GOD ALL IN ALL: OR THE HIGHEST HAPPINESS OF THE SAINTS.  
In two Parts.  
The 

I. Asserting this Happiness to consist in the Enjoyment of GOD.  
II. Enquiring into the Quality of that Enjoyment.    
Together with a short APPENDIX, wherein is very briefly considered, The claim of Natural Reason, and private Inspirations to a guidance of us in the things of GOD. Also what courses dishonour the Gospel, and what Duties we own it.  
By EDWARD BUCKLER, Preacher of the Gospel.  Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. Psal. 73.25. 
London, Printed for Luke Fawn, at the sign of the Parrot in Paul's Churchyard. 1655.   

To the truly, and hearty Religious LADY, Grace Sydenham, Wife to the Right Honourable Colonel Willam Sydenham, Governor of the Isle of Wight, and one of his Highness' most honourable Council.  
MADAM,  
YOu have been pleased to make me an object of your exceeding many and great favours, which you could not have done, had it not been your principle to be good, gratis; that I might not miss an occasion (which I may never be able to offer myself again) of putting this into a public acknowledgement, is much of what I have to plead for sending you these Papers. I had never any thing to return you but my thanks, and how much I am hitherto in arrear for due expressions of it, the less you do account, the more I yet own you.  
The further errand of this discourse is not to tell you where your happiness is: you know GOD too well to be able to mistake in a concernment of that consequence, nor to tax you for seeking it where you know 'tis not; You love God too well, to suffer any thing in your heart to sit above him. Have not I observed the delicacy of your spirit, how tenderly you meddle with the Earth, from a holy jealousy lest your conversation should not be enough in Heaven? But it is (Madam) to offer itself as a poor instrument in the hand of a great GOD, of some addition to the heaven you are already in, the comforts of this here (though not the joys of that hereafter) are capable of an augmentation. Who can tell, but that even by this means, your Communion with your God may be furthered? And if but one glimpse the more of divine beauty shine in upon your soul, and raise but a rapture the more upon your spirit, I shall not be totally disappointed in what I aim at: And if you saw my heart, you would find it very full of wishes, that I were able to do you, not better service, but more of this.  
Many do already very well know, and I do hereby publicly declare, That there is not that man alive, to whom I am so much in debt as to your Honourable Husband; and very much am I below any possible evidence of gratitude to him, unless it be of this kind.  
If you shall ask, Why then do I not direct this (if this be all) unto himself? Why! Madam, what do I else in directing it to you? But if this satisfy not, I must discover my design in doing it by you. It is (to confess all ingenuously) that this naked acknowledgement, unable otherwise to signify half enough, might be rendered (by a medium of conveyance so extremely wellpleasing) sufficiently acceptable. If I miss not here, though I may beg of you some other favours, you shall never be solicited to do me a greater; and I shall constantly pray, That the Lord (your exceeding great reward) would wrap up your soul in the bosom of his love, give you so much of Himself, as may be had by any means, at any time, and in it a comfortable fore-taste of what cannot be all had, till you come to enjoy him immediately for ever. Doubtless I may be guilty of many failings as to other things, but this retribution for your many favours shall be daily paid, by,  
Madam, Your most humble, and very much obliged Servant, EDWARD BUCKLER.   

To the pious Reader.  
I Have no intent to make an Apology for appearing in Print; for who constrained me? Or to talk of any influence the importunity of Friends hath had upon these Papers to thrust them out into the world: This were to publish a supposition of no very great abundance either of friendship or judgement, in those I stand to in this relation. I have no mind to crave pardon for meddling with so high and glorious a subject: we are doubtless allowed the contemplation of what we are promised the fruition. Nor do I go about to excuse my very weak and unanswerable management of it; is any man bound to impossibilities? I do not know what you will do, but God accepteth according to what a man hath. You have indeed this upon no other account than the sense of my duty, to pay contribution toward the welfare of the Saints, though out of my own Parish. I have taxed myself to what I ought, because to what I was able: If it offer any of your souls an occasion of meeting your God but once the oftener, you will be no loser's; because the discourse is not qualified unto any probability of giving you satisfaction, I have purposely chosen a subject that can do it abundantly. GOD can fill up, and content all the soul; whom I know you will be glad to converse with by any means, though (if that were possible) it should be less considerable than this, tendered by  
Your unworthy Servant in the things of CHRIST, E.B.   
1 COR. 15.28. 
— That God may be All, in All.  
PART. I.  

