A Discourse of the Two Covenants, Book 3 · Chapter 3 – Chapter 4

A Discourse of the Two Covenants · Book 3 · Chapter 3 – Chapter 4

p. 283CHAP. III. The Beatific Viſion of Gods Eſſence explicated and applied.

SECT. I. What the Saints Happineſs in the Viſion of God is.

§. 1. WE now come to the ſecond particular in this great Promiſe, and that is, The Lord doth hereby make over his Eſſence to his people. In the Eſſence of God there are two things which the Lord himſelf diſtinguiſhes, his face, and back parts, Exod. 33.23. Similitudo ab hominibus ſumpta, quos non agnoſcimus, niſi ex parte, Calvin.ſi aliò converſa ſit eorum facies, &c. The ſimilitude is taken from men, whom we know not but in part, if they turn their face from us. It notes to us that weak and imperfect knowledge that we have of God, or can have in this life, which is but as if a man ſhould ſee a mans back, and no more; whereas ex oris & vultûs intuitu perſpicua eſt cognitio, The perfect knowledge we have of a man is by his face only; ſo here the one of theſe is agreeable unto the ſtate in this life, and that is in the attributes, and the other is agreeable unto the ſtate of the life to come: for here we do behold God non ſicuti eſt, ſed ſicuti vult, Bernard.not as he is, but as he wills. In the opening hereof there are theſe particulars to be ſpoken to. (1) That all the happineſs that the Saints ſhall have for ever is nothing elſe but a fruit of the promiſe, which they have here a right unto. (2) That their portion lyes in the very Eſſence of God. (3) The manner how this becomes happineſs unto them, and that is by way of Viſion. (4) The nature of this Viſion, as it conduces unto happineſs, is to be opened alſo, and how the creature can be ſaid to ſee God in his Eſſence, or as he is.

1. All the happineſs that the Saints ſhall have in Glory for ever, is nothing elſe but that which is in the promiſes here made over to them. Godlineſs has the promiſe of the life that now is, 1 Tim. 4.8.1 Tim 4:8and that which is to come, and therefore the life to come and all the glory and happineſs of it is in nothing elſe but a fruit of the promiſe,Heb. 6.12.Heb 6:12 and ſo the Saints are ſaid through faith and patience to inherit the promiſes: and therefore eternal life is ſaid to be promiſed before the world began: ſo that eternal life is but a fruit of the promiſe,Tit. 1.2.Titus 1:2 and Heaven is but a promiſed inheritance; though it's true, that refers unto a promiſe made unto Chriſt, and not unto us; for a purpoſe there might be concerning us before we were, but a promiſe doth ſuppoſe the partie to whom it is made ſubſiſting. This promiſe therefore was made unto Chriſt as repreſenting our perſons, as ſtanding in our ſtead, as being our ſurety, one that received a Covenant and a promiſe for us; and therefore Heaven is a Kingdom which he has promiſed unto them that love him Jam. 2.5. and ſo Chap. 1.12. and this is the promiſe that the Lord has ſhewed us, even eternal life.1 Joh. 2.25.1 John 2:25 Hence there is a double diſtinction that is commonly uſed by our Divines.

1. That the Saints have a double right to Heaven. There is (1) Jus ad rem, a right to the thing; as an Heir has to his Land in his nonage, which as yet he enjoys not, becauſe he is not meet for it, he is not able to manage it, and therefore is under Tutors and under Guardians, till the time appointed by the Father: and ſo it is with the Saints till they be made meet, Col. 1.12. (2) There is jus in re, when a man has a right to it as being in poſſeſſion of it. It's true that we have not ſo a right to Heaven, becauſe we look on it but p. 284by an eye of faith,2 Cor. 5.7.2 Cor 5:7 and we rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5. and it is by faith that we walk, and not by ſight, and that argues that we have not the thing in poſſeſſion, but in expectation only; but when we come to poſſeſs it, it is none other but what in the promiſe we had a right to: it is the fiducial viſion that we have of God in this life, that (as it prepares the ſoul, ſo alſo) gives us an intereſt in the beatifical viſion, which is only proper to the life to come.

2. Divines ſay, That the Saints have a threefold title unto Heaven and Glory in this life, (1) in pretio, as there is a purchaſe made; for Heaven is as well a purchaſed poſſeſſion as any thing that we do injoy in this life. There are two things in the ſatisfaction of Chriſt, there is debitum legale, a legal debt, ſo he paid the old debt; and there is ſuperlegale meritum, a ſuperlegal merit, and ſo he made a new purchaſe; anſwerable unto the two benefits by Chriſt which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of,foreign. Eph. 1.7, 14. we have by him redemption and an inheritance, &c. (2) The Saints have another title, and that is jus promiſſionis, in the promiſe: for it is a promiſe intailed upon them, as it was made unto Chriſt before the world began. Eternal life is made firſt unto him, and it is that which he himſelf doth glory in, thou ſhalt ſhew me the path of life, Pſal. 16.Ps 16in thy preſence is fulneſs of joy, and at thy right hand are pleaſures for evermore. And by virtue of the ſame Covenant and promiſe the Saints do claim eternal life, that Jeſus the Mediator of the Covenant did, though it belong unto him primarily, and unto them only in his right, and at ſecond hand. (3) They have a title in primitiis, in the firſt-fruits, as they have received the firſt-fruits of the Spirit: So Iſrael had unto Canaan, God did give them a promiſe many hundred years before, but yet they were ſtrangers unto their own inheritance that the Lord had promiſed them, and many of them dyed in faith, not having received the promiſe, as Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, and all the Patriarchs did; but when the Lord had once brought them into the borders of the land, and they had taſted the grapes of Eskol, this gave them a further title, becauſe they had taſted of the good land that the Lord had promiſed them: And ſo it is with the Saints, who have received the firſt-fruits of the Spirit, and in them taſted that the Lord is gracious: for the firſt-fruits are a further pledge of the crop; it is called an Earneſt, which is a further ſecurity than barely a promiſe; therefore all the happineſs of the Saints that they ſhall have in Heaven is a fruit of the promiſe; and they do enjoy glory by virtue of the ſame Covenant, that they obtain grace, which is therefore called an everlaſting Covenant, not only becauſe it ſhall never be broken, as a Covenant of ſalt which ſtands for ever, but becauſe the fruit of it is to everlaſting in a mans eternal inheritance.

§. 2. The portion of the Saints lies in the very Eſſence of God, which will appear to us by theſe demonſtrations.

Pſal. 16. ult.Ps 161. By clear Scripture, Pſal. 16. ult. In thy preſence is fulneſs of joy foreign in faciebus, in thy face is fulneſs of joy, according to Gods own language, thou ſhalt ſee my back parts, but my face thou ſhalt not ſee and live: therefore it is in the face of God that the fulneſs of the joy and the happineſs of the Saints doth conſiſt; for in that the happineſs of Chriſt as Mediator, who is our head, doth conſiſt; and when we come to Heaven we have not a happineſs apart from Chriſt, as if he had one happineſs, and we another, for we do enter into our maſters joy, and 1 Joh. 3.3. it is ſee him as he is, that is, not as he does now diſcover himſelf pro captu humano, according to our capacity, in a glaſs and in a riddle, rather as he is not than as he is; but we ſhall ſee him with open face, according to his Eſſence, that is, as he is.

2. The ultimate object of faith is that in which the happineſs of the Saints doth conſiſt, and that which is the higheſt thing in the promiſe, in that doth the glory and the perfection of the creature lye. Now there are many intermediate objects of faith, but the ultimate is glory:1 Pet. 1.21.1 Pet 1:21 So 1 Pet. 1.21. Who by him do believe in God, that raiſed him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. And the laſt thing in the promiſe is eternal life, and that being once attained, all the promiſes are at an end; therefore it is in the Eſſence of God that eternal happineſs lyes.

3. Without this nothing can make the Saints happy. (1) Nothing in this life can: they have in this life four things: [1] They have glorious promiſes, but thoſe are but of an inheritance to come, and we believe that which we ſee not, and therefore hope for it, for faith and ſight are oppoſed; there is a fi…al preſentiality unto faith in the promiſe, but it is not beatifical; and therefore an inheritance of promiſes will never make a man happy, becauſe it keeps the ſoul in a continual longing, and in an hungring and thirſting condition, and therefore is unſatisfied. [2] Of graces; but they are alſo imperfect, becauſe they do not make a mans ſoul perfect;Heb. 12.24.Heb 12:24 till a man be actually united unto God the Fountain of all happineſs and perfection, he can never be happy: it's true, Gratia electis infunditur, ut actiones peragant ordinatas ad vitam aeternam, Grace is infuſed into the Elect, that they may perform actions ordinate to life eternal, as Aquinas. But theſe graces have reſpect unto an p. 285eternal reward, they do but make us meet for a further mercy, Col. 1.12. to make us meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light. [3] In creatures: a mans happineſs does not conſiſt in them, becauſe they are finite, and the ſoul is ordained to be happy in an infinite good; and therefore when a man ſhall be made happy by going to Heaven to enjoy God, he doth take his leave of the creatures; they were his inheritance in his way, and were to him a viatick, but afterwards God ſhall be all in all, and a man goes to God with joy,1 Cor. 15.1 Cor 15 and is glad to ſee the Moon under his feet; ſo the Saints of God in this life continue ſtill longing for their future happineſs. [4] There is an inheritance of Attributes; Rev. 12.1.Rev 12:1and ſo the Saints have an intereſt in God here, and a viſion of him; for they may behold him in his back parts and live, as the Lord diſcovered unto Moſes. Now no man can be perfectly happy in this life, and therefore the diſcovery of God in his Attributes being the way of Gods revealing himſelf in this life, there is a higher way of manifeſtation, in which the happineſs of the Saints doth conſiſt, and that is a ſeeing his face, which is his Eſſence, or ſeeing him as he is, which is reſerved for them. (2) There is nothing but this in the life to come that can make them happy. It's true, there ſhall be in this Paradiſe a confluence of all good things, and there ſhall be every way perfection, fulneſs of joy, rivers of pleaſures for evermore. Conſider [1] the glory of the place; it's the Palace of the great King; and if there be ſo much glory and magnificence in Kings Palaces, what is there in the Palace of him that fills all, and is all, and is the King of Kings? Paul was taken up into the third Heaven, and yet he was not glorified, but afterwards he had a thorn in the fleſh, and had need of the grace that ſhould be ſufficient for him: ſo that to be in Heaven is not that which makes the Saints happy, therein the formalis ratio, the formal reaſon of their happineſs doth not lye; and therefore ſays Paul, I deſire to be diſſolved, not to be in Heaven,Phil. 1.23.Phil 1:23 but to be with Chriſt, which is beſt of all. It is more to be with the Lord Chriſt, than to be in Heaven; and therefore Luther ſaid well, Malim praeſente Deo eſſe in inferno, quàm abſente Deo in coelo, &c. I had rather be with God in Hell, than without God in Heaven. [2] There is a glorious ſociety; for we are gathered here unto the innumerable company of Angels, and the ſouls of juſt men made perfect, Heb. 12.23, 24. we be here, as Tertullian ſays, Angelorum candidati, the Candidates of Angels, &c.Zac. 3.7. and I will give thee places to walk amongst theſe that ſtand by: but as it is here in the Communion of Saints, there is a great deal of ſweetneſs; yet herein is not the perfection of the happineſs of the Saints, but it's in a higher communion: ſo it is glorious to ſit down with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of God; but they have all of them their happineſs from the ſame fountain, and that is in God himſelf. [3] There ſhall be a glorious and a full enjoyment of Jeſus the Mediator;Joh. 17.John 17 he doth pray that they may be where he is, that they may behold his glory; and it's that which Job doth glory in, I know that my Redeemer lives, Job 19.Job 19and that I ſhall ſee him with theſe eyes: and Paul alſo longed to be diſſolved and to be with Chriſt, and to be ever with the Lord. But the height of the happineſs of the Saints cannot conſiſt in this; partly becauſe Chriſt himſelf as he is Mediator, has a happineſs in another,Pſal. 16.Ps 16 thou ſhalt ſhew me the path of life; and there is an eternal life promiſed him, as well as promiſed us; and therefore he having his own bleſſedneſs from another, he doth direct us unto a higher Fountain of our bleſſedneſs: and partly becauſe that which was not the higheſt object of our faith, can never be the greateſt ground of our joy. Now Chriſt as Mediator is not the higheſt object of our faith and hope, and therefore cannot be the perfection of our joy. [4] In Heaven there will be a perfection of graces: For when that which is perfect is come, 1 Cor. 13.12, 13.1 Cor 13:121 Cor 13:13then that which is in part ſhall be done away: and this is after a ſort a mans happineſs; and therefore the School-men do diſtinguiſh between beatitudo ſubjectiva & objectiva, ſubjective and objective beatitude. There is a bleſſedneſs in us, which doth conſiſt in the perfection of grace in the man, (for glory is nothing but grace perfected) and that haply is the meaning of the ſouls of juſt men made perfect, that is, their graces are perfected in them,Heb. 12.Heb 12 and what is lacking in any of them is ſupplied, that which is in part is done away; and this doth indeed wonderfully perfect the ſoul, but grace perfected is but a creature (though it be the new creature,2 Cor. 5.17.2 Cor 5:17 and we are Gods workmanſhip created in Chriſt unto good works) and therefore it hath but a finite good, that can never make the ſoul of man happy, which was ordained for an infinite good. The perfection of grace is but a conſequent of happineſs; for we ſhall therefore be like him, becauſe we ſhall ſee him as he is. Therefore in the life to come there is nothing for the happineſs of the creature, both men and Angels, to conſiſt in, but the Eſſence of God.

