Debtors A Covetous Man can be good for nothing I 'm positively of that Opinion because the Love of those his little Idols is resolv'd by that great Gamaliel and competent Judge St. Paul to be the Root of all sorts of Evil. He is rude and uncivil to himself in not affording necessary Supplies for supporting his natural Contentment and cruel and tyrannical to his better Part if he have e're a one his Soul by distorting and perplexing and debasing it Night and Day in sordid Anxieties and unaccountable Drudgeries and to all his Neighbours and Conversants in the World Uneasie Fraudulent and Unsociable and Unintelligible and worse And remarkable I take it to be that splendid Instance and President of Mary Magdalen in bestowing a considerable sum of most precious Oyntment to wash our Saviours Feet withal which no body but covetous Judas the Bag-bearer grudged and would have pretended himself to have been so Charitable or Liberal as to have wisht it had been ad Valorem to the Value rather given to the Poor ss The Cash-keeper that was so bloodily Covetous as for thirty Shillings or Pieces of Silver to betray his Lord and Master A stingy narrow Soul can't be a Jurisprudent to all Effects and Purposes if to any at all for a Liberal Man considers of the Universe and and dispences accordingly quoad hunc nunc as to time and Person properly but the other minds no body but himself and in good earnest therefore is most his own Enemy though a common Enemy too to the World about him That a Man who is Deputy Lieutenant of the whole World should not act like a Prince within his Territories is a thing to be counted more a Matter of Prodigy than Proof That Soul that confines it self to it self and loves not to dilate is the greatest Heteroclite in rerum Naturâ in the visible World and such is he that is profoundly Covetous for a Man that 's never so Covetous is on some occasions liberally affected to wit towards himself but regards not the rest of the Family of God and is therefore a spurious and degenerate Monster amongst Mankind and not worthy to be owned by them as a rational or intellectual Agent but an Excresence of Humanity or a Creature not a Kin to Generous Mankind XVII De Vitâ Morte Of Life and Death MAnes suos quisque patimur said the great Horace Our Urns and Ends are as certain as our Beginnings Orimur morimur All of us that live must die which fatal word to the unthinking Vulgar is the most formidable in Nature and by the Heathen called so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But some of the more thinking of them have had a rarer Notion of it viz. Dii celant homines ut vivere durent Quam sit dulce mori That Men may endure to live's the Reason why The Gods conceal how sweet it is to die And the divine Philosopher Seneca seem'd to be much of that Mind when he saith that Pompa Mortis magis terret quam mors ipsa that the Circumstances of our Departure are more frightful than Death it self and Dr. Brown wonders any wise Man was afraid of it he professes himself to be rather asham'd to see so sudden and considerable a Change made in a Carcass it 's as natural to die as to be born saith Sir Fra. Bacon and therefore ought not to be so dreadful So that a Jurisprudent being well apprized of the Law of Mortality so lives that he 's neither afraid nor asham'd to die whensoever his great Soveraign that put him into Being thinks fit to recal him out of it It 's true that Life is a mighty Blessing and a living Dog is better than a dead Lion but in comparison with the Ends of Life and Consequences of Death it 's not worth the talking of Quis propter Vitam vivendi perdere Causas Velle potest could a Heathen say Who for Life's sake wou'd ever quit the Cause Of Living by his fundamental Laws Especially believing that a better Life and infinitely more to purpose will be subsequent to every one that dies a Jurisprudent Illi Mors gravis incubat Qui notus nimis omnibus Ignotus moritur sibi said the Tragedian Seneca excellently well ss Death cannot be really formidable to any but such as are too well and notoriously known to the World and understand not themselves Cogi qui potest nescit mori said he too That Man can't tell how to die that can be compell'd thereunto note that For in many Cases Death is more eligible than Life to a Jurisprudent but a Jurisimprudent or Ignoramus is afraid of his own Shadow and can't tell you why he does dread to die He that lives well need not fear to die Because he knows good reason why He leaves Time for Eternity While a Jurisprudent is present in the Body he is all that while absent from the Lord which I take to be the chief Reason why that Chief Justice of the Gentiles St. Paul desired rather to be dissolv'd than not as to himself but as to the care of