Sect. I. The Text Explained.

IN this Chapter there be two things, which it is the Apostles principal design to make good; viz.

• 1. The Doctrine of the Gospell by the Resurrection of Christ.
• 2. The Generall Resurrection of the dead.

The latter is prosecuted from the twelfth verse forward, of which you have, [Page 2]the

• 1. Confirmation by many Ar­guments.
• 2. Order of their rising.
• 3. Quality of the raised.

The Second onely of these is, what we are engaged to take cognizance of, which the Apostle speaks to, v. 23. — though we shall all be made alive, yet will it be done in a certain method, every man in his own order. Christ himself rose first, as the first fruits of them that sleep; but the whole crop of Christians shall not rise till his second coming, which the Apostle having mentioned, he spends the five follow­ing verses (by way of digression) in setting down of this coming of Christ.

• 1. What shall follow it.
• 2. To what end.

1. What follows it, you have from Verse 23. to the Text inclusively, in these [Page 3]five Par­ticulars, viz.

• 1. The end of the world.
• 2. The delivery up of Christs Kingdom.
• 3. The putting down of all Rule, and all Authority and Power.
• 4. The subduing of all Enemies.
• 5. The subjection of the Son himself.

2. To what end, and this you have in the Text, That God may be all in all. That these few words may the better be understood, I shall say a lit­tle to each of these three things, viz.

• 1. Their reference.
• 2. Their aim.
• 3. Their meaning.

First, To what passages of the Chapter do they carry a relation? to me, truly, they seem to be the result of all, and of each of those five things but now mentioned: The world shall be ended. Christs Kingdom shall be delivered up. All Rule, and all Au­thority and Power, shall be put down. All Enemies shall be subdued. The [Page 4]Son himself shall be subject, and all, and every one of these, That God may be all in all.

Secondly, their aym is to hold us out, wherein consisteth the Final, and perfect Happiness of the People of God, they be high expressions, and doe signifie some incomprehensible glory, flowing from God himself, which the Saints shall be filled with­all Signifi­catur magnifi­centissi­mis istis verbis in­compre­hensibilis, quaedam gloria, quae a Deo pro­manans nos totos, implebit. Beza in locum.. We shall be the readier to be­leeve it, if we consider these

SECT. II. The Doctrines of the Text propound­ed, and one of them opened.

THe words of the Text do now plainly lay us down these two Propositions, viz.

• 1. The highest happiness of the Saints, is the enjoyment of God.
• 2. That enjoyment of God which is the Saints highest happi­ness, shall be immediate, Sole, free, full and everlast­ing.

SECT. III. The Point propounded, proved by some Scriptures.

AL those Scriptures may pertinent­ly be called in to the making good of this proposition, which as­sert our highest happiness to consist in Gods presence, in being with God, in seeing God, in being satisfied with God, &c. which are all but diversi­fied expressions of our enjoyment of God. I shal take these that follow into consideration, Psal. 16.11. In thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

1. Here is fulness of joy, and eter­nity of pleasures: and is not this a plain description of our highest happi­ness? so Christ the Head, had this joy set before him, Heb. 12.2. and [Page 17]when he puts any member of his into possession of that Kingdom which was prepared for him from the foundation of the world, his livery of Seisin is conceived in these terms: Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, Mat. 25.21. I have not met with one Exposition, that doth not find in this assertion of David (or rather of Christ in Davids person) a plain discription of our high­est happiness. But where is all this to be found? Why

2. In Gods presence, or in Gods face, and is not this as plain a descrip­tion of the enjoyment of God? the shewing of whose face, doth signifie such a manifestation of himself, as doth let us so into his acquaintance, as we are wont to be in theirs, with whom we familiarly converse. Sometimes the face of God seems to be full of frow­ness, Levit. 20.6. tis his smiling face that is here mentioned. God hath smiles of grace for us, whilest we are in our journey, Ps. 4.6. these are smiles of glory, when we shall come home, the twilight of his Countenance is our en­joyment [Page 18]of him here, the full noon of it shall be so hereafter.

Psal. 17.15. I shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness. Here is eve­ry desire full, and what doth fill them but Gods Image? some expound this of Christ, the express Image of his fathers person, Heb. 1.3. and what doth this amount to less then the en­joyment of God? There be three sorts of Images. 1. Imago representationis so there is something of God in the in­inferior creatures, Rom. 1.20. 2. Ima­go similitudinis; so there is much of God in man, Gen. 1.26. 3. Ima­go aequalitatis, and so there is all of God in Christ, Col. 2.9. Others make glory and Image all one, as they are made. 1 Cor. 11.7. and this the sense, when I shall awake up out of the dust, and have admission to see and enjoy thy glorious presence, Post hanc vi­tem con­templan­do clarè Deum. Lorin in locum. I shall be satisfied with that object; neither shall I want, or desire any more.

Mat. 5.8. Blessedness is placed in seeing of God, and who is it that [Page 19]writes upon this subject, but doth de­ny it to consist in any thing else Ʋltima & per­fecta bea­titudo non potest esse nisi in vi­sione di­vinae es­sentiae. Aq. 1ae. 2ae. Q. 3. Art. 8. vid. apud. Dionys. Carhus. in 4. Sent. dist. 49. q. 4.? when Christ prays for the glorifica­tion of beleevers, his request is, They may be with him. Joh. 17.24. what are the earnest groanings of the Saints for, but to be present with the Lord? 2 Cor. 5.8. Phil. 1.23. the great comfort that Paul prescribes against all that death can do, is, That we shall be with the Lord. 1 Thes. 4.17. and what is the ods between our grace and glory, but this, That now we see through a glass darkly, but then we shall see face to face, now we know in part, but then we shall know even as we are known, 1 Cor. 13.12. to enjoy God face to face, and to know God in the same manner (for [...] as, is a note of simi­litude, not of equality) though not in the same degree that God knows us, is the top of our beatitude, which in 1 Joh. 3.2. is said to consist in seeing God as he is, such a vision onely be­ing compleatly beatifical.

SECT IIII. Reasons of the Point.

THat our highest Happiness is the enjoyment of God, the Scrip­tures (you see) bear sufficient witnesse, the reasons why 'tis so may be wrapt up in this one.

There is in God, what ever is ne­cessary to a perfect happinesse, and it is not in any thing else.

That what our felicity is made up of must be good, is beyond dispute: evil, as such, cannot be the object of any appetite, much lesse can it be pro­pounded as the last end by any a­gent that is rational, Eustac. Eth. par­te 1a. in initi [...]. Aq. 1ae. 2ae. qu. Art. 1. yet will not e­very good reach far enough to make us happy, it must be

1. A pure and simple good. If there bee in it any mixture of evil, 'twil never do it, if it be penal, it is ei­ther of sense, and then there is somthing more, or else of loss, and then there is something less then can constitute a [Page 21]blessednesse: if it be sinful, the case is worse, because the evil is greater Culpa habet plus de ratione mali quam pae­na. Aqu. Part. 1. Qu 48. Art. 6., if it be pardoned, yet 'tis a burthen to be groan'd under, Rom. 7.24. if it be not, it leaves us open to the Curse, Galat. 3.10.

Now such a good is God, Light in whom there is no darknesse at all, 1 Joh. 1.5. Light here below is purissima qualitas, very pure and simple, yet scarce enough so to be a shadow of that above, which no man can approach unto, 1 Tim. 6.16. God is a good in which there is no evil at all.

But nothing else is so; the good­nesse of the Creature is mixt with something that is not good, how could they else be vanity and vexation of spirit? Eccl. 1.14.

2. A sufficient good: Let us (at least in a supposition) be free from evil; yet if the good we have be not enough, we are under a condition of want and in­digencie, and can that be happi­nesse?

Such is God, a good that is all-suffi­cient, as he cals himself, Gen. 17.1. able [Page 22]to afford what ever, is desireable In quo nihil de­siderari possit bo­ni. Zanch. de nat. dei l. 4. c. 1. Qu. 1. an immense fulnesse, an ocean of good­nesse, containing in himself all the good that is in other things with an in­comprehensible overplus: There is no good in Wife, Child, Friend, Health, Beauty, Honour, Learning, Wisdom, Wealth, Power, &c. but is all found in one God; though not formalitèr, the same in kind, yet eminentèr, more infinitely, more than the same in va­lue, Dr. Arch­bold Ser. in 1 Pet. 1.16. p. 6. the whole world and God put together are not a jot more excellent than God alone: For if there be any excellency in the Creature, 'tis more eminently in God already, and your addition will signifie nothing: Aug. in Ps. 27.9. What­soever God will bestow upon me, let him take it all away, and give me himself, it was Augustines offer, and he knew his bargain would have been good e­nough.

But nothing else is so: All the crea­tures in the world, if they stand by themselves are but so many cyphers, unlesse God (as a solid number) be ad­ded to them they signifie nothing: Set [Page 23]God aside, and there is not an all-suffi­ciency in the whole Creation for one soul. He that hath most of the world hath not enough, and he that hath least hath too much, if he cannot say with him, Omnis copia quae non est Deus meus, mi­hi egestas est. Aug. Solil. q.c. 13. All abundance, if it be not my God, is to me nothing but poverty and want. It must be

3. A satisfying good; able to fill, quiet, and content the Soul. Delecta­tion is of the essence of happinesse, and is caused by the satisfaction Ex qui­ete appe­titûs in bono a­depto. Aqu. 1. 2. Qu. 4. Art. 1. of our desires in the good which we possesse. Whatever we have, if it be not enough to silence our appetite from craving more, we are short of happinesse.

Such is God; beyond whom there being nothing imaginable, its impossi­ble there should be any thing desira­ble. Plato himself could define God to be Sum­mum bo­num quo nihil me­lius exco­cogitarri potest Ex Zanch. de nat. Dei. l. 4. c. 1. Qu. 1. the chiefest good, than which nothing better can fall so much as within our imagination. Surely the good that God is, as well as the good he can do, is above all that we are able to think, exceeding abundantly above it, Eph. 3.20.

But nothing else is so: Leave God out, & whatever you take in, the heart will stil be capable of desiring more; all the world cannot fil it, nor can all the creatures that it is stockt withall give a compleat satisfaction to the de­sire of one soul. Is it because what is spherical (as the world is) can never fil what is triangular (as the heart is) but some places will be stil empty? or is it that our concupiscible faculty is of so large a size that the whole earth and the fulnesse thereof cannot fit it? or that no creature can fil two places at once, as money for example, the chest, and the heart at the same time? or is it the unsutablenesse that is between that object and this faculty? or is our appe­tite raised by having, as a fire is increa­sed by the fuel it is fed withall? or is it rather because we naturally are carried out after our own perfection, and so cannot terminate our desires in any thing that is short of it, as all the crea­tures are? what ever is the reason of it, sure we are, that he that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor [Page 25]he that loveth abundance with en­crease, Eecles. 5.10. As nothing can be the perfection, so nothing can be the satisfaction of the soul, but he that made it: She will never be at rest till she rest in God: there's no ful content­ment in her pilgrimage, and her onely home is Animae patria est Deus ipse. Aug. God himselfe; no good but the chiefest can suffice us.

