Divine Comforts, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. The Subject of Comfort, Seeks it ſolely in God.
THus much of the Character deduced from the Context, there only remains one thing out of the Text it ſelf, Viz.
The Pſalmiſt was a Man, who diſcern'd ſuch an emptineſs, and inſufficiency in all inferiour Contentments, as to ſeek no relief from them, nor take up with any in them, as his reſt in Trouble; but in deepeſt anxiety and diſtreſs, did look for, and find all his comfort ſolely in and from God: This is the very ſubſtance and marrow of the Verſe. Indeed the whole Pſalm is a Teſtimony of his ceaſing from the Creature, from Man, in a believing and affectionate recourſe to God: Where-ever he caſt his Eye upon Earth, the Inſcription was Vanity and Vexation. A deluge of Sin and Miſery covered the World, that like Noah's Dove he could find no reſt for the ſole of his Foot below, therefore does he direct his courſe toward Heaven. Thus Pſal. 55.6. Oh that I had wings like a Dove, for then I would flee away and be at reſt: But Reſt is not a Denizen of this World. Nothing but the Heaven of Heavens is at reſt, and here does he fix only. There was a Windy Storm and Tempeſt without, as Pſal. 55.8. and which is worſe, a Tumult and Combuſtion within in his thoughts. A Man may eſcape from External Confuſions; but how ſhall he fly from himſelf? If he be out of the reach of all the Blood-ſuckers on Earth, and all the Furies in Hell; yet be dog'd and haunted with his own turbulent, ungovernable Cogitations, he needs no other Tormenters. This Holy Man was thus doubly diſtreſt; a Storm Abroad and an Earthquake at home rendred his Condition moſt dolorous: But for both he hath [foreign]: he goes not about with the Foxes of this World to relieve himſelf with ſubtle Stratagems and Wiles, by carnal Shifts and Policies, a Vanity toſſed to and fro by them that ſeek Death: No, his one great Refuge is to get aloft, to aſcend to God. Here is his Defence from outward aſſaults, v. 22. Here is his Eaſe in the Torment and Mutiny within; thy Comforts delight my Soul. Nothing can really comfort without God, or any further than as it leads to God. The Creatures are but dry Breaſts and a miſcarrying Womb. The empty Ciſterns will ſooner be filled with the Tears of the diſappointed Hopeleſs, than diſtil upon, or repleniſh and fill their Souls, with the refreſhing Dews of true Conſolation. 'Tis in vain to look for living Comforts amongſt dead Enjoyments. There's no Life or vital Influence in any thing, to enable it to quiet a troubled Soul, if God be not in it: He is the Soul of all real Contentment. In Separation from him there can be no Heaven; i. e. no Life, no Peace, no Reſt, no Glory; all's only Dream and Fancy, and will vaniſh into Smoak and Fire; yet ſuch as is outer Darkneſs: And if without him, there can be no Heaven above, much leſs below in the mind of Man, leaſt of all in the outward Objects of Senſe, and carnal Affection, which the Men of the World make their gods and adore. Truth is, whatever they pant after and love in the Creature, is a Shadow, a Counterfeit God. I was going to ſay, even that which they wickedly dote on below, is only a preſumptive Excellency of God: For no Appetite can be taken with Evil, as ſuch; it never ſolicits us in its own form, but only in the diſguiſe of goodneſs. Real, it has none it ſelf, therefore is only good in a Vizor, or Mask like a Devil in the habit of an Angel of Light. Omne malum fundatur in bono: When it wooes our Affections it brings ſome viſible or apparent good, to ſpeak for it as being in it ſelf likely to meet with nothing but abhorrence. The apparent good is Pleaſure, Profit, Honour, the Worlds Trinity; theſe are the Baits to our Affections. Now the perfection of theſe is Heaven, and God: pure and undroſſy Pleaſure, and fulneſs of Joy, Pſal. 16. ult; ſolid and immarceſſible Treaſures, Riches, and Gain, Matth. 