find the mind is not the only faculty that shall be gratified; but the will shall conceive a love as great as the knowledge of which I have discoursed. For as God is the highest object of the understanding, being the prime Truth, so he is the chiefest object of the will, being the first and best Good. And therefore, as the understanding shall then most clearly know him, so the will, in like manner, shall most ardently love him, and find perfect satisfaction in that love. There is a necessary connection between these things; and it cannot be otherwise, but that from the best good clearly known there will flow the greatest love; drawing along with it the greatest delight, and the most perfect repose. And therefore, to see God virtually contains in its notion both love and delectation, with rest or satisfaction. Love naturally flows from thence, as from its fountain; and the other naturally flow from love: which is the highest act of that faculty which we call the will, as knowing and contemplating is of the understanding. Desire, indeed, is the first motion of it, when any thing is apprehended to be good for us; but that will there be quenched in possession and enjoyment and no more of it can be conceived to remain than a longing after the continuance and increase of this happiness; which yet will be so certain, that we shall be rather confident than desirous.

The will therefore, having such a glorious object always before it, will be wholly employed in love, and spend itself, without any decay, in flames of affection towards this universal good, which shines so fairly and brightly in its eyes. It will apply itself to the enjoyment of it with as great a vehemency as it can; and, laying its mouth (as St. Austin teaches me to speak) to the spring of all happiness, do more than taste the sweetness of it. We may expect to have it filled with those delicious pleasures which we know attend on love, and which, in that state, will be proportionable to the greatness of the good that is embraced, and to the strength and ardency of the embracement.

And whereas here in this world men are wont to love beyond all reason, whereby their love becomes adulterate, and is mixed with so many discontents, that it proves but a bitter-sweet; there, our understanding (as you have heard) will be in its full growth and highest pitch; so that, as nothing which is reason

able shall be omitted to be done, nothing likewise shall be done that is unreasonable. This love will be grounded upon the clearest judgment; this flame kindled by the purest light; so that there will be no disquiet or trouble in it, but perfect rest and peace.

And whereas in this world men's affections flow to things that are not near so big as themselves, (i. e. as their own desires,) and so they languish, and faint, and fall sick, even in the enjoyment of the best good that it affords, because they find it is not a supply proportionable to their want or to their expectations; there will be no such emptiness or want of satisfaction in those celestial enjoyments, because we shall embrace not only our proper good, but that which is commensurate to our desires, and beyond our hopes. Our affections will not fall then upon that which cannot sustain the whole weight of them; but, feeling themselves borne up to the greatest height of love, by a good so full that it will leave no room for complaint or uneasiness, they will enjoy the most solid rest and satisfaction.

Do but conceive then in your minds what a pleasure it is here in this life to love and to be beloved; and you will have some notion whereby to take a measure of the life we are speaking of, which will consist in such mutual love and delightful correspondencies. And they who have neither father nor mother, wife nor children, near kindred nor relations whereon to place their affection, let them consider, if they have but a singular friend, what the pleasure is that two persons, who sincerely and purely love, take in the sweet company and conversation of each other. Or, if I must suppose any man to be so unkind and so unhappy as to have no love for anybody but his own self, let him think what contentment he hath, and how he is pleased, if he can arrive any thing near to a quiet enjoyment of his dear self. And such a delightful state may be a small image of heaven, where holy souls will love God with a far greater flame than ever they did (or shall then) love themselves; because he will appear infinitely more lovely, and to bear also a far greater love to them than it is possible for them to do to themselves.

Now none can tell how transporting it will be to a good soul when it feels itself the beloved of God, as well as full of love to

him; because we cannot think how great the love of the Almighty is unless we could know how great he is himself. This is a thing that cannot fail to have a strange power over our affections, and to master them so that we shall be taken quite out of ourselves for we all extremely love to be beloved

If any neighbour show us an unexpected and undeserved kindness, we are apt to think he is the best person in the world; and the poorest wretch that is, if we see in him the undoubted signs of an hearty love to us, we cannot choose but requite it with some expressions of kindness back again. Nay, if a dog, as I have said elsewhere, or such a dumb creature do but fawn upon us, and delight in our company, and with a great deal of observance follow us wheresoever we go, we cannot but be so far pleased with this inclination towards us as to make much of it, and to be troubled to see any harm befall it, and to love to see it play and be well pleased. Judge then what a pleasure it will be to pious souls to find themselves beloved of him who hath put these kind resentments into our nature. To what an height will the sweet breathings of his love blow up the flames of theirs! Into what ecstacies will they fall when they feel, by the happy fruits, what an exceeding great affection their heavenly Father bears to them! It is above our present thoughts to apprehend the joy that will then overflow them; but we may conceive a little of it if we remember that God is love, and that by our love he will be in us, and by his love we shall be in him.