SECT. V. The further illustration of the point.

THere will a little more of light be let in upon the Doctrine, we have under consideration, from these three particulars.

First: The happinesse we have here is that enjoyment of God which we have here, and look at what rate our enjoyment is, at the same is our happi­nesse, and for this we will be tried, by

• 1. God, and
• 2. His Saints.

First, doth not God promise this as the greatest happinesse? Exod. 29.45. I will dwel amongst the children of Is­rael, and will be their God (i. e.) I will settle mine habitation and divine pre­sence among you, Ainsw. in locum. it was the greatest sign of Gods grace towards his peo­ple; Id. in Ex. 25.8 and the promise of it is noted to wrap up in it an eminent blessing, 2 Cor. 7.1. compared with chap. 6.16. [Page 27]And on the other side, it is a wo with an emphasis unto a people when the Lord shall depart from them, Hos. 9.12.

Secondly: Whether the Saints do not look upon that enjoyment of God which is afforded them on earth, as their greatest happinesse, till they shal have more of it in heaven, is easily re­solved by observing in them these five things, viz.

1. Before all things in the world they desire this, Psalm 27.4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwel in the house of the Lord, all the daies of my life to be­hold the beauty of the Lord, &c. To see, or behold it, is to enjoy it, is this one thing all that David would have? Do we not ever and anon find him upon his knees before the throne of Grace, for one blessing or other beside this? We doe so; but this one thing especi­ally, this blessing above any other: This is it that the Saints pant after, as the Hart panteth after the water brooks, Psal. 42.1, 2.

[Page] 2. Above all things in the world they prize this; 'tis not the encrease of Corn and Wine, but the light of Gods countenance which they value, Psal. 4.6.7. his loving kindnesse is better than the life it self, Psal. 63.3. than any life, what ingredients soever may be in it to make it valuable: And yet what a rate are we wont to set our lives at! men will bleed, sweat, vomit, purge, be cupp'd, scarified, wear issues, plaisters, part with an estate, yea with a limb or two to preserve their lives; as he cries out, give me any deformity, any tor­ment, any misery, so you spare my life Debilem facito manu, de­b [...]lem pe­de, coxâ, tuber ad­strue gib­berum &c. vita dum su­per st be­ne est.. It is reported that Queen E­lizabeth could not endure so much as to hear death named Sen. E­pist. 101.; and Lewis the eleventh of France was said to be of the same temper: so doe men prize their lives, but yet a value infinitely above it doe the Saints set upon the enjoyment of God.

3. No loss in the world lies so hea­vy upon their spirits as the losse of this. Other afflictions may make him cry, but under this they cannot chuse but [Page 29]roare, Psal. 38.8. others may make their bones ake, this doth break them in pieces, Psal. 51.8. is there any pain more tormenting then of broken bones? yet this doth David pitch upon to offer you a guese at that smart which seized upon his spirit, under a loss of communion with his God. Job can lose his estate, his servants, his children, and be quiet, Job 1. But when the Arrows of the Almighty are within him, &c. his grief is then heavyer then the sand of the Sea, Chap. 6.2.3.4. Outward losses to some men have been unsufferably afflictive, Roger. Episc. Sa­risb. tem­pore re­gis Ste­phani-Ex­utus opi­bus in a­mentiam versus est Nubri­gens. one being turn­ed out of his estate runs out of his wits ed out of his estate runs out of his wits Aegeus in mare se praecipi­tem dedit Plut. vi­ta ejus. another for the death of a son, throws himself headlong into the Sea. This to the Saints is comparatively nothing, their great losse is to lose the sight of their God.

4. Nothing can trouble them, whilest they have this, Psal. 23.4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: There is danger enough, the hazard of life is as little as can be signified by the sha­dow [Page 30]of death, can death it self be far, when we are within, yea when we walk through the shaddow of it? or take the valley of the shaddow of death to sig­nifie so thick a darkness as the grave is covered withal, whether death car­ries us; yet it is a supposition of a condition black and dreadful enough, how hard a matter is it, not to have some degree of affrightment upon us in the dark? not to be afraid of the terrour by night hath, and therefore needs a divine promise, Psal. 91.5. Augustus that great Emperour, durst not sit in the dark nisi ali­quo assi­dente Su­et. vita ejus. without company, and was it not in thoughts from the visions of the night, that fear come upon Iob, and trembling which made all his bones to shake, Iob. 4.13.14. amongst those very many acceptati­ons of darkness which are in Scripture, doth one of them signifie any thing that is not uncomfortable? Here is you see matter enough of danger, yet no fear of it, and whence all this holy security, but from the presence of God? I will fear no evil for thou art [Page 31]with me: See also Psal. 27.1.2.3. much to the same purpose.

5. Nothing can comfort them if they want this. Hoc scio dōine deus meus, quia ubi­cun (que) sum sine te ma­le est mi­hi Aug. Soliloq. cap. 13. What wanted Da­vid of any outward blessing, when those expressions fell from him, in Psa. 30.6.7. In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved. Lord by thy favor thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong; but see what follows: Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled, thou with­drewedst the sence of thy favour and lov­ing kindness, Molle­rus in loc. which I had fondly enjoy­ed, and miserable comforters did I then find all other enjoyments, and indeed: When God giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a Nation, or against a man onely, Job 34.29.

This is one thing that doth illustrate the point we have in hand: That at what rate our enjoyment of God is here below, at the same is our happy­nesse; and for this the Lord himself and his Saints, have given in their ver­dict,

[Page 32] 2. Gods own blessednessse doth consist in the enjoyment of himself: For if we beleeve the Schoolmen, Lomb 1. Dist. 1. g. he doth not enjoy any thing else: he hath some use of the Creatures, but no Fruition, or if he had, there is not in them that absolute freedom from evil, nor perfection of goodnesse which is requisite unto happinesse that must needs be Gods blessednesse which he aimeth at, and resteth in as his ut­most and last end; but that God in all his actions and administrations aimeth at, and resteth so in himself, besides the testimony of diverse Scriptures, Pro. 16.4. Apo. 1.8. Rom. 11.32. Apo. 4.11 Is. 43.7.21. seems even by reason it self not impos­sible to be demonstrated: Let us look upon these

SECT. VI. First Use, for information.

LEt us from this Doctrine in the first place, see what may be con­cluded for the better information of our judgements. It follows,

First, That God is of a transcendent and infinite goodnesse; both

1. In himselfe: Many good things doe we read of in the Scripture, and of many persons that are passed under that character Act. 11.24., and yet we are told again, that there is none good but one, that is God, Mat. 19.17. Are there contradictions in the Scripture? or is not this the meaning, that goodnesse is not any where at the rate that it is in God? 'Tis in God originally, 'tis in the creature but by way of participa­tion; [Page 37]in him as in a fountain, in them but as in a vessel; in him universally, in them but to some purposes; in him an ocean, in them but a drop; theirs so deficient that they need something else to their happinesse in earth; Gods so full, that we shall need nothing else to our happinesse in heaven. How transcendently good is our God, that even in heaven it self nothing but him­self can make us blessed! we have none in heaven but him, Psalm 73.25. and,

2. To all his people, that he will be­stow himself upon them: What he promised to the Father of the Faith­full he will make good to all his chil­dren, he will be our exceeding great reward, Gen. 15.1. not causally in gi­ving other things, but formally in gi­ving himself, the reward and the re­warder shall be all one: Said the An­gel to Abraham, Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine onely son from me, Gen. 22.12. May we not a little vary the expressions, and send them back a­gain? [Page 38]Lord, now we know that thou lovest man, seeing thou doest not with­hold thy self, thine own self from him. Let out your understandings to the ut­termost, and conceive if you can, what, and how great a good that is which is God himself Aug. in manuali cap. 33. Quantū & quale est illud bonum quod deus est..

Secondly: That of those things which are afforded us here below, in such of them there is most of happi­nesse, in which there is most of the en­joyment of God. In his Ordinances especially is God wont to communi­cate, and to offer himself to be enjoy­ed, there's his presence in the midst of us, Mat. 18.20. there he walks, Apoc. 2.1. there his beauty is to be beheld, Psal. 27.4. the God and King of his Saints may be seen going in his San­ctuary, Ps. 68.24. here is most of God; and see if the Scriptures doe not place here, upon this account, most of hap­pinesse, Psal. 65.4. Mini­sterii ex­terni commen­datio dili­genter hic est observan­da, &c. Mollerus in locum. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to ap­proach unto thee, that he may dwel in thy Courts, he shall be satisfied with the good­nesse of thy house; even of thy holy [Page 39]temple. Read the 84 Psalm, and if David may be judge there is more of heaven in the Ordinances, than can be enjoyed any where else, till we come thither.

Thirdly, That those men give us a false draught of heaven, who doe not place it in the enjoyment of God. The Heathens had their Elizium — per amplum mittimur Elyzium. Virg. Aen. 6. v. 744., where they supposed good mens souls to take up their habitation Vbi pio­rum ani­mae habi­tant., which some place in the earth, some in the Firma­ment, others in the sphere of the Moon, full of all delights that are imagina­ble Vives in Aug. in civit. dei. l. 21. c. ult but these poor soules knew not God. The Turks have their Paradise where they expect a felicitie in the enjoyment of silken Carpets, pleasant Rivers, fruitful Trees, beautiful Wo­men, Musick, good cheere, and choice Wines, precious Stones, Gold and Sil­ver, Plate, and such conceits as these Rosse View of all Reli­gions, §. 6. p. 146.. And what have Vid. Martiniū de verâ Religione in 8vo. p. 119.120. some dream'd of e­ven amongst Christians? Sure some of a [...] a return of the soul into another body; some of an eternal life, somwhere out of the kingdome of [Page 40]God; others of a happinesse made up of sensuality and the pleasures of the flesh, and many ignorant persons call­ed Christians amongst us, have but a very little more refined apprehensions of the joyes of heaven; supposing them no others than may very near be enjoied by the beasts of the field. This is a happynesse fancied by those who cannot tast what God is, which must first be done, before we can so much as guesse what heaven is.