the Churches and their edification by his Function for a season which was the great Province he was charged withal he was contented to endure to live a while longer The sager sort of the Heathen themselves had arriv'd to this Metaphysical Point That to be in Statu seperato from the cumbersom Body was much more eligible in it self singly consider'd from the benefit of Mankind than their longer residence in the Body Wherefore duly consider'd and jurisprudentially what we are and whither we tend we can shew no cause why we shou'd be at all dismay'd at Death Indeed if we had no further Assurances of future Felicity the Case were alter'd but who can be happy too soon or who that prudentially considers all the Weal and Woes of humane Life together does not judge him the happiest man that is well extricated out of the body There 's more perhaps than we are aware on primâ facie in that Saying ss Nemo ante obitum supremaque funera faelix No Man is truly happy till he dies This is no Riddle unto him that 's wise Life indeed is all in all when all 's said but to exchange a worse for a better Life is more than all that can be said è contra against it It 's better not to be than to be miserable all agree but if we are morally certain of an eternal Life he must needs be non Compos mentis out of his Wits that is loth to die As Death is an extinguishment of all our Faculties and a divorce of Soul and Body indeed it 's formidable but if we as Jurisprudents look on 't but as an Emancipation or Gaol-delivery and as a future State to which ab initio at first we were framed it is rather what we should long for and covet than be shy of or dread A Jurisprudent argues thus If I am here but by the
of Mind doth not consist in Quantity but Quality for we can't but observe that generally they that enjoy the least in quantity have most Peace and Satisfaction Without Peace and Content all that any Man is or hath is irksom and trouble some and if this be in conjunction with our Injoyments we can't but be happy enough to pity Caesar witness Alexander the Great his Distemper Aestuat infoelix augusto in limite mundi his unsatiable Humour could not be at ease and contented with the whole Universe We need not tell you that he who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prince of Peace gave this Bequest unto his dearest Friends in the World whom he left at his Departure behind him as the choisest Legacy he could think fit to leave with and give to them And the blessed Tidings thereof unto Mankind is called the Gospel of Peace which Word in the Hebrew Tongue imports all manner of good To acquire which Thing bad and good Men do frequently we know run the Risque of both their Lives and Fortunes for pax quaeritur Bello 't is the end of War Rest or Peace is the Center of all kind of Fluctuations and Litigations Military and Civil Whoe're would obtain this invaluable Gem must have the Command both over his own Passions and Appetites also and learn to divert or cautelously extricate himself from all Provocations unto Feuds or Animosities of all sorts Prov. 14.44 A Man that once has arrived to this Temper will be satisfied from himself if you 'l believe the wisest Man in the World This is a Principle will steer any Man that has it comfortably and confidently thorow any danger and inable him with a decent Equanimity to entertain good and ill Successes and Events that happen to him in his Pilgrimage True Peace and Content is Gods Kingdom within us This was a principal Lineament in the Portracture of Gods Image imprest on Man in Paradise till he broke that Peace he maintained an excellent Intelligence with his Lord and Master It s impossible to express this true Divine Peace and Content because it surpasses all Understanding and all other counterfeiâ—… Peaces are meer Cheats That 's only true Hearts-ease Content and Peace thaâ—… we mean and talk of that is founded in a rational Sense of our Friendship with oâ—… Reconciliation to our Creator by the Passion and Intercession of our Redeemer and of the Enjoyment of his Love anâ—… Kindness and Reciprocality of Return to him by hearty Ejaculations towards anâ—… Ruminations upon him which Sentimenâ—… aforesaid must be united to real sinceritâ—… of Mind which makes us a good Conscience and gives us mighty Assurance iâ—… our Applications unto or Conversation with both God and Man Note that true Peace with God anâ—… Discord with our Neighbours are incompâ—…tible without Peace on Earth and Good-will unto all Mankind I can't imagine â—…ny Man can be truly at peace with Goâ—…nor consequently content in his Minâ—… The former is an Argument rather of hâ—… latter he that is not Friends with his Brâ—…ther must needs be at Enmity with 〈◊〉 Maker but 1 Cor. 6. St. Pauls