4. It will appear from the nature of bleſſedneſs, that nothing can make the creature bleſſed but the Eſſence of God, and that will appear in three things. (1) Nothing can make a man bleſſed but that which doth perfect his graces. Now there is nothing can do this but the beatifical viſion, which is a viſion of God in his Eſſence: anſwerable to a p. 286mans viſion of God,1 Joh. 3.3.1 John 3:3 ſuch is the perfection of the image of God in the man. Now while we know in part, ſo long we are ſanctified but in part, for the viſion of God is transforming;2 Cor. 3. ult.2 Cor 3 but it is a perfect viſion that doth work in the ſoul a perfect ſanctification; ſeeing God in his back parts will not do it, it's ſeeing his face; this doth perfect the Angels, they behold the face of their Father, and ſo it ſhall do us when we ſhall be foreign. (2) There is nothing can make a man happy but that which makes him impeccable; becauſe the ſoul will ſtill be in fear ſo long as he is a ſinner. Adam had a poſſe non peccare, a power not to ſin, but that did not make him happy; there muſt be a non poſſe peccare, an impoſſibility of ſinning; now this only the viſion and eſſence of God can give: and therefore Suarez de beatif. Viſ. ſaith, Viſio beatifica excludit omnem defectum tum erroris, tum inconſiderationis, ideò facit voluntatem impeccabilem, The beatifick Viſion makes the will impeccable, &c. (3) There is nothing can make a man happy, but that which gives unto the ſoul a fulneſs of ſatisfaction, Pſal. 17. ult. when he ſees his face he ſhall be ſatisfied, foreign, it notes a fulneſs and an abundant ſatisfaction, ſo that the ſoul deſires no more: In beatitudine impletur omne deſiderium beatorum, All deſire of the bleſſed is filled up in bleſſedneſs. Aquinas. Now the ſoul will never be ſatisfied while it ſees any thing beyond what it doth enjoy, till the ſoul can write a nil ultra, &c. There is primum verum, a firſt truth, and till the underſtanding come unto that, it will never be ſatisfied in inferiour truths: and there is ultimum & ſummum bonum, a laſt and chiefeſt good, and till the ſoul comes to that, it will never be ſatisfied in inferiour goods; but the ſoul will be always aſpiring, becauſe it ſees ſomething further to be attained, donec requieſcat in te, until it can reſt in thee, as Auſtin. The happineſs of the bleſſed God conſiſts in himſelf, and in the perfect viſion and fruition of that bleſſedneſs conſiſts our bleſſedneſs alſo.

§. 3. But what is the manner how the Lord becomes the happineſs of his people in his Eſſence? That is by way of viſion, We ſhall ſee him face to face, 1 Cor. 13.12. We ſhall ſee him as he is, 1 Joh. 3.3. (1) To this end the Lord will diſcover himſelf unto them as he is, and he will ſhew unto the Saints his face then, as now he doth his back parts, while they live here: he dwells in light inacceſſible, that no man doth, or can ſee; but he will make himſelf viſible then to compleat their happineſs, and that not only to the eyes of the mind, though it ſhall be chiefly there,Job. 19.26.Job 19:26 (and therefore glory is not only radicaliter in corde, but redundanter in corpore) but yet he will diſcover himſelf unto their bodily eyes alſo, as, in my fleſh I ſhall ſee God. (2) There ſhall be a glorious light, by which the ſoul ſhall not only be enlightned, as his eyes are by the light here in this life, but it ſhall be elevated and enabled to ſee that which elſe it could never ſee: as it's in the light of grace here, the pure in heart do ſee God, Heb. 11.26. Pſal. 36.9.Heb 11:26Ps 36:9Mat. 5.8. and Moſes ſaw him that was inviſible, &c. The Pſalmiſt ſays, In thy light we ſhall ſee light. There is a double light the Saints have, there is a light of faith here, and there is a light of glory that is reſerved for hereafter, Lumen quo divinam eſſentiam tanquam objectum beatificum viſione intuitivâ recipere poſſet, Synop. purior. Theolog. pag. 807. That light whereby the ſoul can by an intuitive viſion receive the Divine Eſſence as a beatifick object. Whether this ſhall be by a light immediately created of God, or whether it ſhall be per naturam humanam Chriſti glorificatam, veluti inſtrumentum Divinitatis conjunctum, by the humane nature of Chriſt glorified, as a conjunct inſtrument of the Deity, we will not now inquire or diſpute. But (3) this viſion of God, though it ſhall be of his Eſſence, yet not of it unto perfection; for ſo it's infinite, and therefore cannot be perfectly underſtood or comprehended by a finite underſtanding, as that of the creature muſt ſtill be, though it be glorified. There ſhall be enough unto our perfection, but we ſhall never be able to know God unto his perfection; and therefore the School-men do affirm, that though all the Saints for the ſubſtance of their happineſs ſhall ſee God in his Eſſence as he is, yet quoad menſuram ex ſola Dei voluntate pendet & ex arbitraria diſpenſatione, as to the meaſure it depends wholly on the Divine Will and his arbitrary diſpenſation. And this is the ground of the degrees of glory in Heaven, that as there are different diſcoveries of good here, which are the ground of the different degrees of grace here, ſo it ſhall be in glory alſo.

§. 4. Now follows the Nature and Properties of this Viſion as it conduces unto the bleſſedneſs of the creature.

1. Here we ſee God by Negatives only, and ſpeak of him rather as he is not, than as he is, viâ negationis, by denying to him the imperfections of the creatures: it's one of the higheſt ways that we have here, and therefore we ſay he is inviſible, incomprehenſible, and eternal, &c. that is, he hath neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but we ſhall then ſee him in all thoſe Poſitive excellencies that be in him, and we ſhall come to the knowledge of him in that low way no more.

Joh. 3.12.John 3:122. Here we know God but by way of Reſemblance and Metaphors taken from the creatures; he doth ſpeak to us heavenly things in an earthly manner; he is ſaid to be the Lord p. 287of Hoſts, a man of war; and he is ſaid to be a Rock, a Fountain, a Father, an Husband; and he is ſaid to have a face and back parts, to be the ancient of days, to have a garment white as ſnow, and the hair of his head as pure wool, and his Throne as a fiery flame. Dan. 7.9.Dan 7:9And ſo we ſee him Diſcurſively, as we can gather ſomething of God from theſe ſimilitudes; but we ſhall then ſee him Immediately, and Intuitively as he is in himſelf, and not through the glaſs of the creatures any more; not by Ideas taken in by the weak and imperfect collections of our underſtanding, but by the glorious, pure, and perfect repreſentations of himſelf.

3. They ſhall ſee God as their own, and all the excellencies that are in him as their own portion. It's but a little the Saints do ſee here of God in this life, a ſmall portion is known of him; but yet there is this difference between the ſight of the Saints that they have of God here, and other men, as the Apoſtle ſays,Col. 1.27.Col 1:27 It has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifeſt to the Saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this myſtery among the Gentiles, which is Chriſt in you the hope of glory. They read it as they do the Scripture as their own evidence; but other men they read over all the myſteries of godlineſs and Heaven, as the evidences of other men, and not as their own portion; they cannot ſay as the Saints do, Chriſtus in Evangelio tuo meus eſt, Chriſt in thy Goſpel is my Chriſt, as Tertullian to Marcion. There is a great difference between a ſtrangers looking upon the glory and excellencies that are in a man, and of his wifes looking upon them; the one looks upon them and admires them, and is affected with them, and will talk of the fine ſight he has ſeen, and there's an end, he lets the diſcourſe fall again, it's not his concern to be thinking of it; ay, but his wife looks upon them with another eye, as being hers, and becauſe ſhe has an intereſt in his perſon, ſhe has a ſetled eſteem of them, and the thought of it is always her contentment. So do the Saints look upon the fulneſs of Chriſt here with delight, and ſo they behold the glory of God with ſatisfaction, for their ſoul ſays unto the Lord, Thou art my portion.

4. They ſee themſelves in God. There is indeed much of God diſcovered in all the creatures, and yet they are but only veſtigia Dei, the footſteps of God, and yet the Saints delight to behold them, becauſe they ſee ſomething of God in them; and the more of God is diſcovered in any creature, or any paſſage of providence, the more their hearts are affected with it, Pſal. 8. When I conſider the heavens the works of thy hands: it's the ſpeech of Chriſt, he is much affected with the creatures, and the ſight of God in them; but there is more of God diſcovered in the meaneſt Saint, than there is in the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and in the moſt glorious creature. Dan. 12. 'tis ſaid, They ſhall ſhine as the ſun in the kingdom of their father, the glory of the Sun is not to be compared unto them, &c. To ſee beauty is a great delight to the eye, but much more for ſouls to ſee their own beauty: to ſee the image of God in the Saints here is glorious, and to ſee it in a mans ſelf is more comfortable; much more taking ſhall it be, and more comfortable, to ſee it hereafter when it ſhall be perfected.