Fourthly: That amongst those many pretenders to a desire of going to heaven, the greatest number do it either not knowingly, or not heartily; for as much as they desire not the en­joyment of God. Is this a slander? oh how contentedly, how joyfully should I doe penance for reporting it, did it not appear to be a sad truth.

1. In some by their proclamation of defiance to the ordinary means and waies of enjoying God; and are not the Ordinances of the Gospel such? and how sufficiently these have been mocked, and buffeted, and spit upon, [Page 41]is too well known. Yea have there not been clamours that they might be crucified? How many will not at all own them, how many doe seldome or never use them? there be a woful num­ber that will have nothing to doe with preaching, or praying, that will not so much as call upon God once or twice a day in their families, you cannot men­tion an ordinance, but they are above it; doe these men desire to enjoy any communion with God, who will nei­ther hear him, nor speak to him? yea not so much as bid him good night, or good morrow?

Object. There be many good people, who doubtless desire to enjoy God, who own not the Ordinances, &c.

Sol. To that fancy of enjoying God here without Ordinances, I may speak something when I shall come to the second Doctrine, Sect. 2. In the mean time, as to the goodness of the persons, I shall lay before you these four parti­culars.

1. Perhaps all the testimony they have of their goodnesse is from them­selves, [Page 42]or from others very near of the same character, or at best from the mistaken charity of such as are godly indeed. However

2. This is no expression of their goodnesse, being a sin against the pre­cepts and directions of the Gospel. See 1 Thes. 5.17.20. Heb. 10.24.

3. 'Tis not a goodness that good men formerly were wont to be guilty of. David was not. See Psal. 27.4. and 84.1, 2, &c. and 122.1. If these three, Noah, Daniel, and Iob were here, they would not do so. See 2 Pet. 2.5. Dan. 6.10. Iob 23.12.

4. 'T was not accounted goodnesse in the dayes of old, not in the time of Solomon, Prov. 28.9. nor of Isaiah, Is. 30.9, 10. nor of Ieremiah, Ier. 11.10. nor of Christ, Luke 11.28. nor of the Apostles, Acts 13.46. Wee must finde out a new definition of goodnesse, or some other way to ex­presse ours than by laying aside the Ordinances of God.

2. In others, by their trading in those practices which they cannot expect [Page 43]the enjoyment of God in. There be divers (even among pretenders to Religion) who walk licentiously and loosely, spending a great part of their precious time, in rioting and drunk­ennesse, chambering and wantonnesse, for whom the Apostles character of those whom he could not mention without teares is as fit as if it had been made for them, Phil. 3.18. Doe these men desire the enjoyment of God, who daily put themselves into an incapaci­ty of it? are not these practices works of darknesse, Rom. 13.12? and is not God light, 1 Ioh. 1.5? and what com­munion between these two, 2 Cor. 6.14? Pray read 1 Ioh. 1.6. and chap. 2. ver. 4.6.

Fifthly: That the greatest enemies that a people can have, are such as would strip them of the meanes they have of enjoying God. See what brake Ely's neck, and his Daughter in laws heart, 1 Sam. 4.18. &c. And what in­gredients made up the Churches bit­ter Lamentations, Lam. 2.6, 7, 9. Those are none of our friends who would [Page 44]put us into so sable a dresse, to mourn over the Funerals of our Religion: Or if you will needs say you are, we beseech you expresse your friend­ship to us some other way.

SECT. VII. The second Use, of Reproof to such as place their happinesse in the enjoyment of the world.

IF our highest happinesse be in the enjoyment of God, where shall we finde, or how shall we make a reproof sharp enough for their folly who place it in the enjoyment of outward things? whether there be any such or no, I shall no otherwise determine than by leaving every Reader to an application of these three things, viz.

First: Doe we look so farre as, and no further than the world, in our thoughts, studies, designes, &c. then is the world our happinesse: if we [Page 45]thought it to be in any thing beyond it, we would look further; 'tis as pos­sible not to be, as not to look every jot as far as we suppose any happinesse may be found.

Secondly: Doe we spend more of the strength and spirits of our soul for the world than we doe for God? hath it, not the ordinary actings, but the intension and utmost vigour of our hearts? our operations stretched to the highest pin? ex. gr. the highest search of our invention to finde out means to get it? the highest reach of our reason and judgement, to deter­mine whether this or that (suppose this sin, or that duty) be the nearest way to it? the exactest strain of our diligence to act according to this pru­dent determination? Doe we move towards it with the strength of our af­fections? And be our feares and jea­lousies never so deep concerning any thing, as, lest we should miscarry about it? doubtlesse the mind would not be carried out at such a rate, after any thing lesse than a supposed happinesse; [Page 46]where all our heart is, there is all our treasure.

3. Are we wont to deliberate about owning of our God? whether it be safe, prudent, advantageous? but to be resolute, and never put it to the que­stion, about prosecuting the things of the world? then assuredly is the world our utmost end; the ve­ry top of our felicity, it never comes under debate whether that which is our last end should be pursued, or no De fine non est aelibe­randum.. If any of us be found in this predica­ment, the Lord make us see our folly, to expresse it is not possible. Can any of these things here below make us happy? I shall call you out no further then experience. Is happinesse

1. In Riches? I doe not remember you of their Luke 8.14. 1 Tim. 6.10. thorns whilst they stay; nor of their wings Prov. 23, 5., to be gone. One­ly you may not forget him who had more wealth than he knew what to doe with, to have died a fool, Luke 12.17.20.

In Pleasures? which way then went Dives into that place of torments, Luke [Page 47]16.23.28? And what beast is it that may not be accounted happier than we?

3. In honours? no English man, I hope, is so simple as to beleeve it, who hath seen the fountain of it dropping its last upon a scaffold, and most of the vessels fill'd by him, emptied into the dust. If you labour for these things, or ought else of the like nature, you la­bour for the wind, Eccl. 5.16. And to lay out for it time, strength, spirits, wit, wisdom, body and soul, must needs be a folly of the first magnitude.

SECT. VIII. The third Use, of Exhortation.

LEaving then out of our hearts those vain things that cannot profit us, let us be exhorted to fill them up with that which can, scorning to waste our spirits about the enjoyments of the world where happinesse is not, let us employ all our strengthin labouring after the enjoyment of God, where it is, the more we can possesse of this, the more we have of heaven. 'Tis doubtlesse our sin as well as misery, that we should need any motives to such a duty, indeed to such a priviledge as this is; but because we doe, I shall lay down this one, viZ.

The transcendent excellency of this en­joyment above all others, and that both in regard of

• 1. The Object, God.
• 2. The Act, Fruition.

First, in regard of the Object, God. In whom

[Page 49] 1. There is nothing that is not ami­able, and desireable; whatever is not good, perfect, excellent, to be sure that is not God. Divine beauty is un­mixt, look upon the choisest of the Creatures, Est ali­quid quod se dedecuisse putes. and if there be beauty, there be also blemishes; not so our God, you cannot attempt to describe him, but removing from him all im­perfection: If all beauty cannot draw out our souls, and melt them into ar­dent desires of fruition, then nothing can.

2. There is in God every thing that is good and lovely. Divine beauty is compleat and perfect, there is no­thing in the world for an affection to close with, that is not in him: If it be Greatnesse, and Power, and Glory, and Victory, and Majesty, they are all his, 1 Chron. 29.11. If it be peace he is the very God of it, 1 Thes. 5.23. If it be wealth, the Heaven, even the Heavens are the Lords, Psal. 115.16. If it be love, God is love, 1 Ioh. 4.8. and what ever else you can imagine that is desireable.

[Page 50] 3. These and all perfections else are in God, in an unparralleld way of eminency, not of the sieze they are in us; that one Volume contains more, then the several editions of all the creatures, that are under Heaven, or in it: what is scattered elsewhere is but a drop to this Ocean. We may speak excessively of other things, but not of God.

4. The Beauty that is in God, is permanent, 'tis everlasting, not fade­ing and perishing as the Creatures is, out of whose garden every day plucks a flower Florem decoris finguli carpunt dies.. Yea, the Heavens them­selves, which for their preheminence of beauty, are called, praestantissimum Corpus, a most excellent piece indeed, and are by some supposed to consist of Ex quintâ essentiâ. a finer matter then any of the four Elements, which go to the making up of other beauties; even these glorious bodies shall wax old as doth a gar­ment, &c. Heb. 1.11. tis God only that hath immortalitie, 1 Tim. 6.16. and in whom there is no variableness, &c. Jam. 1.17.

[Page 51] 5. All the beauty and goodnesse that is in the Creature, is of Gods putting there, and what ever is in the effect, is more eminent in the caus, how glorious is that Soveraign of the skies, the Sun, and that Queen of Heaven the Moon! There is beauty in the Heavens; how gallantly are they be­spangled with Stars! Ther's beauty in the Earth, how finely is it embroi­dered with fruits and flowers! There is beauty in men, women, &c. how much more is there in God that made them? that little that is in the channel doth many times extreemly ravish us, and we are sick of love till we can en­joy it, what should not that doe that is in the Fountain? Si sic in creaturis labore­mus quid in ipso Deo? if the Creatures have so much, their maker cannot chal­lenge less then all.

6. When we have said and imagin­ed all that we can of the excellencie of God, when we are swallowed up and and have lost our selves under the con­templation of it, we come infinitely short of what is indeed in him. Nullus intellec­tus crea­tus potest deum cognoscere ut cogn [...] ­scibilis, est Aq. par. 1. q. 12, Art. 7 God is in all his glorious perfections incom­prehensible.

Now truly if there be nothing in God that is not desireable, nor a want of any thing that is; if what ever we dote upon in the Creature, be no more then a spark to that sun, and that too, let down from that Father of Lights; if all the beauty and goodnesse we can see in him, be short of what indeed it is, and all that is, be everlasting, to supply sufficient matter for our delight and complacencie to all eternity; how excellent is the enjoyment, when this God shall be the Object of it.

2. In regard of the Act, Fruition, which (as we have seen already Sect. 2.) is a cleaving unto God by love, for his own sake, as the choicest emanation of the soul, is love; so of all loves that which pitcheth upon God, which is then in its highest glory and excel­lencie, when it carryes out the soul af­ter him, for his own sake; for the good that is in him, rather then the good that comes by him. This love hath most of excellency in it, whether you look upon.

• 1. The kind of it.
• 2. The degree.

First, Its a love of a Nobler kind, flowing from higher principles, refin­ed from those dregs that lie at the bot­tom of other loves. Ex. gr.

