Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 47
CHAP. XLVII. The bleſſedneſs of Union with God.
THirdly, they ſhall have union with God. Sight is higher then preſence, and union is higher 3.then ſight. John 17. 21. Chriſt prays to his Father, That they may be one in us, as thou art in me, and I in thee. For the opening of this union with God, you are to know that there is firſt an union that God hath with all creatures in general. Secondly, an union that he hath with the humane nature of Chriſt. Thirdly, the union that he hath with the Saints. Firſt, the union that God hath with all creatures in general, and that union is twofold: An union 1.of dependance; or an union of his immenſe preſence: Of dependance, becauſe all creatures in the world depend upon God for their being, and continuance of their being every moment, therefore there muſt be an union of God with them; for if the union of dependance were broke, evey creature would fall to nothing. As the beams of the Sun have an union with the Sun, and the beams could not continue if they were not united to the Sun; ſo all the creatures have an union of dependance with God, without which they cannot continue. And then the union of immenſe preſence, that muſt be, becauſe God is in every thing, and every where; there is not the leaſt ſpire of graſs or ſtone, but there is a way of Gods immenſe preſence in that. Secondly, there is another kinde of union that God hath with the humane 2.nature of Chriſt, and that we call an hypoſtatical union: for the humane nature, and the divine nature to be united in one perſon, this is that the Saints and Angels of God ſhall be adoring God for to all eternity; that ever there ſhould be ſuch an union between the Deity and the Creature, that if it were not revealed to us in the word, it were impoſſible to be imagined by any creature. It is a great work of God to unite an immortal ſoul with ſuch a baſe creature as our fleſh is into one perſon; I do not know any one work of God in creation ſo great as this, and this is to be admired at: but if this be ſo great a work to unite a rational immortal ſoul into one perſon, with a corruptible piece of fleſh, then to unite mans nature into one perſon with the ſecond perſon in Trinity, this is a great work.
Thirdly, there is an union of God with the Saints, 3.and that is in this World, or in Heaven. In the World, there is a fourfold union that God hath with the Saints. Firſt, there is an union of the inhabitation 1.of the Spirit; for the Saints of God in this World, are the Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, and the Spirit of God is ſaid to dwell in them; and ſo there is a glorious union by the inhabitation of the Holy Ghoſt in them. The ſecond union that the Saints of God have in this world, is the union 2.of ſimilitude; the Saints are like God here in ſome meaſure, they have the image of God ſtamped upon them, God ſees his face in the Saints. The brighteſt glaſs in the world to ſhew Gods face, is the ſouls of the Saints; and there is not onelyonly ſome likeneſs of God in the Saints, but the likeneſs of God in his very life. A glaſs may repreſent my image, but that image hath not that life that I have, but the image of God in the Saints, does not onelyonly repreſent God, but they have the life of God: thoſe that are converted live the life of God, and by ſin we are eſtranged from the life of God: they work as God works, God underſtands himſelf the higheſt and infinite good; and God wills himſelf as the higheſt and infinite good; theſe are the chief actions of Gods life. Now the Saints of God live this life, they in their meaſure do here underſtand God, as the higheſt and infinite good, and do will God as the higheſt and infinite good. A third union that the Saints have with God, is a union of love; love is an uniting grace, and there is a moſt entire love between God and every Saint, and ſo their hearts are cloſe united, and mingled by love.
Again, in this life there is a myſtical Union, and that is an union higher then any other; an union with Chriſt, being made members of the Son of God, and ſo they come to have union with the Son of God, according to that expreſſion, in 1 John 1. 3. That which we have ſeen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye alſo may have fellowſhip with us; and truly our fellowſhip is with the Father, and with his Son Ieſus Chriſt. There is a myſtical union between us and Chriſt, and ſo we come to have union with God the Father alſo, and to be joyned to the Lord, we are one Spirit with him. *Impoſsibile eſt Deum uniri ſpeciali modo ſubſtantiae animae noſtrae nullo interveniente domo, vel effectu ereate, quem Deus in anim â efficiat, ratione cujus dicitur specialitèr eſſe in illà, eſſentiâ Divinitatis intimè. Eſt in eſſentiâ animae vi immenſitatis, now this preſence of God cannot be greater or leſs, ſed ſo lum ratione alicujus novi effectus, Suar. tract. de beat. Sect 1.Now for the union that the Saints have with God in Heaven, there are many intricate notions that ſome of the Schoolmen have about this; as, that the ſoul ſhall be turned into the ſame Idea that God made it of; and that there ſhall be an Illapſus of God into the ſoul; but we muſt know there can be no union with God, but it muſt be by vertue of the influence of ſome good from God; for ſpeak of what union you will, God cannot in his Eſſence be more preſent with the creature then he is here, but onelyonly in regard of ſome manifeſtation, or communication of himſelf, in ſome gift or good thing; but certainly, there will be a wonderful glorious union between God and the ſoul in Heaven, and that upon theſe four grounds.
