up good thoughts of any one :) only because they have no mind to acquaint themselves with him; and that they may have some colour for their affected distance and so, perhaps, never return; but perish under a horrid wilful despair. And even the people of God themselves are too apt sometimes, so wholly to fix their eye upon love and grace, that they grow into an unbecoming, uncreaturely familiarity; while the thoughts of infinite majesty, adorable greatness and glory are asleep. Sometimes possibly, they apprehend vindictive justice, the indignation and jealousy of God against sin, (precluding meanwhile, the consideration of his indulgent compassions towards truly humble and penitent souls) to that degree of affrightment and dread, that they grow into an unchildlike strangeness towards him, and take little pleasure in drawing nigh to him. But when, now our eye shall take in the discovery of divine glory equally; how sweet and satisfying a pleasure will arise from that grateful mixture of reverent love, humble joy, modest confidence, meck courage, a prostrate magnanimity, a triumphant veneration; a soul shrinking before the divine glory into nothing, yet not contenting itself with any less enjoyment, than of him, who is all in all!

There is nothing here in this complexion, or temper of soul, but hath its warrant, in the various aspect of the face of God comprehensively beheld; nothing but what is (even by its suitableness) highly grateful, and pleasing. It will be fixed, steady intuition, as its object is permanent glory. The vision of God can neither infer, nor admit weariness. The eye cannot divert; its act is eternally delectable, and affords an unvariable, undecaying pleasure. Sensual delights soon end in loathing; quickly bring a glutting surfeit; and degenerate into torments,* when they are continued and unintermittent. A philosopher in an epistle which he writes to a friend, from the court of Dionysius, where he was forcibly detained, thus bemoans himself, Kaxodasμονῶμεν, ὦ ̓Αντισθενές, ξ μετρίως, &c. “ We are unhappy, O Antisthenes, beyond measure; and how can we but be unhappy, that are burdened by the tyrant every day with sumptuous feasts, plentiful compotations, precious ointments, gorgeous apparel? and I knew as soon as I came into this island and city, how unhappy my life would be." Socratico rum. Epis. 9. This is the nature and common condition of even the most pleasing sensible objects; they first tempt, then please a little, then disappoint, and lastly vex. The eye that beholds them, blasts them quickly, rifles and deflowers their glory; and views them with no more delight at first, than disdain afterwards. Creature-enjoyments have a bottom, are soon drained and drawn dry; hence there must be fre

*Proba istas, quæ voluptates vocantur, ubi modum transcenderint, pænas esse: prove by experience that what are called pleasures when they exceed proper bounds become pains. Sen. Ep. 83.

quent diversions; other pleasures must be sought out; and are chosen, not because they are better, but because they are new.

This demonstrates the emptiness, and vanity of the creature. Affection of variety only proceeds from sense of want; and is a confession, upon trial, that there is not in such an enjoyment what was expected. Proportionably, in the state of glory, a constant indeficient fulness, renders the blessed soul undesirous of any change. There is no need of varieties, of diversions: what did once please, can never cease to do so. This glory cannot fade or lose any thing of its attractive power. The faculty cannot languish, or lose the disposition, by which it is contempered and made proportionable thereto. Hence no weariness can ensue. What! a soul in which the love of God is perfected grow weary of beholding him! The sun will sooner grow weary of shining; the touched needle of turning itself to its wonted point; every thing will sooner grow weary of its centre; and the most fundamental laws of nature be sooner antiquated and made void for ever. The eye of the fool, Solomon tells us, is in the ends of the earth; (Prov. 17. 24.) His only, is a rolling wandering eye, that knows not where to fix. Wisdom guides, and fixes the eye of the holy soul; determines it unto God only I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel, my reins also instruct me,-I have set the Lord always before me. Psal. 16. 7. 8. Surely heaven will not render it less capable of dijudication; of passing a right judgment of the excellency and worth of things. And here, a rational judgment will find no want; and irrational will find no place. Therefore, as permanent glory will certainly infer a perpetual vision; perpetuated vision will as certainly perpetuate the soul's satisfaction, and blessedness.-It will be a possessive intuition as it is an appropriate glory which it pitches upon. It will be the language of every look, "This glory is mine." The soul looks not upon it shyly, as if it had nothing to do with it; or with slight and careless glances: but the very posture of its eye, speaks its interest, and proclaims the pretentions it hath to this glory. With how different an aspect, doth a stranger passing by, and the owner, look upon the same house, the same lands; A man's eye lays his claim for him, and avows his right. A grateful object that one can say is his own, he arrests it with his eye; so do saints with appropriative looks behold their God, and the divine glory. Even with such an eye as he was wont to behold them; To this man will I look, &c. (Isa. 66. 1. 2.) that is, as the place of my rest, mentioned before; he designs him with his eye. Which is the import of that expression, The Lord knows who are his; (2. Tim. 2. 19.) his eye marks them out; owns them as his own; as concerning others, whom he disowns, the phrase is, I know you not. And how vastly different is such an intuition, from that, when I look upon a thing, with a hungry, lingering eye, which I must never

