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

Sensible things are of such a limited Goodness, that not any of them can supply all our present wants, so that 'tis necessary to leave one for another. And the most of them are Remedies of our diseased Appetites, and if not temperately used, are destructive Evils. Eating and Drinking are to extinguish Hunger and Thirst, but continued beyond just measure, become nauseous. Besides, the Insufficiency of their Objects, the Senses themselves cannot be satisfied all at once. The Ear cannot attend to delightful Sounds, and the ⟨p. 59⟩Eye be intent on beautiful Colours at the same time. The Satisfaction of one Sense defeats another of enjoying its proper good; therefore the same Object is not constantly pleasant, but the Heart is distempered from as many Causes, as there are desires unaccomplished. Add farther, all things under the Sun afford only a superficial delight, and miserably deceive the Expectations raised of them: and many times there is a mixture of some evil in them, that is more offensive, than the good is delightful. The Honey is attended with a Sting, so that often those very things we sigh after through vehement desire, when they are obtained, we sigh for grief. Now all these Causes of dissatisfaction cease in Heaven; for^* God is an infinite Good, and whatever is truly desirable and precious, is in Him in all degrees of Perfection. And in his Presence all the Powers of the Soul are drawn out in their most pleasant exercise, and always enjoy their entire happiness. The fruition of him exceeds our most raised hopes, as much as he is more glorious in Himself than in any borrowed Representations. God will be to us incomparably above what we can ⟨p. 60⟩ask or think. The compass of our thoughts, the depth of our desires are imperfect measures of his Perfections. And as he is a Pure Good in Himself, so he is prevalent over all Evil. 'Tis evident therefore that nothing can allay the Joys of Saints when they are in God's presence.

Sensible things are of such a limited Goodness, that not any of them can supply all our present wants, so that 'tis necessary to leave one for another. And the most of them are Remedies of our diseased Appetites, and if not temperately used, are destructive Evils. Eating and Drinking are to extinguish Hunger and Thirst, but continued beyond just measure, become nauseous. Besides, the Insufficiency of their Objects, the Senses themselves cannot be satisfied all at once. The Ear cannot attend to delightful Sounds, and the