So things are reckon'd upon several accounts either as they are more rare and unfrequent which is the vulgar way of estimating wonders or as their causes are of more difficult investigation or if they are moral wonders as they are more unreasonable or causeless upon this last account Christ marvelled at the Jews unbelief And so is this hatred justly marvellous as being altogether without a cause But thence to infer there is no such thing were to dispute against the Sun No truth hath more of light and evidence in it though none more of â—â—rrâ—ur and prodigie To how many thousand objects is the mind of man indifferent can turn it self to this or that run with facility all points of the Compass among the whole universe of beings but assay only to draw it to God and it recoiles Thoughts and affections revolt and decline all converse with that blessed object Toward other objects it freely opens and dilates it self as under the benign beams of a warm Sun there are placid complacential emotions amicable sprightly converses and imbraces Towards God only it is presently contracted and shut up Life retires and it becomes as a stone cold â—rigid and impenetrable The quite contrary to what is required which also those very precepts do plainly imply 't is alive to sin to the world to vanity but crucified mortified dead to God and Jesus Christ. The natures of many men that are harsh fierce and savage admit of various cultivations and refinings and by moral precept the exercise and improvement of reason with a severe animadversion and observance of themselves they become mild tractable gentle meek The story of the Physiognamists guess at the temper of Socrates is known but of all other the disaffected soul is least inclinable ever to become good natur'd towards God wherein grace or holiness doth consist Here 't is most unperswadable never facile to this change One would have thought no affection should have been so natural so deeply inwrought into the spirit of man as an affection towards the Father of Spirits but here he most of all discovers himself to be without natural â—ffection surely here is a sad proof that such affection doth not ascend The whole duty of man as to the principle of it resolves into love That is the fulfilling of the Law As to its object the two Tables devide it between God and our neighbour And accordingly divide that love Upon those two Branches whereof love to God and love to our neighbour hang all the Law and the Prophets The wickedness of the world hath kil'd this love at the very root and indisposed the nature of man to all exercises of it either way whether towards God or his neighbour It hath not only rendred man unmeet for holy communion with God but in a great measure for civil society with one another It hath destroyed good nature made men false envious barbarous turn'd the world especially the dark places of the Earth where the light of the Gospel shines not into habitations of cruelty But who sees not the enmity and disaffection of mens hearts towards God is the more deeply rooted and less superable evil The beloved Apostle gives us a plain and sad intimation how the case is as to this when he reasons thus He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen He argues from the less to the greater and this is the ground upon which his argument is built That the loving of God is a matter of greater difficulty and from which the Spirit of mâ—n is more remote then the loving of his neighbour And he withall insinuates an account why it is so Gods remoteness from our sense which is indeed a cause but no excuse For is our so gross sensuality no sin that nothing should affect our hearts but what we can see with our eyes as if our sense were the onely measure or judg of excellencies We are not all flesh what have we done with our souls if we cannot see God with our eyes why do we not with our minds at least so much of him we might as to discern his excellency above all things else How come our souls to lose their dominion and to be so slavishly subject to a ruling sense But the reason less concerns our present purpose that whereof it is the reason that implyed assertion that men are in a less disposition to the love of God then their neighbour is the sad truth we are now considering There are certain homilitical vertues that much adorn and polish the nature of man Urbanity Fidelity Justice Patience of Injuries Compassion towards the Miserable c. and indeed without these the world would break up and all civil societies disband if at least they did not in some degree obtain But in the mean time men are at the greatest distance imaginable from any disposition to society with God They have some love for one another but none for him And yet it must be remembred that love to our neighbour and all the consequent exertions of it becoming dutie by the Divine Law ought to be performed as acts of obedience to God and therefore ought to grow from the stock and root of a Divine Love I mean love to God They are otherwise but Spurious Vertues Bastard Fruits men gather not Grapes of Thorns c. they grow from a Tree of another kind and what ever semblance they may have of the true they want their constituent form their life and soul. Though love to the brethren is made a character of the regenerate state of having past from death to life 'T is yet but a more remote and is it self brought to trial by this higher and more immediate one and which is more intimately connatural to the new creature even the Love of God By this we know we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments A respect to God specifies every Vertue and Duty What ever is loved and served and not in him and for him servato ordine finiâ— as the School-phrase is becomes an Idol and that love and service is Idolatry And what a discovery is here of disaffection to God that in the exercise of such the above mentioned vertues one single act shall be torn from it self from its specifying moral â—orm onely to leave out him A promise shall be kept but without any respect to God for even the promises made to him are broken without any scruple That which is anothers shall be rendred to him but God shall not be regarded in the business An alms given for the Lords sake left out That which concerns my neighbour often done but what concerns God therein as it were studiously omitted This is what he that runs may read that though the hearts of men are not to one another as they should they are much more â—verse towards God Men are easier of acquaintance