enjoy or never expect to be the better for? This vision is fruitive, unites the soul with the blessed object which kind of sight is meant, when actual blessedness, is so often expressed by seeing God. We see then what vision, the sight of God's face contributes to the satisfaction of blessed souls.

CHAPTER VII.

Having considered in the preceding chapters, what vision contributes to satisfaction in reference to the object and the act of vision, we come now to inquire Secondly, Wherein assimilation (the likeness or glory of God impressed) contributes unto satisfaction: where is particularly propounded to be shewn. 1, What pleasure it involves. 2. What it disposes to. (1) What it involves in the esse, being of it. (2) What in the cognosci, knowledge of it. The pleasure of being like God discovered, shewing concerning the image of God [1] Generally, that it is the sonl's health and soundness restored; that it is a vital, an intimate, a connatural, a perfect image.

Our next business, is to discover,

Secondly. What assimilation, or the impressed likeness of God, may further add to this satisfied state; or, what satisfying pleasure the blessed souls find in this, that it is like God. And here we are distinctly to inquire into the pleasure which such an assimilation to God involves in itself, and that which it tends to or disposes.

1. The pleasure it involves in itself; or, which is taken in it abstractly considered; which we may more particularly unfold by shewing-the pleasure involved, in being like God: and-in knowing or reflecting upon the same: the esse and the cognosci of this assimilation.

(1.) The pleasure in being like God; which may be discovered both by a general consideration hereof, and by instancing in some particulars, wherein blessed souls shall be like him.

[1.] It is obvious to suppose an inexpressible pleasure, in the very feeling, the inward sensation, the holy soul will have of that happy frame in general, whereinto it is now brought; that joyful harmony, that entire rectitude it finds within itself. You may as soon separate light from a sun-beam, as pleasure from such a state. This likeness or conformity to God is an exgaria a perfect temperament; an athletic healthiness; a strong sound constitution of soul. Do but imagine, what it is to a man's body, after a wasting sickness, to find himself well. Frame a notion of the pleasure of health and soundness, when, both, all the parts and members of the body are in their proper places and

proportions; and a lively, active vigor, a sprightly strength possesses every part, and actuates the whole; how pleasant is this temper ! If we were all body, there could be no greater felicity than this. But by how much the more noble any creature is, so is it capable of more exquisite pains, or pleasures. *Sin is the sickness and disease of the soul; enfeebles all its powers, exhausts its vigor, wastes his strength. You know the restless tossings, the weary rollings to and fro, of a diseased languishing body; such is the case of a sinful soul. Let it but seriously bethink itself, and then speak its own sense, (but here is the malignity of the disease, it cannot be serious, it always raves;) What will it be? "OI can take no rest!" The way of wickedness is called a way of pain: Psal. 139. 24. Sinners would find it so, if the violence of the disease had not bereft them of sense. Nothing savours with me; I can take comfort in nothing. The wicked are as a troubled sea, (as their name imports) that cannot rest, whose waters, &c. Isa. 56. 20. The image of God, renewed in holiness and righteousness, is health restored, after such a consuming sickness; which, when we awake, when all the drowsiness that attends our disease is shaken off, we find to be perfect. The fear of the Lord (an ordinary paraphrase of holiness or piety) is said to be health to the navel, and marrow to the bones. Our Lord Jesus invites wearied sinners to come to him, to take his yoke on them, to learn of him, (Matt. 11. 28.) that is to imitate him, to be like him, and promises they shall find rest to their souls. How often do we find grace and peace, in conjunction, in the apostles' salutations and benedictions? We are told that the ways of divine wisdom (that is which it prescribeth) are all pleasantness and peace; (Prov. 3. 13.) that in keeping the commandments of God, there is great reward, (Psal. 19. 11.) that they are not grievous, (1 John, 5. 3.) that is (for there seems to be a meiosis in the expression) are joyous, pleasant. And what are his commandments, but those expresses of himself, wherein we are to be like him, and conform to his will? The kingdom of God (that holy order which he settles in the spirits of men; his law transcribed and impressed upon the soul; which is nothing else but its conformation and likeness to him