6.20. 1 Tim. 6.19. Epheſ. 3.8. Phil. 1.21. Luk. 12.33. Rom. 2.4. and 9.22. and 11.3. Epheſ. 1.7. and 2.4. Phil. 4.19. Subſtantial and Royal Honours; whence God ſo often is ſtiled a King, and Heaven a Kingdom, into which all that are admitted are Crowned as well as the King himſelf. In ſhort, God is the moſt pleaſing, yea infinitely pleaſing, profitable, honourable, honouring Good; the Fountain of all Honour. 'Tis true, the Profits, Pleaſures, and Honours of this World are quite of another Genius, Senſitive and Senſual, not Rational and Spiritual: Yet I hold, that if the Spiritual Bodies in Heaven, 1 Cor. 15.44. be endowed with Senſe as 'tis probable (Job 19.26, 27. Rev. 1.7. Seeing will infer the reſt, External and Internal) even ſenſe it ſelf will receive in Heaven and God, and the moſt ample Raviſhing Satisfaction, in all its poſſible Capacities, both outward and inward, in Compenſation for all thoſe Mortifications and Miſeries, wherewith it hath been Cruciated in this Life, even as the Body in Hell, in all its ſenſible Poſſibilities is Tormented, as a juſt Recompence for its Communion with the Soul in all ſinful Senſualities. Indeed the ſinful Senſuality ſhall not, cannot have place in Heaven: Not a Man there will deſire it, not one need it, but all Everlaſtingly abhor it. 'Twould be the moſt unſpeakable Torment to thoſe Spiritual Bodies and Divine Souls. The Body there does not ſo much affect the Soul, as the Soul the Body, and God both. The Spring of all Satisfaction is in God, derived from him to the Soul, from the Soul to the Senſe and Body; and whatever Senſe does introduce is of the ſame alloy and quality. There can be no Senſations of Delight in any thing, but what is really refreſhing to thoſe pure ſinleſs Spirits: What things ſoever would be diſguſtful to the Sanctity of the Soul, would therefore be Torturous to its ever Sympathizing Individual Companion, the Body; which Torture, ſince 'tis utterly Incompatible with Heaven; hence carnal Senſualities are there abſolutely impoſſible. But then Spiritual and Metaphorical Senſualities are the very Life and Soul of Heaven, perceptible by the Spiritual Body, as well as the Soul: I cannot exclude all Natural. The Body in all its Poſſibilites of ſenſe will be in a perpetual raviſhing, rapturous Ecſtacy of Delight, through the overflow of thoſe Coeleſtial Joys, which evermore ſolace the Soul, in the Embraces of eternal, infinite Love and Goodneſs. I have had a Conceit, which I ſubmit to better Judgments; thus I expreſt it, Chriſt comes in Flaming Fire, 2 Theſ. 1.7, 8. Pſal. 50.3. which ſhall conſume the Material Heavens, as well as the Elements and Earth, 2 Pet. 3.7, 10, 12, and is deſigned for Vengeance to thoſe that know not God, and obey not the Goſpel; 2 Theſ. 1.8. and Perdition to ungodly Men, 2 Pet. 3.7. Now his Saints, Jude 14. Zech. 14 5. as well as Mighty Angels, 2 Theſ. 1.7. ſhall come with him, which I underſtand of Glorified Souls, to meet and be rejoyned to their raiſed Spiritual Bodies. Upon theſe Bodies that Fire ſhall have no Power; to them it ſhall be no Torture and Cruciation, it ſhall only be refreſhing Light to them, tormenting Fire to the Wicked. The Bodies of both ſhall be raiſed Incorruptible, 1 Cor. 15.52, 53. The Fire