not uncapable of them or that hath its powers bound up by a stupifying sleep It s the rest of hope perfected in fruition not lost in despair of satisfied not defeated expectation Despair may occasion rest to a mans body but not to his mind or a cessation from further endeavours when they are constantly found vain but not from trouble and disquiet It may suspend from action but never satisfie This satisfaction therefore speaks both the realitie and nature of the souls rest in glory that it rests and with what kind of rest CHAP. V. The relative consideration of these three ingredients of the Saints blessedness Where it is propounded to shew particularly 1. What relation Vision hath to Assimilation 2. What both these have to Satisfaction The relation between the two former inquired into an entrance upon the much larger Discourse what relation and influence the two former have towards the third What Vision of Gods Face or glory contributes towards Satisfaction Estimated from the consideration 1. Of the Object the glory to be beheld as 't is divine entire permanent appropriate THUS far have we view'd the parts or necessary concurrents of which the blessedness of the Saints must be composed absolutely and severally each from other We proceed Secondly to consider them relatively viz. in the mutual respects they bear one to another as they actually compose this blessed state wherein we shall shew particularly 1. The relation by way of inâ—luence and dependence between Vision and Assimilatioâ— 2. Between both these and the satisfaction that insues Which latter I intend more to dwell upon and only to touch the former as a more speculative and lesse improvable subject of Discourse in my way to this 1. First It may be considered what relation there may be between vision of God and assimilation or being made like to him and it must be acknowledged according to what is commonly observed of the mutual action of the understanding and will that the sight of God and likeness to him do mutually contribute each towards other The sight of God assimilates makes the soul like unto him that likeness more disposes it for a continued renewed vision It could never have attained the beatifical vision of God had it not been prepared thereto by a gradual previous likeness to him For righteousness which we have shewn qualifies for this blessedness consists in a likeness to God and it could never have been so prepared had not some knowledge of God introduced that conformity and yielding bent of heart towards him For the entire frame of the new man made after the image of God is renewed in knowledge But as notwithstanding the circular action of the understanding and will upon one another there must be a beginning of this course some-where and the understanding is usually reckon'd the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first mover the leading faculty So notwithstanding the mutual inâ—luence of these two upon each other seeing hath a natural precedency and must lead the way unto being like Which is sufficiently intimated in the Text I shall behold thy face and then I shall be satisfied with thy likeness and more fully in that parallel Scripture We shall â—e like him for we shall see him c. From whence also and from the very nature of the thing we may fitly state the relation of the first of these to the second to be that of a cause to its effect Sight begets likeness is antecedent to it and productive of it That is the face or glory of God seen that glory in conjunction with our vision of it for the vision operates not but according to the efficaciousness of the thing seen nor can that glory have any such operation but by the intervention of vision T is therefore the glory of God seen as seen that assimilates and impresses its likeness upon the beholding Soul and so its causality it is that of an objective cause which whether it belong to the efficient or final I shall not here dispute that operates onely as it is apprehended so introducing its own form and similitude into the subject it works upon Such a kind of cause were Jacobs streaked rods of the productions that ensued and such a cause is any thing whatever that begets an impression upon an apprehensive subject by the mediation and ministry whether of the phancy or understanding This kind of causality the word hath in its renewing transforming work and the Sacraments wherein they are 〈◊〉 of real physical mutations on the Subjects of them So much of the Image of God as is here imprest upon souls by Gospel dispensations so much is imprest of his glory The work of grace is glory begun And now as glory initial and progressive in this life enters at the eye beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord we are changed so doth perfect and consumate glory in the other life For we have no reason to imagine to our selves any alteration in the natural order the powers of the soul have towards each other by its passing into a state of glory The Object seen is unspeakably efficacious the Act of intuition is full of lively vigour the Subject was prepared and in a disposition before and what should hinder but this glorious effect should immediately ensue as the Sun no sooner puts up its head above the Hemisphere but all the vast space whether it can diffuse its beams is presently transformed into its likenesse and turned into a Region of light What more can be wanting to cause all the darkness of Atheism carnality and every sting of sin for ever to vanish out of the awaking soul and an intire frame of holiness to succeed but one such transforming sight of the face of God one sight of his glorioâ—â— Majesty presently subdues and works it to 〈◊〉 full subjection one sight of his purity makes 〈◊〉 pure one sight of his lovelinesse turns it into 〈◊〉 and such a sight alwayes remaining the impress remains alwayes actually besides that it is in it self most habitual and permament in the souls now confirmed state fresh and lively The Object hath quite another aspect upon a wicked soul when it awakes and the act of seeing is of another kind therefore no such effect follows besides the subject is otherwise disposed and therefore as the Sun inlightens not the inward parts of an impervious dung-hill but it inlightens air so the sight of God transforms and assimilates at last not a wicked but it doth a godly soul. That which here makes the greatest difference in the temper of the subject is Love I look upon the face of a stranger and it moves me not but upon a friend and his face presently transforms mine into a lively cheerful aspect As iron sharpens iron so doth the face of a man his friend puts a sharpness and a quickness into his looks The soul that loves God opens it self to him admits his influences and impressions
divine wisdom in that former Notion when in that glasse that speculum aeternitatis we shall have the lively view of all that truth the knowledge whereof can be any way possible and grateful to our natures and in his light see light when all those vast treasures of wisedom and knowledge which already by their alliance to Christ Saints are interested in shall lye open to us When the tree of Knowledge shall be without enclosure and the most voluptuous Epicurism in reference to it be innocent Where there shall neither be lust nor forbidden fruit no withholding of desirable knowledge nor affectation of undesirable When the pleasure of speculation shall be without the toil and that maxime be eternally antiquated that increased knowledge increases sorrow As to the other notion of it how can it be lesse grateful to behold the wisdom that made and govern'd the world that compast so great designs and this no longer in its effects but in it self Those works were honourable and glorious sought of all them that have pleasure in them What will be the glory of their cause It would gratifie some mens curiosity to behold the unusual motion of some rare automaton but an ingenious person would with much more pleasure prie into the secret Springs of that motion and observe its inward frame and parts and their dependence and order each to other 'T is comely to behold the exterior oeconomy of a well govern'd people when great affairs are by orderly conduct brought to happy issues but to have been at the helm to have seen the pertinent proper application of such and such maximes to the incident cases to have known all the reasons of state heard debates observ'd with what great sagacity inconveniencies have been foreseen and with what diligence prevented would much more gratifie an inquiring Genius When the Records of Eternity shall be exposed to view all the counsels and results of that profound wisdom lookt into how will it transport when it shall be discern'd loâ— thus were the designes laid here were the apt junctures and admirable dependencies of things which when acted upon the stage of the world seem'd so perplext and crosse so full of mysterious intricacy If Saint Paul were so ravisht at those more obscure appearances of divine wisdom which we find him admiring Rom. 11. 