Sect. I. The Text Explained.  
IN this Chapter there be two things, which it is the Apostles principal design to make good; viz. 

1. The Doctrine of the Gospel by the Resurrection of Christ.  
2. The General Resurrection of the dead.    
The latter is prosecuted from the twelfth verse forward, of which you have, the 

1. Confirmation by many Arguments.  
2. Order of their rising.  
3. Quality of the raised.    
The Second only of these is, what we are engaged to take cognizance of, which the Apostle speaks to, v. 23.— though we shall all be made alive, yet will it be done in a certain method, every man in his own order. Christ himself risen first, as the first fruits of them that sleep; but the whole crop of Christians shall not rise till his second coming, which the Apostle having mentioned, he spends the five following verses (by way of digression) in setting down of this coming of Christ. 

1. What shall follow it.  
2. To what end.    
1. What follows it, you have from Verse 23. to the Text inclusively, in these five Particulars, viz. 

1. The end of the world.  
2. The delivery up of Christ's Kingdom.  
3. The putting down of all Rule, and all Authority and Power.  
4. The subduing of all Enemies.  
5. The subjection of the Son himself.    
2. To what end, and this you have in the Text, That God may be all in all. That these few words may the better be understood, I shall say a little to each of these three things, viz. 

1. Their reference.  
2. Their aim.  
3. Their meaning.    
First, To what passages of the Chapter do they carry a relation? to me, truly, they seem to be the result of all, and of each of those five things but now mentioned: The world shall be ended. Christ's Kingdom shall be delivered up. All Rule, and all Authority and Power, shall be put down. All Enemies shall be subdued. The Son himself shall be subject, and all, and every one of these, That God may be all in all.  
Secondly, their aim is to hold us out, wherein consisteth the Final, and perfect Happiness of the People of God, they be high expressions, and do signify some incomprehensible glory, flowing from God himself, which the Saints shall be filled withal 
* Significatur magnificentissimis istis verbis incomprehensibilis, quaedam gloria, quae a Deo promanans nos totos, implebit. Beza in locum. . We shall be the readier to believe it, if we consider these  

Four Particulars.  
1. 'Tis plainly much of the Apostles design in this Chapter, to convince Believers of a condition hereafter, perfectly glorious and happy; if their portion in the next world, should be no better than it is in this, they were of all men most miserable, Vers. 19 which would be abundantly absurd to imagine of a people for whom Christ died.  
2. That this happiness is not so complete and full, as it shall be. 

1. Till all enemies be subdued, and the last of all destroyed, which is death. Nor,  
2. So long as Christ reigns by virtue of his Mediatorship, and therefore this Kingdom must first be delivered up to God the Father.    
3. The end of Christ's taking up this mediatory Kingdom (next behither God's glory) was the advancement of Believers to the highest pitch of felicity that they are capable of, and so it cannot be otherwise, but that,  
4. The accomplishment of this end must needs fall in with the last result of the administration of this Kingdom, and that in the language of the Text, is, That God may be All, in All.  
Thirdly, for the meaning of these words, they are a Periphrasis of our complete enjoyment of God. That God may be All, in All; is, That we may enjoy him all one to all purposes, 
* Sebast. Mejerus in locum.  
* Zanch. the 3 Ds Eloh. l. 3. c 11.  neither wanting, nor willing any thing besides him, 
* Aqu in locum.  when nothing shall be in us that is not as God himself, 
* Aqu. in locum.  in whom the soul shall totally acquiesce, and who alone shall be its blessedness.  
For a person to be all in all to me, is for me to have such an enjoyment of him to all purposes, as that I neither do, nor have need to enjoy any thing else: for God to be so to his Saints, is for them to enjoy, to converse with, to have to do with nothing, but God.  
Look back again upon the relation between these words, and the precedent verses, and you may discern in them such an enjoyment of God as shall be,  
1. Without partners. God shall be all, we shall have nothing else.  
2. Without defect. God shall be all, in all: every thing to every purpose. 
* Deus ipse nobis omnia suppeditabit, quip qui & cibus nobis, & potus, & amictus &c. futurus est. Athan. in locum. Deus erit vita & salus, & virtus, & gloria, & omnia. Aqu. in locum. Aug. de Civit. Dei. l. 22. c. 30.   
3. Without means. Word and Sacraments and the like, in which God is enjoyed here, shall cease, that Kingdom where these administrations are made use of, shall be delivered up, ver. 24.  
4. Without opposition. All enemies shall be subdued, Ver. 25.  
Without end. Death shall be destroyed, Vers. 26. and even our bodies shall be raised in incorruption, and shall put on immortality.  
All this I conceive to be in the Text, though I cannot say that this is all.    

