The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

1. 'Tis a more facile way of knowing; Here is no need of a busy search; a tiresome indagation, (the difficulty whereof makes the more slothful, rather trust than try) a chaining together of consequencies. The Soul hath its clothing (its vestment of light) upon as cheap terms as the Lilies theirs; doth neither toil nor spin for it: And yet Solomon, in all the glory of his (famed) wisdom was not arrayed like it. This knowledge saves the expense of study, is instantaneous not successive; The soul now sees more, at one view, in a moment, than before in a life's-time. As a man hath a speedier, and more grateful prospect of a pleasant Country, by placing himself in some commodious station that commands the whole Region; than by travelling through it. 'Tis no pains to look upon what offers it self to my eye. Where there is a continued series of consequencies, that lie naturally connected; the soul pleasingly observes this continuity, but views the whole frame, the whole length of the line, at once (so far as its limited capacity can extend) and needs not discuss every particle, severally, in this series of truths; and proceed gradatim from the knowledge of one truth to another; in which case only one, at once, would be present to its view. It sees things that are connected, not because they are so. As a man conveniently placed in some eminent station, may possibly see, at one view, all the successive parts of a gliding stream^*; but he that sits by the waters side, not changing ⟨p. 93⟩[…] place, sees the same parts only because […] succeed, and these that pass make way […] them that follow to come under his eye: […] doth a learned man, apply, describe the successive knowledge of God; of which the glorified souls way of knowing, is an imitation, […] the very words seeing or beholding (which it ••so frequently set forth by in Scripture) do naturally import. Yet that as to them, all ra••cination shall be excluded that state, I see […] reason to admit; though with God it can ••ve no place. And, as he is reckoned to live pleasanter life, that spends upon a plentiful ••ate; than he that gets his bread by the sweat […] his brows; so this more easy way of knowing must needs be reckoned more pleasing. This knowledge is as Jacob's Venison, not huned for, but brought to hand. The race is not ere to the swift;