1. We may love God meerly because he is able to do us good, having all in him, that is wanting in us. This is but Amor indigentiae, a necessitous love, and hath something of self in the composition of it, and we may

2. Love God meerly that he may do us good; This is Amor concupiscen­tiae, a mercinary love, as like to theirs as it can look who followed Christ for loaves, Ioh. 6.26. and is not so much a love of God as of our selves, and we may

3. Love God because he hath done us good, given us health, peace, &c. this at best is but Amor gratitudinis, a thankful love, and may easily flow even from a good nature; but the love that is in Fruition, is of another cha­racter, when God is loved for himself. Then.

1. The desires of the soul are car­ryed out after him with a large wing, [Page 54]thirsting after him as a dry and parch­ed land for rain, Psal. 63.1. and pant­ing after him as the chased heart for the brooks of water, Psal. 42.1. to whom she thinks she can never be near enough; and there is not any way of Communion that she doth not ardent­ly long to meet him in. To see him, and to gaze upon his beauty as long as she lives, Psal. 27.4. To hear him, his mouth is most sweet, his lips are like Lillies, and every syllable is Myrrh that droppeth from them, Cant. 5.13.16. To be in his arms, one hand must be under her head, and the other must embrace her, Cant. 8.3. Yea, to be in his very heart, and to be set there as a seal, Cant. 8.6. Yea all the familiari­ties that God affords her here doe not satisfie; to be in the body is to be at too great a distance, and is upon that account a burden that she groanes un­der, 2 Cor. 5.4. A dissolution is lookt upon as far better, Phil. 1.23. towards a fuller enjoyment of him, no pace will serve but the swiftest, Cant. 8. ult. and her prayer is not onely Come Lord [Page 55]Jesus, but come quickly, Apoc. 22.20.

Where art thou Lord (saith Augu­stine Soliloq. cap. 1.) why doest thou hide thy face? Perhaps thou wilt say, No man shall see me and live: Eia domine moriar, ut te videam, if that, Lord, be all, let me dye upon that condition. This now is amor unionis, a desire of enjoying God as immediately as we may. When God is loved for himself, Then

2. The soul is possessed with a full contentment in God, as portion e­nough, Psal. 16.6. She will see more in him than in all the world beside, and there will rest Ama il­lud bo­num in quod sunt omnia bo­na, & sufficit. Aug. ma­nual. c. 34 (see before Sect. 2.) this is amor complacentiae, a love made up of nothing but delight. And

3. The soul will be inclined to all possible compliance with God, that love which tyes us to him for his own sake, is an imperative affection, it will lay us at his feet, 1 Cor. 13.7. it will ne­ver give us leave to say of any duty that God commands us, that it is either dangerous, see Dan. 6.10. Acts 4.18, 19. or Quid non cogit amor? ni­hil aman­tibus du­rum nul­lus labor difficilis. difficult, Joh. 20.15. or tedi­ous In eo quod a­matur, aut non labor la­boratur aut ama­tur., Gen. 29.20. 1 Ioh. 5.3. or unpro­fitable, [Page 56]of so excellent a kinde is this love of God; 'tis amor amicitiae, a friendly love. And

Secondly; for the degree of it, it is a ravishment of spirit, Raptus ex intui­tu divinae pulchri­tudinis ortus. even unto sick­nesse, Cant. 2.5. begotten by a contem­plation of divine beauty; 'tis amor in­ebrians, prevailing upon the soul even to a spiritual drunkennesse; 'tis love intended to the uttermost, the highest strain that the heart can reach unto: O­ther things doth such a soul think may be loved too much, but the measure by which she loves God, is to love him without measure; 'tis love as hot as fire, not glowing a little in the ashes, but affording most vehement flame, Can. 8.6. nay heat in fire may be put out by a little water; many waters can­not quench this, Can. 8.7. as it was said of Laurence frying upon the Grid­iron Segnior fuit ignis, qui foris ussit, quā qui intus accendit., The fire without was lesse than the flame within; 'tis a love that moves our bowels which an ordinary qualm of affection can never doe, Cant. 5.4. Such impressions can it make upon beleevers, when it is duly acted, who [Page 57]doe bear about upon their soules (as Paul did in his body) the marks of the Lord Jesus, Gal. 6.17. but we cannot yet give over so sweet a theam, let me offer you a further tast of its excellen­cie in these four particulars.

1. God himself takes it into his pro­prieties, if it be not rather his very es­sence; God is love, 1 Joh. 4.8. and God is nothing but what is excellent.

2. It is the womb of all duties else which we owe to God, and 'twill bring them forth as occasion shall be offered, as Augustine Domiue dilige, & fac quic­quid vis. said to Christ, God doth freely say us, First love me, and then do what you will.

3. All our abilities, all our doings and sufferings will finde no entertain­ment above, unlesse this love of God give them a certificate, that they came from her. See 1 Cor. 13.1, 2.

4. 'Tis something that this will con­tinue to be a duty, when most duties else shall be obsolete, and out of date; they are practicable on earth, this in heaven. They have their time, this its eternity.

Now if there be so much of ex­cellency in the Object, God, and in the Act, Fruition, this is motive enough, if the Lord will vouchsafe to set it on, to aspire after the enjoy­ment of God, above all the en­joyments else that are under the Sunne.

SECT. IX. Some brief Directions as to the fore­mentioned Duty.

IF the Saints would be as much in heaven as is here possible, and grow up more and more in this unspeakable happinesse of enjoying God, they must follow these directions.

First, you must endeavour to en­crease your knowledge of God, and your acquaintance with those excel­lencies that he is cloath'd withall. Much of that time which you spend in the study of other things, will be very well worth the redemption to be laid out upon this. Incog­nitum non potest amari. Aug. What you doe not know, you cannot love, what you doe not love, you cannot so much as desire to enjoy. There must be some appre­sion of the object before there can be any motion of the faculty toward it. See before Sect. 2.

Secondly, you must endeavour to get and maintain an assurance of your [Page 60]interest in God; give all diligence to put this out of question, 2 Pet. 1.10. If there be never so much beauty, goodnesse, love, power, grace, holy­nesse, &c. in God, you can never en­joy it, in case it be not, or you think it is not there for you. Fruition doth presuppose propriety, and some know­ledge of it. He that is in his sins God will not own him, and he that is in Christ, and yet doubts it, will not easi­ly be perswaded to own God; and be sure to build your assurance upon good grounds. I have read of a me­lancholy man, that supposed all the Ships in such a Haven to be his own Thrasi­laus pu­tavit om­nes naves in Pireum portum appella n­tes suas esse.; and of a Gentlewoman in Mantua, who would not be perswaded but that she was married to a King Marcel. Donatus de hist. med. mi­rab. l. 2. c. 1.; as that poor man enjoyed those vessels which he had no title to an inch of, and that woman the husband whom she never saw, so doe those men God who have no interest in him but in a dream.

Thirdly, abate of your desires to enjoy other things. Love not the world; that is, Let not your hearts go [Page 61]out immoderately after it; if any man doe so, the love of the Fathers is not in him, 1 Ioh. 2.15. A River let out into many channels, must needs run the shallower in some. 'Tis grown in­to a Proverb, that those persons who love over-many, are never wont to love over-much Alterius vires subtrahit alter a­mor.. The love of God and of the world are like two buckets in a Well, while one goes up the other goes down. We must leak our hearts, and let out all that is too much of our love to the world, they will then be the better at leisure to contemplate the beauty, and to be ravisht with the excellencies of our God. Shall we suffer any thing to be competitors for our hearts with him? What is the en­joyment of a wife, a child, a friend, an estate, an office, a command, to the enjoyment of a God? Indeed what is any thing to him, before whom all the Nations of the world are lesse than no­thing, Isa. 40.17?

Fourthly, walk close with God; the nearer you walk up to him, the more you are like to enjoy of him. More particularly,

[Page 62] 1. Walk lovingly: Let all your doings be done in charity, 1 Cor. 16.14. Let Gods love in your souls be as a weight in the scale Quod est pon­dus in li­brâ, hoc est amor in animâ., carrying all your designes its own way. Let this love be the poize of all your actions, and goe no other way but whither this shall lead you Amor meus pondus meum, illo feror, quocun­que feror.. Draw out the exer­cise of this grace, as far upward to­ward God as you are able. Love is a sociable affection, it will carry you in­to the company of God, and bring him into yours; you are promised so much in Ioh. 14.23. If a man love me, my Fa­ther will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

2. Walk beleevingly: Keep your eye of Faith as open as you can; you have no way else of seeing him who is invisible, Heb. 11.27. Neither is God wont to dwell in our hearts but by faith, Eph. 3.17. If this eye of our soul be shut or drowsie, we may say with Augustine, Mecum eras, & non er­am tecum, God was with us, but we were not with him. We can have no converse, even with those friends that [Page 63]are about us, whilst we are asleep. In a word,

3. Walk holily: This is to walk with God, Gen. 5.24. and to have our conversation in heaven, Phil. 3.20. then is God most enjoyed, when a gracious life shall goe along an equal pace with a gracious heart; if the Saints cannot sin themselves out of Gods favour, yet they may out of his familiarity. How often in Scripture is peace, and com­fort, and the enjoyment of God, pro­mised unto his people in a way of holi­nesse? See Psal, 50.23. Galat. 6.16. Phil. 4.8, 9. Pretend what you will you converse but a little with God, who converse much with sin. See 2 Cor. 6.16. 1 Ioh. 1.6, 7.

SECT. X. Of the enjoyment of God in Or­dinances.

BEcause the most ordinary way of Gods conversing with his Saints here in the body is by his Ordinances, as we have in part seen before Sect. 6. I shall enquire briefly into the causes why the Saints many times enjoy so little of God in them, that they may see and remove those abatements of their felicity. Is it not

1. Because we doe not seek God in his Ordinances? but think we may en­joy as much of him any where else? To how many are the Ordinances of God as indifferent things? If once it become indifferent to men, whether they eat and drink, or not; no wonder if they find neither their palats pleas'd, nor their bodies nourished.

Qu. May not God be enjoyed, his good­nesse, love, and sweetness tasted, out of Ordinances as well as in them?

Sol. If this may be, yet see whe­ther.

1. It be to be injoied by those that neglect his Ordinances? What did the King do, when such as were invi­ted to his feast made light of it, did he carry, or send his Provisions after them, that they might fare as well at their Farms, and Merchandize, as at his Table? you will find it other­wise, if you read Mat. 22.7. Or,

2. It be so much of God as is wont to be injoyed when we meet him in his Ordinances? if it be, why have not the Saints been contented with it? see Psal. 27.4. and 48.9. and Psal. 84.1, 2, &c. places that may better be tasted then explained. Or,

3. It be not rather a re-tasting, and rellishing again of that sweetnesse and comfort which was left upon the Soul, when God in his Ordinances commu­nicated himself unto us, a making good of that gracious promise of Christ, in Joh. 14.26.

