Selected quad for the lemma: father_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A65568
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The state of blessedness by W.W.
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W. W., M.A. and chaplain to a person of honour.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing W153; ESTC R26302
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19,505
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32
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they deserve and yet are insensible of it and unthankful for it but he that is least in the Kingdom of God knows so much happiness in that state that he neither aspires to be happier nor envies those that are The same Light that makes happy le ts them see it and as the blind eye enjoys not the comfort of the day but is benighted at Noon and in utter darkness when the Sun shines clearest So the Glory of God which is the Light of Heaven would be no Joy to those that live within its shine if they did not see the illustrious splendor of it But the Saints in Light are happy so happy that they know it and own it and ever praise and glorify the Father Son and Holy Ghost their blessed Benefactors for it Secondly The Blessed in Heaven know one another Whether personally or no hath been matter of dispute though our Saviour seems to have determin'd it telling the Jews Luk. 13.28 That they should see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and what is there in reason that should hinder it Why may not Abraham and Isaac once so nearly related be again acquainted and with Joy repeat the History of the intended Sacrifice Why may not Moses and Aaron meet and discourse their old Adventures Why may not the Blessed Apostles and Holy Martyrs be known to one another and entertain themselves with gladsome relations of what they did and what they suffer'd together Why may not Friends that lived like brethren in the Lord that help't forward each others Salvation whose souls were mutually dear who were wont to pray and advise and serve God together and who went to Heaven as it were hand in hand why I say may not they embrace and return each other thanks for those Friendly and Christian Offices Holy David chear'd up his thoughts after the death of his Child with this Meditation I shall go to him but he shall not return to me 2 Sam. 12.23 Which had been little comfort if he had thought never to have known him more So St. Augustine comforted Italica an afflicted Widow who sadly bewail'd the loss of her Husband assuring her That as one day she saw him with her bodily Eyes but discerned no more then his outward shape and Lineaments so she should see him again and in that sight discern the very thoughts of his heart and be intimate to all his Counsels And that 's the next thing I am going to say That the Saints shall be acquainted with each others Thoughts the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed and every man shall read his Brothers soul There shall be no subtile reservation no laying of heads together no packing of thoughts no clubbing and combining amongst a few to provoke the jealousie of all the rest but every mans breast shall be clear and open as free from reserve as it is from design or guile Now none but such ingenuous Minds as understand the sacred Charms of trusty Friendship the Foundation whereof is laid in Vertue and Goodness are able to conceive what a wonderful ravishment and comfort it is for Saints thus freely and securely to unbosome themselves to one another to think in common to mingle souls and to affect and communicate each others joys But Thirdly The fundamental happiness of the Blessed the glorious Light through which they see and know all things else is the Knowledge of God We know him by Hear-say but they by sight by near intimacy and acquaintance but perpetual correspondence and familiarity they are ever with him and he never withdraws himself from their observation Neither doth he appear to them vail'd and vizarded in Mystery and Darkness but his nature is explained to their understandings And all those difficulties that so much puzzle and intricat our thoughts are made easie and familiar The great problem of the Trinity the eternal generation of the Son of God and the procession of the Holy Spirit such Paradoxes as reason can never unriddle they are abundantly satisfied in Those unsoundable depths which turn the Brain and make some Atheists and others Mad to look into they are made infinitely happy and wise in the discovery of They know that which it is a sin for us to look into and would be our ruin to discover For can a man see God and Live No we must die before we can see him as they do and as he is And certainly this must needs be a prospect infinitely transporting Did you ever see any thing that pleased you Did you ever consider any thing that delighted you Did you ever know any thing that you were glad to know Or had you ever any rude conceptions of any good thing above your understanding that you desired to know more of Why sum up all together and this sight is more than all more then ever was in the Eye or Imagination of man enough to fulfill all our desires and to consummate all our Joyes The Eye shall be satisfied with seeing the Contemplation ravish'd with considering and the unsatiable thirst of the soul after Knowledge shall be gratified in the highest and most unsearchable curiosities In him we shall behold such a sufficiency of all things that we shall desire to know and enjoy no more but shall ever rest satisfi'd and at peace in the fruition not of a force't and artificial contentment but of a plenary satisfaction of all our hopes and wishes For we shall not onely see God but we shall see him ours we shall see our selves in the possession and embraces of him We shall foresee a long Eternity before us in all which we shall never be depriv'd of that Blessed Vision no not for a moment We shall see God and nothing in him but what shall wonderfully please us His Justice shall not startle us when we shall not only have escap't it but shall be rewarded by it His Pow'r sholl not make us tremble for we shall be no otherwise concern'd in it then to consider how happily it shall have brought us thither and how infallibly it shall maintain and eternize our happiness His Omniscience shall not daunt us for we shall be capable of doing nothing we can be asham'd of but the glorious attributes of his Goodness and Mercy of his Love and Tenderness of his Bounty and Good VVill shall ever shine upon us in the greatest manifestations No Frown no Anger no Displeasure shall ever darken or beeloud his serene Countenance unto us And this it is and more then I can tell you to be Saints in Light to see God face to face and to see him as he is For God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all 1 John 1.8 But 2. This Light discovers to the Saints not only the Essence of God but also his Will with undoubted certainty and clearness We shall not only hear his Voice but we shall see his Thoughts and be acquainted with all his Mind The Divine