ſhall torment, but not corrupt and conſume the Bodies of the Damned in Hell it ſelf. God, Chriſt and the Saints dwell for ever in Light unapproachable, 1 Tim. 6.16. Col. 1.12. and the Light wherein Chriſt appeared to Paul, was greater, more glorious than that of the Sun at Noon-day, Acts 26.13. elſe could it not outſhine it. This ſingularly Intenſe Light of Heaven is queſtionleſs, an unconceivable, even ſenſitive Pleaſure to the Saints refined Bodies. Now this is my fancy, ſince Light is delute Fire, the Sun its Fountain a vivid Flame; yet everlaſting Light in its higheſt Perfection, is one of the Pleaſures and Delights of Heaven, being the Royal Robe of the Divine Majeſty, Pſal. 104.2. And his Angels are a flaming Fire, therefore called Seraphims, from their Fiery Splendor and Glory, Pſal. 104.4. Heb. 1.7. Iſa. 6.2, 6. yet Miniſter to our good, even in that form Iſa. 6.6. Heb. 4.14. Hence may it not be inferr'd that the framing Fire in which Chriſt appears, will be ſo far from being hurtful, painful to his, and their glorified Bodies, as to be an object of ſpecial Senſitive Delectation, and cauſe a pleaſurable refreſhment wonderfully grateful, to thoſe Celeſtial Natures, which ſhall dwell for ever in, and be cloathed with the Eternal Light of Heaven: That if it were poſſible for a glorified Saint to be hurried into the material Fire of Hell, 'twould not be hurt; or for a Damned Wretch to be led through Heaven, the Light thereof to him would be tormenting Fire: But this I leave in Medio as a Speculation perhaps too curious. I queſtion not but that the Almightineſs of God, which is engaged to promote to the utmoſt, the happineſs of the Saints, can make thoſe things, that now to the Body are moſt painful, to be then moſt pleaſureful; that even in its Phyſical Conſtitution, as well as Moral, it ſhall be delighted with that which is diſtaſtful in this Life, if it be not ſinful. And poſſibly Adam's Body in its Primitive Innocent Eſtate of Creation, might be of the ſame Conſtitution, invulnerable, incombuſtible, &c. as far as was requiſite to his ſecurity from Death: For I cannot ſo much as implicitly impute ſuch Colluſion to the Divine Majeſty, as to imagine that he only threat, ned that, as a Puniſhment of his Sin, which was the condition and neceſſity of his Nature. Neither will I deny that the Tree of Life was a Sacrament of Immortality: But conceive that, nor he, nor it could be ubiquitary or inſeparable; nor do I think that the Deity obliged himſelf to a Providence reſpecting innocent Mankind, which would have been a perpetual ſeries of Miracles, ſince 'twas as eaſie with God to make Impaſſibility an amiſſible Condition of this Nature, as Immortality: But I am not Determinate here neither.
However the Elevated Senſe of that Immortal State above, will be abundantly pleaſured with Super-natural and Super-ſenſual Gratifications, in the Jucundity, Profitableneſs and Honour of Heaven; the vain and empty Shadows whereof, engage it in endleſs Purſuits, during this its Degenerate ſtate on Earth. The Generoſity and Nobleneſs thereof will be ſo Tranſcendent, that it cannot but entertain with Indignation, Scorn, and Horror; all imaginable Solicitations to any thing ſinfully Delightful, Commodious and vain Glorious: Every thing to it being as it ſelf, Sublimated into a Spiritual and Celeſtial Nature, that it enjoys the ſweet of all without the ſowr, in an unfading Quinteſſence of moſt exquiſitely delicious Contentments: where although there can never be any troubled Thoughts, yet may we ever ſing, Thy Comforts, Oh Lord, delight my Soul.