5. They ſhall ſee all things that concern themſelves in God. Adam had a Law written in his heart, that was the guide of his way; and the Saints have alſo in their hearts a rule, as well as in the book; but the Saints in Heaven have no other book but God, Beati in Deo vident omnes actiones & circumſtantias ad ſe pertinentes, The bleſſed ſee in God all actions and circumſtances that belong unto them. This is the book in which they ſhall read lectures in his face for ever, the Dectatis ſpeculum, the glaſs of the Deity; as their happineſs ſhall be wholly in God, for God ſhall be all in all; ſo their direction ſhall come from him immediately; and ſo ſhall their conſolation and their acceptation, they ſhall ſee that God is pleaſed with them for ever, whatſoever they put their hands to; and they ſhall be no more in doubt of the rule, and go with their way hid no more; as many of the Saints here walk uncomfortably, becauſe ſometimes their duty is hidden from them, the rule in ſome particular caſes is dark to them, and they droop many times, becauſe they know not what to do, though their eyes be lifted up; yet be of good chear, poor ſoul, it ſhall be otherwiſe when thou comeſt to enjoy this viſion of God in glory.

6. It ſhall be a viſion that ſhall be everlaſting, we ſhall behold his face for ever: here in this life, in our greateſt diſcoveries of God, there is an interruption, a veil that is drawn between us and our God; and though now we are ſometimes in the light, by and by we walk in darkneſs again; but in Heaven the diſcovery ſhall be perpetual, we ſhall ſee his face, ſo that he will never hide his face from us more, we ſhall never loſe the ſight of God unto eternity; God will never withdraw himſelf from us, for he doth embrace you with everlaſting mercy, and ſin ſhall never interpoſe, or cauſe an Eclipſe.

p. 288This is the extent of this glorious Viſion, which ſhall never be accompliſhed till thou come to glory: here we are to have it in our eye continually, and to exerciſe faith about it; O walk in the hope of it, for here is the happineſs of the Saints; and if the Attributes of God that are diſcovered to them, and made over to them be not ſufficient to make them happy, yet ſurely there is enough in the very Eſſence of God himſelf; know he is thy God in Covenant quantus quantus eſt: and if there be enough in him to make himſelf happy, ſurely there is enough to make thee happy alſo; and therefore bleſſed is the ſoul whoſe God is Jehovah.

SECT. II. Queſtions touching the Beatifick Viſion reſolved.

§. 1. FOR the further opening of this point, it being of higheſt concernment, as that wherein the perfection of our bleſſedneſs lyes, there are ſeveral Queſtions to be reſolved. (1) Why the happineſs of the creature muſt conſiſt in viſion? (2) Whether this viſion can attain to the Eſſence of God, to ſee God as he is in himſelf or no? (3) Whether it be only an intellectual viſion, or corporal with the bodily eyes alſo? (4) What is the happineſs that doth follow upon this viſion, that we may ſee how this viſion doth conduce to the bleſſedneſs of the creature?

Queſt. 1 It's true, that the happineſs of the creature lyes in God, who is the chief good; but why ſhould it conſiſt in the Viſion of God?

Anſw. 1. Our eternal happineſs doth conſiſt in viſion, becauſe this is the way by which God doth diſpenſe all things unto us, it being the only way that is agreeable to the rational nature: for as the Lord doth expect that all that comes from us ſhould be reaſonable ſervice, modo naturae rationali proportionato, proportionate to our nature; ſo all that he doth communicate unto us, he doth it in a rational way: this is the way of nature, and this is the way of grace; and therefore the Lord will make it to be the way of conveying all things to us in glory.

(1) This is the way of Nature: the will of man is appetitus rationalis, a rational appetite; and therefore it can receive nothing, unleſs there be a Dictamen of the underſtanding that goes before; and anſwerable to the Dictamen, ſuch is the choice and election of the will; and hence come ſuch various impreſſions upon the will, ſometimes there is a good inclination, and a good purpoſe or reſolution, the man is almoſt perſwaded, and by and by the will is off again, becauſe the underſtanding repreſents things otherwiſe, not holding on in its former light: and when there is in the underſtanding an ultimum dictamen, a laſt dictamen, then doth the will firmly and conſtantly cloſe; and therefore ſin came in that way; Satan knew that there was no corrupting of the will but by the underſtanding; for an immediate acceſs to the will there was not, therefore the woman was deceived, and this foreign lyes in the underſtanding properly. This is the way of nature, there muſt be a light in the underſtanding, and that brings reſolution and election, and all things into the will, and acts it.

(2) This is the way of Grace alſo: the Lord when he will change the will, doth it firſt by a ſpiritual illumination of the underſtanding, and from thence there doth by the power of grace come an effectual determination of the will to embrace that ultimum dictamen, laſt dictate of the enlightned underſtanding; and that makes a free and chearful choice of that ſupernatural good, which is to the underſtanding by a ſpiritual and heavenly light diſcovered, and clearly apprehended thereby: there is a teaching that goes with the drawing of the Father, Joh. 6.44. And ſo it is for all growth and increaſe of grace alſo: for grace is improved in the ſame manner as it is at firſt created; men grow in grace, as they grow in knowledge;2 Pet. 3.18.2 Pet 3:18 as the Lord will enlarge the affections, ſo he doth firſt raiſe the apprehenſions of the man.

(3) Glory being in ſome reſpects but the perfection of the ſame grace (for Divines commonly ſay, that grace and glory differ but in degrees) therefore the way that the Lord took in the one he doth take the ſame in the other alſo; as he ſanctifies the man modo connaturali, in a connatural way, ſo in the ſame way he glorifies him: as it is in this life, viſion doth increaſe grace, and anſwerable to the degrees of viſion, ſuch are the degrees of grace; ſo it's perfect viſion that doth perfect grace: in the ſame way that Satan brought ſin and death into the ſoul,1 Tim. 2.14.1 Tim 2:14 namely by the underſtanding; for the woman was deceived, as it is in 2 Cor. 11.3. ſo the ſame way will the Lord bring in grace and life into the ſoul, it comes p. 289in by the underſtanding, the eyes of our underſtanding being enlightned by a ſpirit of revelation; Eph. 1.17, 18.Eph 1:17Eph 1:18and the ſame way doth glory enter into the ſoul, namely by the underſtanding alſo; and therefore it muſt be in a way of viſion.

2. Divines do commonly conclude, that the main and eſſential part of glory doth conſiſt in contemplation: This is life eternal to know thee the only true God. Joh. 17.3. Mat. 5.8.John 17:3Matt 5:8Bleſſed are the pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee God. And Heb. 12.14. For without holineſs no man ſhall ſee the Lord. It's the happineſs of Chriſt, in thy preſence, or in thy face is fulneſs of joy, it is in the Hebrew foreign in the Plural. Now the manner of the Hebrews is to put the Plural Number when the excellency and tranſcendency of a thing is expreſſed, as Cant. 1.3. Thy love is better than wines: or elſe to ſet forth the great variety of the glorious diſcoveries of God, which the Lord gives unto his own people in Heaven: and in this is the fulneſs of the joy of Chriſt after his Reſurrection from the dead, and ſo it is with the Saints, Pſal. 17.15.Pſal. 17.15.Ps 17:15 I ſhall be ſatisfied when I awake with thy likeneſs. The Saints ſleep in the grave, and they do awake unto the viſion of God, and they ſhall ſee his face in righteouſneſs, and they ſhall be ſatisfied with his image; the which in the original doth ſignifie full and perfect ſatiſfaction,foreign ſo that there is no place to receive any more. There is a great ſatisfaction in the diſcoveries of God to the ſoul here in this life, in the joy of the Holy Ghoſt, they do rejoyce with joy unſpeakable and glorious; but yet there is ſtill ſomething to be added, they are not in ſuch a condition, but their faculties may be enlarged, and their ſatisfaction increaſed: but there is a full ſatisfaction hereafter unto which there can be no addition. But what is meant by his image and likeneſs? Here ſome do underſtand it of the image of God created in us, which ſhall then be perfectly reſtored when they come to glory; the good work that is begun in this life ſhall not be perfected till in the day of the Lord.Phil. 1.6.Phil 1:6 Though I do not find the word foreign any where uſed in Scripture for the image of God created in man, or renewed in him, but two other words; yet this word I find in Scripture to be put either for a corporeal, or an intellectual image, Exod. 20.4. Thou ſhalt not make a graven image, or the likeneſs of any thing in heaven above, not make unto thy ſelf a corporeal or viſible repreſentation of an inviſible God: 'tis ſaid,Num. 12.8.Num 12:8 the image or the ſimilitude of God ſhall he behold, it's ſpoken of an intellectual image and repreſentation of God in a glorious manner unto the underſtanding, full of glorious excellencies, though under no ſhape: and this was a priviledge, that the Lord would give Moſes a further diſcovery of himſelf beyond what he would do to any man upon earth. And ſo I ſhould take the meaning to be here, it's not the image of God in us, but the diſcoveries and manifeſtations of God unto us; that is, unto our underſtanding, in which our fulneſs of joy and ſatisfaction doth conſiſt: Cùm tenebrae mortalitatis tranſierint, manè aſtabo & contemplabor, When the darkneſſes of mortality have paſſed away, in the morning I ſhall ſtand and contemplate, Auſtin. In contemplatione divinorum maximè conſiſtit beatitudo, Beatitude conſiſts in the contemplation of divine perfections, Aquinas. It's true, that this ſhall be the greateſt torment in Hell, the contemplation of their miſery, and the reflexion upon their own loſt and irrecoverable condition; it's concluded, that poena damni, the puniſhment of loſs is the greateſt part of the torments there; and that can no otherwiſe afflict or be a torment but by the contemplation thereof: and ſurely in this doth the bleſſedneſs of God conſiſt, namely in beholding of his own perfections, and the glorious perſons delighting themſelves in each other; for the Lord is bleſſed for evermore and from everlaſting, when there was no creature, but his bleſſedneſs lay in himſelf, and the contemplation of himſelf was his bleſſedneſs; and if this do make the Lord bleſſed, ſurely then in the contemplation of him much more muſt the bleſſedneſs of the creature conſiſt, therefore happineſs muſt conſiſt in viſion.

3. Becauſe the underſtanding is the leading faculty, by which all good is brought into the ſoul: it's true, that the ſouls in Heaven are called ſouls made perfect,Heb. 2.3.Heb 2:3 Beatitudo cùm ſit ſumma perfectio perficit totum, Beatitude ſeeing it is the higheſt perfection perfects the whole ſoul in all the faculties thereof. There are three things wherein the happineſs of the Saints doth conſiſt. (1) A perfect Viſion, or perfect underſtanding. (2) A perfect Fruition which is nobiliſſima operatio voluntatis, the moſt noble operation of the will, Medina. (3) Perfect Joy and exultation, joy unſpeakable and glorious, everlaſting joy upon their heads, Pſal. 16. ult.Ps 16in thy face is fulneſs of joy, and at thy right hand are pleaſures for evermore: and by this means the whole ſoul is made perfect; but yet the leading faculty ſtill is the underſtanding, and for this cauſe ſeeing bleſſedneſs comes in by the underſtanding,Pſal. 17. ult.Ps 17 ſatisfaction alſo comes into the whole ſoul by thoſe revelations, manifeſtations, viſions, and diſcoveries of God made unto the ſoul. Aquinas ſaith of bleſſedneſs, that it is in intellectu primariò, & in voluntate per conſequens & ſecundariò, In the intellect primarily, and in the will by conſequent and ſecundarily. Seeing therefore that this viſion doth carry with it Fruition, Delectation, and whatever may p. 290make the whole ſoul to become perfect, therefore it's no wonder, if the Lord is ſaid to be the portion of his people by way of viſion, and the bleſſedneſs of the Saints be ſaid to conſiſt therein.

Queſt. 2 §. 2. Shall the Viſion of God in glory be corporeal, or ſhall it be intellectual only; diſcoveries of God unto bodily eyes, or unto the eyes of the underſtanding only?