SECT. II. The Doctrines of the Text propounded, and one of them opened.  
THe words of the Text do now plainly lay us down these two Propositions, viz.  

1. The highest happiness of the Saints, is the enjoyment of God.  
2. That enjoyment of God which is the Saints highest happiness, shall be immediate, Sole, free, full and everlasting.   

First Proposition.  
The highest happiness of the Saints is the enjoyment of God.  
For the Explication of which, it will be necessary to inquire what 

1. The enjoyment of God is.  
2. Is our highest happiness.     

First, What is the enjoyment of God?  
You may not expect an exact account of this while we are on this side Heaven, we are not fully agreed what enjoyment is, of which several men have several apprehensions; and as much as we can well do, is to determine what God is not. 
* Facilius dicimus quid non sit, quam quid sit. Aug. in Ps. 86.8.  All I shall adventure upon is but this offer, whether to the enjoyment of God there must not be a concurrence of (at least) these four things, viz.  

1. Knowledge of him.  
2. Influences from him.  
3. Acquiescence in him.  
4. Converse with him.   
First, The knowledge of God. We can never enjoy what we have no acquaintance with, 
* Fruimur cognitis. Aug. l. 10. de Trinit.  our desires cannot so much as move after an unknown object, how much less can they be satisfied with it. Knowledge is the intellectual eye which the soul sees by and when our sight shall be at the clearest, our enjoyment shall be at the highest, 1. Cor. 13.12.  
But it must be the knowledge of God in Christ, to know him otherwise, is to see too much in him of terror, for us to approach unto; a wad of stubble is not very well qualified for any communion with a consuming fire. We cannot walk together except we be agreed, Amos 3.3. and God is not where but in Christ, reconciling sinners unto himself, 2 Cor. 5.19.  
Neither is it every Knowledge of God in Christ, that will let us in to the enjoyment of him, it must be influential upon our hearts and practices; if our actions drive a trade of contradiction to our intellectuals, and our lives keep no correspondency without profession, God will not know us, Mat. 7.23. And how much weaker than a Spider's web, is that poor man's hope, who in such a case shall but dream to enjoy him? an understanding head is not qualification enough for this happiness, those whom God owns, are men of understanding hearts.  
The Apostles great aim, is the enjoyment of Christ, and its inlet into the soul, is by the way of the understanding: upon this account it is that he throws dung in the face of all enjoyments else, that he may know Christ, Phil. 3.8, 9, 10.  
And thus whom God means to to hold communion with, he doth first let into his acquaintance, by opening.  