Lesson hâ—… need of some Distinction to hold water â—… every general Rule has some Exceptions â—… that it 's more adviseable to be defraudâ—… than to go to Law A peaceable and a wise man his Character is To hear all to edifie by most to reflect upon none to determine nothing nor be moved except what we do our selves at any thing Jam. 3. The fruits of Righteousness are sown in peace by all that care for it It 's an old and authentick Apothegm Pacem te poscimus omnes Pax animi quam cura fugit Content and Peace are Correlatives so that no body can be contented that is not at quiet and every body covets or pretends to be at peace and whoever is at rest and quiet in his own mind upon good grounds is indisputably contented and satisfy'd for he can't devise what further he rationally ought to desire or have a mind to Disquiet Hurliburlies and Discord are the very Stings in humane Nature and no body were or would be able to endure them but in pursuance of Peace Rest and subsequent Harmony Peace and Content which are synonymous are truly Hieroglyphicks of eternal Happiness and in the opinion of a Jurisprudent are bonâ fide Heaven in Effigie because they include Love Joy and Satisfaction to the brim All which Ingredients do compound the Quintessence of this Creation and as far as we can yet apprehend are the greatest Ingredients of the glorified State which is approaching for we well know that Veracity it self has assured us that a wicked man can have no Peace or true Content at all let him say or do what he will This topping Attainment as all other considerable Felicities are founded in true Virtue and Religion and is as the Logicians say Proprium quarto modo that is Convenit omni pacifico soli semper only and ever and to every such a person 't is an inseparable Incident or Essential as 't is virtuous or religious and to none other in the World but always to all such and only to such doth true Felicity appertain Grace and Peace was the Apostolical Benediction that is in other terms Godliness and Content they are inseperable Adjuncts so that he that is destitute of either wants both Beati pacifici said our blessed Saviour in his first Sermon that ere he preach'd This is not only a wise man's Rav. but Coll. to allude to Jacob and Esau's Complements when Jacob would have made his Brother Esau a Present he reply'd he had enough Rav. when Esau would have presented Jacob he reply'd he had enough too that is Coll. or All so is this Grace and Peace the Summum totale the whole Matter or all in all It was also a remarkable Valedictory of the Primitive Christians Peace be with you Joy in Jerusalem and Peace unto Sion for Joy is a natural issue of Peace to all Mankind whoever is satisfied or really contented and at ease must of necessity be chearful and pleased A wise man takes no inordinate care for future supplyes of Subsistance or Accommodation but an ordinate De diein diem only day by day his Bread for all his anxiety can't make him one cubit the taller if divine Providence tells the very hairs of his Head much more doth it ease him of the carking thoughts of Events and Effects that lye buried in the Causes in an higher hand where they are securely lodged Our Concerns ought to be for present Circumstances only and that for Necessities and not Superfluities of Life but to secure our main Chance in Heaven and all the rest will be cast into the Bargain for he in whose hands are reserv'd the Issues of Life and Death takes the present care of us also and if we seek principally our proper and true Happiness in our alliance to him he will be sure to see us
By If it 's impossible long Death to fly If Life eternal be to me hard by If no man can ' gainst it shew good Cause why Within a little while I must needs dye To be translated hence wherefore should I Be al a mort before-hand or be shy If Solomon and Paul approved best Of Dissolution why should not the rest Of the sage Jurisprudents and men wise Resolve the Point It is but a Demise No Prince or Jurisprudent ever dies Seneca said very true that Non est vivere sed valere vita He that 's in pain and no health hath His Life may properly be called Death The Life that now is as much as we make of our selves is not a thing worth the taking up were it not in pursuance of and in order to something better as the vulgar Note well observes Can Life be a Blessing And worth the possessing If Love were away O no c. The Practice of which principal part of Piety or Jurisprudence upon this Stage of Philanthropy and the full fruition of the beatifick Vision who is defined to be Love in the Abstract is that which is our main Business here and which only makes Life considerable and Death not so dreadful as desirable The very heathen Philosophers that had not so