Anſw. 1. The Eſſence of God in glory cannot be ſeen with bodily eyes, it cannot be a corporeal viſion, which is manifeſt, (1) from Scripture, 1 Tim. 6.16. He dwells in light inacceſſible, whom no man has ſeen or can ſee, foreign. Now there ſhall be a viſion of God, that's plain, for we ſhall ſee him face to face; therefore it's ſpoken of bodily eyes, when he ſays, No man can ſee thee; they can ſee him with the eyes of the mind, but they cannot with the eyes of the body: and (2) it will appear by reaſon drawn from the nature of a body; for the body, though it ſhall be made ſpiritual, yet it ſhall not be made a ſpirit, that is, it ſhall not loſe the eſſential properties of a body. Now nothing can be ſeen with bodily eyes, but bodily objects; but God is a Spirit, and therefore inviſible, Col. 1.15. i. e. in reference unto bodily viſion, &c. The School-men indeed ſpeak of the elevation of bodily ſubjects to work upon Spirits; and ſo here they ſpeak of the elevation of bodily eyes to behold a ſpiritual object; but theſe are but the empty conceits of men; for the body ſhall retain even in glory its eſſential properties, and ſhall have a happineſs ſuitable and proportionable unto them in objects fitted to the bodily ſenſes; for beatitude, though it be radicaliter in corde, yet it's redundanter in corpore, &c. and this ſhall be either per lumen gloriae, as, in thy light we ſhall ſee light: or elſe in natura Chriſti glorificata, veluti Divinitatis conjunctum inſtrumentum. And ſo is that to be underſtood, Job 6.19, 26. I ſhall ſee my Redeemer with theſe eyes. And 1 Joh. 3.3. When he ſhall appear, we ſhall be like him, for we ſhall ſee him as he is: it ſhall be in the appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt; but yet this cannot be a corporeal, but it muſt in the eſſence of bleſſedneſs be an intellectual viſion.

2 Cor. 3. ult. Rev. 22.4.2 Cor 3Rev 22:42. That there is an intellectual Viſion of God, will appear three ways. (1) By the viſions of God that the Saints have here by an eye of faith; they ſhall ſee his face, Num. 12.8. The ſimilitude of God ſhall he behold, it's a ſpeech of viſio myſtica, the myſtick viſion that the Saints have in the life that now is, by diſcoveries made unto the eye of their faith; for God hath given them new underſtandings,Joh. 1.20.John 1:20 to this end, that they may be able to know him that's true; and if there be diſcoveries of God and his glory unto the underſtanding of the Saints here, how much more in glory in the inheritance of the Saints in light? (2) It will be made appear by the Angels: ſays our Saviour, They do behold the face of your Father which is in heaven, Mat. 18.10.Matt 18:10and they are Spirits, and have no bodies, and yet in all their imployments about the creatures (for Chriſt doth in the Oeconomical Kingdom govern all things by theſe, the ſpirit of the living creatures is in the wheels) they never loſe the viſion of God, they carry their Heaven with them whereſoever they go, though they are not always reſident in loco beatorum; as the Devils do carry their Hell about with them, though they are not always in the place of the damned. Now we ſhall be in Heaven foreign, as the Angels, and ſhall have like diſcoveries of God as the Angels have: but theirs are to their underſtanding; ſo diſcoveries of God will be according to ours alſo. (3) It will appear in the ſouls of juſt men made perfect before the Reſurrection, they have the viſion of God, that's plain, becauſe their ſouls are made perfect: now nothing perfects the ſoul but the beatifical viſion, becauſe nothing renders it impeccable but this, and finis ultimus perficit agentem & actionem, the laſt end perfects the action and Agent; therefore there is an intellectual viſion of God, in which the ſubſtance or the eſſence of happineſs doth conſiſt.

Queſt. 3 §. 3. But can there be an intellectual Viſion of Gods Eſſence? Can the underſtanding of man immediately ſee the Eſſence of God, or be made happy thereby?

Anſw. 1. There muſt be a viſion of the Eſſence of God; for (1) the promiſe is, 1 Cor. 13.12. That we ſhall ſee him face to face, 1 Cor. 13.12.1 Cor 13:12and we ſhall know even as we are known. The oppoſition is between the knowledge that now we have of God, and what we ſhall have hereafter; and they are compared in two things, [1] in the manner of knowledge, which ſhall not be the ſame; now we ſee in a glaſs, but then immediately we ſhall ſee without a glaſs: but if we ſhould ſee God per abſtractam imaginem, (as Gomer hath a diſputation of it in Joh. 1.17. part 1. pag. 328.) though it were the pureſt glaſs, more clear than cryſtal, yet it were ſeeing in a glaſs ſtill, which is wholly denied; we ſhall no more ſee in a glaſs, but face to face. [2] In the imperfection of our viſion: we now ſee darkly, and the reaſon is from the manner of it, becauſe we ſee in a glaſs; but then it ſhall be perfected, becauſe we ſhall ſee face to face; ſo much is manifeſted to Moſes, thou ſhalt ſee my back parts: the Attributes of God are diſcovered here in this life, but there is the face of God diſcovered, which muſt be ſomething beyond what is called his back parts, that ſhall be diſcovered to the ſoul, p. 291which here he cannot ſee and live, but hereafter he muſt ſee, or he cannot live, therefore there is a viſion of the Divine Eſſence.

(2) It will appear by reaſon alſo, the chief good of the creature is in God alone, that which is called Beatitudo objectiva, objective Beatitude, which doth only ſatisfie and fill the heart of the Saints; and it's in the viſion and fruition thereof that the ſoul reſts. Now any image of God or manifeſtation of God that is created cannot be our objective happineſs, for theſe are but creatures, as the diſcoveries of God unto the ſoul by the Spirit in a way of Ordinances are; therefore the ſoul can never reſt in them, can never look upon them as its happineſs; as the Saints receiving here the joy in the Holy Ghoſt, they are exceedingly raviſhed with it, it's joy unſpeakable, Ego mihi viſus ſum tanquam unus ex illis beatis, I ſeemed to my ſelf as one of thoſe bleſſed ones; but yet the ſoul is not ſatisfied with it, but when he ſees Gods face he is ſatisfied with his likeneſs, that diſcovery that there is of God in his own face, but is never ſatisfied till then.

2. Though we ſhall ſee God in his Eſſence, yet we ſhall not ſee the Eſſence of God unto perfection. There is a twofold knowledge: (1) Apprehenſionis, of Apprehenſion, when a man knows any thing truly. (2) Comprehenſionis, of Comprehenſion, when a man knows any thing perfectly, ſecundùm modum cognoſcibilitatis, as it is knowable, or to the utmoſt that it may be known. Now the Eſſence of God being infinite, cannot be comprehended by any finite underſtanding; even the Angels themſelves cannot know all that is in God; for an infinite Being cannot be known and comprehended but by an infinite underſtanding: We ſhall know ſo much of Gods Eſſence as will tend unto our perfection, though we cannot find out the Almighty to his perfections.

As for the meaſure of the manifeſtation, it depends ex ſola Dei voluntate & diſpenſatione arbitraria, wholly on Gods pleaſure. As there are different degrees of grace in this life, and the Lord doth give unto men different degrees of light, according unto the meaſure of grace that he has appointed them unto; ſo he has appointed them alſo to different degrees of glory: ſays Chriſt, To ſit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it ſhall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. As the ſouls that he ſhall ſave are given by the Father, ſo alſo the meaſure of their grace and their glory is appointed by the Father; and anſwerable unto the degrees of glory that they are appointed by the Father, ſuch ſhall be the manifeſtations of God unto them when they come unto glory: therefore as glory is of grace, ſo are the degrees of glory alſo: as here the Lord diſpenſeth divers gifts as he will, ſo he doth in Heaven; ſome have more of the preſence of God and clearer diſcoveries than others have, becauſe it's not by neceſſity of nature, but by an act of the will. And therefore whereas ſome do object we cannot ſee the Eſſence of God perfectly, therefore not at all, becauſe Eſſentia eſt ſimpliciſſima, moſt ſimple; and if we ſee the Eſſence of God we muſt ſee all his Attributes, and ſo the knowledge of God, &c. and we muſt know as much as God knows, &c. it's true, if God did glorifie his people as a natural Agent, we might conclude he muſt ad ultimum potentiae, diſcover himſelf to the utmoſt; but ſeeing he doth it as a voluntary Agent, who acts certo moderamine, by a certain meaſure, ſo much of his Eſſence they ſhall know as he will diſcover, and that ſhall be ſo much as is for their perfection, though not to his perfection.

Queſt. 4 §. 4. How doth the Viſion of Gods Eſſence conduce unto the happineſs of the creature?

It makes the creature happy in theſe particulars.

Anſw. 1. A man hath hereby a full and perfect accompliſhment of all the promiſes: for as the end of Chriſt is but to bring us unto God, the ſame is the end of all the promiſes, it's but to bring the ſoul unto God. He has indeed given us exceeding great and precious promiſes, 2 Pet. 1.3, 4. There are promiſes for the way and for the end, for this life and for that which is to come, and the top and the coronis of them all lies in this, that he doth give himſelf; and till the ſoul do attain this, it is never ſatisfied.Omnino non me ſatiaret Deus, niſi promitteret ſeipſum, ipſum vitae fontem ſcio, ſitio, eſurio. Auguſt. Now how ſweet is a promiſe that a man has waited long for, and prayed long for? The deſire attained is a tree of life: how much more then is the fulneſs of a mans deſires when all of them are attained, and accompliſhed in him who is the well of life &c.

2. In this is the accompliſhment of all the whole purchaſe of Chriſt, the accompliſhment of all the works of the Son and Spirit in the Mediatory Kingdom; ſays the Apoſtle Peter, Ye are begotten to an inheritance immortal and incorruptible and undefiled, and without holineſs no man ſhall ſee the Lord; therefore holineſs is the way to viſion,1 Pet. 1.5.1 Pet 1:5 and the higheſt end of the work of Sanctification it's but to make you meet inheritors with the Saints in light, Col. 1.12. Now it's a joy unto Chriſt to ſee his work carried on in the world, to ſee his grace and glory communicated to us, to ſee of the travel of his ſoul: and therefore ſhall it not be ſo to us to ſee it accompliſhed in our ſelves? That though the blood of Chriſt were as it were ſhed in vain in reſpect of many perſons unto whom it was offered, they trample p. 292under the blood of the Covenant as an unholy thing; yet to us it's not in vain, but the grace of God has been effectual to bring us unto glory.

3. Then God ſhall be all in all, 1 Cor. 15.28. that is, as Chriſt is now all in all, Col. 3.11. ſo after this life God ſhall be all immediately, when the Mediatory Kingdom of Chriſt, in reference unto this life,Luther. ſhall be at an end: Quicquid fruſtulatim ab omnibus creaturis nobis mendicandum eſt in hoc ſeculo, ille unus omnium nobis inſtar erit, What God is now to us by bits in the creatures, he will be then in himſelf, &c. The power and efficacy and ſweetneſs of things is much abated by their manner of conveyance, as we ſay in the Galenick Phyſick; and as comforts from the Spirit in the joys of the Holy Ghoſt are far beyond thoſe that come in by the creatures, though God may be enjoyed in them both, becauſe it is more immediately, dulcius ex ipſo fonte. Now all things are of God that we have here in this world, but it's but by the creatures; but when God ſhall be immediately all in all, all things ſhall come from himſelf, and from his own hand: as when God doth puniſh men by the creatures, it's much leſs than when he doth it immediately, as it is the wrath of God in Hell which ſhall be the immediate executioner; ſo it is when God doth comfort men by the creatures and by himſelf immediately, there is as much difference in the one as there is in the other.