But, if you please, let us fall much lower than this, and only represent to ourselves how great an happiness we shall account it to be beloved of the whole family of God in heaven. Look down from the highest angel to the smallest infant that shall be blessed there, from the noblest to the meanest in that celestial court, and there is not one of them but will love us, and be ready to show their sincere and most affectionate kindness towards us. They that are the greatest in that glory will be the greatest lovers; they that enjoy most of God will be disposed to let us enjoy most of them. For there is no pride nor envy in the heavenly quire; but the more any are beloved, the more they will delight in the most effectual expressions of their love. And how can they choose but interchange to each other unspeakable contentment who live in the comfort of such

indissoluble amity and friendship? Nothing can be thought of beyond this to set forth their happiness: but we must conclude with Philos, that this is the best definition of immortal life, ἔρωτι καὶ φιλίᾳ Θεοῦ ἀσάρκῳ καὶ ἀσωμάτῳ κατεσχῆσθαι, στο be held fast in an unfleshly and incorporeal love and friendship of God.'

You will say perhaps that I have been now speaking of some other love besides his; which, supposing our hearts so fixed on him, we shall not be capable to entertain ourselves withal in the other world. For who can divert himself from so beloved a good, (which sends also such tokens of love to him,) and turn to any other object? We cannot think that they who love God perfectly will be inclined to love any thing else. And you may think so still, if you please, without any prejudice to what I have said. This will but make that life the more desirable, and move us to wish for such an happy state; where God will be in all our thoughts, and we shall always love him, and yet love one another too. For these are not at all inconsistent, but we may delight ourselves in the sweet society of angels and saints, and yet always see God; because we see and love him in every thing. They will be his beauties which we shall behold in them. Those holy ones will shine in his glory. So that our affections will not incline to run to any person merely for himself; but because we behold the face of God in him, and see his graces wherewith he is adorned. All the love there will be divine: and the more of God shall appear in any persons, the more lovely they will be; and the more we shall be ravished with their company, and rejoice in a happy league of friendship with them.

Well then, withdraw your thoughts a while from all the things you love here, and raise them above to look at love where it reigns, and hath an uncontrolled empire: behold it sitting on its throne, advanced to its utmost pitch of perfection, and showing itself in its full glory: and then keep the beginnings of this heavenly Life out of your souls if you can. It will be impossible you should not think there is nothing so much to be desired as to be all love. O happy life, will you say, where they love as much as they are able! and where they shall be able to love more than now can be conceived! 5 Περὶ φυγάδων. [tom. i. p. 554.]

and where they will be beloved more than they can love; and have their love hereby heightened, when they reflect upon it, in an endless circle of joy and pleasure! Let us enter upon this life with all the speed we can make. Let us begin it this very moment; and endeavour that no moment may pass hereafter but in the love of God. For there is no heart so stony (sure) and insensible, that will not be dissolved into flesh, and receive any impressions from God, if it be once touched with the serious thoughts of this state of love. No soul so hard frozen and icy, that will not be thawed and melted to run whither God pleases, when it doth but feel the least spark of this heavenly fire fall down upon it. Do but go from the reading of this with the thoughts of this happiness burning in your breasts, and preserve the fire for one hour from going out; and you cannot imagine, till you try, to what an heavenly temper it will purify and refine your spirits. It will make you heartily in love with the life of Christ here, which leads to such a blissful life in the other world. You will zealously follow those holy desires and resolutions which you will necessarily feel it inspiring you withal: and you will not suffer any temptation whatsoever to divert you from that earnest pursuit; but still be saying, as St. Austin begins and ends his Confessions t:

"Thou, Lord, hast made us for thee, and our heart is uneasy and restless until it repose itself in thee: who, being that good which needs no good, art always at rest; for thou thyself art thine own rest. But to understand this, what man will give to man? what angel to angel? or what angel to man? Let it be asked of thee, let it be sought in thee, let it be knocked for at thee. So, so shall it be received, so shall it be found, so shall it be opened. Amen."

III.

And the more we think of it, the more we must needs still desire it; because, our understanding being filled with the knowledge, and our will with the love of the chiefest good, we shall sensibly perceive a divine joy resulting from these, and flowing into our heart with inexpressible pleasure. For it is essentially included in every act both of that knowledge and that love, as may be clearly discerned by what hath been already said. We

t [Lib. i. cap. 1. tom. i. col. 69 B; lib. xiii. cap. 38. col. 244 C.]