clear a Prospect of the future State made no Bones as we say Proverbially of it as Sir Fra. Bacon in his learned Essays gives us many Instances Fear induced some to court it Love and Friendship others others in Complements and generous Bravado's as Augustus Caesar parting with his Wife Livia at his Execution takes his leave of her and the World together thus Livia memor sis nostri Conjugii vive valeque That is to say Remember Livia our things Conjugal Live and prosper fare thee well It 's the Consequences of it are so formidable and astonishing and not it self which is nothing but a deprivation of something which is as natural and as necessary for us to part with as to enjoy Whoever leads a Jurisprudent Life need never dread never so sudden Death It 's for Fools and guilty Knaves to be afraid of their own Shadows and not for men of Temper and Discretion Life is here a thing only considerable in order to somewhat better and future Death is if rightly consider'd on at best but a transition to another State not Place if applied to Intelligent or jurisprudent Agents Sera nimis vita est crastina vive hodie said an Elegant heathen Poet to purpose viz. What you mean to do do to day Dream not to live to morrow pray Nec propter vitam vivendi perdito causam said another appositely and emphatically Dote not so much on this Life as to make The Reason why you live here a mistake Life is a very pretty pleasant thing If health attend it to Beggar or King But all the wealth and honour in the world If at once into your arms they were hurl'd Could never make you be so much in love With Life below if you 'r secure above Of such a Posture as you 'r now beneath To which nothing can you conduct but Death By God's permission when you'v lost your Breath We commonly wonder which is a vulgar Error when we hear of any body's Death whenas we have much more reason to wonder that any Individual is in Life and Health if we do but consider how small a matter serves to turn the strongest Constitution out of Being and how many millions of those accidental Matters we meet withal in a little time besides the incurable Disease of old Age. We ar ' no sooner born than we begin to dye Take Time by the Forelock then there is good reason why For she behind is bald and swiftly does she fly And eximious is that Saying of the heathen Philosopher Vitae nimis avidus quisquis Non vult mundo secum moriente mori That Man 's abominably covetous Of Life that 's loth to die with us The rest of all the Universe about Will keep him quickly company no doubt I close this Essay as Sir Wa. Rawley does his History of the World p. 776. who then had a close Prospect of his untimely End O Eloquent just and mighty Death whom none cou'd advise thou hast perswaded what none has dared thou hast done and whom all the World has flatter'd thou only hast cast out of the world despised thou hast drawn together all the far-stretched Greatness all the Pride Cruelty and Ambition of Man and cover'd it all with these two narrow words Hic jacet XVIII De Societate Conversatione Of Society and Converse MAn is defined very properly to be Animal sociabile a sociable or conversible Creature more than any other inferior Animal whatever the Tongue and Discourse gives him that Preheminence to make better guesses at another's meaning and mind and the complexion of their Thoughts than other Animals overt Actions indicate Without Conversation Society is non-sence and the World wou'd not be like it self Solomon the grand Jurisprudent has long ago remarked it That infinite Wisdom created one thing to correspond with another and it was told us ab initio first in Paradise that it was not fit or good for Man to be without Society and thereupon his Maker did superadd Eve for his companion or associate that nothing might pretend to be Independent but himself Whence it follows necessarily That anchoretick Doctrine and Discipline is quite out of doors both heterodox and immoral as well as unnatural and selfish Hence said the same sage and authentick Author That two are better than one for the sake of reciprocal Aids as well as Enjoyments even Affliction is sweetn'd by Society much more Prosperity according to the true old Saying Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris And a Man is known and understood by his Company that he frequents when he is not by his own Deportment So is the trite Saying Noscitur ex comite qui non cognoscitur ex se By Company that Men do keep They 'r known to such as wisely peep Hermitages and Cells and Solitudes help much to qualifie a Man vicibus alternis by fits and turns for Conversation So did our grand Exemplar Emanuel often withdraw into Deserts and other Recesses but it was to recollect himself with more advantage to appear upon the Stage and to converse with the Multitude Publicans and Sinners with whom we know he was so frequent and familiar as well as with Magistrates and Persons of better Quality otherwhiles that he was by the high-minded Scribes and Pharisees reproached with the Character of being a Friend of theirs of meaner Extract But wholly to sequester a man's self from all manner of Conversation abroad as those do that pretend to enter into Religion which indeed is more properly taking their leaves of it is altogether against the Principles of our Jurisprudent and his Practice too Both Extreams are odious and dangerous Never to be out of a