4. There ſhall be perfect Sanctification; for by his viſion we ſhall be like him: there is an image begun in this life, but it's not perfected; God being all in all in Heaven, we ſhall read his will,1 Joh. 1.3.1 John 1:3 and our duty, in his own face for ever. (1) The ways of inſtruction ſhall be no more as now we have here in this life; but as in ways of conſolation God ſhall be all in all,Auſtin. ſo in ways of inſtruction alſo: Sine codice in verbo leges, Thou ſhalt read in the Divine Word without a book: and we ſhall know him as he is, and the reaſon of all his actings and dealings with us, Quicquid nos latet ibi ratio erit manifeſta, cur hic electus & iſte reprobatus, cur alius moritur in infantia, alius in ſenectute, &c. (2) Our wills ſhall be made perfect, for the ſouls of juſt men are made perfect, and they ſhall be perfectly determined unto good, that they ſhall have non poſſe peccare, an impoſſibility of ſinning for ever; impeccability in Chriſt was from the hypoſtatical Union, but it is in the Saints from the beatifical Viſion.

5. We ſhall have perfect communion: here while we are at home in the body we are ſtrangers to the Lord; it's true we have here a fellowſhip, but it is with much imperfection and frequent interruptions, dulce commentum, ſed breve momentum. Joh. 17.24. I will that thoſe whom thou haſt given me be with me, that they may behold my glory. This day thou ſhalt be with me in Paradiſe, Luk. 23.43. And they ſhall be ever with the Lord. I deſire to be diſſolved, and to be with Chriſt. The communion that we have here is but begun, but it ſhall be perfected for ever. Our communion here has much imperfection in it, partly becauſe of ſin, which ſeparates between us and our God; for anſwerable to our conformity ſuch is our communion, amor complacentiae, love of complacence is grounded thereupon; and partly through our weakneſs, there is much that we are not capable of the manifeſtation of, there is much that we cannot ſee and live. Now that being taken away and healed by the beatifical viſion, we are able to take in what we cannot of God here; though as our weakneſs and imperfection is begun to be healed here in this life, we are ſo far capable, and we ſhall be fully capable when it ſhall be fully healed. Here alſo is much interruption, (1) by ſin, we provoke God to hide his face from us. (2) For our tryal, the Lord doth many times hide his face to exerciſe our graces; but neither of them ſhall be hereafter, we ſhall ſin no more, and the time of our tryals will come to an end, the Lord will never turn away from us, but he will cauſe the light of his countenance to ſhine upon us without a cloud for ever.

6. There ſhall be fulneſs of Fruition. Auſtin ſays, Frui is more than uti, frui finis eſt, uſus mediorum: frui eſt cum gaudio uti, Fruition is of the end, but uſe of the means, &c. Fruition is the delight and ſatisfaction that the ſoul has in the poſſeſſion of the thing that it has attained,Pſal. 17. ult.Ps 17 ſatisfied with thy likeneſs, there are pleaſures for evermore, ſuch pleaſures as the men of this world never taſted; nay the joys of the Holy Ghoſt are ſuch as eye hath not ſeen; but the joys of Heaven are ſuch as the Saints have not taſted; when there is no place left for deſires; hunger and thirſt have an end, the ſoul thirſts for God no more. In Heaven they cannot pray,Austin. becauſe they ſtand in need of nothing to perfect their happineſs, all is enjoyed in God, and they ſee all to be theirs, and that they are out of danger of loſing their happineſs; and even in this life there is much ſweetneſs in the ſealing work the work of aſſurance, becauſe a man ſees all is his, and that there's no danger of miſcarrying as to his eternal ſtate; much more is it there when he is in poſſeſſion of all thoſe glories, that the Lord gave him the firſt-fruits of here.

p. 293SECT. III. Application.

Ʋſe 1 §. 1. FIrſt ſee here the folly and the miſery of all unregenerate men, who place their happineſs in any thing elſe that is not God, and forſake God, and the happineſs that is to be had in him, for the creatures ſake. 1. See their folly: ſin is never ſeen aright, unleſs it be ſeen to be a fooliſh and an unreaſonable thing:Pſal. 14.1.Ps 14:1 The fool has ſaid in his heart that there is no God, and this fool is every unregenerate man; and the great folly of a man lies in his utmoſt end, or elſe his great wiſdom; for he that doth erre in that is a fool, though he have all the wiſdom of the world beſide; all his wiſdom without this tends to no other end but to deceive and undo himſelf: and therein doth the wiſdom of a godly man properly conſiſt, that he doth never miſs his utmoſt end, and therein the meaneſt Saint is wiſer than all ungodly men, though they may be counted the wiſe men of the world. Conſider

1. What a folly is it for a man to frame to himſelf a happineſs? for he that gave him a being, he only can appoint him to an end, he only can preſcribe him a rule; therefore he that will be faber foelicitatis, the framer of felicity unto himſelf, he doth make himſelf a God, and create his own Heaven, which will prove but a fools Paradiſe in the end; for God hath appointed for man no other happineſs but in himſelf, in his Eſſence lies his portion, and without this nothing in this world ſhould ſatisfie, neither doth it a gracious heart that is truly wiſe: Tua non ſatiunt niſi tecum: omnis copia quae non eſt Deus meus, egeſtas eſt: tolle Deum & nullus ero, &c. Thy good things ſatisfie not unleſs with thy ſelf: All abundance which is not my God is want: Take away God and I ſhall be nothing. Theſe are the ſpeeches of grace and godlineſs that carry a man directly towards God. Now for a man that is Gods creature to create to himſelf a happineſs and an imaginary Heaven, is the greateſt folly in the world, becauſe it conſiſts only in imagination, the excellency of all things here below as a mans portion being but a fancy only, as the word is Act. 25.23. foreign, with much fancy. And as a dreaming man that dreams he is full, and when he awakes his ſoul is empty: ſo it is with them on whom the Lord pours out a ſpirit of ſlumber, and though they dream of Heaven, yet they awake in Hell. There are ſeveral ranks of creatures as the Lord has pleaſed to ſet them in the world, all being in his hand, as clay in the hand of the potter. Now a man may as rationally chuſe to himſelf another ſhape than God has given him, and degenerate into a beaſt, as chuſe to himſelf another end, and fancy another happineſs and perfection in that condition in which he is created. This is certain, he that will walk by his own rule, and will be his own maſter, he muſt look to be his own Saviour; and he that will appoint to himſelf an end, and will create his own Heaven, muſt expect that ſhall be his Hell in the end.

2. When you forſake your happineſs in God, you turn unto creatures that have no worth, or ſufficiency in them, and therefore Jer. 2.13. they are called broken ciſterns. Jer. 2.13.Jer 2:13(1) They are ciſterns, comforts they have none in them, but what they put into them; for a ciſtern has not a ſpring, the water doth not ariſe out of it; what therefore if God put no comfort into the creatures, the ciſtern is but empty, it will have no water; all the comfort that is in the creatures God puts into them, there is none of them can hurt us apart from God, nor comfort us apart from God; and therefore the Saints in all their mercies taſte the love of God, and delight themſelves in his goodneſs, as Nehemiah acknowledged Gods goodneſs in all his favours from the King. (2) A ciſtern will hold but a little when it's put into it, for it is of a narrow capacity, there is a great deal of difference between the fulneſs in the ciſtern and in the fountain. As it is with the Saints in point of grace, ſo it is with the creatures in point of comfort; the fountain can never be drawn dry, nay the more it is drawn, the quicker the ſprings are, there is never the leſs; and it is moſt true in God, the more a man doth draw happineſs from him, the quicker the returns are, and there is never the leſs in God; for he doth communicate good as the Sun doth light emanativè, by way of emanation, and that muſt needs be without diminution, &c. but the creatures are but as the Moon, Rev. 12.1. that has but a little light, and that but borrowed, and as ſoon as the Sun turns away its reflexion, its light is darkned, and the Moon is cloathed with ſackcloth, and its light doth not appear. (3) Water in a ciſtern will dye, and loſe its vigour, as we ſee it is in a ſtanding pool, Gen. 26.19. it's ſaid of the ſervants of Iſaac, that they digged a well of living water, ſo water in the ſpring or fountain is called, but it is not ſo with water in the ciſtern, it will dye and putrifie, and ſtink, and grow noiſom in p. 294the end; creature-comforts will not be comforts always, the good that is in them will not be always ſweet: let but the Lord change the mind of a man, and that which was before ſweet, will be bitter, even the water of gall: take a man that is converted, and the creature-comforts that before he delighted in are not now pleaſant to him, dulce eſt iſtis ſuis voluptatibus carere; and it is ſo to ungodly men alſo when once they are converted, the world paſſeth away and the luſts thereof; ſometimes the creature leaves a man, but the comforts of it will certainly, before a man dyes, and let once the luſt paſs away, a man has no deſire to it, and he finds then no ſatisfaction and contentment in it, Prov. 25.27. The ſearching out of glory is not glory, that is, ſearch it to the uttermoſt, and there will never be a ſatiety, it will be glory ſtill; but take the choiceſt and the ſweeteſt contentments in this life, and they will be ſo: a man may eat honey till it will not be honey to him, but prove loathſom; and ſo a man may in the enjoyment of any creature be nauſeated, and his ſoul may loath that which before was dainty meat; but in God it is not ſo, the comforts that there are to be had in him are always freſh, living, and vigorous; for they are in him as water is in a fountain. (4) If God put into the creatures any comfort, it is but into ciſterns that are broken, and they'l leak out, they cannot hold them long; for ſin hath made a crack in all the creatures, that as faſt as God puts comfort into them, they do leak them out again:Heb. 2.1.Heb 2:1 as it's in reference to the Word of God, we prove leaking veſſels, and let the things ſlip from us that we have heard; ſo do the comforts alſo of the creatures that God gives us, in reference to all the ſweetneſs and comfort that is put into them by God. If a man have an Eſtate, he puts it into a bag with holes; when a man hath gotten it, all his care will not keep the comfort of it long; for there is a vanity by ſin come upon all the creatures, they are blaſted quickly. It's true that in the Creation they were but ciſterns, and it was but little that they could hold, a mans great comfort and ſatisfaction came not in by them, they were made to be his ſervants, but not his portion to enjoy; and therefore by ſin there is a vanity put into the creatures, that though they may ſatisfie a while, yet their comfort will quickly be gone, as they themſelves will: for the world paſſes away, and the faſhion of it, and it is but a faſhion and an outſide, and no more.

