Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

To this I answer, That separation from Christ we must understand rightly; we are not to understand by ¹separation, that he should be separated from the Spirit and grace of Christ, but that he might be separated from the comforts of Christ, that he might not have that comfort and that happiness that comes in by Christ: If he had desired to be separated from the grace of Christ, he should have sinned in it; Gods glory and our good are so annexed together, that though we may suffer much for the good of others, yet we are not to desire to be in any sinful condition, though it could save all the world: If it could be conceived, unless I sin the least sin in thought, all the men of the world should be damned, I should suffer them all to be damned, rather then to sin the least sin. I remember St. Augustine hath a tractate about an officious lye, to tell a lye for no hurt, but for good; says he, We are not to tell such a lye, though it were to save all the world: Christ had rather all the world should have been damned, then that he should have committed the least sin.

1. 1Answ.

In the next place, whosoever does understand what ¹the true reward is that is in heaven, it is impossible, if he desire heaven aright, but he must desire the glory of God above himself: What is the height and top of heaven? it is not any carnal good, any carnal content that is the height and top of the glory of heaven? It is that our souls being ⟨p. 490⟩in the perfection of them, might live to the praise of God for ever: Now if this be the end of all, we shall receive from God in heaven that we might live for ever, to reflect the glory upon God again in our praise; then it is impossible to desire heaven, but in our desires of heaven, we do desire God above our selves: Surely we may freely aim at our reward in heaven, for if we aim at our reward, and know it aright, it is such as we cannot but aim at God above our selves; yea further, so near is Gods glory and