,

*Τιμιωτερον ψυχή σωματος, το δὲ τιμιωτερον αγαθον μειζον· το δὲ τῷ μείζονι, αγαθῷ ἐναντίον, μεῖζον κακόν· αγαθον δὲ μεῖζον υγεία ψυχής υγείας σωματος· μεῖζον ἐν κακον,νόσος ψυχής, νό σε σωματος νόσος ψυχής μοχθηεία, &c. The mind is more noble than the body and as it is more noble it contains the greater good, while whatever is contrary to it must be the greater evil. Now the health of the soul is a greater good than that of the body; consequently the sickness of the soul is a greater evil than that of the body. The sickness of the soul is sin, &c. Max. Tyr. dissert. 41.

Hinc illud et tædium et displicentia sui, et nusquam residentis animi volutatio, &c. hence that weariness that internal disgust and agitation of the perpetually unsettled mind, &c. Sen. de Tranquanimi.

self:) is righteousness, and then peace. Rom. 14. 17. The ❤góvпua IIvεúμaros, (Rom. 8. 6.) that notion and judgment, and savour of things; that excellent temper of mind and heart; (for that is the extent of the expression) whereof the holy Spirit of God is both the author and pattern, is life and peace; involves them in itself. When one thing is thus, in casu recto, predicated of another, it speaks their most intimate connexion, as Rom. 14. 17. above: so 1 John. 5. 3. This is love that, &c. So here, such a mind is life and peace, though the copula be not in the original, it is fitly supplied in the translation;) You cannot separate life and peace from such a mind: it hath no principle of death or trouble in it. Let such as know any thing of this blessed temper and complexion of soul, compare this scripture and their own experience together; when, at any time, they find their souls under the blessed empire and dominion of a spiritual mind; when spirituality wholly rules and denominates them : are not their souls the very region of life and peace? both these in conjunction, life and peace? not raging life, not stupid peace; but a placid, peaceful life, a vital vigorous rest and peace it is not the life of a fury, nor peace of a stone: life that hath peace in it, and peace that hath life in it. Now can the soul say, “I feel myself well; all is now well with me." Nothing afflicts the spiritual mind, so far, and while it is such it is wrapt up, and clothed in its own innocency and purity; and hereby become invulnerable, not liable to hurtful impressions. Holiness (under the name of light, for that is, by the context, the evident meaning of the word there) is by the apostle spoken of as the christian's armour. (Rom. 13. 12.) Put on, saith he, the armour of light, in opposition to the works of darkness, which he had mentioned immediately before. Strange armour! that a man may see through. A good man's armour is, that he needs none : his armour is an open breast; that he can expose himself; is fearless of any harm. Who is he that shall harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? It should be read imitators; so the word signifies; and so, whereas following is either of a pattern, or an end; the former must be meant here, by the natural importance of that word. And hence, by "that which is good" (Tš a'yat) is not to be understood created goodness; for it is not enough to imitate that goodness; for so we must be good; but the words are capable of being read, him that is good,

*Invulnerabile est non quod non feritur, sed quod non læditur. Sen de constantia sapientis, sive quod in sapientem non cadit injuria; to be invulnerable is not to be free from all attacks, but to be uninjured by them. Seneca on the constancy of the wise man or his superiority to injuries.

+ Integer vitæ scelerisque purus, &c. He that is of an upright life and free from vice. Hor. Muntai.