3. If you place your happineſs in any thing elſe, you do but forſake God: other things may be enjoyed in ſubordination to God, yet ſo as your Heaven muſt be in him alone; but they muſt not come in competition with God, for he will be God alone. When Parmenio made the motion to Alexander to accept the terms that Darius did offer, and perſwaded the King to it, he told him the Heavens could have but one Sun: and ſurely the heart of man can have but one God, there can be but one laſt end, one chief good. Now as a man that doth not ſell all cannot buy the Pearl, for it is to be had at no other price, as ſays Chriſt,Luk. 14.33.Luke 14:33 He that forſakes not all that he has, cannot be my Diſciple, all things are to be forſaken, not only as an oblation, but as a condition, without which Chriſt is not to be had: ſo it is alſo in this,Jonah 2.8.Jonah 2:8 he that will have his portion in God muſt have no other God, they that obſerve lying vanities forſake their own mercy, the word doth ſignifie to keep alſo, as of Jacobs keeping of ſheep, taking care of them as his charge, that none of them were loſt or did miſcarry; and ſo men do keep lying vanities, their great care is over them, that they loſe them not, that their Idols be not taken away from them. And ſo Proſper alſo ſays, of all thoſe things in which men place their happineſs, labore quaerunt, cura ſervant, & anxiâ delectatione poſſident, they ſeek them with labour, keep them with care, and poſſeſs them with anxious delectation. And it's uſed for the moſt heedful obſervation, Pſal. 130. and thus it is with a great deal of heed, care, and induſtry that men preſeve their Idols. So all theſe things that we are ſo careful of, they are but lying vanities, or the vanity of a lye; to ſhew the emptineſs of them they are called vanities in the abſtract in the Plural, which is ordinary with the Hebrews to do: though they are nothing but emptineſs, yet they are ſuch vanities as carry that curſe with them, that they do raiſe a mans expectation, and he believes great things from them, and by that means they become a lye; and therefore men of low degree are vanity, Iſa. 44.20.Isa 44:20and men of high degree are a lye; he cannot ſay, Is there not a lye in my right h…nd? and Rev. 22. Every one that loves and makes a lye. Now what is the miſery of that man and his folly in it?Quam Deus illis largiſſimè offert. Druſ. why, he doth by obſerving theſe but forſake his own mercy, that is, that mercy which is offered to them, and might become their own; had not they neglected it by obſerving lying vanities, it might have been truly their own; whereas none of the things that they ſo obſerve could be; for it is but this worlds goods, if we are not faithful in that which is another mans, foreign.who ſhall give you that which is your own goods? Now God may be a mans own, but it cannot be ſaid of any creature-comfort without God; and therefore here is your folly, to be obſerving theſe lying vanities, and forſake your own mercies.

4. God will ſet himſelf againſt all theſe things in which you do place your happineſs apart from him; and there is no ſuch way to engage God againſt the choiceſt contentments p. 295as this is, that thou ſhouldſt place thy portion in them, for thou makeſt that creature an Idol, and the Lord will ſet himſelf againſt them in a ſpecial manner.Eſay 2.18.Isa 2:18 The Prophet Iſaiah ſpeaks of a Judgment that the Lord would bring againſt that people, and the daughter of Sion ſhould be left as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and as a beſieged city: and what is that great inquiſition that God makes at ſuch a time? it's only for the Idols, and upon theſe he will ſuddenly ſtretch forth his hand; the Idols he will utterly**foreign aboliſh, he will utterly divide them, or cut them in pieces. The Lord ſaid, he would ſearch Jeruſalem with candles, Zeph. 1.12.Zeph 1:12the meaning is, that the Lord would make a diligent and a very exact ſearch, and therefore accenſa lucerna quaerere is a Phraſe for exactneſs in this kind, and it notes not only things open, that are diſcovered in the face of the Sun, and may be ſeen by its light, but the moſt ſecret things that are hid in the dark, abſtruſiſſima & in tenebris latentia; the Lord will in this manner ſearch Jeruſalem with candles, and the great things that the Lord doth ſearch for and diſcover are the Idols, as appears in Ezech. 8. he doth ſhew the Prophet the things which are done in the dark, in the chambers of their imagery; and be ſure if it become an Idol, the Lord is engaged againſt it to deſtroy it; for he will not give his glory to another, nor his praiſe unto graven images.

5. It's a folly in this, becauſe there is no need of it, for there is a ſufficiency in Go…; you may be happy in him, though you have nothing elſe; for he is all-ſufficient to himſelf, and his happineſs lies in himſelf, he is God bleſſed for evermore, and ſhall he not be ſufficient unto thee? He uſeth this as an argument to Abraham, he will need no other,Gen. 17.1. foreign Rev. 21.6.Gen 17:1Rev 21:6 I am the All-ſufficient God, walk before me, and be thou perfect. He will need no other, he ſhall inherit all things, I will be his God. If a man can be happy that has all things, then ſurely he may be whoſe God is the Lord; he is the happineſs of the Angels and of Chriſt himſelf, and of all the Saints after this life, when all the comforts of the creatures ſhall be no more; and therefore can you ſeek happineſs in any other? As I may reaſon it with you concerning Chriſt, have not you need of a Saviour? and is there ſalvation in any other, has the Lord any more ſons in his boſom to beſtow? and is there any defect in this Chriſt? can you look for a better? do you expect one that ſhall be able to ſave you more perfectly, than he who is able to ſave you to the uttermoſt? will you go away? whither will you go, if you depart from Chriſt? So I ſay alſo concerning God as your happineſs, have you n… need of happineſs? You are neither the fountain of your own being or well being, can it be had in any other but in God, who is Lord of all? and is there any defect in him, that he cannot make thee happy in himſelf, as well as he has done the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? who ſays,Pſal. 16. ult.Ps 16 With thee is the fountain of life, and in thy light we ſhall ſee light. It's a great folly for a man to go far, and labour hard for that which may be had near home, and at an eaſie rate; it's the folly that the Lord did reprove in Judah, Eſay 30. They went down to Egypt for help, and they ſent their Ambaſſadors, and they were at Zonan and Hanes, and they were at great coſt, they ſent their gold and ſilver on the back of Aſſes and the bunches of Camels, &c. and they did trim their way, turn themſelves into every faſhion and every ſhape, abaſed themſelves unto the duſt, and all to attain the favour of man, whereas it might have been had from Gods protection at an eaſier rate; for your ſtrength or ſecurity is to ſit ſtill, and reſt upon the Lord for ever, for he is a Rock of Ages: ſo it is in point of proviſion as well as of protection, we knock at every door of the creature, and with great wearineſs and pains labour in the fire**Hab. 1.13. To labour in the fire is cùm operis nullus ſit fructus, &c. ſed igne ſtatim ut confectum eſt abſumpto.Hab 1:13, and ſo by labouring in the creatures in this manner a man doth ſuſtain duplicem jacturam, a double loſs (1) Operae, (2) Materiae, both of labour and matter: a man doth loſe the creatures and his labour about them alſo; for the Lord of Hoſts doth in judgment make them labour in the fire, and weary themſelves for very vanity, whereas all might be had in God eaſily and at a far better rate: ſurely Nimis avarus eſt cui non ſufficit Deus, He is too avaritious whom God doth not ſuffice.

6. There will come a time when you will have need of God, who did offer himſelf unto you to be your portion, and you have refuſed him, and then you can expect no other, but as you have rejected him, ſo he ſhould alſo reject you: Iſrael would none of me, Pſal. 81.Ps 81ſo I gave them up, &c. There will be a time when the chanels of all the creatures ſhall be ſtopped, and your portion in them ſhall be no more; but it ſhall be ſaid, Son remember that in thy life time thou receivedſt thy good things, they were given thee, but they were only for thy life-time, and in them thou didſt place thy happineſs and thy portion; and therefore they are called thy good things; for that which a man doth chuſe to himſelf to place his happineſs in, that is his good things: and then the ſoul muſt return to God that gave it; and at this time will the Lord ſend thee unto thoſe things wherein thou placedſt thy happineſs and thy portion: Go now unto the Gods that you have choſen, and let them deliver you. When we come unto God in the day of our diſtreſs he will ſay, Go to the pleaſure, riches, honours whom you have choſen, and let them deliver you: and then alſo the Devil will deride your folly, as what p. 296is ſweeter than revenge to evil Spirits? and what will inſult more over a perſon in miſery? a great part of revenge lies in this, to laugh at our deſtruction; for when revenge is once entred and has taken poſſeſſion of a breaſt, pity never returns there: the Devil mocked the King of Babylon, Eſay 14.9, 10.Isa 14:9Isa 14:10How art thou fallen from heaven, O great Lucifer, ſon of the morning! he that gloried in the greatneſs of his power, &c. And the ſame God who doth beſeech you here,Pſal. 2.Ps 2 as if he had need of you, he will deride and ſcorn you hereafter; that God that doth laugh here at wicked men, though Princes, when they are engaged againſt his people and cauſe in the world, the ſame God will alſo laugh at their miſery and confuſion in the life to come. Therefore as it is a folly here to deſpiſe or deny Chriſt, becauſe you ſhall meet him one day, For there is a day appointed when he ſhall judge quick and dead, and we muſt all appear before the Judgment-ſeat of Chriſt, and then they that have deſpiſed him here, ſhall be deſpiſed by him in that day; for Chriſt ſays, He that is aſhamed of me before men, of him will I be aſhamed before my Father, and before the holy Angels: The ſame thing I ſay concerning God, do not place your happineſs and portion in another; for the time will come that you muſt return unto God, and if he be now rejected by you, he will ſurely then reject you, and ſay, Depart from me, I know you not. And this doth abſolutely ſet forth the folly of thoſe that live without God, and who have their portion in this world, becauſe God doth fill their bellies with his hid treaſures, Pſal. 17.14. by hid treaſures he means exquiſitas & non vulgares delicias, exquiſite and not vulgar delices, Mol. not only the common contentments and comforts of this life that other men have, but the richeſt and choiceſt comforts that the world can afford God beſtows upon them; but it is only to fat them up unto the day of ſlaughter, to fill their bellies, that the fatting may go before the killing-time, therefore he doth feed them as a Lamb in a large paſture.

§. 2. Their miſery alſo is very great, who place their happineſs in any thing elſe but in the Eſſence of God; for they that do ſo, live without God in this world. 1. Their portion of creatures that they have choſen will fail them: and I tell thee, O man or woman, that haſt ſo done, thou art but a ſteward, and it's but for a time that theſe things are put into thy hands, thou muſt lay them down, the Princes Robes muſt be laid down as well as the beggars rags, the candle of the wicked ſhall be put out, and you ſhall lye down in ſorrow; you have ſomething now to ſupply you and bear up your ſpirits, which are the creatures, whom you have choſen for your gods, your portion they are, but that candle that you make ſo much of, though it may burn long, yet it will be put out at the laſt; but the happineſs that the godly man has choſen is the Sun, it will not be put out.

2. If thou be without God, and placeſt thy happineſs in any thing elſe, all things that thou doſt enjoy and place thy happineſs in, are given thee for a curſe and for a plague; as Saul gave his daughter Michol to David to be a ſnare to him; and that which is thy ſin ſhall be thy puniſhment; you will have your portion in this life, ſo you ſhall; you have loſt God in his image, in his favour, in his fellowſhip, and in his fruition: as Chriſt made that their puniſhment, they will not come, they ſhall not taſte of my ſupper. Sin cannot have a worſe puniſhment than it ſelf, nor a worſe name than it ſelf: ſo if you will not have your portion in God, you ſhall not for ever, but ſhall be without God here, and without him hereafter, when God ſhall be all in all.

3. Your miſery will be the greater, that it was your own mercy that was offered to you; you might have had I am for your portion: now to ſee Abraham and Iſaac ſit down in the Kingdom of God, and your ſelves ſhut out, Oh what a miſery will it be to reflect then upon thoſe creatures that ſtole away your hearts from your Creator, and one that offered to be a Redeemer! This is the worm that will gnaw thee for ever, to think I might have been as happy as any of the Saints in glory, but I withſtood my own happineſs, and am undone for ever; and thus the miſerableneſs of thy condition will be unutterable, that the tongues of men and Angels are not able to expreſs it. And as men can never know what it is to have their portion in the Eſſence of God till they come to Heaven, for hac in re cognitio noſtra penè tantùm Grammatica eſt: ſo a man can never tell what it is to loſe a mans portion in God till he come to Hell. And if a man could before-hand lay an ear unto that bottomleſs pit, and but hear how the miſery of this loſs is ſet out there with weeping, and wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth, it would cauſe a mans heart to fail, and fall aſunder within him as drops of water. But becauſe the way of the working of the Spirit in this life is by the Word, and if men hear not Moſes and the Prophets, neither will they believe if one ſhould come from the dead again: therefore this is the way that we muſt attend upon. But more particularly, his miſery that loſeth the chief good is unſpeakable in theſe particulars.

