And as for the present Rewards of Virtue, to speak impartially, I verily think that if there were no life to come, Virtue and Holiness were rationally more eligible: But that is much because God is an End above our selves! And for our own content, in many, Holiness would give the mind more pleasure, than all fleshly pleasure, and worldly greatness could counterpoise. But with many others, whose afflictions are very heavy, and pains and poverty very great, and who are grievously tormented by cruel persecutors; and perhaps a Melancholy constitution may forbid them much delight, it is hard to say, that if they durst let loose themselves to all sin, which maketh for their fleshly interest, their Pleasure would not be much greater. While the Soul is in flesh, it unavoidably partaketh of the pain or pleasure of the flesh: Therefore the torment of the Stone, or Strangury, or of a Rack or Strappado will reach the Soul: And the operations of the Soul being in and by the body, a tormented body will hinder those Contemplations which should feed our Joy, and also hinder the Joy of those Contemplations. Most Christians enjoy little comfort in Holiness, through the very cares of this life, and the weakness of Grace, and power of Corruptions, and doubts and fears which do attend them: Much less would they have much comfort, if they were here tormented, and miserable in body, and had no hope of another life. In some sense we may say, that Heaven is begun on Earth, because Holiness is begun: But the Heaven on Earth is the hope and reflection of the Heaven indeed, and is soon gone if that be gone, as the light here ceaseth when the Sun is set. God seen and loved in a glass doth more differ as to us from God as seen and loved in the intuition of ⟨p. 124⟩his Glory, than the heart of man is now able to conceive. The difference may be well called specific as to our actions, yea transcendently such. Let any man in torment without any hope of Heaven be Judge.
And as for the present Rewards of Virtue, to speak impartially, I verily think that if there were no life to come, Virtue and Holiness were rationally more eligible: But that is much because God is an End above our selves! And for our own content, in many, Holiness would give the minde more pleasure, than all fleshly pleasure, and worldly greatness could counterpoise. But with many others, whose afflictions are very heavy, and pains and poverty very great, and who are grievously tormented by cruel persecutors; and perhaps a Melancholy constitution may forbid them much delight, it is hard to say, that if they durst let loose themselves to all sin, which maketh for their fleshly interest, their Pleasure would not be much greater. While the Soul is in flesh, it unavoidably partaketh of the pain or pleasure of the flesh: Therefore the torment of the Stone, or Strangury, or of a Rack or Strappado will reach the Soul: And the operations of the Soul being in and by the body, a tormented body will hinder those Contemplations which should feed our Joy, and also hinder the Joy of those Contemplations. Most Christians enjoy little comfort in Holiness, through the very cares of this life, and the weakness of Grace, and power of Corruptions, and doubts and fears which do attend them: Much less would they have much comfort, if they were here tormented, and miserable in body, and had no hope of another life. In some sense we may say, that Heaven is begun on Earth, because Holiness is begun: But the Heaven on Earth is the hope and reflection of the Heaven indeed, and is soon gone if that be gone, as the light here ceaseth when the Sun is set. God seen and loved in a glass doth more differ as to us from God as seen and loved in the intuition of ⟨p. 124⟩his Glory, than the heart of man is now able to conceive. The difference may be well called specifical as to our actions, yea transcendently such. Let any man in torment without any hope of Heaven be Judge.
