Sec. 65. Now it had been already made plain to him, that all the Attributes of Perfection belonged to that Being which did necessarily self-exist, and that he was far from all manner of Imperfection. He was certain withal, that the Faculty by which he attain’d to the Apprehension of this Being, was not like to Bodies, nor subject to Corruption, as they are. And from hence it appear’d to him, that whosoever had such an Essence as was capable of apprehending this Noble Being, must, when he put off the Body at the time of his Death, have been formerly, during his Conversation in the Body, first, either one who was not acquainted with this necessarily self-existent Essence, nor ever was join’d to him, nor ever heard any thing of him; and so would, at the separating with the Body, never to be join’d to him, nor to be concern’d at the want of him. Because all the Corporeal Faculties cease when the Body dies, nor do they any longer desire or linger after their proper Objects; nor are in any trouble or pain for their absence; (which is the Condition of all Brutes, of what shape soever they are.) Or else, secondly, such an one, who while he continu’d in the Body, did converse with this Being, and had a sense of his Perfection, Greatness, Dominion, and Power; but afterwards declin’d from him, and follow’d his vicious Inclinations, till at length Death overtook him whilst in this State; he shall be depriv’d of that Vision, and yet be afflicted with the Desire of Enjoying it, and so remain in lasting Punishment and inexpressible Torture; whether he be to be delivered from his Misery after a long time, and enjoy that Vision which he so earnestly desires; or, everlastingly to abide in the same Torments, according as he was fitted and dispos’d for either of these two, during his continuance in the Body. Or lastly, were such an one, who convers’d with this necessarily self-existent Being, and apply’d himself to it, with the utmost of his Ability, and has all his Thoughts continually intent upon his Glory, Beauty, and Splendor, and never turns from him, nor forsakes him, till Death seizes him in the Act of Contemplation and Intuition: Such a Man as this shall, when separated from Body, remain in everlasting Pleasure, and Delight, and Joy and Gladness, by reason of the uninterrupted Vision of that self-existent Being, and its intire freedom from all Impurity and Mixture; and because all those Sensible Things shall be remov’d from him, which are the proper Objects of the Corporeal Faculties, and which, in regard of his present State, are no better than Torments, Evils and Hinderances.