Firſt, there is not ſuch diſtance between God and the ſoul, but that it is capable of union with God. One would think how is it poſſible that God ſhould be ſo united to the ſoul, being there is ſuch an infinite diſtance between God and it: but there is not ſuch an infinite diſtance between God and the ſoul of man, as that there ſhould not be a glorious union between them: there is a great deal of likeneſs between God and the ſoul; Firſt, in the ſpirituality, 1.God is a Spirit, the ſoul is a Spirit. Secondly, in 2.immortality, God is immortal, the ſoul is immortal. 3.Thirdly, in the high excellency of God, the underſtanding and will, the ſoul is endued with underſtanding and will; the perfection of God as we can conceive, is his underſtanding and will; and ſo it is in the ſoul. Fourthly, in the ſeveral operations 4.that the ſoul hath; and herein there is more likeneſs between God and mans ſoul, then is between God and Angels, in that one rational ſoul ſhould perform ſo many works, as the ſame God, the ſame Excellency, working upon the creature, works in one thing one way, and in another thing another way; ſo the ſoul repreſents God in this, in that one rational ſoul hath ſuch variety of workings in the body, for underſtanding, for ſenſe, for vegetation, which Angels have not. Again, the ſoul reſembles God in the infiniteneſs; the ſoul is not onelyonly infinite in duration, but in regard of the infiniteneſs of the working of it: and here is a mighty difference between the ſoul of man, between rational creatures, and all other creatures: for the ſenſitive creature that onelyonly works about ſome particular thing that concerns its own preſervation, and its own good within its narrow compaſs, but the object of mans ſoul is univerſal, infinite: it is not any particular truth, that will ſatisfie the underſtanding, let there be never ſo many truths revealed, yet the underſtanding deſires infinitely more; if there be any truth that is not revealed, it would have that. Let *Impoſſibile eſt ſenſum corporeum elevari ad Deum, prout in ſe eſt, quia nullo modo comprehenditur Deus ſub objecto ejus; hâc enim ratione non potest viſus elevari ad percipiendum ſonum, nec auditus ad percipiendū colorem & fic de aliis potentiis, in quo multum differt intellectus à ſenſu; nam intellectus abſolutè continet Deum ſub objecto ſuo; & ideò elevare poteſt ad percipiendum illum perfectius, quàm naturalitèr poſſet; quia tota illa elevatio eſt intra latitudinem objecti intellectus, Suarez. de Beat. Diſp. 6. Sect. 3.the ſenſe have ſome particular object before it, ſuitable to ſenſe, it looks no further; as if the eye have colour, it goes no further, nor the ear goes no further then ſound, but the underſtanding hath deſire to all truth: And ſo for good, the ſenſitive creature hath no deſire of good, but onelyonly that which does preſerve ſenſe, but the will of man is for good in general: and this ſhews how capable the ſoul is to be raiſed to ſuch an excellency, as to have communion with God: if we knew what our ſouls were capable of, we would not think we could ſatisfie them with ſuch things as bruit beaſts are ſatiſfied with. Secondly, there may well be a glorious union between God and and the ſouls of the Saints, becauſe God ſhall ſee nothing but himſelf in the ſouls of the Saints: now when God ſhall ſee nothing but his own in ſuch a creature, this is a full ground of Gods near and moſt glorious union with it: as when a man comes to ſee in another much of his own, his heart is united to him; things that are of a like nature do unite: Bring an hot fire-brand to the fire, and it does unite preſently, becauſe the fire does finde ſomething of it ſelf there; if there were ſome moiſture in the brand, it would not ſo fully unite: And ſo here we cannot have full union with God, becauſe though God ſees ſomewhat of his own in us, yet there is a great deal in us, that is not Gods: but when we ſhall be wholly free from ſin, and God ſhall ſee nothing but his own in us, that muſt needs be a ground of a moſt glorious union.
Thirdly, in Heaven there ſhall be nothing in God, but ſhall be ſuitable to the nature of a glorified 3.Saint, and ſuitableneſs is the cauſe of union: if there be not a ſuitableneſs, there cannot be union. There cannot be ſuitableneſs between God and other creatures; but between a glorified Saint and God, there ſhall be an infinite ſuitableneſs, and therefore an infinite glorious union. Again, there ſhall be an infinite inflamed love; here is an union of love, but 4.in Heaven there will be a further degree of love, and love being enflamed, there muſt needs be a moſt glorious union.
Fifthly, if you conſider what the bond of connexion 5.of the ſoul and God together is, namely, the mediation of the Son, the ſecond perſon of the Trinity, there muſt needs be an infinite cloſe and glorious union of the Saints with God. This viſion and union with God, is enough to cauſe the ſouls of Gods people to be ſo ſatisfied, as to ſay, Let all things be taken from me, it is enough; I have ſomewhat of Gods preſence here, but I ſhall have the glorious preſence and viſion of God, and union with God hereafter; and though my eyes ſhould never ſee good day after, or never ſee comfortable object in the world, this is enough, I ſhall ſee God, and have full union with God: Though there be a ſeparation between me and all temporal comforts in the world, though God ſhould rend this creature or that creature, the deareſt husband, or the deareſt wife, or the deareſt comfort in the world, and thoſe things that my ſoul do moſt cleave to here, from me; yet it is enough that God and my ſoul are ſomewhat united, and that God and my ſoul ſhall have a glorious union hereafter. O that God would raiſe our hearts to theſe things, that we may know what is the buſineſs we have to do in the world: If you do not know theſe things ſhall be your portion, never give ſatisfaction to your ſelves in the fleſh, till your know theſe things ſhall be your portion.