke to Men out of it in an audible Voice as sensibly and intelligibly as a Man can talk and discourse with his Friend Quest. Did the Father also testifie Jesus to be the Christ by raising him from the Dead and shewing him openly in full possession of his pretences Ans. Yes on the third day he rose again as we profess in the Creed And Almighty God as S. Peter saith raised him up And hereby he did plainly testifie and vouch for him For after the Jews had done their worst condemning and cruelly executing him in raising him up again God visibly reversed their Sentence and undid what they had done and justified him as one that deserved not to continue under the Power of Death but to live again He was put to Death in the Flesh but justified in the Spirit viz. by that Divine Spirit which raised him from the Dead 1 Tim. 3. 16. He was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1. 4. Nay after his Resurrection he set him in Heaven at his own right Hand surrounded with a Divine Glory the usual Symbol of God's Presence and Majesty In which august form he shewed him to Stephen to prepare him for his Martyrdom and to Saul at his Conversion Jesus appearing to them from God's right Hand in a Glory that surpassed the Brightness of the Sun. And having enthroned him there he intrusted him with the Holy Ghost to dispose of it as he pleased a plain Evidence of his having all Power in Heaven as well as on Earth as he pretended Which Power he visibly manifested to all Men not only by sending down the Holy Spirit in all variety of most stupendious Gifts upon his own Apostles but enabling them by imposition of Hands in his Name to confer the same upon innumerable Multitudes of his followers as appears from the Acts of the Holy Apostles and from other Scriptures Quest. I will not ask you for any more Evidence in this great point of Jesus being the Christ such demonstrations as you have insisted on being abundantly sufficient to gain belief from every honest mind that is careful to inquire and willing to be informed And as for others who are wantonly captious or wilfully blind and incredulous they are not to be convinced by Reason and Arguments But building on this now as most unquestionably sure That Jesus is the Christ doth not that undeniably prove the Divine Authority of the New Testament which is his Word Ans. Most certainly it doth For that contains only what he either spoke or acted himself in his Life or ordered his Apostles to do and teach in his Name after his Death The same Proofs and Testimonies which justifie him do authorize it since it only sets out to us all that Word in declaration whereof all the Evidences urged hitherto are to gain him credit Quest. I am fully satisfied of the certainty and have heard enough to convince me of the usefulness and efficacy of Faith in Christ. I would desire now to hear something more of the particular points of that Faith whereof we are to be thus firmly persuaded and whereby such admirable things are to be performed Ans. Those as I hinted at first are summed up in that short Creed into the profession whereof we are all Baptized And that I shall next endeavour to discourse on and explain to you THE Knowledge of GOD OR AN EXPLICATION OF THE Divine Attributes AND PROVIDENCE The Knowledge of God or an Explication of the Divine Attributes and Providence CHAP. I. Of the Being and Attributes of God. The Contents The World declares there is a God. He is an eternal Spirit on whom all things depend Of God's Holiness Several things explained which seem to infringe it as when God is said to harden Mens hearts To inflict Spiritual blindness and a reprobate sense To send a false Spirit to deceive Ahab and strong delusion God oft gives Men up to the delusion of evil Spirits Cautions to prevent this To give Men a Spirit of slumber An account how notwithstanding God's irreconcileable hatred of sin it is still suffered in the World. Of God's Goodness Several false Notions of it In what things it chiefly consists Of God's Justice or Righteousness This shown in giving Righteous Laws And passing Righteous Judgments according to them without respect of Persons His Punitive Justice cleared from misplacing punishments in punishing one for another's sins And from misproportioning them in allotting eternal punishments to momentany sins Some false aspersions on this just God wiped off Of God's Presence in all places The effect of this Of his Faithfulness This shown by inviolable performance of his Promises And interpreting them without evasion or secret reserve according to their plain meanings And by constant adherence to his Friends and Faithful Servants which is no encouragement for any to return to their former sins Of God's Wisdom This shown in setting a just rate and estimate on all things so that he is neither gained nor lost by worthless services In discerning the just power and force of all Means and success of all Methods which should beget the greatest Reverence for all his Ordinances In seeing the best times and seasons for every purpose so that we must never think any Deliverance too long delayed or Affliction too fast hastened No reason to pretend to the Love of God without loving and imitating these Divine Excellencies Question WHat are the Articles of Christian Faith or particular points which we Christians are to believe Answer They are all contained in this Creed commonly called the Apostles Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into Hell the third day he rose again from the dead he ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right Hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the