33. O the depths c. what satisfaction will it yield to have a perfect modell of the deep thoughts and counsels of God presented to open view How is the happiness of Solomons Servants magnified that had the priviledge continually to stand before him and hear his wisdom But this happiness will be proportionably greater as Solomons God is greater than he 2. The glory of his power will add comliness to the Object of this Vision Power duly placed and allay'd is lovely Beauty consists much in a Symmetrie or proportion of parts So must there be a concurrence of divine perfections to compose and make up the beautiful complexion of his face to give us a right aspect the true Idea of God And here his power hath a necessary ingrediency How incoherent and disagreeing with it self were the motion of an impotent God His power gives lively strokes to his glory 'T is called glorious power or the power of glory Yea 't is simply called glory it self the Apostle tells us Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father when 't is plain he means power And the same Apostle prayes on the behalf of the Ephesians that God would grant them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might c. How frequently are power and glory ascribed to him in conjunction intimating that as he is powerful he is glorious And certainly even this glory cannot but cast a grateful aspect upon the blessed soul and be infinitely pleasant to behold What triumphs doth it now raise in gracious Spirits to behold the exertions of it in his works to read its descriptions in his word while as yet he holds back the face of his throne while the countenance of inthroned Majesty cannot be seen when so little a portion is heard of him and the thunder of his power so little understood The infinitely fainter Rayes of this power in a creature power in that unspeakable diminution and abatement that derived precarious power when 't is innocently used is observed with pleasure Here is power in the throne power in its chief and highest seat essential and self-originated power the root and fountain the very Element of power power in its proper situation in its native place to which it belongs God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God It languishes in a Creature as in an alien Subject If I speak of strength lo he is strong saith Job q. d. Created power is not worth the speaking of Here is the power that deserves the name that is so indeed How satisfying a pleasure will this afford to contemplate this radical power this all-creating all-ruling power the principle of all action motion and life throughout the whole Creation This will be as natural a pleasure as the Child takes in the Mothers bosom and in imbracing the womb that bare it How grateful to behold whence the vast frame of nature Sprang what stretcht out the Heavens established the Earth sustained all things what turned the mighty Wheels of Providence throughout all the successions of time what ordered and changed times and seasons chained up Devils restrained the outrages of a tumultuous world preserved Gods little Flock especially what gave Being to the new Creation The exceeding greatness of power that wrought in them that believed c. what made hearts love God imbrace a Saviour what it was that overcame their own and made them a willing people in that memorable day How delightful a contemplation to think with so inlarged an understanding of the possible effects of this power and so far as a creature can range into infinity to view innumerable creations in the creative power of God And yet how pleasant to think not only of the extents but of the restraints of this power and how when none could limit it became ordinate and did limit it self that since it could do so much it did no more turned not sooner a degenerous world into flames withhheld it self from premature revenge that had abortiv'd the womb of Love and cut off all the hopes of this blessed Eternity that is now attained This also speaks the greatness of power Let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken the Lord is gracious long-suffering c. This was his mightiest power whereby he overcame himself Fortior est qui se c. 3. And what do we think of the ravishing aspects of his Love when it shall now be open fac'd and have laid aside its vail when his amiable smiles shall be chekered with no
soul in order hereto How often over have I spread this desire before the Searcher and Judge of hearts Turn me out of all my worldly comforts so thou give me but such an heart Let me spend my dayes in a Prison or a Desert so I have but such a heart I refuse no reproaches no losses no tortures may I but have such a heart How hath my soul been somtimes ravisht with the very thoughts of such a temper of Spirit as hath appeared amiable in my eye but I could not attain and what a torture again hath it been that I could not What grievance in all the world in all the dayes of my vanity did I ever find comparable to this To be able to frame my self by Scripture and rational light and rules the Notion and Idea of an excellent temper of spirit and then to behold it to have it in view and not be able to reach it to possess my soul of it What indignation have I sometimes conceived against mine own soul when I have found it wandring and could not reduce it hovering and could not fix it dead and could not quicken it low and could not raise it How earnestly have I expected this blessed day when all those distempers should be perfectly healed and my Soul recover an healthy lively spiritual frame What fresh ebullitions of joy will here be when all former desires hopes indeavours are crowned with success and fruit This joy is the joy of Harvest They that have sown in tears do now reap in joy They that went out weeping bearing precious seed now with rejoycing bring their sheaves with them 6. In reference to what this imprest likeness shall for ever secure to it an everlasting amity and friendship with God that it shall never sin nor he ever frown more 1. That it shall sin no more The perfected image of God in it is its security for this for 't is holy throughout in every point conformed to his nature and will There remains in it nothing contrary to him It may therefore certainly conclude it shall never be liable to the danger of doing any thing but what is good in his sight and what solace will the blessed soul find in this If now an Angel from Heaven should assure it that from such an hour it should sin no more the world would not be big enough to hold such a soul. It hath now escaped the deadliest of dangers the worst of deaths and which even in its present state upon more deliberate calmer thoughts it accounts so the sting of death the very deadly head of death the Hell of Hell it self The deliverance is now compleat which cannot but end