below and our Relation that we stand in unto God and Man He that well understands that he is not sui Juris not his own property nor put into Being only to serve himself or to controle others but to be ruled and managed by the Laws of his Creation and is but a precarious and dependant Creature tho' in the uppermost forme here And that he hourly is continu'd and supported in Being to the end that he may be obsequious to the Laws of his Sovereign Benefactor and Auxiliary and useful to the rest of Mankind according to his capacity and qualification from above in promoting his own and their both Temporal and Eternal welfare will easily be perswaded that he is divinae particula aurae that is a spark of an Eternal flame and a divine off-spring and that his principal interest concern and acquaintance is vested in the next World whither he is swiftly hastning out of this unto God and Eternity and consequently make use of this but as of a Scale or Ladder to climb up to that withall al reasonable and prudent expedition and security Now to conceive a right of Eternal Goodness Wisdom and Power that the notion may best affect and influence our minds which are not capable to comprehend so vast an object we may judiciously collect in our serenest imaginations the abstract of his imitable perfections of Love Power Wisdom Patience Justice and Mercy c. by those glorious instances that his Word and Works exert And then adore and admire what you possibly cannot comprehend the Clemency Glory and Eternal goodness of that God that hath allied you to him so transcendently and been so superlatively beneficent to you and all Mankind in your narrow tract of time whom Eternity it self will be a pattern strait enuff to bless and magnifie when time shall be no more Having not only made a World for us and planted us as Vicegerents to him in it but after we made defection from him by our violation of his original Sanction in Paradise to contrive that the seed of the Woman that was the occasion of our Degeneration and Apostacy shou'd break the Serpents head that was the fundamental cause of our failing For as the Logicians distinguist well Satan was the Causa procatarctica oâ— original cause of our Lapes but the Woman Causa proegumene or main inducement thereof and that after the fulness of time was accomplish'd for the said breaking his Head that had bruised our Heel that still that Divine and adorable Philanthropy or Love to Mankind should further extend it self as after our Saviour's Ascension and departure from us to commissionate his Holy Spirit to succeed him and to comfort and incourage Mankind in all the ways of new obedience that nothing supernatural as well as rational shou'd be wanting to perfect our both Temporal and Eternal felicity This is worth our while a little further to ruminate upon and to consider how far we are supply'd with a further Auxiliary how the Divine Spirit or the Holy Ghost negotiates with Mankind in persuance of his Eternal happiness is a noble Point and worthy of the contemplation of a Jurisprudent to purpose and with submission to greater Theological Judgments we are of Opinion that it operates not Enthusiastically as many hold or indirectly and imperceptibly influencing of the minds of Men out of the usual course of means prescribed to us in the Gospel or Divine revelation for our acquiring of Eternal happiness which we call Salvation but by the mediation of our rational faculties and diligent persute of such means of Grace and Glory we are obliged to entertain as consideration conference instruction and applications by Prayer and thankful Recognitions of and Praisings for and Rejoycings in such Benefactions Comforts and Aids Divine which we daily and hourly injoy by that miraculous undertaking of our Saviour's passion and intercession together with the subsequent negotiations of the Holy Ghost by the ministration of Angels and the co-operations of him with our sincere and rational operations in and about the accomplishment of our Salvation or Eternal felicity He it is that works in us and for us both a velleity or willingness and