believe a Man inspired barely upon his own Word since they all say they are we should believe all of them So that to prevent being deceived we must not take a Man 's own Word for his being sent thus of God till he shews some Sign from him to attest it Quest. You say they are miraculously assisted when they are sent to reveal any New thing Is there not a like necessity of Signs and Miracles then when they only come to Remove Corruptions and revive such former acknowledged Revelations as had Miracles to confirm them Answ. No to Persons that own he spake it God's Word has as much Authority as his Work Whilst they have his clear Word to shew for themselves they are sufficiently qualified to use his Name to reprove and convince on the score and credit of ordinary Ministers without producing any new and extraordinary Credentials Besides for these things they may appeal to all the old Miracles wrought to testifie these Revelations And accordingly a great part of the old Prophets under the Jewesh State coming to reduce men to the obedience of Moses to reprove sins and to reform abuses wrought no Miracles it being enough for them to produce the Holy Scriptures who only sought to bring those back to them who had swerved from them And this also was the Case of our first Reformers They studied no new ways but only endeavour'd to restore Religion which was much depraved in these Parts of the world to that Form which was at first most miraculously confirmed by Christ and his Apostles And therefore their Proofs were not to be fetched from signs and wonders as Men that introduced new and unattested Tenets but from the Holy Scriptures Quest. But are we not told of False Prophets shewing Signs Mat. 24. 24 And what shall we say to them if they alledge Miracles for false Things Answ. If they teach things contrary to the Scriptures they must not only work Miracles for their contrary Opinions but more and greater than were wrought by Christ and his Apostles to confirm the Scriptures For here all the Miracles wrought for the Scripture are against them since their pretended Miracles are brought for a contrary Thing And when our Faith is sollicited by a competition of Miracles as the Faith of the Jews was between the Miracles of Moses and those of the Magicians Exod. 7. 11 22. and when any Seducer gave signs to draw them to Idolatry Deut. 13. 1 2. we must believe that side which has the greatest and the most of them And this will secure us against all the Errors and feign'd Miracles of new Lights and Pretenders For 't is certain they will never shew the tenth part of those Miracles to confute any Doctrine contain'd in Scripture that Christ and his Apostles have done to confirm it Quest. I confess 't is very clear from what you say that the Scripture is the only Revelation we must stick to and that in matters of Religion we must not hearken to any other Pretenders to new Light and inspiration But doth not the Prophet Joel say Revelations should be common things among Christians I will pour out my Spirit in those days upon all Flesh and your Sons and Daughters shall Prophesie your young men shall see Visions and your old men shall dream Dreams Joel 2. 28 29. Answ. Yes but by those days he means not all the days of Christianity but only the days of the Apostles when such Revelations were common Things For in those same days as it follows in Joel I will shew Wonders in Heaven and in Earth saith God Blood and Fire and Pillars of Smoak And the Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into Blood before the Great and Terrible day of the Lord come i. e. before the destruction of Jerusalem whereof our Saviour interprets this passage Mat. 24. 29. which destruction fell out in the Apostolical Age before the death of St. John Joel 2. 30 31. And St. Peter says these inspirations foretold by Joel were fulfilled when the Holy Ghost at Pentecost descended upon them This is that which was spoken of by the Prophet Joel it shall come to pass in the last days I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesie c. Act. 2. 16 17 18. So that Joel's Prophecy of inspirations doth not remain now to be fulfilled but as Joel himself foretold and as St. Peter declared was long since accomplished Quest. But God gave these Revelations in the Apostles Age and is not he the same God still in ours Answ. Yes he is always the same God but he doth not always do the same things He came down before the Jews in Thunder and Fire upon Mount Sinai once but he did not do so in after-times He shed abroad the Gift of Tongues and Miracles upon the generality of Christians in the Apostles days but he has not done so in any others since He is the same God and has the same care and kindness for his Church in all Times but he doth not always work the same effects but only according to our occasions and necessities And immediate Revelation was necessary to the Apostles in their circumstances and as unnecessary to us in ours Quest. Were these inspirations meerly about Doctrinal Things and declaring the will of God only in points of Faith or manners Answ. No but sometimes in those days of Revelation they were inspired also in their Devotions with Prayers and Hymns which was a blessing they were more sensible of in that Age because as yet they had no formed and established Liturgies Thus St. Paul tells the Corinthians every one in their Assemblies had an inspired Psalm as well as an inspired Doctrine Praying and Praising as well as Preaching by Revelation 1. Cor. 14. 