5. To conclude : This perfect, and most comfortable knowledge, is attained without labour by the separate soul. Here every degree of knowledge was with the price of much pains. How many weary hours and aching heads did the acquisition of a little knowledge stand us in ! But then it flows in upon the soul easily. It was the saying of a great usurer, / wice took much pains to get a little^ (ineaning the first stock) but now I get much zoithout any pains at all. Oh lovely state of separation ! That body which interposed, clogged, and clouded the willing and capable spirit, being drawn aside (as a curtain) by death, the light of glory now shines upon it, and round about it, without any interception, or let.
Prop. 11. The separated souls of the just do live in a more high and excellent way of communion with God, in his temple-worship in heaven, than ever they did in the sweetest gospel-ordinances, and most spiritual duties, in which they conversed with him here on earth.
That saints on earth have real communion vAih. God, and that this communion is the joy of their hearts, the life of their life, and their relief under all pressures and troubles in this hfe, is a truth so firmly sealed upon their hearts by experience, as well as clearly re- vealed in the word, that there can remain no doubt about it, among those that have any saving acquaintance with the life and power of religion.
This communion with God is of that precious value with be- lievers, that it unspeakably endears all those duties and ordinances to them, which, as means and instruments are useful to maintain it.
At death, the people of God part with all those precious ordi- nances and duties, they being only designed for, and fitted to the present state of imperfection, Epli. iv. 12, 13. but not at all to their loss, no more than it is to his that loses the light of his candle by the rising of the sun. A candle, a star is comfortable in the night ; but useless when the sun is up, and in its meridian glory. Christian, pray much, hear much, and be as much as thou canst among the ordinances of God, and duties of religion : For, the time is at hand that you shall serve, and wait on God no more this way.
A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAX. 49
But yet think not your souls shall be discharged from all wor- ship and service of God when you die : No, you will find heaven to be a temple built for worship, and the worship there to be much transcendent to all that in which you were here employed. The sanctuary was a pattern of heaven in this very respect, Heb. ix. 23. And, on this very account, it is palled Slon in my text, and the heavenly Jerusalem ; as denoting a church state, and the spiritual worship there performed by the spirits of just men made perfect.
Some help we may have to understand the nature thereof, by comparing it with that worship and service which we perform to God here in this state of imperfection, and by considering the agree- ments and disagreements betwixt them. In this they agree, that the worship above and below are both addressed and directed to one and the same object, Father, Son, and Spirit ; all centers and terminates in God. They also agree in the general quality and common nature; they are both spiritual worship. But there are divers remarkable differences betwixt the one and the other, as will be manifest in the following collation.
1. All our worship on earth is performed and transacted by faith, as the instrument and means thereof, Heb. xi. 6. " He that cometh " to God must believe,*' Sec. In heaven, faith ceaseth, and sight takes place of it, 1 Cor. v. 7. There we see what here we only be- lieve. There are now before us ordinances, scriptures, ministers, and the assemblies of saints in the places of worship : But if we have any communion with God, by, or among these, we must set ourselves to believe those things we see not. By realizing and ap- plying invisible things, we here get sometimes, and with no small pains, a taste of heaven, and a transient glance of that glory. In this service our faith is put hard to it, it must work and fight at once ; resolutely act whilst sense and reason stand by, contradicting and quarrelling with it. And if, with much ado, we get but one sensible touch of heaven upon our spirits, if we get a little spiritual warmth and melting of our affections toward^ God, we call that day a good day, and it is so indeed.
But in heaven all things are carried at a high rate, the joy of the Lord overflows us without any labour, or pain of ours to procure it.
We may say of it there, as the prophet speaks of the dew and showers upon the-grass, " which tarrietli not for man, nor waltetli " for the sons of men," Micah v. 7.
2. No grace is, or can be acted here, without the clog of a con- trary corruption, Rom. vii. 21. " When I would do good, evil is " present with me." Every beam of faith is presently darkened by a cloud of unbelief, Mark ix. 24. " Lord, I believe, help thou my " unbelief' " We often read in the book of experience (saiih
50 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN.
" * one) what an inconsistent fickle thing the heart is in duties i " Now it is -vnth us, by and by it is fled away and gone ; we know " not where to find it : It is constant only in its inconstancy and " lubricity/' There is iniquity in our most holy things, which needs pardon, Exod. xxviii. 38. Our best duties have enough in them to damn us, as well as our worst sins : But in that perfect state above, grace flows purely out of the soul, as beams do ft'om the sun, or crystal streams from the purest fountain. No impure or imperfect acts proceed from spirits made perfect.
3. Here the graces of the saints are never, or very rarely acted in their highest and most intense degree. When they love God most fervently, there is some coldness in their love. AVho comes up to the height of that rule, IVIat. xxii. 37. " Thou shalt love the Lord " thy God, with all thy heart, and all thy mind, and all thy " strength .?" AVhen we meditate on God, it is not in the depth of our thoughts, without some wanderings and extravagancies ; it is very hard, if not impossible, for the soul to stand long in its full bent to God.
But in heaven it doth so, and will do so for ever, without any re- laxation or remission of its fervour. Christ, among the saints and angels in heaven, is as a mighty load-stone cast in among many needles, which leap to him, and fix themselves inseparably upon him. They all act in glory as the fire doth here, to the utmost of their power and ability. There is no note lower than " Glory to God in the highest."
(4.) The most spiritual souls on earth, who live most with God, have, and must have their daily and frequent intermissions. The necessities of the body, as well as the defectiveness of their graces, require, and necessitate it to be so. Our hands with Moses will hang down and grow v.eary. Our affections will cool and fall, do what we can.