1. His own face.  
2. Their understandings.   
First, His own face, for he is sometimes a God that hideth himself, Isa. 45.15. and in such a case is not discernible enough to be enjoied, hence surely is it, that when the Saints would continue their comfortable apprehensions of their God, they beseech him not to hid his face from them, Psal. 143.7. And when he is at any time out of sight, that darkness is left upon their spirits, there's no way to set him within their view again, but the lifting up of his countenance, and the uncovering of his face to shine upon them: and for this it is that the Saints are so often upon their knees. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Psal. 4.6. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant, Psalm 31.16. but this is not enough, unless God open,  
Second, Our understandings. The Well and Hagar in the Wilderness, were near enough one to the other, yet till God opened her eyes she did not see it, Gen. 21.19. Christ was with his Disciples, yet whilst their eyes were held they did not know him, Luk. 24.16. look in what degree the Lord is pleased to open our understandings, in such a degree we apprehend him; even those discoveries of God that are in Scripture, are by none of us any further receiveable, than himself makes them way. Christ opened their understandings, that they might understand the Scriptures, Luk. 24.45. He had opened the Scripture before, Vers. 27. And so there was light enough about the object; but this did not suffice, till there was light too in the faculty, till he had opened their understandings to let it in. Our understanding is Dei Infundibulum (so I have heard it called) God Tunnel, which he doth enlarge according to the infusions which he is pleased to afford us of himself. This is the first requisite to enjoyment, the Knowledge of God. How sad is the condition of ignorant souls? then may they come to the enjoyment of God, when midnight may dwell in the sun. What communion hath light with darkness, 2 Cor. 6.14.  
Secondly, Influences from God. When we receive all that God can afford, and we are capable of, as assurances of his being ours, and experiences of his being ours, to all intents and purposes, with that peace passing all understanding, and that joy unspeakable and full of glory, which is wont to wait upon such a condition, so Solomon calls that the enjoyment of a thing, when it derives unto us all the good that it can afford; Eccles. 5.18.  
Thirdly, Acquiescence in God, as neither finding contentation in any thing less, nor desiring a jot more; To enjoy God is 
* Frui, est amore inhaerere alicui rei propter seipsam. Aq. 1ae. 2ae Qu. 11. Art. 1.  to love God, and to cleave unto him for his own sake. 
* Frui est uti cum gaudio & delectatione, Lomb. l. 1. Dist. 1. c. 8.  'Tis to possess God with complacency, and all possible satisfaction: 
* Suavitas quaedam de ultimo fine, Aqu. quo sup.  'Tis a sweetness tasted in God, even to the ravishing of our affections, as much of this as is enjoyable here below, you have a relish of in these and the like Scriptures.  
Cant. 2.3.4. Psal. 73.25. Psal. 104.34. to which add, That Heaven which is not above the reach of Saints upon earth, in 1 Pet. 1.8. which Scriptures I hope you will have time enough to turn to, and dwell upon, till all that delight, and Sweetness, Acquiescence, Complacency and satisfaction in God, dropped thither from the bosom of those Saints, be taken out, and copied upon your own spirits.  
Fourthly, Converse with God. Then we enjoy him, when he dwells and walks in us, 2 Cor. 6.16. by his spirit, graces, comforts, when we walk with him upon earth, Gen. 5.24. and converse with him in Heaven, Phil. 3.20.   

Secondly, What is our highest Happiness?  
I think their description of Happiness, to be full enough, who make it to consist in the possession of a perfect good, excluding every evil, and satisfying every desire 
* Aqu. 1ae. 2ae. Q. 5. Art. 3. .  
1. The Possession. It may be some degree of Happiness to be entitled to such a good in reversion; but the height of happiness it cannot be, where any thing  is wanting, it is an abatement of felicity.  
2. Of a perfect good. All things and every thing, that may be called by that name, blessedness, is a condition made up of the aggregation of all good things, not one must be left out; yet is it not necessary that we possess every good in kind, 'tis enough that the good we possess, be as much as every good in value.  
3. Excluding every evil, both of sin and suffering, when either of these are incident to a condition: either that condition is not happy, or these are not evil, as long as we can either sin or suffer, we are under some degree of infelicity.  
4. Satisfying every desire, when we are so filled with the good we have, that as we do not want, so we cannot wish a jot more. So you have the point explained.    