26. And when they spoke by the Gift of Tongues it was oft in inspired Hymns and Devotions for he that speaketh in an unknown Tongue saith he speaketh unto God v. 2. he Prays to God or Praises him in that strange Gift of the Spirit v. 14 15 16. And in the Enthusiasms of Tongues which fell on Cornelius and his Gentile Friends they magnified God Act. 10. 40. Quest. Besides these Revelations about Religion and the way to Happiness had they not also Prophesie or Revelation about other Things Answ. Yes they had Revelations of future events concerning either themselves their Friends or the whole Church Thus Agabus foretold the Famine Acts 11. 28. and St. Paul's imprisonment at Jerusalem Act. 21. 10 11. And Paul foretold to his Company in the Ship that they should all be saved and none of them perish in the Ship-wrack Act. 27. 22 23 24 c. And St. John foretold not only what was to befall particular Persons but the whole Church in succeeding Ages in his Book of the Revelations Quest. I remember you said we are not now to expect any more Revelations in Religion to shew us the way to
that it shall never be destroyed by them The Promise is That the Gates of Hell that is the Powers of Satan and all his wicked instruments shall not prevail against the Church Matt. 16. 18. Quest. What must Christ's protecting his Church teach us Answ. To trust him with Religion and not sin to save it in the most perillous times He is more concern'd for his Church than any of us are or can be and he knows how to protect it without the help of our sins or our acting wickedly for it So that in all such times we are to practise Religion and do our duty and then recommend and trust the Preservation of it to his care Quest. If we would own Christ as our King then I perceive we must obey his Laws and Ministers and commit our selves to him in well-doing as the Protector of his Church Answ. Yes Quest. And will none partake of the Reconciliation of his Priesthood but they who thus believe him as their Prophet and obey him as their Lord Answ. No for Faith and Obedience are necessary to our Peace with God and there is no injoying the benefit of one without embracing him in all his Offices Quest. To believe in Christ then or to acknowledge Jesus to be the Christ is to own him for the Prophet of the Church by hearkning to his Word and Ministers for the Priest of God by hoping in him and applying to God by him for Reconciliation and all other mercies and for the King of his Church by obeying both his Laws and Officers and in a course of well-doing trusting both our selves and our Religion to his Protection here on Earth Answ. Yes Quest. What is meant by that which follows in the Creed his being God's only Son Answ. Our meaning is in respect of his Nature that God begat him as a Father doth a Son of like nature with himself so that he is God as well as Man. For he is equal with God Phil. 2. 6. The true God 1 Joh. 5. 20. and over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. Which last was the special Character and Title of the true God in the common stile and expression of the Jews Who from their Custom when the Priest in the Sanctuary rehearsed the Name of God of answering Blessed be his name for ever came in their common speech to call him The Blessed One which phrase the Scriptures often denote him as in Mar. 14. 61. 2 Cor. 11. 31. Rom. 1. 25. And agreeable to his having this Divine Nature we find the Divine Works as Creating and Sustaining and Divine Honours as Worship and Prayers and Baptism in the Name of the Son as well as of the Father ascribed to him in Holy Scripture Quest. Why was it requisite our Redeemer should be God Answ. 1. To give Merit to his Sacrifice which was infinitely advanced in regard his Blood was the Blood of God Act. 20. 28. How much more shall the Blood of Christ purge your Consciences who offered himself thro' the eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. As its being committed against God was the extreme aggravation of our sin So must its being performed by God be equally an enhansement of his Reparation 2. To several other purposes as to his having Power enough to conquer Death and Hell and save us from all our Spiritual Enemies to fit him for a capable and competent Judge of all men seeing into their Hearts and Thoughts which is one of God's Prerogatives To recommend Vertue as much as was possible by an example since in him it appears that all the things required of us are worthy of the most excellent Natures yea are not below the practice of God himself Quest. What other meaning is there of it Answ. Another is in respect of his Power because he is invested with all the Authority and Power of God. For Son of God signifies sometimes the same as the Christ that is one whom God hath commissioned to act in his stead He shall be great and the Son of the Highest and God shall give him the Throne of his Father David Luk. 1. 