1. From the capacity of the ſoul of man. The Lord did make himſelf to be the portion of his people, and he created all ſouls capable of ſo high a happineſs and glory as himſelf and his own Eſſence; for they are all created for the enjoyment of God himſelf: other creatures p. 297were created to enjoy a good within the compaſs of their own nature, and therein did their perfection conſiſt; but man was created to enjoy a good above his own nature, and in his enjoyment of it he was to be perfected, and ſo long as he falls ſhort of this, he falls ſhort of his perfection; therefore when ſouls come to Heaven, and enjoy God in his Eſſence, they are called Souls made perfect; Heb. 12.23.Heb 12:23and all other perfections that men have are grounded upon this, and do flow from it, namely the perfection of their faculties, graces, and comforts. Now of this capacity all the ſouls of men were created; there is not the wickedeſt man in the world, even ſuch as periſh for ever, but they have ſouls created capable of God, and of a happineſs in his Eſſence, and they can be happy no other way. Now a reſtleſs life is a miſerable life; it was that which David did groan under, Pſal. 55.6. Oh that I had wings like a dove, then I would flye away and be at reſt: and there is no unquietneſs like to that of the ſoul, a reſtleſs ſpirit is one of the greateſt miſeries that can befal a man. Eccleſ. 2.23. ſpeaking of men labouring in the creatures, he ſaith, his heart takes no reſt at night, even when he is taken out of the mill of his calling, and his body is laid down to reſt, yet has the man a reſtleſneſs all the while; and therefore it is that Chriſt ſpeaks, Mat. 11.29. and promiſes as the great inducement, Come unto me all that are weary, foreignand you ſhall find reſt unto your ſouls. Pſal. 38.8. I have roared by reaſon of the diſquietneſs of my heart. A mans heart trades up and down amongſt the creatures, and he is always driving on ſuch troubleſom trades, that he is never at reſt in his own ſpirit; and therefore a man by believing is ſaid to enter into reſt; and the greateſt judgment that can befal a man is,Heb. 4.3.Heb 4:3 that God ſhould ſwear in his wrath againſt him, that he ſhould never enter into his reſt: it is not ſpoken of Heaven any otherwiſe than as faith gives a man an intereſt here, for we that believe are entred into it, becauſe it is faith gives a man an intereſt in God, and bottomes his ſoul upon him, and upon nothing elſe; for there is a threefold reſt there ſpoken of in that Chapter. (1) A reſt of the Sabbath, that men did enter into according to Gods inſtitution, when he ended his works; which is one of the ſtrongeſt places againſt the imaginary anticipation of the Law of the Sabbath that is in the Scripture; for then men entred into this Sabbath when God ended his works, but that was from the foundation of the world. (2) There is a reſt of Canaan, into which Joſhua brought them, and they were entred in Davids time; therefore that cannot be meant, for then he would not have ſpoken of another reſt. Now (3) what reſt is it then that remains yet for the people of God? That reſt is a ceaſing from their own works, from all their ſinful cares, labours, practices, and ſupplies, which are to be had in the creature, and a quieting and reſting the ſoul in God, which is our ſalvation; and anſwerable unto a mans enjoyment of God,Inquietum eſt cor. donec requieſcat in te. ſuch will this reſt of his ſoul be; and when he doth perfectly enjoy God, then ſhall his reſt and the Sabbath of the ſoul in glory be fully perfected.

2. He that hath not the Lord for his portion will chuſe unto himſelf any thing elſe, and ſet his heart upon it; and it's the greateſt miſery of all unregenerate men, that they have their portion in this life. Now what is a mans portion,Pſal. 14.Ps 14 but that which he chuſes unto himſelf, and that in which his ſoul reſts and receives ſatisfaction, that is the mans portion, and this all men that are unregenerate have in the things below, ſomething that is not God; though it be the works of God, it's not the Eſſence of God; and the greateſt ſpiritual judgment that can befal a man in this life is this, to be given up to the ungodlineſs of a mans own ſpirit, to have his portion in any thing elſe, in that which is not God; this is to lay out his money for that which is not bread; whereas a gracious heart ſaith, Thou art my portion, O Lord. And Eſay 57.6.Lam. 3.24. Eſay 57.6.Lam 3:24Isa 57:6 Amongst the ſmooth ſtones of the ſtreets is thy portion. They did uſe by the rivers to worſhip their Idols, and to build Altars to them there, as well as upon the mountains, and under every green tree; and becauſe they could not all of them have ſmoothed ſtones fitted for it, therefore they made choice of the fitteſt they could find, the ſmooth ſtones of the brook, which the water, by its continual running had ſmoothed; and in theſe you have placed your portion, and the happineſs that you expect is to come in by theſe; and ſeeing you have choſen it, you ſhall be ſure to have it, and Ipſi erunt ſors tua, ut non niſi lapides & inutilia ſaxa poſſideas, Forer. They ſhall be thy portion, thou ſhalt poſſeſs nothing but ſtones. And by this means a man turns his glory into ſhame; Phil. 3.19.Phil 3:19God is a mans glory, and it is higheſt honour to have an intereſt in him, or have any relation to him, though it be but by way of office, much more is it an honour to have a portion in his Eſſence; and therefore the Lord calls himſelf their ornament, as Jer. 2.32. Can a maid forget her ornaments, but they have forgotten me their ornament, days without number; and they turned it into ſhame: all Idols are ſo called, they offered ſacrifice unto that ſhame, it's ſpoken of Baal-Peor; that which is filthy in it ſelf, and ſo is matter of ſhame,Hoſ. 9.10.Hos 9:10 which is malum turpe, and that which is diſhonourable unto the man, and therefore truly his ſhame, which is nothing elſe but the apprehenſion of an excellency abaſed. Now the greater the p. 298excellency, the greater muſt the ſhame be, and the confuſion in the apprehenſion of the abaſement thereof.

3. For a man to have no recompence for all his labours but barely creatures, and the comforts of them, is a great miſery. It's true, that the Saints may lawfully have reſpect to the recompence of reward;Heb. 11.26.Heb 11:26 ſo had Moſes, and ſo had Paul: We make, ſays he, things not ſeen our ſcope and aim in all our labours and endeavours;2 Cor. 4.18.2 Cor 4:18 and ſo did Chriſt: For the joy that was ſet before him he endured the croſs, and deſpiſed the ſhame. It's true there is a recompence in obedience,Pſal. 19.11.Ps 19:11 in the keeping of Gods commandment is great reward, the excellency and honour of the work is a ſufficient reward for the worker, though there were no reward afterwards to come. Now Chriſt having bought all the ſervices of the creatures, he doth imploy them all in his Kingdom, they are all ſent by him to work in his Vineyard, and there is no man ſhall labour for Chriſt one hour in vain, but as ungodly men do perform to him unſanctified ſervices, ſo they ſhall have unſanctified rewards; and as their ſervices be ſeemingly ſervices, but really ſins, ſo ſhall their rewards be ſeemingly bleſſings, but really curſes. And as Chriſt ſaid of the Phariſees, they faſted, and they prayed, and gave alms, but they had a reward here below only; they did it to be ſeen of men, to be well ſpoken of for it, which they obtained: now to have a mans reward in any thing that is below God, that's a mans miſery. But the recompence of the Saints reward lies in God himſelf, when he will take from them all the good things that they enjoy below, and all that communion which they enjoyed here with him, where they ſee his back parts, there they ſhall ſee his face for ever, and therefore it's beyond the hopes and the expectation of the Saints:… Theſſ. 1.10. He ſhall come to be glorified in his Saints, and admired in them that believe. Now the ground of admiration is the over-plus of expectation, they ſhall ſay as the Queen of Sheba did of Solomons glory, We have heard of thee here below, but the half was not told; and this glory lies in God alone. It's true there is not the meaneſt reward, but it is beyond the deſert of the beſt of our ſervices, and it is meerly free grace that rewards them; but if the Lord ſhould give a man (as he did Nebuchadnezzar Egypt for his hire) Kingdoms and Nations, as the reward of his ſervices that he did in this life, and yet ſay to him at the laſt day, You have your reward, you were herein for ever miſerable.

4. Thy portion in the creatures will fail thee for ever, and deceive thee as a brook that paſſes by; for all fleſh is graſs, and the glory and the pride of it is but as the flower of the field, and it will be ſaid to thee, In thy life-time thou hadſt thy good things: for as you brought nothing into this world, ſo it's certain, that you can carry nothing out, but the ſoul ſhall be ſtripped of whatever is dear to it here below; for they are this worlds goods, and given but as a viaticum in the way, till a man come to his journies end, and whether they be ad regnum, or foreign, ad ſupplicium, as Chryſoſt. it's all one, they are not of any uſe in the life to come; and therefore when all men have acted their parts here, and are gathered into their own place, then there ſhall be a general conflagration of the world, when the earth and all the works of men ſhall be burnt up;2 Pet. 3.2 Pet 3 for they are but for the preſent time of this life, and they will afterwards be of no further uſe to a man for ever; but hereafter God ſhall be all in all,1 Cor. 15.28.1 Cor 15:28 and God will work all things by himſelf immediately. Here he doth comfort us by the creatures, and rules us by Angels, by Magiſtrates, and Miniſters; but that ſhall not be in the life to come, for he will work all himſelf immediately. In this life we are to be taken up about God, the knowledge of God, and the love of God; but we are buſied with many things elſe, cumbred about many things, and we are to take care of the things of this life, in our calling, which interrupts our abiding with God: but theſe imployments are but for the ſupport of humane ſociety in this preſent ſtate, that we might ſerve God, and the good of Community; but we ſhall be taken up with God, and the things of God only in the life to come, and with God immediately, not God in the creatures, as now we are. In this life we take pleaſure in many things beſides God, the works of God are ſought out by his ſervants, and we pleaſe our ſelves with the comforts that he has given us in our way: for in this life God heaps variety of benefits upon us, he loads us daily with his benefits; but after this life there ſhall be but one great reward, and a man ſhall go out unto creatures for nothing unto eternity; there ſhall be a comfort in them, but not out of neceſſity, but variety, all of them ſeeing God in themſelves, and in each other; but if a mans portion be in any thing without God, I tell thee thou muſt leave it behind thee,Iſa. 50.11.Isa 50:11 when thou comeſt to lie down in the grave, and ſo having kindled a fire you compaſs your ſelf in your own ſparks, you ſhall lye down in ſorrow. All the comforts, of an ungodly man in this life are compared to the light of a candle, not only becauſe they are maintained by creatures, baſe matter here below, but alſo becauſe they will go out in the end, for the longeſt candle will end in a ſnuff; but now the light of the godly and their comfort being in God, it ſhines as the Sun more and more unto the perfect day.

p. 2995. It ſhall be unto you according to your deſire, you ſhall never have any part or portion in God for ever; that which is thy ſin ſhall be thy puniſhment: as Chriſt made it to them that were invited, they ſhall never taſte of my ſupper; ſo it ſhall be with you, you will have no intereſt in God, neither ſhall you have unto eternity, depart from me you curſed, curſed with eternal deſtruction from the preſence of God, and the glory of his power; 2 Theſſ. 1.9.2 Thess 1:9and this is called utter darkneſs. It's true our Divines commonly ſay, that the Torments of Hell are of two ſorts, (1) Poena damni, ſomething privative, which is the loſs of God, and the happineſs of the Saints. (2) Poena ſenſus, which is ſomething poſitive, a puniſhment inflicted by God immediately upon ſoul and body. But it's ſaid commonly by Divines, that it's the firſt that is the greateſt part of a mans torment, and it's that which makes Hell properly ſuch, which is demonſtrated (1) from the meritorious cauſe of it, which is ſin. There are in the Law two things, [1] the precept, [2] the prohibition. Now the mind of the Law-giver was moſt in the precept, and therefore the omiſſion is a greater offence than the commiſſion, if they be apart conſidered: now the puniſhment of loſs is proportioned unto the omiſſion of the precept, as the puniſhment of ſenſe is unto the commiſſion of the ſin. (2) It will appear in this, that the bleſſedneſs of the Saints in Heaven doth mainly conſiſt in the viſion of God, that they ſhall ſee him face to face; and in this is the happineſs of the Angels and Saints, yea of Chriſt himſelf, Pſal. 16.1. therefore on the contrary doth the miſery and damnation of the wicked lie, that they ſhall be deprived of the viſion of the face of God for ever: Mille gehennae poenae, at nihil eſt quale à gloria Dei excludi, & à Deo odio haberi, &c. Chryſ. foreign, Baſil in oratione de extremo Judicio.