Ob. But divers Saints that do constant­ly use the Ordinances, do yet com­plain [Page 66]how little of God, they injoy in them.

Sol. This perhaps may be:

2. Because we do not seek God there; or not seek him principally, possibly we rest too much in them, and do not send up our souls to God tho­row them, we do not carry our hearts high enough, but are ready to take in satisfaction meerly from the work done, seeking that in the Ordinances, which we shall never find but in God. Let us rectifie this miscarriage, we shall not undervalue the Ordinances to account them empty things unlesse God fill them, Wells of Salvation, but no Water there for us, Breasts of Consolation, but Dry ones, no milk for us, unlesse we can taste and feed upon God in them; if we would injoy our God, we must be pleased with nothing, no not in the Sanctuary, un­lesse we can see our God, and our King walking there, Psa. 68.24. Or,

3. Because we do not seek God in all his Ordinances; some Christians are altogether for private Ordinan­ces, [Page 67]and do despise the publick; some for publick Ordinances, and neglect the private, if we will not meet God in one, can we expect that God should meet us in another? if we neglect Christs company in the midst of two or three in private, Mat. 18.20. may he not walk in the midst of the Candle­sticks in publick, & not suffer us to see him? Apoc. 1.13. pray consider that those Saints who have sought God in all his Ordinances, as their du­ty, have found him in every one of them to their comfort, see Psal. 42.4. and 63.5, 6. Cant. 3.1, 2, 3, 4. Or,

4. Because we do not seek God there after a due order, 1 Chron. 15.13. with that frame and temper of spirit, that preparation of Heart and Soul which is requisite. Perhaps

1. Prepossessed, too full, and too wel satisfied with some thing else, now truly Intus existens prohibet alienum., if the Stomack be ful, though it be but with husks that the Swine do eat, it will taste but little sweetnesse, even in that bread which is in our fathers house: Or

[Page 68] 2. Without prayer, that God would let fall influences from himself, tho­row his Ordinances upon us, do not we know that God expects some imploy­ment, as he is a God hearing prayers? Psa. 65.2. Ezek. 36, 37. We have not, because we ask not, Jam. 4.2. can we expect, that God should look upon those that will not so much as speak to him?

This for the first part, our highest happinesse is the injoyment of God, we must now consider the quality of that injoyment.

SECT. I. That our highest Happiness shall bee to in­joy God immediately.

HEre below we injoy God by means, not so hereafter, not in Ordinances, graces, blessings, or through any such Mediums, as we in­joy him now, all these, though they be great conducements to that happi­nesse, which we are capable of on earth, they be yet great abatements of that, which we shall be crown'd with­all in Heaven, to injoy a friend in his picture, letters, tokens, is short of what we injoy, when we have his personal presence; neither doth the Sun heat, or light us so comfortably through a cloud, as when the glorious body of it is open to us, without any interposition: our happinesse in God will be without its perfection, till our injoyment of God, shall be without means Deus sine ullo mediatore aut medio causa im­mediata erit—& objectum immedia­tum nos­trae feli­citatis, Zanch. de nat. Dei. l. 2. c. 8.. Let us consider:

[Page 71] 1. Christs Kingdom shal be delive­red up, that God may bee all in all, (i. e.) all Ordinances, and admini­strations, which are means of our in­joying God here, shall cease and ex­pire, that we may be fully and com­pleatly happy,, Christ hath some things in his Kingdom, that bears an Analogy to the means and instruments of governing in the Kingdomes of men, and in each of them is God in­joyable. He hath his Militia and his laws, with promises and threatnings in the Ordinances of his Word; his Seals to confirm to his people, his free grants of priviledge, in the Ordinance of his Sacraments; his Embassadours and Offieers for the management of spiritual affairs in the Ordinance of his Ministry, the ceasing of Christs King­dom is the cessation of all these, that God may immediately succeed to fill up the measure of our promised bles­sednesse to the full.

2. All Rule, and all Authority and Power must be put down, ver. 24. which ( Aqu. in locum Mr. Jo. Goodwins [...] p. 15. divers expound of lawful [Page 72]government, and) are remoter means of our injoying of God, by preserving to us, and protecting us in the use of those Ordinances which God appears in, and upon this account must even these be put down, That God may bee all in all, that is, That our happinesse may be compleated.

3. To injoy God by means, is to know him but in part, and to see him in a glass darkly, in aenigmate, to have such apprehensions of God as we have of a Riddle, which we do not fully under­stand, but that degree of happinesse which we shall be advanced to hereaf­ter, is to see him face to face, to injoy him immediately, and all this you have in 1 Cor. 13.12. and altogether as much, though in fewer words, in 1 John 3.2. that what we shall be in glo­ry and happinesse, above what we are, wil be this, That we shal see God, as he is (i.e.) clearly and immediately Dionis. Carthus. in locum..

4. Was it not the highest pitch of happinesse which the Apostles so ear­nestly groan'd after 2 Cor. 5.4.? and what was that but to be present with [Page 73]the Lord, v. 8? why had not these Saints the presence of God already? Sure they had in his graces and Ordi­nances, and they had the earnest of his spirit, ver. 5. they injoyed God by these means, 't was the injoyment of God without them, 't was his immediate presence which they groan'd for; so Paul in Phil. 1.23. I desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better, were not Paul and Christ together al­ready? Sure they were near, very near, one to another; see Gal. 2.20. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, &c. he had the presence of Christ by faith, and this was very good; his desire to depart, was to have the presence of Christ by sight, to injoy him immedi­ately, this is far better.

SECT. II. This Branch of the point improved by way of information.

IT will follow from what we have now said.

1. That the injoyment of God by means, is but a little drop of that O­cean of sweetnesse and satisfaction, which the Soul shall be filled with, when she shall come to enjoy God without them. All the ravishment of our spirits in prayer, hearing, medita­tion, &c. is but a sip of those Rivers of it, which we shall have in Heaven, so that unspeakable solace of our Souls meeting God in an Ordinance, may something help us to guesse at the in­conceivable blisse of a Soul meeting God in Heaven. Will you stay then a little, and see what it is to be in Hea­ven below, to injoy God by means and at a distance?

If David look but upon the Sanctu­ary where God gave some evidences [Page 75]of his presence, hee is transported with apprehensions of felicity in be­ing there, oh how amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts? and some suppose the latter part of the 3d. v. to be an abrupt expression, not at all depending upon the fore going words, Thine Altars O Lord of Hosts, my King, and my God, as men are wont to express themselves concerning any thing that they are ravisht withall, see also Psal. 27.4. and 43.3.

If God in Ordinances be so desira­ble, so satisfying, so amiable, so ra­vishing; what shall God be without them? if the picture please so abun­dantly what will the person do? if so much blisse be cast upon the soul from a copy, what may we not expect from the original?

The Saints here rejoice with joy un­speakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8. and yet doth this result but from our injoyment of God by the medium of Faith, the degrees that will be added unto it by vision must needs render it inconceivable, and running over; if [Page 76]some of the Saints here are so swal­lowed up of Divine sweetnesse, that they desire God to forbear Xave­rius cla­mabat satis est, Domine satis est, nec enim mens mea in hâc vi­tâ, tantū gaudiorū pondus capit. re­ferente. A Lapid. in Cant 2.3, we can but (yea we cannot so much as) imagine what will be.

The remembrance of God in a pri­vate meditation is sweet, Psal. 104.34. and if a gracious Soul can entertain her self with some conferences with her God, she is satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse, Psal. 63.5, 6. our entertain­ments below are a great feast, Luke 14.16, they are promised us as such, Isa. 25.6. we are invited to them as such, Isa. 55.1, 2. Prov. 9.5. they are fed upon as such, Ps. 34.8. Cant. 2.3. Psal. 119.103. we are cheered up at them as at a feast, Cant. 5.1. can a created un­derstanding guesse, what shal be provi­ded for us above?

In Gods Kingdome of grace we are made to drink of the Rivers of his pleasures, Psal. 36.8. but when God shall immediately possesse the Soul, and fill it; when the Soul shall imme­diately possesse God, and be full of him; when this Kingdom of grace [Page 77]shall expire, and all the administrati­ons of it (as so many Eclipses of our happinesse) shall vanish away, shall we not then drink of the Fountain? surely feasts, and sweetnesse, and mar­row, and fatnesse, are terms exceeding­ly too diminutive to give us any more then a small hint, of that incompre­hensible satisfaction.

2. That when the happinesse of the Saints is at highest, then will be the time, when they shall be above any need of Ordinances, when you shall enjoy God immediately, then you shal have no need of means to enjoy him by; and when you shall so enjoy God, you shall be perfectly bles­sed.

If any would vouchsafe to read this who pretend to the injoyment of God, and yet deny it to bee in the use of means; I would adven­ture to argue the case with them thus. If you do indeed injoy God at all, it is immediately, and such as so injoy him are perfectly bles­sed: and are you of that number? [Page 78]is every evill removed? have you never any pain, sorrow, affliction, sin? is every desire satisfied? do your appetites go out after nothing in the World? no body will beleeve it, and so you are not yet fully blessed and happy, whatever you may be, and by consequence your immediate injoyment of God, is but the injoyment of a fancy.

The Apostle tells us, that now (i. e.) in this life, if wee see God at all, it is in a glasse, wee have need of such mediums to do it by; the im­mediate vision of him face to face is reserved for hereafter (i. e.) the life that is to come, 1 Cor. 13.12.

Adde hereunto, that if you injoy God here immediately, you so in­joy him, as you shall hereafter, and so not onely your present, but your future condition is apparent, it ap­pears what you shall be, as well as what you are: and, how then is it possible you should be accounted of their number, who are now the sons [Page 79]of God, but it doth not yet appear what they shall be, 1 Joh. 3.2?

SECT. III. A further Improvement of the point by way of exhortation, against the fear of Death.

YOu see that it must be an imme­diate injoyment of God, that can let us in to the fulnesse of our happi­nesse. Let us hence be exhorted ra­ther to desire Death, then to be afraid of it, if the end be desirable, why should the means be dreadfull? to be happy is to injoy God immediately, which we shal never do except we die: There shall no man see God and live, Exod. 33.20. we shall not indeed see him till we be like him, 1 Jo. 3.2. nor be like him enough to see him, till we be sinlesse, nor be so, whilest we are alive, Eccles. 7.20. God as a found­er, must melt us before we shall be [Page 80]sufficiently refin'd to come so neare him, and the Furnace he wil do it in, is Death. God pardons our sin by the death of Christ, but totally de­stroies it by our own: we die in sin, and to sin by a metaphorical death, but we onely die from it, by a natural one, and this must be done, its not e­nough that sin be totally pardoned, that it have no guilt, it must be totally abolished, that it have no being, before we shal be meet enough to bee parta­kers of the inheritance of the Saints in light.