32. And thus Jesus Christ is God's Son for he hath given him all Power both in Heaven and Earth Matt. 28. 18. and committed all Authority to the Son that all should honour the Son as they honour the Father Joh. 5. 22 23. Quest. And being the Son of God in this sense that is having Soveraign Power from him he is our Lord Answ. Yes in respect of this derived Power and of his own Soveraign Divine Nature of his invaluable Merit and Purchace and of our voluntary Compacts and Submissions on all accounts that can found a just Dominion and Lordship over us God has given him a Name above every Name that every Tongue should confess Jesus Christ is Lord Phil. 2. 9 11. To us there is one Lord 1 Cor. 8. 6. Quest. And being God not only in Power but also in Nature must we not all worship him and pray to him and trust in him as God Answ. Yes for at the Name of Jesus every Knee shall bow Phil. 2. 10 and all must honour the Son as they honour the Father Joh. 5. 23. This is done by all good Christians and Saints on Earth who are styled They that call upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 2. And also by those who are glorified in Heaven who sing their Hallelujah's as to God the Father so also to the Lamb Rev. 5. 11 12 13 14. Yea by the Angels too for when he bringeth his first-begotten into the world he saith and let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1. 6. And this Divine Honour if he were not a God in Nature as well as in Power he could never claim nor receive from them Quest. If Christ is our Rightful Sovereign Lord then we must give up our Wills to his and perform faithfully whatsoever he orders Answ. Yes Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things that I say Luk. 6. 46. Nay since he is our Lord and we are his Houshold-Servants we must not as he says be the Servants of Men that is so wholly given up to their Service as that we cannot mind his or serve their pleasure when it interferes with his Laws or comply with their Meen and Customs when they are contrary unto his or sooth and flatter their weak Minds and feed their sickly Humours like timerous or mercenary Slaves No man says our Saviour can thus serve two Masters Matt. 6. 24. Ye are bought with a price saith St. Paul be not ye therefore the Servants of men 1 Cor. 7. 23. And if I yet pleased or soothed up men I should not be the Servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. Quest. Since he is our Lord we should not think any thing too mean or ill for us which he thought not so for him but compose our selves to his Behaviour willingly following where he has gone before it
Abode be at the Right-hand of God's Throne in Heaven then we are not to expect any thing of a Bodily Presence in any Ordinances here on Earth Answ. No as to his Bodily Presence it is expresly said that he parted from his Disciples Luk. 24. 51. that he left the World Joh. 16. 28. and is no more in the World Joh. 17. 11. and tho the Poor we should yet him we should not have always with us Mat. 26. 11. that whilst we are in the Body we are absent from him 2 Cor. 5. 6. and are not to be with him till we depart hence Phil. 1. 23. that his Bodily Abode is in Heaven where he is to remain till the Consummation Act. 3. 21. and without ascending to Heaven to fetch him there is no bringing him back to Earth again Rom. 10. 6. and when he comes to judge the World it shall be from thence by Change of Place and Local Motion call'd his Descending from Heaven 1 Thess. 4. 16. and coming in the Clouds of Heaven Mat. 26. 64. and the Saints are to be call'd up from the Earth into the Air to meet him 1 Thess. 4. 17. All which plainly imply his Bodily Presence to be circumscribed and limited to God's Right-hand and no longer in this World. But the way of Christ's Presence with his Church is by his Spirit which works the same Effects and confers the same Graces that he himself would were he personally upon Earth His Spirit is his Advocate who was to succeed in his Place to maintain his Cause Joh. 15. 26. and to stay with us all the time of his absence he shall abide with you for ever Joh. 14. 16. And this Presence of his Spirit in all compleatness of Vertue and real Effects he himself judges preferable to all Ocular Manifestations of his Person or Sensible Presence which tho it might serve more to delight our Eyes and entertain our Fancies yet would signifie less to real and desirable Purposes 'T is expedient for you says he that I go away speaking to his Disciples of his Bodily Absence For if I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him Joh. 16. 7. And It is the Spirit that quickneth but the Flesh profits nothing said he at another time to the gross Capernaites upon a like Competition of these two ways of his Presence with us Joh. 6. 63. Quest. What must we learn from Christ's being exalted to such Sovereign and Supereminent Authority at God's Right-hand Answ. To render him the Reverence and Obedience due to so High a Majesty For since God has thus highly exalted him at his Name every Knee must bow and every Tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2. 