6. He that has his portion in any thing below God, and not in the Eſſence of God, God will be ingaged againſt him for ever, and his judgment ſhall flow from God immediately▪ For either thou muſt have thy happineſs in him immediately, or elſe thy miſery will come in immediately from him for ever: for as after this life God will not govern by the creatures, nor comfort by the creatures; ſo neither will he afflict or puniſh by them, but it ſhall be from his own immediate hand; therefore the fire of Hell is not material fire, as ſome have fancied, but it is Gods diſpenſing himſelf in wrath;Heb 12. ult.Heb 12 for our God is a conſuming fire. It's diſputed amongſt the School-men, Whether the Devils who were unto men incenſores in culpa, abettors in the ſin, ſhall be alſo tortores in poena, &c. tormentors in the puniſhment. And it's denied by ſome of them ſolidly upon theſe grounds. (1) The Devils miniſtery ſhall laſt no longer than the time of the miniſtery of good Angels, and that ſhall be but for the time of this life; for Satan ſhall be the God of this world no more after this life, and the good Angels ſhall be Principalities and Powers no more; for all rule and all authority ſhall be put down, whether good or evil; and therefore what power ſoever Satan has over wicked men while they are here (for he works effectually in them) he ſhall have no power over them hereafter. (2) The Devil himſelf being the greateſt in ſin, ſhall be the deepeſt in torment; for Hell is prepared chiefly for the Devil and his Angels. Now who ſhall torment the Devils? who can have power over them? this muſt be by God immediately, it muſt be done by his own hand: Therefore man being appointed to partake with the Devil in the ſame torment, and by the ſame fire, look what it is that torments the Devil, that alſo muſt be the torment of thoſe that in a way of ſinning have given themſelves unto him. (3) No creature can make a man perfectly miſerable; there is no creature that can deprive the ſoul of God, and ſhut out all hope of mercy, make it utter darkneſs; if the ſoul did not apprehend it to come from Gods hand, his hope in God would ſtill be continued; but as God hides his face in mercy ſometimes here from his own people, ſo he ſhall ſhew the wicked his face in wrath for ever; and therefore as in Heaven he is immediately the happineſs and the glory of the Saints, ſo in Hell he is immediately the torment of the wicked: and the Lord Chriſt, as he is man, ſhall pronounce the ſentence againſt them, but it is as God, that he ſhall inflict the puniſhment. As the ſufferings of Chriſt here upon earth, the greatneſs of them lay in this, that God hid his face, and it pleaſed the Father to bruiſe him: ſo the ſame way will God t… with all unregenerate men; and therefore curſed art thou, O man, if thy portion be … in the Eſſence of God for good and for bleſſedneſs, it ſhall lie in the Eſſence of God for miſery and torment for ever.

Ʋſe 2 §. 3. Therefore let your hearts and thoughts riſe unto this height to ſeek God for himſelf, and be ſatisfied with nothing elſe; for all the creatures and the good things of this life are but given by the Lord to try men, whether they will prove baits to them, and to ſee whether they will reſt ſatisfied in them without God: and herein lies the power of godlineſs, when a man is carried towards God for himſelf, and when there is nothing that comes from God will ſatisfie without God; for a regenerate mans happineſs lies in the p. 300Eſſence of God, and in the viſion thereof; and in this lies the happineſs of Chriſt as Mediator,Pſal. 16.Ps 16 that the Lord is the portion of his inheritance and of his cup. It's true, that Chriſt hath a great deal of ſatisfaction in ſeeing the travel of his ſoul, and is ſatisfied in the Saints, they are his friends, and his Spouſe, and his brethren, &c. but yet the happineſs of Chriſt as Mediator doth not conſiſt therein, but only in the enjoyment of God himſelf, the viſion of his Eſſence; and in this is the ſincerity of a mans heart made manifeſt, when his heart is right with God, and he can ſay, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I deſire in compariſon of thee. And truly in God a ſoul ſhall have all things, he that gives himſelf will deny thee nothing. Oh the height of the happineſs of the Saints! that that which is the happineſs of Chriſt, and the bleſſedneſs of God himſelf, that ſhall be thy bleſſedneſs alſo; and therefore we may cry out, O the bleſſedneſs of that man whoſe God is Jehovah! Now the ways of attaining of this bleſſedneſs are theſe.

1 Pet. 2.21.1 Pet 2:211. By way of Ʋnion with Chriſt; for God is firſt Chriſts God, and then our God: Chriſts end is to bring us unto God, and it muſt be by entring into Covenant, and there is no way of coming into Covenant but by Union▪ be one with Chriſt, and then God is thine in Covenant.

Joh. 3.3.John 3:32. By a work of Regeneration: Except a man be born again he cannot ſee the kingdom of God. Grace is above nature, and grace is a principle that doth qualifie a man for the enjoying of God: there is no beatifical viſion without a fiducial viſion, no ſeeing God, without holineſs no man ſhall ſee the Lord; for it is by this that a man is made a meet inheritor with the Saints in light.

Rom. 12.1.Rom 12:13. There muſt be Self-reſignation to God. Give your ſelves unto the Lord; for he that will have Chriſt to be his, muſt be Chriſts: he that will have the Lord for his portion, muſt alſo himſelf be the Lords portion; and therefore the Scripture ſpeaks it reciprocally, The Lord is the portion of his people.

Ʋſe 3 3. See the riches of the Love of God under the ſecond Covenant, called the riches of his grace, Eph. 1.7. Indeed it was great Love that the Lord was pleaſed to ſhew to man in his Creation, when he did make over all his creatures to him for his uſe, even all the works of his hands, and great was his bounty therein; but all this is nothing in compariſon to the ſecond Covenant; for ſo bountiful is his love, that he gives himſelf; that he will not only act for you, but he will be yours truly, wholly, entirely yours, ſo as your happineſs ſhall conſiſt in him, and not in your ſelf, he will be your chief good, and your utmoſt end, and the bottom of free grace lies in this; the ground of his giving his Son, and of all the great things in the new Covenant is this, they were the men of his good will that ſhould be happy in himſelf, and he will beſtow himſelf upon them. And that he may do ſo, he gives them his Son to bring them to God: all tends but to this end.

Ʋſe 4 4. It's the higheſt ground of comfort and aſſurance unto faith in the world: if God give his Son, if he give himſelf, therefore he will give them all ſpiritual and temporal bleſſings. There is unto the Saints all things in God; therefore when the Lord deſires to give unto his people full aſſurance, Heb. 6.17. as if he were in diſpute about it, it's ſaid, When he could ſwear by no greater, he ſwore by himſelf, as if the Lord had been ſolicitous about it, and ſo deſirous to give a man ground of fulneſs of aſſurance, that if there had been a greater, God would have ſworn by it; but becauſe there was no greater, he ſwore by himſelf: and ſo it's here in this particular alſo, the Lord is deſirous to ſhew his Love unto his Saints to the utmoſt, and Love is mainly ſeen in the bounty of it. Now if there had been a greater gift than himſelf he would have beſtowed it; but becauſe there was no greater he gave himſelf, and made over his own Eſſence to them: which is not only a ſtrong ground of aſſurance that you ſhall be happy (for he is the bleſſed God, and his bleſſedneſs lies in himſelf, and he is his own bleſſedneſs) but that he ſhall according to the poſſibility of the creature become thy happineſs alſo; and it's a ſure ground, that he that gives himſelf will deny nothing that may conduce to bring thee unto that glorious end, which is the viſion of Gods own Eſſence, in which the height of his Love and of thy happineſs …; and therefore Pſal. 84.11. He will be a ſun and a ſhield, he will give grace and glory and he can withhold or hold back nothing, non prohibebit, &c. He that has given himſelf, and could not withhold himſelf and his own Eſſence, ſurely there is nothing elſe that he can withhold from thee that loveſt him.

Ʋſe 5 5. Admire the happineſs of the Saints: bleſſed men that you are, who have your portion in the Lord:Pſal. 144. ult.Ps 144 O the bleſſedneſs and the infinite happineſs of that people who have, as their truſt, ſo their portion in God alone! O happy muſt that creature be that hath his happineſs in an infinite Being. It is the glory, of the righteouſneſs of the Saints, that it is ſetled in another, and not in themſelves; and therefore the Saints ſhould glory in their portion, and make their boaſt of God, Pſal. 34. My ſoul ſhall make her boaſt of God: in God p. 301we boaſt all the day long. The word in the Original is laudabit ſe, ſhall praiſe it ſelf, foreignadmire its own happineſs and bleſſed condition: every man anſwerably unto what he places his happineſs in, ſo he doth ſolace himſelf, and glory in it.Pſal. 44.8.Ps 44:8 Rich men boaſt themſelves in the multitude of their riches, and praiſe their condition, as the only happy men in the world; but this doth properly belong unto the Saints: and therefore though thou art in never ſo mean a condition below, though thy commons be ſhort, and thou art fed in the world as a Lamb in a large place, yet thy happineſs ends in God, and that doth pleaſe thee more than all the corn and wine and oyl in this world; as it did Chriſt,Pſal. 16.Ps 16 the Lord is my portion, the lot is fallen to me in a fair ground, I have a goodly heritage. Who is able to meaſure that happineſs that lies in an infinite Eſſence and an infinite goodneſs? I have ſeen an end of all perfection, but thy commandments are exceeding broad: ſo ſay all the Saints, nothing is to be compared with a God.

Ʋſe 6 Laſtly, If this be the happineſs of the Saints, then look through all the means that lead unto this end, and let this be the great thing in your eye; for Chriſt, and Promiſes, and Ordinances, all of them are but to this end to bring you to God; therefore look through them all to a further end, Chriſt himſelf is but a medium thereunto, and therefore for this happineſs ſigh and groan, and be not ſatisfied with any thing elſe, no not with the graces of God, and communion with Jeſus Chriſt; but conſider, the enjoyment of the ultimate object of faith is God, and then will our happineſs be compleated, when we ſhall be ever with the Lord, then, and not till then.

CHAP. IV. In the Covenant of Grace God makes over all the Perſons in the Trinity.