As Death destroies the being of our nature, so 't is exceeding formidable, and the King of terrours: but as it de­stroies the being of our sin, to let us in­to the presence of our God 't is excee­dingly desirable. Socrates professed himself willing to die upon this ac­count, that he might enjoy those wor­thies that went before him, as Orphe­us, Hesiod, Homer, &c. our incourage­ment is, we shal come to enjoy our God, after this the Apostles groan­ed earnestly, 2 Cor. 5.2.8. and if [Page 81]Christ say, surely I come quickly; the spouse wil answer, even so come Lord Jesus. Apoc. 22.20. We should not be afraid of our passage into the immedi­ate imbracements of our God, which we then enter upon, when into his hands we commend our spirits; flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 15.50. wee could not be happy, if we were not mor­tall.

SECT. IIII. That our perfect Happinesse shall be in the sole injoyment of God.

WHat ever others may suppose, we cannot but place our hap­pinesse when it shal be at the full, in the injoyment of God alone, exclu­ding the injoyment of every thing else. Here below the Saints have their God, and this is their happinesse; but they have withal something else, Wives, Children, Friends, Houses, Money, Lands, Honours, &c. and this is a diminution of their happinesse, it wil never be at highest til they shal injoy God alone, God and nothing else. Let us consider:

1. The phrase of the Text: God shall be all, we shal have nothing else: Himself Premi­um vir­tutis erit, qui vir­tutem de­dit. shal be our exceeding great reward, Gen. 15.1. our draughts of Happinesse shal be taken in immedi­ately from the Fountain, and not be [Page 83]lessened by their conveyance to us in any channel.

2. Then cometh the end, ver. 24. which is expounded of Ego pu­to simpli­citer in­telligen­dum de fi­ne mundi Piscat. Schol. in locum. the end of the World, there shal be an end of all the accommodations this world was wont to afford, nothing shal remain that a heart may be set upon. When shal this be? Resur­rectione completâ Carthus. in loc. When the Saints are entring upon the consummation of their blessednesse. And why shal this be? Why shal there bee an end of whatever might be an object of de­light in the whole Creation? You are answered in the Text; then commeth the end, that God may be all in all, that we may be fully happy in the enjoy­ment of God alone.

3, As all our happinesse is in injoy­ment, so much of our injoyment is by love, as we have noted already [ Part 1. Sect. 2.] so that the lesse we love God, the lesse we injoy him, and as long as we have any thing beside God wil not some of our love go out after it? so that what I aim at is easily con­cluded; we shal not be perfectly hap­py, [Page 84]til we perfectly injoy God, nor perfectly injoy him, til we perfectly love him, nor perfectly love him, til we have nothing to love else. So it is the sole injoyment of God, which our Happinesse when it is at the highest, shal consist in. And I think.

4. This was Davids meaning in Ps. 73.25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? he had in the former verse, expressed his confidence of Gods receiving him to glory, in this he declares what the glory was that he thirsted after, it was the sole injoyment of God, God alone, and nothing else, and indeed, though while our love hath its infirmities, it hath other objects, yet Perfec­ta chari­tas solum fitit quod summum est, Bern. when it shal be perfectly healed, it wil pitch upon nothing but God alone.

SECT. V. 1 Use of this Branch, by way of Exhortation.

J Have some thing from the last men­tioned part of the proposition to commend unto you by way of exhor­tation, I shal beseech you but to suffer these 4 words.

1. Learn in whatsoever state you are, therewith to be content, Phil. 4.11. we should never grumble at any dispensations of our God, were we not guilty of some mistakes about the matter of our Happinesse; are you in a mean condition, and have you but a little of the world? be contented, you must have lesse, you must have none; before ever you wil be happy.

You have not that Estate, Honour, Credit, greatnesse in the world which others have; and you whine, and sigh, and take on, and repine, and mur­mur: what ails you? are these things [Page 86]your happinesse? nay, can you ever be truly happy, whilest you have any one piece of them? is not your bles­sednesse alone in God? why then should it discontent you to want some­thing, seeing you wil never be conten­ted as long as you have any thing? you wil never have enough, till God shall be all.

2. Let your Conversation be with­out Covetousnesse, Heb. 13.5. are you thirsty, immoderately thirsty af­ter more and more of the earth? how foolish is such an appetite; the more we enjoy beside God, at the greater distance we stand from happinesse. What ground have we for an insatia­ble desire of such things, which we cannot possesse but upon condition of being miserable? it is an un-Saint-like folly to grasp after much of the world, as if we could not be wel without it, when we know it is impossible for us to be wel enough with it; even God himself in conjunction with other things is not enough, it must be God alone that can fully blesse us: God in [Page 87]the creature (I desire to speak it with reverence) is an inconsiderable enjoy­ment, in comparison of God in him­self.

3. If Riches increase, set not your hearts upon them, Ps. 62.10. carry a holy jealousie over your souls, lest you cleave to them with a bird-lim'd affec­tion. Beg God to keep your hearts loose enough, the world is a sea, and every lust is a Tempest strong enough to sink us, unlesse Christ enable us (with Peter) to walk on top of it; this we must do, or we shal be miserable: the more we love other things the lesse we have of happinesse, because the more solely we love God, the more solely we enjoy him: the heart can have but a slender communion with him, if it be too much taken up with o­ther company; he can but by halfs en­joy his wife and children, who is daily troubled with the entertainment of strangers.

4. In your patience possesse ye your souls, Luke 21.19. whatever losses wee meet with in the World it is our [Page 88]folly, and our sin, that if we loose our friends or our goods, we have much adoe to keep our selves, as if we had never heard of the patience of Job; when a stroak is directed but to our goods, we are simple enough to di­rect it upon our selves; like the Irish, who if they have a good Scymiter, ra­ther then their weapon shal be hurt, wil receive the blow upon their arm Stam­hurst. Hi­bern. hist.. This folly would bee cured, if wee would be perswaded, that we shal ne­ver be happy till we have lost all, till we have no friend no estates, no enjoy­ment but God alone.

SECT. VI. 2 ^d Use of this same point by way of Instruction.

IF our highest happinesse be the sole enjoyment of God, we may take out some lessons thence for our in­struction; these that follow seem to be very legible.

1. That it is an impossibility to make the Saints of God miserable; be­cause it is impossible to deprive them of their God, in whom alone is all their happiness. They may lose

1. Their Liberty, as Joseph, Peter, Paul, Silas, &c. the primitive Christians, by the Heathen persecutors In Car­ceres con­jecti fide­les, locis tenebrosis, &c. Ec­clesiast. l. 5. c. 1., and the Orthodox by the Arrians Theodo­rit. hist. Eccles. l. 4. c. 22., Christ himself may be imprisoned, Mat. 25.43. and Satan may make the mittimus, Apoc. 2.10. but this is not their hap­pinesse, this is not the glorious liberty of the sons of God, Rom. 8.21. their God wil be in prison with them, Gen. 39.23.

[Page 90] 2. Their Estates, they may suffer the spoiling of their goods, Heb. 10.34. of a great part, or all, as it shal please their more potent enemies, of which we have examples Socrat. Hist. Ec­cles. l. 3. c. 11. Euseb. de vita Const. l. 1. c. 45. enough in the History of the Church, but this is not their happinesse, they have in hea­ven a better and a more enduring sub­stance, Heb. 10.34.

3. Their Lives, as the noble Army of Martyrs did. But this is not their happinesse, they may sav to the prou­dest of their persecutors Occide­re quidem potestis, nocere non po­testis., you may kill us, but it is not in your power to hurt us; they have a life which is hid with Christ in God, Col. 3.3.

Our happinesse is not in any thing that the gates of Hell can reach unto; 'tis in God onely and solely, and who can take away our God from us? what condition can leave us without him? pray ask the Apostle in Rom. 8.35.38, 39.

2dly. That (did wee rightly im­prove it) the lesse wee have of the world, the more wee may have of hap­pinesse, this I doubt wil seem a para­dox [Page 91]to most, but yet before you be too peremptory in concluding it so, consider if happinesse consist in the sole enjoyment of God; doth it not follow that the more solely wee enjoy him, the happier we are? and may we not the better so enjoy God, the lesse we have to enjoy beside him? even the troubles of a family do so far un­blesse us, that they hardly give us leave to attend upon the Lord without distraction, 1 Cor. 7.35. what then have they leave to do, who are trou­bled with more then this a thousand fold?

Are there none of us, whose possessi­ons and imployments in the world are more then they were wont to be? it would be wel to consider (if we have so much leisure) whether our enjoy­ments of God be not so much the lesse; whether a great part of that time, and those meditations which we were wont to lay out upon God, be not now wa­sted, and cast away upon other occasi­ons.

You that have but a little to do with [Page 92]the world, pray make much of that condition, 't is your own fault if you have not the more to do with God; you have little else to take up your hearts, God may dwel and walk in them without disturbance. God and you may be together a great part of your time, and the sweetnesse of your communion not hindred, whilest o­thers are casting up their accounts, you have leisure enough to say with David, how precious are thy thoughts unto me O God, how great is the summe of them; if I should count them, they are more in number then the sands! Ps. 139.17, 18. Whilest others are follow­ing their suits at a Court of Justice, you may follow all you have at a Throne of grace: whilest others are numbring their flocks and heards, al your Arithmetick may be imploied to number your daies: whilest others can­not get out of the clutches of the world, you may get into the imbrace­ments of your God: you may bee in heaven whilest others cannot see it for the interposition of too much earth. [Page 93]Truly a mean condition seems to bee capable of more happinesse, then that which over-loadeth us with outward things.

3 ^d. That little cause have the Saints to be troubled at the dissolution of al things: That al these things here be­low shal be dissolved, he cannot doubt that is a Christian, 2 Pet. 3.11. and the dissolution of them shal be by fire, the Elements shal melt with fervent heat, the Earth also and the works that are therein shal be burnt up, ver. 10. that glorious heaven which rouls over our heads, shal be rouled together as a Scrowl; and al their Host shal fal down, as the Leaf falleth off from the Vine, and as a falling Figge from the Fig-tree, Isa. 34.4. and the earth under our feet the mother of so many good things, with her whole off-spring shal flee away, neither shal any place be found for her, Apoc. 20.11. it moves our bowels to behold the rage of fire in some petty desolations; it wil you wil say be a melancholly prospect in­deed, to see it bury the whole world in [Page 94]its own ashes. Wel, suppose we should be of those, who shal be found alive at the last day; should it trouble or pity us that such a world as this should bee destroyed? sure not a jot; unlesse we would continue to our prejudice: for this end must come, That God may bee all in all, that there may bee nothing for us but God, that is, that we may be perfectly happy.