in delight and praise 2. That God can never frame more This 't is hence also assured of How can he but take perfect everlasting complaceny in his own perfect likeness and image and behold with pleasure his glorious workmanship now never liable to impairment or decay how pleasant a thought is this The blessed God never beholds me but with delight I shall alwayes behold his serene countenance his amiable face never covered with any clouds never darkened with any frown I shall now have cause to complain no more my God is a stranger to me he conceals himself I cannot see his face lo he is incompast with Clouds and darkness or with flames and terrours These occasions are for ever ceased God sees no cause either to behold the blessed soul with displeasure or with displeasure to avert from it and turn off his eye And will not this eternally satisfie when God himself is so well pleased shall not we 2. The pleasure it disposes to Besides that the inbeing and knowledge of this likeness are so satisfying It disposes and is the souls qualification for a yet further pleasure That of closest union and most inward communion with the blessed God 1. Union Which what it is more then relation is not till now compleat Besides relation it must needs import presence not Physical or Local for so nothing can be nearer God then it is but moral and cordial by which the holy soul with will and affections guided by rectified reason and judgment closes with and imbraces him and he also upon wise forelaid counsel and with infinite delight and love imbraceth it so friends are said to be one besides their relation as friends by an union of hearts An union between God and the creature as to kind and nature higher than this and lower than Hypostatical or personal union I understand not and therefore say nothing of it But as to the union here mentioned as till the image of God be perfected it is not compleated so it cannot but be perfect then When the soul is perfectly formed according to Gods own heart and fully participates the divine likeness is perfectly like him that likeness cannot but infer the most intimate union that two such natures can admit That is for nature a love-union such as that which our Saviour mentions and prayes to the Father to perfect between themselves and all believers and among believers mutually with one another Many much trouble themselves about this Scripture but sure that can be no other then a love-union For 1. 'T is such an union as Christians are capable of among themselves for surely he would never pray that they might be one with an union whereof they are not capable 2. 'T is such an union as may be made visible to the world Whence 't is an obvious corollary that the union between the Father and the Son there spoken of as the pattern of this is not their union or oneness in essence though it be a most acknowledged thing that there is such an essential union between them for who can conceive that Saints should be one among themselves and with the Father and the Son with such an union as the Father and the Son are one themselves if the essential union between Father and Son were the union here spoken of But the exemplary or pattern-union here mentioned between Father and Son is but an union in mind in love in design and interest wherein he prayes that Saints on earth might visibly be one with them also that the world might believe c. 'T is yet a rich pleasure that springs up to glorified Saints from that love-union now perfected between the blessed God and them 'T is mentioned and shadowed in Scripture under the name and notion of marriage-union in which the greatest mutual complacency is always supposed a necessary ingredient To be thus joyned to the Lord and made as it were one Spirit with him For the eternal God to cleave in love to a nothing creature as his likeness upon it ingages him to do is this no pleasure or a mean one 2. Communion unto which that union is fundamental and introductive and which follows it upon the same ground from a natural propensity of like to like There is nothing now to
dwelling with it self and keeping within its own bounds of its own accord The unrenewed soul can no more contain it self within its own termes or limits is as little self consistent as a raging flame or an impetuous tempest Indeed it s own lusts perpetually as so many vultures rend and tear it and the more when they want external objects Then as hunger their fury is all turned inward and they prey upon intestines upon their own subject but unto endless torment not satisfaction In what posture is this soul for rest and blessedness The nature of this change sufficiently speakes its own design 'T is an introduction of the primordia the very principles of blessedness And Scripture as plainly speaks the design of God He regenerates to the undefiled inheritance Makes meet for it works formes or fashions the soul unto that self same thing viz. to desire groan after that blessed state and consequently to acquiesce and rest therein Therefore vain man that dreamest of being happy without undergoing such a change how art thou trying thy skill to abstract a thing from it self For the prerequired righteousness whereunto thou must be changed and this blessedness are in kind and nature the same thing as much as a Child and a man Thou pretendest thou would'st have that perfected which thou canst not indure should ever be begun Thou settest thy self to prevent and suppresse what in its own nature and by Divine Ordination tends to the accomplishment of thy own pretended desires Thou wouldst have the Tree without ever admitting the Seed or Plant. thou wouldst have heat and canst not indure the least warmth so besotted a thing is a carnal heart Thirdly That in as much as this blessedness consists in the satisfactory sight and participation of Gods own likeness unto whom the soul is habitually averse This change must chiefly stand in its becoming holy or godly or in the alteration of its dispositions and inclinations as to God Otherwise the design and end of it is not attained We are required to follow peace with all men but here the accent is put and holiness without which no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. 'T is therefore a vain thing in reference to what we have now under consideration viz. the possibility of attaining this blessedness to speak of any other changes that fall short of or are of another kind from the right disposition of heart Godward This change we are now considering is no other then the proper adequate impress of the Gospel-discovery upon mens spirits as we have largely shewn the righteousness is in which it terminates The sum of that discovery is That God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself The proper impress of it therefore is the actual reconciliation of the soul to God through Christ a friendly well affected posture of Spirit towards God our last end and highest good and towards Christ our only way since the Apostacy of attaining and injoying it To rest therefore in any other good dispositions or indowments of mind is as much besides the business as impertinent to the present purpose as if one design'd to the Government of a City should satisfie himself that he hath the skill to play well on a Lute or he that intends Phisick that he is well seen in Architecture The general Scope and Tenor of the Gospel tells thee O man plainly enough what the business is thou must intend if thou wilfully overlook