A26808:54
The sovereign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain itThe soveraign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain it
The sovereign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain it by William Bates ...The soveraign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain it by William Bates ...
London: printed by J.D. for Brabazon Aylmer, 1680
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. As they shall behold God's Face, know his most amiable Excellencies; so they shall love him as perfectly as they know him. To the illustrations of the Mind, there are correspondent impressions on the Heart. In the present state our Love is imperfect, and as Fire out of its sphere, dies away, by our neglect to feed it with proper materials, ⟨p. 36⟩enamouring considerations of God. But 'tis not so in Heaven: there the Divine Sun attracts every Eye with the light of its beauty, and inflames every Heart with the heat of his Love. The continual Presence of God is in different respects the Cause and Effect of our Love to him. For there is no more powerful Attractive to love him, than to see him; And Love keeps the thoughts undivided from him. God is Love, and will kindle in us a pure Affection that Eternity shall never lessen.
Our Affections that are now scattered on many things, wherein some small Reflections of his Goodness appear, shall join in one full Current in Heaven, where God is all in all. We shall then understand the riches of his Love, that God who is infinitely happy in himself, should make Man for such a Glory, and such a Glory for Man. And that when for his Rebellion he was justly expelled from Paradise, and under a sentence of Eternal Death, God should please to restore him to his Favour, and give him a better state than was forfeited. We shall then understand our infinite Obligations to the Son of God, who descended from the Heaven of Heavens to ⟨p. 37⟩our Earth; and which is more, from the Majesty wherein he there reigned, from the Glory wherein he was visible to the Angelical Minds, and became Man for Men, Redemption for the Lost, to purchase Immortal Life for those who were dead to that blessed Life. In short, then God will express his Love to us in the highest degrees that a finite Creature is capable to receive from Love it self, and we shall love him with all the strength of our glorified powers.
Our Affections that are now scattered on many things, wherein some small Reflections of his Goodness appear, shall join in one full Current in Heaven, where God is all in all. We shall then understand the riches of his Love, that God who is infinitely happy in himself, should make Man for such a Glory, and such a Glory for Man. And that when for his Rebellion he was justly expell'd from Paradise, and under a sentence of Eternal Death, God should please to restore him to his Favour, and give him a better state than was forfeited. We shall then understand our infinite Obligations to the Son of God, who descended from the Heaven of Heavens to