SECT. VII. Shewing our happiness to constst in the free enjoyment of God.

AS our happinesse in the height and perfection of it, shal be to enjoy God immediately without helps, and solely without partners, so it wil be as necessary that wee enjoy him freely, without interruption or opposition: Here sin stands in our way with power and pollution, and Satan with his fiery darts, and the world meets us with a thousand contradictions, and whatever stands in the way of our enjoyment, stands in the way of our happinesse, w ^ch wil not bee perfect til al these impedi­ments be removed. Let us consider

1. All enemies shal be subdued, v. 25, 26. Satan and sin amongst the rest, which are the great disturbers of our enjoyment of God, these shal trouble us no more; and the end is, That God may be all in all, that we may enjoy him freely without any contradiction.

2. It follows rationally that if our [Page 96]enjoyment of God be not free, our happinesse in God cannot be ful: eve­ry disturbance of enjoyment is an E­clipse of happinesse; every evil is not excluded, where there is any thing left standing between God and us, nor every desire satisfied, when one great desire is to have these rubs out of our way: we are so far from perfect happi­nesse, as long as Satan, or sin, or any thing shal thwart us in our enjoyment of God, that we are indeed miserable and wretched men; and such an appre­hension I think the Apostle had of this condition, in Rom. 7.24.

SECT. VIII. A threefold use of this Point.

IF we shall not be fully happy, till we shall enjoy God freely, and have nothing to oppose, or inter­rupt us

First, It will inform us, that in case our sins should go up to Heaven with us, we should never be happy, because we should not be able to en­joy God freely: here they cross us, and do ever and anon interrupt our Communion, and would they not think you, do so there too? so those carnal persons that pray for Heaven, and yet would not part with their sins, do (like the sons of Zebedee) ask they know not what. To be in Heaven is to enjoy God Vita ubi non est adversa­rius im­pugnans ubi nulla peccati il­lecebra, &c. Aug. meditat. c. 22. freely, which neither the guilt of sin, nor the pollution of it, will suffer us to do.

2 ^ly. This doth teach us what course to take, if we mean to be as much in Heaven, as it is possible to be here up­on [Page 98]earth: we must enjoy our God with all possible freedom. If you ask how shal this be done? pray con­sider, what you would do to enjoy a friend freely, from whose society you fetch much of your delight, would you not get your self and your friend together? and exclude all other com­pany? and in case of intrusion, would you not refuse to admit them? pray try ('tis a Noble experiment) if such a course wil not bless your spirits with a more free enjoyment of God, then you do ordinarily attain unto.

1. You must get God and your souls together, by walking with him, Gen. 5.24. and conversing in Hea­ven, Phil. 3.20. by sending up your faith and love, and bringing God into your hearts, to sup and walk, and dwel there: that you may look upon him, and hear him, and speak to him and throw your selves into his Armes, and solace your souls in his Bosome as your God: when you stand, stand fast in the Lord, Phil. 4.1. When you walk, let it be in Gods waies, [Page 99] Psal. 119.1. When you sit down, let it be under his shadow, Cant. 2.3. When he invites you go with him into his Banqueting house, Cant. 2.4. and eat and drink abundantly, Cant. 5.1. open your Os cor­poris mo­dica im­plet buc­cella, ca­pacitatem animae so­lus Deus. Lor. in locum. mouths wide, that he may fil them ( Psal. 81.10.) with what ever his presence of grace brings with it, to feast your souls. But if you mean to do this freely, you must

2. Exclude all other company, every care that is superfluous, and eve­ry thought that is carnal must be shut out of doors. When Joseph meant to discover himself to his Brethren, he cryed, Cause every man to go out from me, Gen. 45.1. When Abraham went to sacrifice his Son, he said to his young men, abide you here with the Ass, and I and the Lad will go younder and worship, Gen. 22.5. Joseph could not have unbowel'd himself freely, nor Abraham have met God in the Mount without interruption, had they not dismissed their company: so must we deal with all other businesses of the heart, cause every one of them to goe [Page 100]out from us, and abide behinde, if we would converse with God freely, The cares of the world, and the lusts of our hearts are obstreperous and tur­bulent, they wil keep such a noyse in our souls, that shal loose very much of that communion with God, which we come together for; they wil pro­vide us such avocations and distracti­ons, that a great deal of our heart, which is al too little to be spent upon God, wil go out upon these.

3. If they offer to intrude them­selves again, when God and the soul are in communication, you must by no means admit them. Carnal lusts are sufficiently sawcy and immodest, they have impudency enough to thrust themselves into the soul, though she be never so private and never so busie in the company of her God: one errand or another wil they pretend, and be im­portunate for audience if you give them admission, you are sadly inter­rupted. And because do what we can, these impediments wil be, and wil more or less disturb us while we are here. It is

[Page 101] 3 ^dly. Matter of comfort to the Saints, that when their happiness shal be perfect, their enjoyment of God shal be free, without any disturbance at all: every enemy shal be subdued: Beatum nihil quod non caret peccato. Ambr. when we shal stand before the Lord in in Heaven, we shal have no Satan at our right hand to resist us, his ever­lasting chains wil eternally keep him at a sufficient distance; neither shal one of the lusts that haunt us here go along with us: it wil be a world where dwells nothing but righteousness, 2. Pet. 3.13.

SECT. IX. Our full happiness is in the full en­joyment of God.

THe Fruition of God without means, or partners, or oppositi­tion, though it amount to very much of our felicity; yet not to all, it must be ful too without any defect: not as if the soul which is finite, could take in the whole Essence of God which is infinite, and so incomprehensible; but the soul shal and must be so ful of God, as that it shal not be able to re­ceive or desire a jot more. Let's con­sider,

1. That the difference between our enjoyment of God here and hereafter, is but in degrees. Here it is inits infancy Gratia est aetas infantilis gloriae. there it shal be in its ful age: Here it is in drops, there it shal be in the Oce­an. Here tis per mo­dum pas­sionis transe­untis. as light is in the Air there it shal be as Per mo­dum for­mae per­manentis light is in the body of the Sun: Here we see Gods back parts, there we shal see his Face, not [Page 103]his second face (as some distinguish) which is grace and favour enjoyed by faith, but his first face which is, his divine Essence enjoyed by sight: it is the same love whereby we cleave to God here and in Heaven (love never faileth, 1 Cor. 13.8) onely here it is love militant against Ʋt vo­luntas in presen­ti vitâ, infermi­tati non cedat, in futurâ infermi­tatem non habeat, & nunc re­creetur iuvamine medica­minis tunc fru­atur aeter­nâ pleni­tudine sanitatis Fulgent. l. 1. p. 8 many weaknesses, there it shal be love triumphant over al. And God loves us with the same love now, which he wil love us with in Heaven; onely here it is but upon its design, there it wil be in Execution. In a word, the Apostle sets down the difference of our enjoying God here and hereafter to be in this, That now it is but in part, and then it shall be at full, 1 Cor. 13.12.

2. As long as our enjoyment of God is not at ful; we are capable of more, and as long as we possess more we can desire more, and so our hap­piness is not perfected, because every desire is not satisfied.

SECT. X. The Uses of this Branch for Infor­mation and comfort.

FIrst we may from what we last said, be informed, that the hap­piest sight we can have of God out of Heaven is that sight of him which we have in the Gospel, because it is the fullest. God is seen

1. In his creatures. Here (at least) his eternal power and Godhead are le­gibile enough, Rom. 1.20.

2. In his Law, we cannot but see his Soveraignty, his Holiness, and and his Justice, if we look here. But

3. In his Gospel: our sight of God is much fuller. Here we see

• 1. More of this.
• 2. More then this.
• 3. More clearly.

First, More of this, then ever was seen before. I shal instance in these Particulars, viz,

1. More of Gods Power. Much [Page 105]of this, very much was evidenced in making the world, having nothing but nothing to do it withal. Put to­gether the whole Posse of men and Angels, and allow them no preexistent matter, and see if they be able to make so much as one hair. To enlarge here were to suppose my Readers some­thing worse then not christened: onely thus, I will praise thee (O Lord) for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: mar­vellous are thy works and that my soul kuoweth right well, Psal. 139.14.

But is there not more of Gods pow­er discovered in the Gospel? to par­don a sinner is an act of great power, Numb. 14.17, 18, 19. To quicken him, is an act of exceeding great pow­er, Eph. 1.19. compared with chap. 2.1. The Ʋtrum Justifica­tio impii sit opus miraculo­sum? Aq. 1ae 2ae q. 113. Art. 10. Schoolmen do enquire, whether the Justification of a sinner be a miracle or no? a Question that could not proceed but from an appre­hension of some, more then ordinary, evidences of Gods power in this work. But what shal we think of the uniting of God and man in one person to [Page 106]bring this to pass? I shal not so much as endeavour to puzle you, by in­quiring into the mysteries that are in it. Vid. Aq 3. part q. 1.2.3. &c. If you study how little you are able to O admi­rabila mysteriū! O inenr­rabile cō ­mercium [...] Aug. me­ditat c. 16. apprehend of it you wil confess a longer manifestation of power in this one act to redeem the world, then was put forth at first to make it. And where is this discover­ed but in the Gospel?

2. More of Gods Wisdom, whose design is to be advanced in the salvati­on of sinners. Now set aside the Gospel, and let al the men in the world and al the Angels in Heaven, lay their heads together, and tel you (if they can) by what means this shal be brought to pass, they are sinners that must be saved; this indeed wil ad­vance Gods mercy, but what then shal become of his Justice? One At­tribute of God must not go down, whilest another is set up, this were not for God to advance his whole self. There is no imaginable way for Jus­tice to satisfie it self, but either upon the sinner himself, or upon some other [Page 107]in his stead, if upon themselves the design is lost, it must pay sin its wa­ges, and so the sinner perisheth, Rom. 6.23. if upon some other, who should that be? if but a man, he cannot satis­fie; if a God, he cannot suffer; if sinful he must suffer for himself; if sin­lesse where shal such a one be found? if willing how should he be able? if not willing how were it just to lay it upon him?