it not in order to thy blessedness 'T is written to draw thee into fellowship with the Father and the Son that thy joy may be full It aimes at the bringing of thee into a state of blessedness in God through Christ and is therefore the instrument by which God would forme thy heart thereto The seal by which to make the first impression of his image upon thee Which will then as steadily incline and determine thy soul towards him as the magnetique touch ascertains the posture of the Needle wherefore doth he there discover his own heart but to melt and win and transform thine The wâ—rd of grace is the seed of the new Creature Through the exceeding great and precious promises he makes souls partake of the divine nature Grace is firstly reveal'd to teach the denial of ungodliness c. Turn thy thoughts hither then and consider what is there done upon thy soul by the Gospel to attemper and conform it to God wherein hath thy heart answered this its visible design and intendment Thou art but in a delirious dream till thou seriously bethinkest thy self of this For otherwise how can the aversion of thy heart from him escape thy daily observation thou canst not be without evidences of it what pleasure dost thou take in retiring thy self with God what care to redeem time onely for converse with him had'st thou not rather be any where else In a time of vacancy from business and company when thou hast so great a variety of things before thee among which to chuse an object for thy thoughts do they not naturally fall upon any thing rather then God! Nor do thou think to shift off this by assigning the mear natural cause for if there were not somewhat more in the matter why is it not so with all He upon whom this change had passed could say My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lipâ— when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches My meditation of him shall be 〈◊〉 I will be glad in the Lord. How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the sunt of them If I should count them they are more in number then the sand when I wake I am still with thee Yea in the way of thy judgment O God have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee With my Soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I sâ—ck thee early c. Therefore plain it is there is a sinful distemper to be wrought out an ungodly disposition of heart which it concerns thee not to rest till thou see removed Fourthly Consider that to become godly or this change of inclinations and dispositiâ—ns towards God is that which of all other the soul doth most strongly reluctate and strive against and which therefore it undergoes with greatest difficulty and reget 'T is an horrid and amazing thing it should be so but Scripture and experience leave it undoubted that so it is What! that the highest Excellency the most perfect Beauty Loveliness and Love it self should so little attract a reasonable Spiritual being that issued thence His own off-spring so unkind what more then monstrous unnaturalness is this so to disaffect ones own Original 'T were easie to accumulate and heap up considerations that would render this astonishingly strange
made knâ—â—â— inâ—ers upon thee a necessitie of obeying unless thou think the â—reâ—ch between God and thee is better to be healed by Rebellion And that the onely way to expiate wickedness were to continue and multiply them Is it a needless thing to comply with the will of him that gave thee breath and being and whose power is so absolute over thee as to all thy concernments both of time and eternity Again while thou pretendest these things are needless come now speak out freely what are the more necessary affairs wherein thou art so deeply ingaged that thou can'st not suffer a diversion what is the service and gratification of thy flesh and sense so important a business that thou can'st be at no leasure for that more needless work of saving thy soul where is thy reason and thy modesty Dost thou mind none other from day to day but necessary affairs Dost thou use when thou art tempted to vain dalliances empty discourses intemperate indulgence to thy appetite so to answer the temptation It is not necessary or art thou so destitute of all Conscience and shame to think it unnecessary to work out thy salvation to strive to enter in at the strait gate that leads to life but most indispensably necessary to be very critically curious about what thou shalt eat and drink and put on and how to spend thy time with greatest ease and pleasure to thy flesh that it may not have the least cause to complain it is neglected Thy pretence That God is wont to be found of them that sought him not to the purpose thou intendest it is a most ignorant or malicious abuse of Scripture The Prophet is in that Text foretelling the calling of the Gentiles who while they remained such did not 't is true enquire after God but then he expresly first tells us personating God I am sought of them that asked not for me that is after the Gospel came among them and then 't is added I am found upon this seeking plainly of 〈◊〉 that sought me not i. e. who once in their former darkness before I revealed my self in the Gospel-dispensation to them that sought me not q. d. I am now sought of a people that lately sought me not nor asked after me and I am found of them But what 's this to thy case whom God hath been in Gospel earnestly inviting to seek after him and thou all this while refusest to comply with the invitation And suppose thou hear of some rare instances of persons suddenly snatch't by the hand of Grace out of the mid'st of their wickedness as fire-brands out of the fire Is it therefore the safest course to go on in a manifest rebellion against God till possibly he may do so by thee also how many thousand may have dropt into Hell since thou heard'st of such an instance as a worthy person speaks to that purpose If thou hast heard of one Elijah fed by Ravens and of some thousands by our Saviours miracles canst thou thence plead a repeal of that law to the world they that will not labour shall not eat or is it a safer or wiser course to wait till food drop into thy mouth from Heaven then to use a prudent care for the maintenance of thy life If thou say thou hearest but of few that are wrought upon in this way of their own foregoing expectation and indeavour Remember and let the thought of â—t startle thee that there are but few that are â—aved And therefore are so few wrought upon in this way because so few will be perswaded to it But can'st thou say though God hath not bound himself to the meer natural endeavours of his creature neither that ever any took this course and persisted with faithful diligence but they suceeded in it What thou talkest of the freeness of Gods grace looks like an hypocritical pretence Is there no way to honour his grace but by affronting his authourity but to sin that grace may abound Sure grace will be better pleased by obedience than by such sacrifice For a miserable perishing wretch to use Gods means to help it self doth that look like merit Is the Beggar afraid thou should'st interpret his coming to thy door and seeking thy alms to signifie as if he thought he had deserved them I hope thou wilt acknowledge thy self less then the least of all Gods mercies and that thou canst not deserve from him a morsel of bread may'st thou not therefore in thy necessity labour for thy living least thou should'st intrench upon the freeness of Divine