SECT. III. The Point propounded, proved by some Scriptures.  
ALL those Scriptures may pertinently be called in to the making good of this proposition, which assert our highest happiness to consist in God's presence, in being with God, in seeing God, in being satisfied with God, etc. which are all but diversified expressions of our enjoyment of God. I shall take these that follow into consideration, Psal. 16.11. In thy presence is fullness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.  
1. Here is fullness of joy, and eternity of pleasures: and is not this a plain description of our highest happiness? so Christ the Head, had this joy set before him, Heb. 12.2. and when he puts any member of his into possession of that Kingdom which was prepared for him from the foundation of the world, his livery of Seisin is conceived in these terms: Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, Mat. 25.21. I have not met with one Exposition, that doth not find in this assertion of David (or rather of Christ in David's person) a plain description of our highest happiness. But where is all this to be found? Why  
2. In God's presence, or in God's face, and is not this as plain a description of the enjoyment of God? the showing of whose face, doth signify such a manifestation of himself, as doth let us so into his acquaintance, as we are wont to be in theirs, with whom we familiarly converse. Sometimes the face of God seems to be full of frowness, Levit. 20.6. 'tis his smiling face that is here mentioned. God hath smiles of grace for us, whilst we are in our journey, 
* Ps. 4.6.  these are smiles of glory, when we shall come home, the twilight of his Countenance is our enjoyment of him here, the full noon of it shall be so hereafter.  
Psal. 17.15. I shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness. Here is every desire full, and what doth fill them but God's Image? some expound this of Christ, the express Image of his father's person, Heb. 1.3. and what doth this amount to less than the enjoyment of God? There be three sorts of Images. 1. Imago representationis so there is something of God in the in-inferior creatures, Rom. 1.20. 2. Imago similitudinis; so there is much of God in man, Gen. 1.26. 3. Imago aequalitatis, and so there is all of God in Christ, Col. 2.9. Others make glory and Image all one, as they are made. 1 Cor. 11.7. and this the sense, when I shall awake up out of the dust, and have admission to see and enjoy thy glorious presence, 
* Post hanc vitem contemplando clarè Deum. Lorin in locum.  I shall be satisfied with that object; neither shall I want, or desire any more.  
Mat. 5.8. Blessedness is placed in seeing of God, and who is it that writes upon this subject, but doth deny it to consist in any thing else 
* Vltima & perfecta beatitudo non potest esse nisi in visione divinae essentiae. Aq. 1ae. 2ae. Q. 3. Art. 8. vid. apud. Dionys. Carhus. in 4. Sent. didst 49. q. 4. ? when Christ prays for the glorification of believers, his request is, They may be with him. Joh. 17.24. what are the earnest groan of the Saints for, but to be present with the Lord? 2 Cor. 5.8. Phil. 1.23. the great comfort that Paul prescribes against all that death can do, is, That we shall be with the Lord. 1 Thes. 4.17. and what is the odds between our grace and glory, but this, That now we see through a glass darkly, but then we shall see face to face, now we know in part, but then we shall know even as we are known, 1 Cor. 13.12. to enjoy God face to face, and to know God in the same manner (for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as, is a note of similitude, not of equality) though not in the same degree that God knows us, is the top of our beatitude, which in 1 Joh. 3.2. is said to consist in seeing God as he is, such a vision only being completely beatifical.   

SECT FOUR Reasons of the Point.  
THat our highest Happiness is the enjoyment of God, the Scriptures (you see) bear sufficient witness, the reasons why 'tis so may be wrapped up in this one.  
There is in God, what ever is necessary to a perfect happiness, and it is not in any thing else.  
That what our felicity is made up of must be good, is beyond dispute: evil, as such, cannot be the object of any appetite, much less can it be propounded as the last end by any agent that is rational, 
* Eustac. Eth. parte 1a. in initi●. Aq. 1ae. 2ae. qu. Art. 1.  yet will not every good reach far enough to make us happy, it must be  
1. A pure and simple good. If there be in it any mixture of evil, 'twil never do it, if it be penal, it is either of sense, and then there is something more, or else of loss, and then there is something less than can constitute a blessedness: if it be sinful, the case is worse, because the evil is greater 