Then, Oh my Soul, delight thou thy ſelf in, and with them alone; and not meerly as in the Streams, but in the Well-ſpring it ſelf. Own God in every inferiour means, but reſt no where except in God Oh do not in a pompous Dreſs of Shadowy deluſory Satisfactions, cheat thy ſelf into ſubſtantial Miſeries. Secure to thy ſelf ſomething of a ſolid durable Nature, by making the son of God, Jeſus Chriſt, thy ſure and everlaſting Foundation; that being ſtrongly built upon the Rock, when the Rain deſcends, and the Floods come, and the Winds blow and beat upon thee, thy Comforts may not periſh with thee: And Phil. 4.7. The Peace of God which [tranſcends or] paſſes all [mind or] underſtanding, foreign.ſhall [watchfully guard or] keep [as with a Garriſon, 2 Cor. 11.32.] thy heart, and [the devices, thoughts of thy] mind, through Chriſt Jeſus Muſt God be all in that Eternal Heaven, after which thou aſpireſt, and is there enough in him to ſatiate the moſt raiſed and ſublime Deſires of the Spirits of juſt Men made perfect, and even the Angels, thoſe more Noble and Capacious Creatures: Nay is there an all-ſufficiency in him Commenſurate to his own infinite Love, in all the poſſibilities of its Perfection? And canſt not thou, Oh my Soul, fill thy ſelf to the brim, and meaſure out a Satisfaction more than adaequate to thy Rational Appetite, in that unmeaſurable fulneſs which comprehends the eminency and glory of all things. If Infiniteneſs cannot overfill thee a poor Worm, a little Atome of that which in compariſon of him is leſs than nothing, Iſa. 40.17. then mayſt thou with ſome Shadow of reaſon attempt, to eek out thy content, with the Accumulation of other things. But ſince there is in God all that good Vertually, Unitedly and Tranſcendently (as in a common Store-Houſe and Treaſury, and that without the rebatement and allay of any the leaſt commixtures of Evil, Vanity, or Imperfection, which ſtain the Glory of all thoſe diſperſed Excellencies in the Creation) that thy moſt unboundable deſires, in all their conceivable Varieties, can court or make Suit unto; and whatever thy longings reach out after, thou mayeſt enjoy it, cheaper and better in God than any where; and ſince beſide all this, there is an unfathomable Surpluſage of proper Excellency and Glory in that [foreign, as Maximus Tyrius calls the Deity] Immenſe Ocean of all Goodneſs, which has been, is, and will be his own and the whole Superiour Worlds Everlaſting Contentation: And ſince he declares his ready willingneſs to communicate and impart of all this unto thee; not only what thine own Rational Conſideration, but even what his own unmatchable Love and Graciouſneſs can make thee willing to receive, thou canſt not but be altogether inexcuſable, if thou goeſt about to patch up an evanid and deluſory Felicity to thy ſelf, out of thoſe caſt-away Shreds and Rags of the inferiour Creation, which are not ſufficient for themſelves, but will be fatally diſappointing to thee, and fruſtrate thy moſt Solicitous Expectations, whilſt in the mean time thou ſottiſhly and frantickly defraudeſt thy ſelf of that plenary Satisfaction and Joy, which is tendered to thee by, and in God, both on Earth to raiſe and quicken thy devout and active Suſpirations, and in the Heaven of Heavens to terminate, and perfect them in an Everlaſting Fruition.