bounty With as much wisdome and reason mightest thou decline the use of all other means to preserve thy life which thou must owe always to free mercy to eat when thou art hungry to take physick when thou art sick least thou should'st intimate thy self to have merited the strength and health sought thereby Nor can I think of any rational pretence that can more plausibly be insisted on then these that have been thus briefly discust And it must needs be difficult to bring any appearance of reason for the patronage of so ill a cause as the careless giving up of a mans soul to perish eternally that is visibly capable of eternal blessedness And certainly were we once apprehensive of the case the attempt of disputing a man into such a resolution would appear much more ridiculous then if one should gravely urge arguments to all the neighbourhood to perswade them to burn their houses to put out their eyes to kill their children or cut their own Throats And sure let all imaginable pretences be debated to the uttermost and it will appear that nothing with-holds men from putting forth all their might in the indeavour of getting a Spirit Suitable to this blessedness but an obstinately perverse and sluggish heart dispoil'd and naked of all shew of reason and excuse And though that be a hard task to reason against meer will yet that being the way to make men willing and the latter part of the work proposed in pursuance of this direction I shall recommend only some such considerations as the Text it self will suggest for the stirring up and perswading of slothful reluctant hearts chusing those as the most proper limits and not being willing to be infinite herein as amidst so great a variety of considerations to that purpose one might That in general which I shall propose shall be onely the misery of the unrighteous whereof we may take a view in the opposite blessedness here described The contradictories whereto will afford a Negative The Contraries apositive description of this misery So that each consideration will be double which I shall now rather glance at then insist upon 1. Consider then if thou be found at last unqualified for this blessedness How wilt thou bear it to be banish't eternally from the blessed face of God There will be those that shall behold that face in righteousness so shalt not thou The wicked is
but comparative only that is that comparing our future with our present state the former shall so far excell this that in comparison thereof it may be said to be a knowing of God as we are known and as he is insomuch as our future knowledge of him shall approach so unspeakably nearer to his most perfect knowlâ—dge of us and the truth of the thing than our present knowledge doth or can by such an interpretation we are cast upon no such difficulties For admit that no species can represent God as he is in the highest sense of these words yet sure in the same sense wherein he can be seen by us as he is he may be represented to us as he is And what can be more frivolous than that fore-recited reasoning to the contrary There can be no created representation of God sicuti est adequate to the Vision the blessed have of him but they see more than any created representation can contain for they see â—â—finitum though not infinitè For how must we understand the iâ—finitum they are said to see Materially or formarlly must we understand by it him that is infinite onely or else as he is infinite If it be said the latter that is 〈◊〉 say they see infinitè too If the former only Do not Saint on 〈◊〉 see viz. mentally which is the vision we are speaking of him who is infinite in their present state where it is acknowledge their knowledge is by Species Yâ—t would I not hence conclude that the knowledge Saints shall have of God hereafter shall be by Species for my design in all this is bâ—t to discover the vanity of too positive and definitive conceptions concerning it beyond the measure of Gâ—ds Revelation and the ducture of clear and unintangled reason All knowledge hath been thought to be by assimilation i. e. by receiving the species or images of the things known So the intellect is not really turned into the things which it understands but only receives their species wherewith it is united so closely that it is therefore said to be like to them Virtuosi of Francâ— Confer 65. One waie or other it hath been judged necessarie the mind should be furnished with such images of the thing it is said to understand which therefore some have thought connate others supplied by sense totallie others by a separate intellectus Agens which some have thought to be God himself others one common Intelligence Others a particular Genius so indispensably necessarie it hath been reckon'd unto intellection that office should be performed by one or other If any clearer explication can be given or better way assigned of the souls knowing things it cannot but be welcome to rational men But I seâ— no necessity or reason it should have a specificallie distinct way of knowing here and in heaven Much less that we should imagine to our selves such a one as to that other state as is altogether unaccountable and capable of no rational explication And reckon it much more becoming to be silent than on pretence of anie mysteriousness in the things we discourse of to talk absurdlie and unintelligiblie about them A confessed ignorance in this case is becoming to say with that great Apostle It doth not appear what we shall be But to conclude and define such matters is surely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4. 13. John 17. Arist. in 3. Meteorâ—lâ—g Cap. de â—ride 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cognoscere deum clarè intuitivè est proprium naturale soli deo sicut est proprium igâ—i calefacere soli illuminare Ledesm de divin perfect q. 8. Art 7. Mat. 5. 8. Heb. 12. 14. Proposition 1. verse 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Deut. 32. Eph. 5. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jâ—m 1. 18. Eph. 4. 24. Regis ad exemplum totus compoâ—â—tur orbis Nam facere rectâ— bonus princeps faciendo docet Cumque sit imperio maximus exemplo major est Velleins Paterculus Rom. Hist. l. 2. 〈…〉 * Mâ—ltis enim modis dici res possunt similes Deo aliae secundum virtutem sapicatiam â—actae quiâ— in ipso est viâ—tus sapientia non facta aliae in quantum solùm vivunt quia ille summe primè vivit ilâ—ae in quantum sunt quia ille summe primitus est Aug 8â— quest p mihi 211. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * P. Moulinâ—us de cognitione Dei †Heathens have disdained and declaimed against so unworthy thoughts of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Maximus Tyr. Disserâ— 1. The same Author warns us to take heed that we ascribe to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. Unto which purpose is that decantâ—te Distich of Home◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And that saying of Pliâ—y Quapropter effigiem Dei formamquâ— quaerere imbâ—cilitatis humanaeâ—r or applied by Zâ—ach de operibus Dei And we may see much of like import alledg'd by Natal Com. lâ—b 1. p. 13 Which by the way discovers how â—â—atly opposite the Idolatrie forbidden in the second commandment is to the light of Nature it self Which hath been also the just Apologie of the Ancient patrons of the Christian cause for the simplicitie of their worship in this respect and their not imitating the pompoâ—s vanitie of Pagan Image worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen coatr Celsum lib. 7. To which purpose see at large Min. Felix Quod simulacrum Deo fingam c. And surely 't is as improvable against the same piece of Christian Paganism The usually assigned differences would easily be shewn to be trifling impertinencies Corpus hominis noa animam esse imaginem Dei Aug. if it be Augustines lib. de haeresibus See Dr Charleton of his Image of God in man * Est Dei similitudo quaedam quam nemo vâ—vens nisi cum vitâ â—xuit quaâ— habet homo volens noâ—ens c. Bernard de viâ—â Solitar †D. Aug. suâ—â— lib. 10. de Trinitat * Sed eâ—t alia magis Dei propinqua similitudo 〈…〉 Bernard * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zanch. Psal. 52. 