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I convey mine ideas to them in articulate words. Yea, when I rose a little from this infantile state, I could not shake myself free of my ignorance, nor form any proper notion of the embelting oceans, opposite poles, antipodes, and the earth hung upon nothing. Still I knew nothing of the heavenly bodies, of the glorious sun, splendid moon, or sparkling stars; of the beauteous rainbow, falling showers, and flashing thunders. These things, then too sublime for me to think on, are now, in some sense, both intelligible and familiar; and this arises, not from any addition of new powers, but from an increase of the faculties (by whatever means) of my soul.

Now, let me turn the page, and let my meditation stretch its wings towards eternal bliss. It is a reviving thought, that this soul of mine, if united to the living Son of God, the life-giving Head, shall know divine things in the light of glory. Things which I have hardly heard of, and which, for the grossness of my ignorance now, cannot enter into my heart, shall then be my darling themes. Moreover, as sun, moon, and stars, appear more beautiful to me than formerly, not from any new addition of glory to them, but by my clearer knowledge of their nature and magnitude; so that I am convinced, that if the stars were as near us as the torch of day, they would all appear as so many flaming suns; and that, if the sun himself were as near as the moon, whether I looked east or west, south or north, till my glance were terminated, still I should see nothing but one immense, insufferable, flaming firmament of fire! so, when translated to the paradise of God, how shall my soul be delighted with the knowledge of the Most High, and ravished with the prospect of growing wiser and wiser in the things

of God! Though my soul shall then be perfect in comparison of what she is now, and perfect with respect to all the parts of knowledge, happiness, and bliss; yet as to the extent of the degree, that shall always be on the increase; for though the finite mind can never know all that is to be known of an infinite Being, who only comprehends himself, yet it will be the excellency, the delight, and employment of glorified saints, still to aspire after more and more of God.

Now, though no new perfections, attributes, excellencies, or glories shall ever be found in God, being all eternally and essentially in him, yet the longer I am in his presence, the more glorious will he be to me, because I shall know him more and more. And the more of him I know, the more shall I admire and love him; and the more I admire and love him, I shall become the liker to him; and the liker to him, the larger and more capacious will my soul become; and the more extensive the faculties of my soul are, the more shall I apprehend of God; and the more of God is apprehended and known, the more he is glorified. Thus, in an eternal progression of knowing, admiring, loving, and being assimilated to God, and of enlargement of the soul, whereby she will be enabled still the more to love, admire, and know, be assimilated to, approach, and participate of the communicable perfections of the Godhead, shall consist the uninterrupted employment, and entrancing felicity of the blessed, while, through the whole, God is all in all.

Again, if there be such a difference between my thoughts when I first essayed to speak, and when arrived at ten years of age, and between them at ten years old, and those of whom I am at present capable;

what shall the divine increase of my soul be, when, in the beatific vision of Jehovah and the Lamb, I shall have been an astonished, ravished, ardent adorer for a thousand years, and add to that another thousand, till numbers fail, and computation is swallowed up in eternity itself? Shall I not kindle in his love, brighten in his flame, and be assimilated to him in his eternal irradiation?

Again, when I consider the vast disproportion there is among the mental faculties of the sons of men, so that one has the most absurd views of all things, while another has adequate conceptions of most things, and sublime though imperfect apprehensions of God himself, I stand amazed to find, not only that the meanest saint, who is united to him in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily, far outshines the wisest men of the world, but that one saint differs greatly from another, not only in this world, but in the world to come. In the firmament of bliss, star differeth from star in glory, yet every star is glorious, and full of glory. Now, this difference of degrees in glory, is begun below. "He that sows sparingly, shall also reap sparingly; but he that sows plentifully, shall reap plentifully" for ever. The soul that burns in the fire of love, shall come forth an immortal phoenix; and as beds of gold are said to ripen in the beams of the sun, so shall they who lie most in the rays of the Sun of Righteousness, ripen into the brightest glory. Now, when all are plunged into felicity and glory, every soul shall be perfect, and replenished with glory; yet every soul shall preserve its attainments, keep the happy start, and retain its growth, when the weak are as the house of David, and the house of David as the angel of God.

Therefore, the larger and more capacious the soul is, in an higher manner is God known; and the more God is known, the more he is glorified; and this advantage is to be pursued after, below. This is the seed-time for a plenteous eternity. This is the ambition God allows, the avarice heaven commends.— What are kingdoms, crowns, or titles, what riches, glory, fame, in comparison of this, to get my soul dilated, enlarged, capacitated to receive, much of God, by which he will be glorified the more, and in which will consist the quintessence of my felicity for ever?

MEDITATION LXXI.

THIS LIFE A VALE OF TEARS.

Feb. 19, 1759.

WHY have I mistaken this thorny wilderness for a

garden of flowers? this place of danger for a palace of delight? and this howling desert for an enchanting grove? If the world has joys, it has none for me; they are carnal or unlawful, mine must be pure and spiritual. If the creature affords pleasures, they cannot suit my soul; its honey is mixed with gall, its sweet with wormwood, its wine with water, its gold with dross, and all it yields with poison. The pleasures I should seek are such as my soul may feed on without danger, feast on without surfeiting, and rejoice in without sin.

Again, why do I expect comfort in this world? Can I hope, or even desire, to go through the valley of tears singing? or to dwell in the house of mourning laughing? Would I fare better than my best

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friend? While here, he was a man of sorrows, and shall I not taste the briny cup? He was acquainted with grief, and shall I be a stranger to it? Would I be kindly entertained in that very place where he had not where to lay his head? Would I fare like the kings of the earth, when the King of kings fared not so well as the fowls of heaven, or the foxes of the field? Would I go another way to glory than the saints ever trode? Would I go through one heaven to another, when it is through much tribulation I must enter into the kingdom? Can the children of the bride-chamber be glad when the Bridegroom is not with them? Can I be easy, can I be quiet, among the enemies of my Lord the King, where the general voice is, "Shall this man reign over us? We will not have him for our king, we will not take him for our Saviour."

Oh! that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the sins of my fellow-creatures, for the slain of my fellow-sinners! Let sorrow seize on my heart, and grief fix her iron talons there; it is all I can do for the honour of my Lord. I shall know no grief but for thee, no joy but in thee;-no grief but in thee, wounded in thy glory, blasphemed in thy name, disbelieved in thy promises, defamed in thy holiness, abused in thy saints, contemned in thy threatenings, slighted in thy love, and contradicted in thy truth ;no joy but in thee, as my only portion, my exceeding great reward;-no comfort but in thee, conquering in the everlasting gospel, and worshipped from the rising to the setting sun.

This is the night of weeping; and though weeping endure through the night of time, yet joy com

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