* Culpa habet plus de ratione mali quam paena. Aqu. Part. 1. Queen 48. Art. 6. , if it be pardoned, yet 'tis a burden to be groaned under, Rom. 7.24. if it be not, it leaves us open to the Curse, Galat. 3.10.  
Now such a good is God, Light in whom there is no darkness at all, 1 Joh. 1.5. Light here below is purissima qualitas, very pure and simple, yet scarce enough so to be a shadow of that above, which no man can approach unto, 1 Tim. 6.16. God is a good in which there is no evil at all.  
But nothing else is so; the goodness of the Creature is mixed with something that is not good, how could they else be vanity and vexation of spirit? Eccl. 1.14.  
2. A sufficient good: Let us (at least in a supposition) be free from evil; yet if the good we have be not enough, we are under a condition of want and indigency, and can that be happiness?  
Such is God, a good that is all-sufficient, as he calls himself, Gen. 17.1. able to afford what ever, is  
* In quo nihil desiderari possit boni. Zanch. the nat. dei l. 4. c. 1. Qu. 1.  an immense fullness, an ocean of goodness, containing in himself all the good that is in other things with an incomprehensible overplus: There is no good in Wife, Child, Friend, Health, Beauty, Honour, Learning, Wisdom, Wealth, Power, etc. but is all found in one God; though not formalitèr, the same in kind, yet eminentèr, more infinitely, more than the same in value, 
* Dr. Archbold Ser. in 1 Pet. 1.16. p. 6.  the whole world and God put together are not a jot more excellent than God alone: For if there be any excellency in the Creature, 'tis more eminently in God already, and your addition will signify nothing: 
* Aug. in Ps. 27.9.  Whatsoever God will bestow upon me, let him take it all away, and give me himself, it was Augustine's offer, and he knew his bargain would have been good enough.  
But nothing else is so: All the creatures in the world, if they stand by themselves are but so many cyphers, unless God (as a solid number) be added to them they signify nothing: Set God aside, and there is not an all-sufficiency in the whole Creation for one soul. He that hath most of the world hath not enough, and he that hath lest hath too much, if he cannot say with him, 
* Omnis copia quae non est Deus meus, mihi egestas est. Aug. Solil. q.c. 13.  All abundance, if it be not my God, is to me nothing but poverty and want. It must be  
3. A satisfying good; able to fill, quiet, and content the Soul. Delectation is of the essence of happiness, and is caused by the satisfaction 
* Ex quiet appetitûs in bono adepto. Aqu. 1. 2. Qu. 4. Art. 1.  of our desires in the good which we possess. Whatever we have, if it be not enough to silence our appetite from craving more, we are short of happiness.  
Such is God; beyond whom there being nothing imaginable, its impossible there should be any thing desirable. Plato himself could define God to be 
* Summum bonum quo nihil melius excocogitarri potest Ex Zanch. de nat. Dei. l. 4. c. 1. Qu. 1.  the chiefest good, than which nothing better can fall so much as within our imagination. Surely the good that God is, as well as the good he can do, is above all that we are able to think, exceeding abundantly above it, Eph. 3.20.  
But nothing else is so: Leave God out, & whatever you take in, the heart will still be capable of desiring more; all the world cannot fill it, nor can all the creatures that it is stocked withal give a complete satisfaction to the desire of one soul. Is it because what is spherical (as the world is) can never fill what is triangular (as the heart is) but some places will be still empty? or is it that our concupiscible faculty is of so large a size that the whole earth and the fullness thereof cannot fit it? or that no creature can fill two places at once, as money for example, the chest, and the heart at the same time? or is it the unsuitableness that is between that object and this faculty? or is our appetite raised by having, as a fire is increased by the fuel it is fed withal? or is it rather because we naturally are carried out after our own perfection, and so cannot terminate our desires in any thing that is short of it, as all the creatures are? what ever is the reason of it, sure we are, that he that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase, Eecles. 5.10. As nothing can be the perfection, so nothing can be the satisfaction of the soul, but he that made it: She will never be at rest till she rest in God: there's no full contentment in her pilgrimage, and her only home is 
* Animae patria est Deus ipse. Aug.  God himself; no good but the chiefest can suffice us.   

