Discourses, or, Sermons on several Scriptures

There is therefore a twofold Beatitude, or Blessedness: The one is perfect and consummate; the other initial and incomplete. The former is the Complexion of all Good perfective of our Natures, and our entire and satisfying Enjoyment of it. This Blessedness ⟨p. 45⟩now is only attainable in Heaven; for God alone is the Centre of all Good, and all the Good that is desirable in this World, are but so many Lines drawn from the Centre, to the utmost Circumference of the Creation. There is nothing that can supply the Wants, perform the Hopes, fulfil the Desires, without Confinement circumscribe, without Cloying satisfy the most enlarged Capacities of a Rational Soul, but only that God who is infinitely, universally, and indefectively good; and therefore he alone is our objective Happiness: and our formal Happiness is our Relation to, and Union with this All comprehensive and Incomprehensible Good. Our Assimilation to him, and Participation from him, of all those Perfections which our Natures ⟨p. 46⟩are capable of enjoying, but our Understandings not now capable of knowing. But this consummate Blessedness, is reserved for our unknown Reward hereafter, and is not that which my Text here speaks of.

There is therefore a twofold Beatitude, or Blessedness: The one is perfect and consummate; the other initial and incompleat. The former is the Complection of all Good perfective of our Natures, and our entire and satisfying Enjoyment of it. This Blessedness ⟨p. 45⟩now is only attainable in Heaven; for God alone is the Centre of all Good, and all the Good that is desirable in this World, are but so many Lines drawn from the Centre, to the utmost Circumference of the Creation. There is nothing that can supply the Wants, perform the Hopes, fulfil the Desires, without Confinement circumscribe, without Cloying satisfie the most enlarged Capacities of a Rational Soul, but only that God who is infinitely, universally, and indefectively good; and therefore he alone is our objective Happiness: and our formal Happiness is our Relation to, and Union with this All comprehensive and Incomprehensible Good. Our Assimilation to him, and Participation from him, of all those Perfections which our Natures ⟨p. 46⟩