6 7. Isa. 46. 8. * Tâ—â—s Salmâ— de Dâ—o immâ—â—so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Which some think to be the Niphal of the same word notwithstanding the different punctation of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †How fit a Symbol it is of Godâ— Sabbatique rest see Dr. Moris's defence of his Philosophical Sabbata from Philo Judaeus * Eâ—it ibi verè maximum Sabbatum non habens vesperam quod commendavit Dominus in primis operibus mundi ut legitur requievit die Septimo Dies enim Septimus etiam nos ipsi erimus quando ipsius â—uerimus benedictionum sanctâ—ficationum pleni atque resecti ibi vocabimus vidâ—bimus vidiâ—bimus amabimus amabimus laudabimus c. Aug de civit Dei l. 22. c. 30. vid. eund de civit Dei l. 17. c. 4. * Quies appeâ—itus in appetibili
petite questions that with many are so hotly agitated for recreation sake or to try his wit and exercise his reasâ—n without stirring his passions to the disturbance of others or himself here an innocent divertisement and the best purpose that things of that nature are capable of serving But when contention becomes a mans element and he cannot live out of that fire strains his wit and racks his invention to find matter of quarrel is resolved nothing said or done by others shall please him onely because he means to please him in dissentiâ—g Disputes onely that he may dispute and loves dissension for it self This is the unnatural humour that hath so unspeakably troubled the Church and despised Religion and filled mens Souls with wind and vanity Yea with fire and fury This hath made Christians gladiaters and the Christian World a clamorous Theater while men have equally affected to contend and to make ostentation of their ability so to do And surely as it is highly pleasurable to reâ—â—re ones sâ—lf so it is charitable to call aside others out of this noise and throng to consider silently and feed upon the known and agree'd things of our Religion which immediately lead to both the duties and delights of it Among which there are none more evident and undoubted none lesse intangled with controversie none more profitable and pleasant then the future blessedness of the righteous which this discourse Treats of The last end is a matter to little disputable that 't is commonly thought which is elsewhere more distinctly spoken to not to be the object of election and so not of deliberation consequently but of simple intention onely because men are supposed to be generally agree'd as touching that And the knowledge and intention of it is apparently the very soul of Religion animates direct enlivens and sweetens the whole thereof Without which Religion were the vainest irrational and most unsavoury thing in the World And because the more clearly this our last end is understood the more powerfully and sweetly it attracts and moves the Soul this Treatise endeavours to give as plain and positive a state and nation of it as the Text insisted on compared with other Scriptures would afford to so weak an eye And because men are so apt to abuse themselves with the vain and self-contradicting hopes of attaining this end without ever having their spirits framed to it or walking in the way that leads thereto as if they could come to Heaven by chance or without any design or care of theirs The proportion is indeavoured to be shewn between that Divine likeness in the vision and participation whereof this Blessedness consists and the Righteousness that disposes and leads to it Which may it be monitory to the ungodly and profane who hate and scorn the likeness of God where-ever they hehold it And let me tell such from better-instructed Pagans That there is nothing more like or more acceptable to God then a man that is in the temper of his Soul truly good who excells other men as he is himself excelled pardon his Hyperbole by the immortal God That between God and good men there is a friendship by means of vertue a friendship yea a kindred a likeness inasmuch truly as the good man differs from God but in time here sprinkle a grain or two being his Disciple Imitatour and very of-spring That God is full of indignation against such as reproach one that is alike to him or that praise one that is contrarily affected or unlike buâ— such is the good man i. e. he is one like God A good man as it shortly after follows is the holiest thing in the World and a wicked man the most polluted thing And let me warn such haters of holiness and holy men in the words of this Authâ—urs immediately subjoyned And this I say for this cause that thou being but a man the son of a man no more offend in speaking aginst an Hero One who is a Son of God Me thinks men should be ashamed to proâ—esse the belief of a life to come while they cannot behold withâ—ut indignation nor mention but with derision that holiness without which it can never be attained and which is indeed the seed and principle of the thing it self But such are not likely much to trouble themselves with this discourse There 's little in it indeed of Art or Ornament to invite or gratifie such as the Subject it self invites not And nothing at all but what was apprehended might be some way useful The affectation of garnishing a margent with the names of Authours I have ever thought a vain pedantry yet have not declined the occasional use of a few that occurred He that writes to the World must reckon himself debter to the wise and unwise If what is done shall be found with any to have promoted its proper end His praises to God shall follow it as his prayers do that it may who professes himself A Well willer to the Souls of men J. H. Christian Reader YOu whose hearts are set on Heaven who are dayly laying up a treasure there here is a welcome messenger to tell you more thâ—n perhaps you have well considered of the nature of your future Blessedness and to illustrate â—he Map of the Land of promise and to bring you another cluster of its grapes Here is a useful help to make you know that Holiness doth perticipate of Glory and that Heaven is at least Virtually in â—he Seed of Grace Though this life be properly called a life of Faith as contradistinct from the â—â—ntuition and fruition hereafter as well as from the lower life of sence yet is it a great truth and not sufficiently considered and improved that we have here more than Faith to acquaint us with the Blessedness expected Between Faith and Glory there is the Spirit of Holiness the love of God the heavenly desires which are kindled by Faith and are thâ—se branches on which the happy flower and fruit must grow They are the name and mark of God upon us They are our Earnest our Pledg and the first fruits And is not this more than a word of prâ—mise only Therefore though all Christians must lively Faith marvell not that I tell you that you may you must have more than Faith Is not a Pledge and Earnest a first Fruits more Therefore have Christians not only a Spirit to evidence their Title but also some foretast â—f Heaven it self for Faith in Christ is to recover us to God and so much as we have of God so much of fruition And so much as Faith hath kindled in you of â— love of God so much foretaste you have of Heâ—ven for you are deceived if you think that any â— Notion speaketh more to you of Heaven and of yâ—â— Ultimate end than THE LOVE OF GOD And though no unsound ill-grounded Faith â—â—serve to cause this sacred Love yet when it caused it over-tops this cause