excites and helps us forward to action as St. Paul expresly declares The same Holy Spirit doth doubtless help our infirmities and animates us in our defects of humane frailties and as well in meditations of as in application to him prompts us to and prevents us in our persuits after Eternal happiness He that lives without God in the World surely lives without any sense of this Divine superintendence over and in us all how can else our Saviours words be verified That this Comforter which is himself under another notion should teach and conduct us in the knowledge of whatsoever may conduce unto Eternal life If we heed and regard him questionless he is at hand rebuking reinforcing and inciting us to every good Word or Work But this is a new or rather unconsidered on Doctrine since our Saviours departure from us who told us when he went away that he wou'd not leave us destitute of the like aids and supplies as he afforded us when he was among us to inform to incourage and to direct us in the dark how to grope out our way to everlasting hapiness He sometimes by the Ministry of good Angels prompts us sometimes by the mediation of our rational and considerate faculties suggests and influences us sometimes by the interposition of evil Angels suffers us to be tempted and prevented from many a good enterprise or undertaking of his good pleasure and free condescention all which Divine aids and influences as procured for us by the prodigious merits and intercession of our Redeemer whereof no man can give a particular account any more than of the motion of the Wind that blows when and where it listeth the impression whereof we mortals find and feel but can't unfold whence it comes or whether it goes but are sure that every regenerate person do perticipate of those operations to all good effects and purposes and without them are wholly impotent This is that Lite that is kindl'd in all that are born this is that Dove that brooding on the Waters in six days hatched the visible World and this is that Spiritus intus alens that Energy that stimulates Mankind to all good Works as the Poet himself of old darkly discerned Est Deus in nobis agitante calescimus illo God is within us actuating and We tepifie by feeling his warm Hand Hereupon lyes a Jursprudent his stress that if he be true to himself he 's secure of Divine aid in his Study and Practise of the Canon Civil or the Common Law of Mankind be it Secular or Supernatural and further acquiesces herein also that the Humane Verdicts or Judgments whether for the Plaintiff or Defendant in the cause of his Clyent will be Arrested and set aside one day or other if not entred or given according to
the pattern of sound words which is his original Warrant for all his Sentiments Pleas Opinions and Practises from the first day of his Practise to his life End Deo optimo maximo sit Gloria in sempiterno secula sine Fine To God the Best the Greatest send Thanks and praises World without End III. De Angelis Animis Of Angels and Souls THe Soul in statu seperato unbodyed is very near a Kin to an Angel and in point of Constitution but a little lower It 's the Duty and Dignity of them both to be particularly subservient and ministerial Agents unto Mankind's eternal Interest and Happiness the one as Spirits commissionated from Heaven to negotiate for the Heirs of Salvation the other to imitate his Maker in becoming Homo Homini Deus God's Proxy to his fellow Creature for it 's truly said Animus cujusque est is quisque 'T is the Mind that is the Man the Care and charge or Commission aforesaid of the Angels the Father of Lyes himself own'd to be true before the blessed Archangel of the new Covent in the Wilderness Luk 4.10 But whether every Individual Man and Woman have a Tutelar Angel which hath by worthy and learned Divines and others from that expression in holy Writ of Peter's Angel been so long controverted that it remains a Polemical or moot-point to this day All that I therefore judge adviseable as yet to assert therein is that it 's valde probabile non probatum very probable but not proved Howbeit both the new and especially the old Testament demonstrate their general care of and concern for the Church of God and every numerical member thereof and that with eagerness and outstretched necks they pry into the misterious Contrivance of Divine Philanthropy and our Saviours Incarnation for the Redemption of the lapst Creation and the Immortality of our Souls hath more probable and pregnant Jndications than the Existence nature or operations of the holy Angels out of the holy Writ as the inadequateness sensibly to be perceived by us of any sublunary or created enjoyment in point of plenary satisfaction to the powers and faculties of our Souls we still discern