'Tis the Gospel that unriddles all this, and in doing so discovers an in­comprehensible wisdom: hence are we told of this contrivement to save sinners, that it is, the wisdom of God, 1 Cor. 2.6. a wisdom that no natural or moral helps, or parts, can raise us to the comprehension of, 1 Cor. 2.6. wisdom in a mystery, 1 Cor. 2.7. A great mystery, 1 Tim. 3.16. a mys­tery which the Angels desire to look into, 1 Pet. 1.12. a discovery of the manifold wisdom of God, Eph. 3.10. there is more of this attribute opened in the Gospel, then in that immense volume the whole world. But one in­stance more

[Page 108] 3. More of Gods Justice, much of this was set on work in not sparing the Angels that sinned, &c. 2. Pet. 2.4. do not they seem to suffer the severity of Gods justice, who (for ought we read) sinned but once, and are yet under an eternity of wrath, without hope or means or possibility of restitu­tion? and it was much of justice that fel upon the old world, in so dreadful a showre, that All in whose nostrils was the breath of life perished, Gen. 7.22. and upon Sodom read, Gen. 19.24, 25. and upon Corah and his company, read Num. 16.32, 33.

But yet we have a manifestation in the Gospel of more justice then al this, here we have God not sparing his own son, Rom. 8.32. his onely son, Joh. 3.16. the son of his love, Col. 1.13. the son of his bosome, Joh. 1.18. though he did no sin, 1 Pet. 2.22. though he fulfilled all righteousnesse, Mat. 3.15. yet having taken our sins upon him, he did not spare him though he offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, Heb. 5.7.

Secondly in the Gospel we see more then this; that is, what neither the book of the creatures, nor of the law did ever discover unto us: you may look else where in vain; but look into the Gospel, you shal see God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them, 2 Cor. 5.19. quickning such as are dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1. bringing life and immortali­ty to light, and offering it to the grea­test of sinners, 2 Tim. 1.19. Act. 3.26. here we see a free grace, a full Christ, a general pardon, a way fot sinful creatures to the injoyment of a just and holy God. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, were not by way of eminency to be called by that name Vid. Chemnit. loc. com. part 2. edit. 1594 in 4 to fol. 242., were a­ny thing else able to bring us glad ti­dings of these good things.

Thirdly what we see of God in the Gospel, we see more clearly, then we can see it any where else, here below; and are therefore said to behold his glory with open face as in a glasse, 2 Cor. 3.18. that the Jews under the [Page 101]administration of Moses had a clearer discovery of God, then the Gentiles (who saw him but in his works) is not to be doubted: and how much clea­rer ours is under the administration of the Gospel, then theirs was under Moses, is that we have produced the Apostle for. It is as much clearer, as the seeing of an object with open face in a glasse, is a clearer vision then to look upon it, but thorow a vail: no picture can represent a thing so lively as a glasse doth. So the happiest sight of God out of heaven, is to see him in the Gospel, because it is the fullest. I hope men wil take heed how they carry themselves to such a Gospel as this is, and I wil anon speak with them about it.

Secondly, It is comfort for the Saints that their highest happinesse shal be in the ful injoyment of God, your hungrings and thirstings after more of him, shal one day end in a compleat sa­tisfaction, you shal have as much of him as your souls can hold here, it is much of your happinesse, to have some [Page 111]glimpses of his glory shining upon you, and some drops of his favour di­stilled into your hearts: hereafter it shal be all your happinesse to have it poured in til you shal be able to receive no more; and because all your Lords joy cannot enter into you, to be sure of having enough you shal enter into it, Mat. 25. v. 21.

SECT. XI. That the enjoyment of God in which our highest happinesse shall consist is to be everlasting.

ALL that we have said of the injoy­ment of God, though it rise to very much, yet were it of any shorter date then eternity, it would not be e­nough for an absolute blessednesse. He ce

1. The Scriptures do every where expresse it to be everlasting and with­out end. We shall be ever with the Lord, 1 Thes. 4.17. and the pleasures at his right hand are for evermore, Psal. 16.11. our weight of glory shall be eternall, 2 Cor. 4.17. and our inheritance incorrupti­tible, which fadeth not away, 1 Pet. 1.4. and you know it is called life eternal and everlasting, in a multitude of Scriptures.

2. Were it any thing short of this, two things would prove it short of its perfection.

First, There would be a possibility of being one time or another misera­ble, and so every desire would not be satisfied. Misery, set it at what distance you wil, is not onely what we do not desire to come under, but what we cannot Miseri esse non solum no­lumus, sed nequa­quam vel­le possu­mus, Aug..

2 ^d There were then some places for fear, and so for pain, 1 Joh, 4.18. and consequently for evil, and that condition is not perfectly happy, which is capable of this, for every evil is not excluded.

SECT. XII. This briefly applied by way of exhortation and comfort.

WEE have seen the immediate injoyment of God, that no­thing may shadow our happinesse: the sole injoyment of God; that nothing may abate it: the free injoyment of God; that nothing interrupt it, wee have seen it so full, that there is no room for more; and yet all this must and shal be eternal too, that we may Beati­tudo non est de eu­jus eterni­tate dubi­tatur. Aug. never see the expiration of it. And shal we not hence

1. Be exhorted, not to place our happinesse in any thing that shal have an end? and (not to nauseate you with particulars) such are all that our eyes behold here below, the things that are seen are temporal, 2 Cor. 4.18. were there no other insufficiency in them, yet would this prove their injoyment infinitely short of happi­nesse, [Page 115]that they can bee injoyed but for a time, and upon this account the Apostles did not think them worth the looking upon, 2 Cor. 4.18. what a fool was he, that comforted his soul with goods laid up in store for many years? Luk. 12.19. it seems the en­joyment of God himself would not a­mount to an absolute beatitude, were it not everlasting; how much lesse the enjoyment of the creature, which to the happiest man under the sun, cannot be above a span long, Psal. 39.5.

2. Is not here comfort for the Saints, in all their afflictions? these can be suffered but for a time, God shal be enjoyed to all eternity, are we a while groaning under a burthen of sin? Rom. 7.24. we shall be loaded with an eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. have we a spirit ful of wounds for a time? Prov. 18.14. we shal have a soul ful of God, for an eternity. Doth God forsake us for a smal moment, Isa. 54.7. We shall be ever with the Lord, 1 Thess, 4.17. Doth heaviness endure for a night? Psal. 30.5. joy shal come [Page 116]in a morning that hath no night at all, have we paines ever and anon? Wee shall have pleasures for evermore, Psal. 16.11. do we die daily? we shal live everlastingly. Saints, comfort your selves, Comfort one another with these words, 1 Thes. 4.18.

SECT. XIII. A brief Application of the whole.

FRom all that hath been said of the quality of our enjoyment of God, when we shal come to be at the happi­est. We may learn

First, That not one of the Saints is perfectly blessed in this life, because not one of them doth enjoy God, either immediately, but what we do is darkly thorow a glasse, by such me­diums as do eclipse much of what, that Lumen gloriae, the light we shal have in heaven wil discover unto us: or sole­ly, but in conjunction with other en­joyments, which call out much of our hearts, and many Item's of our love, which hereafter shal be totally summed up, and all laid out upon one God: or freely; but are thwarted with a thousand impediments, which shal all be left behind us when we go to heaven: or fully, they are but part [Page 118]of his waies that we trace him in, and how little a portion is heard of him? Job. 26.14. wee shal never see the compleatment of our happinesse, until we go hence, and be no more seen.

Ob. Why then do some persons say that they are as happy, and do en­joy as much of God, as ever they shall?

Sol. Can I tell? perhaps it is too true in reference to some of them, others may bee under a temporary delusion; but sure I am, they bee none of the Saints, who have their portion in this life. Psal. 17.14. [ See before Sect. 2.]

Ob. Saints are happy in this life. But why do the Scriptures so fre­quently call the Saints blessed and happy?

Sol. I shall lay before you what I con­ceive of it in these 6 particulars. Its because

First, 1 Pretio. The price by which we have a title to the happinesse we have enqui­red into, is already paid and accepted of: the possession of God, is a purchased possession, Eph. 1.14. and the purchase [Page 119]is made to our use, upon which account our names are written in the book of life, to bee of those many children whom God by the sufferings of his son meant to bring unto glory, Heb. 2.10. when a captives ransom is paid, he may be said to have his liberty, al­though his Manu-mission be a while delayed.

2. 2 Promis­so. God hath made us a promise of this happinesse before the world began to Christ, for us, Titus, 1.2. and since the world began to us in Christ, John 3.16. to have any thing in a promise, is to be as sure of it, as if we had it in ful possession; it being as impossible for us to misse it, as it is for God to lie, Heb. 6.18.

3. 3 Primi­tiis. We have the first fruits of Hea­ven here upon the earth, Rom. 8.23. something of God drawn upon our souls, and so some converse with him, and influences from him, and it was never known that such as came so farre as to gather the first fruits, fel short of reaping the whole harvest.

4. 4 Disposi­tione. We are put into a capability of [Page 120]this happinesse, being (in some mea­sure) made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, Col. 1.12. having our robes washt and made white in the blood of the Lamb, that we may be before the Throne of God, and serve him day and night in his Temple, Apoc. 7.14, 15.

5. 5 Spe. We are saved by hope, Rom. 8.24. and by whatever we are saved, by the same we are made happy, hereaf­ter we shal rejoyce in possession, but in this life we rejoyce in hope of the glo­ry of God, Rom. 5.2.

6. 6 Sen. The Saints have some taste here of that full meal of happinesse, which they shal eternally bee feasted with hereafter, Psal. 34.8. Cant. 2.3. and even this doth sometimes ravish them so abundantly, that they value one daies enjoyment of God, above the re­venues of the whole world.

In all these (and perhaps in some other) respects, the Saints are said to be blessed and happy; though they be not perfectly and fully so. And we may learn

[Page 121] 2 ^dly That no nature below ours is capable of an absolute happinesse, as not being capable of such an enjoy­ment of God: Scot. in 4 Sent. q. 8. dist. 49. wee owe God very much for this benefit of our creation. I cannot tel whether it be not better then if he had made us Angels; they, 't is true, were capable of happinesse as wel as we, and of losing it as wel as we, but when 'tis lost, they are not ca­pable of recovering it again as wel as we, 2 Pet. 2.4. Jud. 6. however God might have made us any of the lower creatures: look upon a house, a tree, a worm, a heap of dirt, and say, Cur non ego talis? Why had not I been such? and we shal be worse then such, if wee enjoy not God: other creatures attain to al the happinesse they are capable of not so we. And we may learn

3 ^dly That they speak like Atheists, who said it is vain to serve God, Mal. 3.14. is such an enjoyment of God so? if you be indeed christians, pray be sted­fast and immoveable alwaies, abound­ing in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord, 1 Cor. 15.58.