and he that peâ—ceiveth the operations of a strong effectual Lovâ— hath an acquaintance with God and Heaven whiâ—â— is above that of believing Faith seeth the Feaâ—â— but Love is the tasting of it And therefore it that the Holiest souls sticks closest unto God because though their reâ—soning faculty may be dâ—fective they know him by the highest and mâ— Tenacious kind of knowledge which this Worâ—â—ffâ—rdeth as I have lately shewed elsewhere â— Here you have described to you the true witness the spirit Not that of supposed Internal Voiceâ— which they are usually most taken up with whâ— have the smallest knowledge and Faith and Love and the greatest self esteem or spiritual pride with the strongest phantasies and pâ—ssiâ—ns But the objective and the sealing Testimony the Divinâ— Nature the renewed Image of God whose Children are known by being like to their Heavenly Father even by being Holy as he is Holy This is the Spirit of Adoption by which we are inclined by Holy Love to God and confidence in him to cry Abba Father and to flie unto him The Spirit of Sanctification is thereby in us the Spirit of Adoption For both signifie but the giving us that Love to God which is the filial nature and our â—athers Image And this Treatise doth happily direct thee to â—â—at faithful beholding God in Righteousness which â—ust here begin this blessed Assimilation which full â—tuition will for ever perfect It is a happy sign that God is about to repair our â—ins and divisions when he stirreth up his serâ—ants to speak so much of Heaven and to call â— the minds of impatient complainers and conâ—tious censurers and ignorant self conceited diâ—ders and of worldly unskilful and unmerciful â—stors to look to that state where all the godly shall one and to turn those thoughts to the furtherance Holiness to provoke one another to Love and to â—od works which two many lay out upon their hay â—â—d stubble And to call men from judging and â—spising each other and worse then both those out their Meats and Drinks and Dayes to study â—â—ghteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost â—r he that in these things serveth Christ in which â— Kingdom doth consist is acceptable to God and proved of men that are wise and good Let us â—â—erefore follow after the things which make for â—ace and things wherewith one may edifie anoâ—â—er whilest the contentious for meat will destroy â—e work of God Rom. 14. 17 18 19 20. The â—ion between Peace and Holiness is so strict that he â—o truly promoteth one promoteth both Heb. 12. â—4 Jam. 3. 17. The true way of our Union is exâ—lently described Eph. 4. 11 12 13 14 15 â—6 If any plain unlearned Readers shall blame the â—curateness of the stile they must remember that those persons have not the least need to hear of Heâ—ven and to be drawn up from the vanities of earâ—â— who cannot digest a looser stile As God hath endued the worthy Authour with more thâ—n ordinary measure of judiciousness 〈◊〉 soundness and accurateness of understanding 〈◊〉 seriousness spirituality and a heavenly mind we have for our common benefit the effects of these happy qualifications in this judicious heâ—venly discourse And if my recommendations mâ— in any measure further your acceptance in provement and practising of so edifying a Treatâ—â— it will answer the ends of him who waiteth with 〈◊〉 in hope for the same Salvation Rich. Baxter Acton May 30. 1668 THE BLESSEDNESSE OF THE RIGHTEOUS A Proemial Discourse to the intended Subject THe continual mixture of Good and Evil in this present state of things with its uncertain fluctuations and subjection to perpetual changes do naturally prompt a considering mind to the belief and hope of another that may be both more perfect and more permanent For certainly it could never be a design adequate or any way agreeable to the Divine Wisdom and goodness that the blessed God should raise such a thing as this lower Creation out of nothing Only to give himself the temporary pleasure of beholding the alternate Joys and Sorrows of the best part thereof his reasonable creature seated in it Nor a delight at all proportionable to an eternal happy being when he hath connaturalliz'd such a creature to this sensible world onely to take notice how variously the passions he hath planted in him may be mov'd and stir'd by this variety of occasions which he shal thence be presented with And what suddain and contrary impressions may be made upon his easie passive senses by the interchanged strokes and touches of contrary objects How quickly he can raise him into a transport of high contentment and pleasure and then how soon he can again reduce him to a very Paroxism of anguish and despair It would discover us to have very vile and low thoughts of God if we did not judge it altogether unanswerable to his perfections to design no further thing in creating this world and placing such a creature as man in it then onely to please himself for a while with such a spectacle and then at last clear the Stage and shut up all again in an eternal Silent darkness If we could suppose a man furnished with such power he would surely adde little to the reputation of his being wise or good beyond other men by a design so to use it Much less can we think it worthy of God to perpetuate such a state of things as this and continue a succession of such persons and actions as we now behold in the world through eternal generations onely to perpetuate to himself the same pleasure in the exercise of his immense power upon created natures over which he hath so infinite advantage And indeed nothing can be more unconceivable then that the great Creatour and Authour of all things should frame a Creature of so vast comprehension as the Spirit of man put into it a capacity of knowing and conversing with himself give it some prospect of his own glory and blessedness raise thereby in many boundless unsatisfied desires after him and an unexpressible pleasure in the preconceived hope of being received into the communion of that glory and blessedness and yet defeat and blast so great an expectation by the unsuspected reducement of the very subject of it again to nothing Yea and that he should deal herein as in that case he must the most hardly with the best And that such souls whose meer love and devotedness to him had made them abandon the pleasures of this life and run thorough whatsoever difficulties for his sake should fare worse then the very worst were beyond all the rest most utterly unimaginable and a thought which Pagan-reason hath not known how to digest or entertain If saith one and he speaks the sense of many another as well as his own with the dissolution of our bodies the essence of the Souls whatsoever that be should be dissolved too and for ever cease to be any thing I know not how