a plus ultrà or a further reach and aspiration after more both in quantity and quality than we can upon our highest pitch of attainment meet withal here below as the Poet said Quo plus sunt Potae plus sitiuntur aquae The more of these waters we drink The thirstier we grow we think Also the indefatigability of our Minds and Souls ex vi termini imports an Immortal temper and Constitution of them all thing else by toyls and fatigues languish and require recruits by rest but the more vigorous and athletick our Souls are without repose or intermissions the more they improve and prosper Sleep nor Sickness prevents not their nimble and strenuous operation tho they clog them Whether they are propagated or infused has been another Polemical or moot point time out of mind but for my part I can't imagine any good reason to evince the Infusion nor to invalidate the belief that they are ex traduce propagated the original fiat of Almighty Power may reasonably be supposed to infuse at first such an Energy as to produce an Homogeneal Derivation of the whole Compositum and as a Candle kindles ten thousand more by the same Light which it receives by another Hand without any diminution of its own flame so may the production of infinite pluralities of the same species be apprehended to commence without any miraculous or supernatural concurrence since the Work of God's Creation is ceased And as to the Transmigration of them which the Pythagorean Philosophers of old and many other Modern Virtuosoes since have tenaciously asserted I can by no means reconcile that Notion to the Principles of Reason or Religion and therefore hold it not operae pretium to attempt the refutation thereof How and in what manner its subsistence is after separation from until its reunion unto the Body natural some probable conjectures from Divine Writ and reason may be plausibly made as that it is in a passive condition or lesser degree of happiness than after the Resurrection of the Body and their mutual glorification it can be capable of injoying from that expression of our blessed Saviour on the Cross to the Malefactor in his Crucifiction That he shou'd be that very day with him in Paradise which word we meet not with elsewhere in Scripture save once 2 Cor. 12. and may seem therefore to import some other degree of happiness than may reasonably be presumed Soul and Body in conjunction may perceive and injoy it s certainly receiv'd if a sanctifi'd Soul into Abram's bosom or into its Creators custody care and possession as the surrendring thereof into his Hands clearly implies and must therefore needs be in ease and happiness but we are as uncapable here to comprehend distinctly the nature and quality of its felicity as we are of our circumstances upon Earth whilst in the Womb. That the degrees of future happiness are as various as of our presen◠atainments here in Statu viatorum our pilgrimage is evident enuff to intellectual Opticks both from Scripture and Reason there be least and there be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven as the Gospel declares and Thomas Aquinas his Rule may reasonably be understood as well de futuris as praesentibus of our future as well as present capacities that Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis that is according to the capacity of the subject must all be receiv'd to its utmost Happiness includes full satisfaction and such an injoyment implies an exemption from further desires or expectations and Si magnis componere parva licebit if the comparison be not odious we may take some measure methinks of the nature and quality of future bliss and happiness by the highest degree of humane felicity which we know doth consist in a plerofory or exuberance of Health Wealth Peace Power Love and Delight to such a pitch and degree that there remains no more room for further wishes or desires within the confines of Mortality And the more intellectual and refined are the results of our satisfaction in and from these sensible objects and fruitions the nearer is their resemblance and affinity to those Eternal and increated felicities and injoyments in Revertion in the other World Angels are proper Company for immortal Souls by Divine Designation as well as agreeable Constitutions but the nature of either the one or the other we are not here in Circumstances or Capacities to understand but darkly and by conjecture though we are well enough assured of their Imployments and supernatural Existencies and Words wou'd b◠wanting to express if their Faculties wer◠not to conceive of the future State of either of their Felicities that are filled with the fruition of the beatifical Visions of the most High Of the Souls immortality many of the Jurisprudent Heathens were sensible