Here then only, Oh my Soul, build thy Tabernacle; Is it not good to be here? Where thy Faith it ſelf ſhall be converted into Senſe, Sight and Taſte, in a never ending Poſſeſſion, of what Eye hath not ſeen, nor Ear heard, nor hath entred into the Heart of Man to conceive. Thou art allowed to eye and enjoy God in the Creature, obliged to make all ſenſitive Contents, which thou mayeſt lawfully or ſinleſsly receive from the Creature, as ſo many ſteps to mount upon, and aſcend towards the Spiritual Contents of Heaven; neceſſitated to uſe every good thing below, as a Remembrancer to thee of its Perfection in God, that it may blow up thy paſſionate Aſpirations, into a more vehement and inextinguiſhable Flame and Ardour toward him. In all things thou mayſt taſte that the Lord is Gracious, and enjoy ſweet and comfortable Prelibations of Heaven. This is thy privilege: But on the other hand thou art prohibited to make a God of this World, and Sacrifice the Creature to thy Senſe or Senſuality. To be happy in Exteriour Things relatively to God, making a Deference to him, whenever that which he hath ſhed abroad of his Goodneſs upon them, meets with thine Appetite in any agreeable Harmony, is a part of Happineſs indulged to Mortality; but to hunt after Senſitive Pleaſure for pleaſures ſake, and Profits for profits ſake, and Honours for honours ſake; taking up an abſolute Reſt in them, as if the ultimate end of Life, and advancing them to a Competition with, if not Preference before all-ſufficient Goodneſs, this is the greateſt Debauchery of Humane Nature, a ſtep of Degeneracy below the Diabolical. For, though the Temperament of this, admit of ſome hot and dry, fiery and aery Sins; as Pride, Revenge, Malice, &c. yet does it not of all the Four Elements of Senſuality, Fiery Luſt, Aery Ambition, Watery Drunkenneſs, and Earthy Covetouſneſs, againſt which, Oh my Soul, it concerns thee to Fortifie and Arm thy ſelf, with the contrary Elements of Godlineſs, viz. Watery Repentance, Earthy Humility, Fiery Zeal and Love, Aery or Aethereal Hope, and Heavenly Mindedneſs, and that which as the Heavens is the Magiſtery and Quinteſſence of all Faith Ʋnfeigned. This is the Grace which will carry thee aloft, above all reſtleſs Viſibles, and poſſeſs thee of an Everlaſting Sabbatiſme, and Reſt in the Inviſible God, through the ever Bleſſed Jeſus.
Oh therefore, take heed of changing the Truth of God into a Lye, worſhipping and ſerving the Creature more than the Creator, who is Bleſſed for ever Amen, Rom. 1.25. Let thy ſweeteſt Enjoyments be ſo far from creating an Acquieſſence, and Ceſſation of thoſe ever active Deſires, which nothing but Infiniteneſs can ſatiate, as to envigorate and heighten their Motions toward that Supreme and Soveraign Goodneſs; where as in a Center (yet Uncircumſcribed, Unlimited) all the Rays of inferiour Excellency meet, all the unquiet Pulſations and Palpitations of troubled Hearts, are terminated in a perpetual and inviolable Stability and Reſt. Ceaſe from the Creature, Man, thy ſelf, and be fill'd with God. The Divine Majeſty cannot with patience endure to be caſt in the Balance with Vanity; 'tis a high affront and diſparagement. And, what is it, that in thy Appetite doth ſo oft Counter-balance the Felicity to be enjoy'd in him? Behold and Judge: The whole Earth is but as an inviſible indiviſible Point to the Heavens; What is it then to God? And what a point of this Point do the moſt Potent ſcramble for? And how unſpeakably leſs ſtill is the utmoſt poſſibility of thy Quantum? But then again, how large may thine Empire be in thine own mind, if God be Soveraign there? How unbounded thy Lot in the Jeruſalem that is above? How Unfathomable, Incomprehenſible, Unlimitable, Ineſtimable, Incomparable thy Portion in God? If thy undervaluing it, and over-valuing that which deſerves not to be nam'd the ſame Day, Age, Eternity with it, do not forfeit it. Here thy mind ſhall be, not only Illuminated, but Inveſted, Cloathed with the Sun of ſubſtantial Wiſdom and Truth; thy Will and Appetite dwell in the very affluence and fulneſs of unboundable and everlaſting Love, Goodneſs, and Righteouſneſs; thy Heart even overwhelmed with a perpetual Torrent, and Inundation of Proſperity, Peace and Joy unſpeakable, and full of Glory, in the Fountain of all Perfection the One only God, in Three Perſons, Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt; to whom be Majeſty, Dominion, Adoration, Bleſſing and Praiſe in the Church, and thee, Oh my Soul, throughout all Ages, World without end, Amen.
Thus far the Character.