9 10 11. Quest. What from his being so Compassionate and Powerful an Advocate Answ. To come to him in every Want or Distress with Confidence and Assurance of Faith being fully perswaded both of his Kindness for us and of his Interest with God to obtain whatsoever is necessary or convenient for us Having such an High-Priest let us come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 14 16. But particularly to come with sure Hope and Expectation of the Pardon of our Sins when we truly repent of them and of his Good Spirit and Grace when we are careful to make a Diligent and Right use of them If any Man Sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous who is a Propitiation for our Sins 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. And who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 3. 34. Quest. What learn we from his Power to Subdue all his Enemies Answ. To trust him as I noted above with the care of our selves and of his Church and not suffer our selves to be cast into any anxious Fears or forced upon the use of any unlawful means by any Streights But to believe let Dangers and Disorders be what they will that the Lord Reigns and that we and all his faithful People are safest whilst we are doing our Duty and are in his hands That indeed is the true way to yield present security but especially if thereby we happen to suffer to make sure a surpassing Recompence of Glory For this is a Faithful saying if we be dead with him that is to Sin we shall also live with him that is in Glory If we suffer and endure that is persevere in obeying chiefly when we obey with Loss and Difficulty we shall also Reign with him 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. Quest. Since Christ is now in Heaven and we profess to fix all our Hopes in him Should not that make us think much of that Place where he is and of the way to come thither Answ. Without Question it should If ye be risen with Christ seek those Things which are above where Christ sitteth at the Right Hand of God Col. 3. 1. Here in the Body we sojourn from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 6. In this World we are strangers and Pilgrims 1 Pet. 2. 11. But God above is our Father and Jesus Christ at God's Right-Hand is our Lord and the Glorified Saints are our Fellow-Citizens Eph. 2. 19. And being thus Gods Family or Domesticks our Conversation should be where our Civil Relation and Society is that is in Heaven whence also we look for the Lord Jesus Phil. 3. 20. Since our Treasure is with him in Heaven there should our Hearts be also Mat. 6. 21. So that although in passing through this World we cannot quite neglect the things of it yet must we always heedfully mind and carefully seek the things above it CHAP. IV. Of the Future Judgment The Contents The necessity of the Future Judgment All men are judged and made happy or miserable at their Deaths But not so fully then as they will be afterwards The Compleat and General Judgment is at the end of the World. In that Jesus Christ is to be the Judge Who are to be judged In that Judgment no Condemnation but for breaking Gods Laws So not for indifferent things Men shall be tryed and sentenced for all their sinful Actions with regard to their lasting Effects For their most secret ones And such ill deeds as were disguised under the fairest Pretences For their sinful Omissions And Neglecting to Employ and improve their Talents For sinful Words And Thoughts and Desires For all these Men shall be judged impartially without Respect of Persons But with Equity and Candor not in Rigor The Benign Judge will be very ready to observe what makes for us and make the best of our Performances And interpret the seemingly Rigorous Expressions of his own Laws with great condescension to Humane Measures He will allow for involuntary Failings And judge Candidly and Favourably of that involuntariness And for Natural Infirmities
in the Parable of Dives and Lazarus Abrahams Bosom And the care of conducting them thither as Christ noted in the account of Lazarus is committed to some good Angels For some of these as ministring Spirits always attend the death-beds of God's Saints and receive the departed Soul into their care to guard it from all frights and molestations of envious Fiends as it passes thro' the Regions of the Air which are the Principality or Territory of the Powers of Darkness and to guide it in all that long passage of new and unknown ways which lead to the Blessed Receptacles of departed Spirits Whereas the Souls of the Wicked when they are thrust out of their Bodies are left naked and defenceless to be seiz'd by those greedy and implacable Furies and hurried away upon the award of their most just Judge in extream anguish and despair to their most wretched Prisons Quest. But at the Resurrection I see both Good and Bad shall return to their Bodies again And shall that Life last for ever Answ. Yes for after once they are reunited their Souls and Bodies shall never part any more but the good shall continue in everlasting pleasure and the wicked in everlasting pain Quest. What happiness is there in that Eternal Life of the Righteous Answ. All possible happiness their hearts can wish or their Nature is capable of They shall see and enjoy God who will give himself to them and that implies every thing that is Beatifying all the Blessedness we can imagine and infinitely more being contain'd in God and communicated together with him Quest. And shall this Blessedness never be imbitter'd to them with any care or fear or grief or crosses as all the happyness of this present Life is Answ. No They shall neither hunger nor thirst any more Rev. 7. 16. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more Death nor sorrow nor crying nor Pain for all those former things are passed away Rev. 21. 4. Quest. Shall all their Senses be gratified with the most delightful and agreeable enjoyments Answ. Yes such as the Scripture is wont to set off by Feasts and Banquets and Marriage-Entertainments by melodious Songs and joyful Hallelujahs by transporting sights of all the Beauty the Glory and Magnificence of the Heavenly Court the Majesty of God's Throne and the Splendor of all the Heavenly Host that do surround it Indeed their exalted and refined Senses are above the gross delights of Eating and Drinking and giving in Marriage But such as these the Scripture uses because our present state places so much in them And whatsoever delight and satisfaction they may express to our present Capacities that and abundance more shall the enjoyments of that life yield to our glorified and improved Bodies Quest. 'T is a great heappiness to have clear and distinct knowledge of things and not to be distracted with doubts or posed with difficulties Shall the Righteous in that Eternal Life have such clear and advanced understandings Answ. Yes they shall get rid of all darkness and doubtfulness of mind and know every thing they desire without study or pains Now we see as in a Glass darkly but then face to face Now we know in part but then shall we know even as also we are known 1 Cor. 13. 12. Quest. 'T is a singular Point of Bliss to be perfect in Holiness which is one of the most Blissful Attributes of God himself Shall they also be such perfectly Holy Persons Answ. Yes they shall excel in every Virtue and Grace wherein Christ himself doth for when he appears we shall be like him 1 Joh. 3. 2. And those they shall enjoy free of all those weaknesses and defects whereby their Virtues are obscur'd and lessen'd in this World. For in new Jerusalem the Spirits of just men are made perfect Heb. 12. 23. Quest. And shall they exercise all this Holiness without trouble and reluctance which makes the practice of it painful here on Earth Answ. Yes for they shall neither have any inward Lusts to oppose it nor outward Temptations to draw them from it They hear no advice nor see any example but of what is good Their inclinations are all rectified and become Holiness to the Lord. Their Nature is perfect in good and duty is become their delight so that in conforming entirely to the will of God they do in the highest measure gratifie their own wills too Quest. And with this height of knowledge and of Holiness shall they also be inwardly pleased in their own minds and think themselves happy without which no man is happy Answ. Yes they must needs be infinitely pleased in every thing they have and in every thing they do for whatsoever comes to them is pure happiness and whatsoever proceeds from them is full of Wisdom and Goodness without the least word or action to repent of Their State is all Joy and Peace enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Mat. 25. 21. It is not bid to enter into them being infinitely more than they can hold but they into it as into a vast Ocean of Bliss whereof they shall always drink to the full but never empty or exhaust it Quest. Indeed such compleat Knowledge and perfect Holiness must needs give them cause of greatest satisfaction from themselves But what sort of Company must they keep will they be equally happy in that too Answ. Yes unimaginably happy For they will live always in the presence of God who will ineffably Communicate himself to them and of Jesus Christ who will infinitely rejoyce to see how happy he has made them and of the Holy Ghost who will eternally Congratulate the reward of his own Graces in them and converse with Angels Apostles and Glorified Saints and all their Godly dear Friends whom they valued as their own Souls and whom they clave so fast to in their hearts that they could have followed them into the other World when they were taken from them Quest. And all this God-like Society are every way fitted to be the most happy and delightful Companions Answ. Yes to be the most Blissful that possibly can be thought of For they are all light and quickness in their understandings and all love and tenderness in their Affections and most sweet and obliging in their carriage being perfectly free from all Anger Crossness Scorn or Contempt and every thing that may give offence They all look pleased and inviting in their countenances and are exquisitely wise useful and entertaining in all their Discourses and all agree in the same Opinions and speak the same things and pursue the same ends and are pleased in the same Objects and have no strife among them but who shall love highest and oblige most and be most like to God and agreeable to each other for evermore Quest. You say there shall be no strife but who shall love most Indeed a state of love which is not cooled by any unkindnesses nor crossed