SECT. V The further illustration of the point.  
THere will a little more of light be let in upon the Doctrine, we have under consideration, from these three particulars.  
First: The happiness we have here is that enjoyment of God which we have here, and look at what rate our enjoyment is, at the same is our happiness, and for this we will be tried, by 

1. God, and  
2. His Saints.    
First, doth not God promise this as the greatest happiness? Exod. 29.45. I will dwell amongst the children of Israel, and will be their God (i. e.) I will settle mine habitation and divine presence among you, 
* Ainsw. in locum.  it was the greatest sign of God's grace towards his people; 
* Id. in Ex. 25.8  and the promise of it is noted to wrap up in it an eminent blessing, 2 Cor. 7.1. compared with chap. 6.16. And on the other side, it is a woe with an emphasis unto a people when the Lord shall departed from them, Hos. 9.12.  
Secondly: Whether the Saints do not look upon that enjoyment of God which is afforded them on earth, as their greatest happiness, till they shall have more of it in heaven, is easily resolved by observing in them these five things, viz.  
1. Before all things in the world they desire this, Psalm 27.4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord, etc. To see, or behold it, is to enjoy it, is this one thing all that David would have? Do we not ever and anon find him upon his knees before the throne of Grace, for one blessing or other beside this? We do so; but this one thing especially, this blessing above any other: This is it that the Saints pant after, as the Hart panteth after the water brooks, Psal. 42.1, 2.  
2. Above all things in the world they prise this; 'tis not the increase of Corn and Wine, but the light of God's countenance which they value, Psal. 4.6.7. his loving kindness is better than the life itself, Psal. 63.3. than any life, what ingredients soever may be in it to make it valuable: And yet what a rate are we wont to set our lives at! men will bleed, sweat, vomit, purge, be cupped, scarified, wear issues, plasters, part with an estate, yea with a limb or two to preserve their lives; as he cries out, give me any deformity, any torment, any misery, so you spare my life 
* Debilem facito manu, deb●lem pede, coxâ, tuber adstrue gibberum etc. vita dum super st bene est. . It is reported that Queen Elizabeth could not endure so much as to hear death named 
* Sen. Epist. 101. ; and Lewis the eleventh of France was said to be of the same temper: so do men prise their lives, but yet a value infinitely above it do the Saints set upon the enjoyment of God.  
3. No loss in the world lies so heavy upon their spirits as the loss of this. Other afflictions may make him cry, but under this they cannot choose but roar, Psal. 38.8. others may make their bones ache, this doth break them in pieces, Psal. 51.8. is there any pain more tormenting then of broken bones? yet this doth David pitch upon to offer you a gueses at that smart which seized upon his spirit, under a loss of communion with his God. Job can lose his estate, his servants, his children, and be quiet, Job 1. But when the Arrows of the Almighty are within him, etc. his grief is then heavyer than the sand of the Sea, Chap. 6.2.3.4. Outward losses to some men have been unsufferably afflictive, 
* Roger. Episc. Sarisb. tempore regis Stephani-Exutus opibus in amentiam versus est Nubrigens.  one being turned out of his estate runs out of his wits ed out of his estate runs out of his wits 
* Aegeus in mare se praecipitem dedit Plut. vita ejus.  another for the death of a son, throws himself headlong into the Sea. This to the Saints is comparatively nothing, their great loss is to lose the sight of their God.  
4. Nothing can trouble them, whilst they have this, Psal. 23.4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: There is danger enough, the hazard of life is as little as can be signified by the shadow of death, can death itself be far, when we are within, yea when we walk through the shadow of it? or take the valley of the shadow of death to signify so thick a darkness as the grave is covered withal, whether death carries us; yet it is a supposition of a condition black and dreadful enough, how hard a matter is it, not to have some degree of affrightment upon us in the dark? not to be afraid of the terror by night hath, and therefore needs a divine promise, Psal. 91.5. Augustus' that great Emperor, durst not sit in the dark 
* nisi aliquo assidente Suet. vita ejus.  without company, and was it not in thoughts from the visions of the night, that fear come upon job, and trembling which made all his bones to shake, job. 4.13.14. amongst those very many acceptations of darkness which are in Scripture, doth one of them signify any thing that is not uncomfortable? Here is you see matter enough of danger, yet no fear of it, and whence all this holy security, but from the presence of God? I will fear no evil for thou art with me: See also Psal. 27.1.2.3. much to the same purpose.  
5. Nothing can comfort them if they want this. 
* Hoc scio dōine deus meus, quia ubicunque sum sine te male est mihi Aug. Soliloq. cap. 13.  What wanted David of any outward blessing, when those expressions fell from him, in Psa. 30.6.7. In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved. Lord by thy favour thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong; but see what follows: Thou didst hid thy face, and I was troubled, thou withdrewedst the sense of thy favour and loving kindness, 
* Mollerus in loc.  which I had fond enjoyed, and miserable comforters did I then find all other enjoyments, and indeed: When God giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a Nation, or against a man only, Job 34.29.  
This is one thing that doth illustrate the point we have in hand: That at what rate our enjoyment of God is here below, at the same is our happiness; and for this the Lord himself and his Saints, have given in their verdict,  
2. God's own blessednessse doth consist in the enjoyment of himself: For if we believe the Schoolmen, 
* Lomb 1. Dist. 1. g.  he doth not enjoy any thing else: he hath some use of the Creatures, but no Fruition, or if he had, there is not in them that absolute freedom from evil, nor perfection of goodness which is requisite unto happiness that must needs be God's blessedness which he aimeth at, and resteth in as his utmost and last end; but that God in all his actions and administrations aimeth at, and resteth so in himself, besides the testimony of divers Scriptures, 
* Pro. 16.4. Apo. 1.8. Rom. 11.32. Apo. 4.11 Is. 43.7.21.  seems even by reason itself not impossible to be demonstrated: Let us look upon these  

Six Propositions.  
1. Prop. All things in their motions and actings, aim at some end or other which they may Acquiesce and rest in 
* Arist, 2. Phys. c. 8. Text. 77. etc. . If this Proposition were doubted, it would be proved by another, that God and Nature do nothing in vain.  
2. Prop. The end of all designs and actings (at least in every reasonable nature) is something that is good, either truly so, or in appearance, (see before Sect. 4. about the beginning) hence is good in general defined to be that which all do desire 
* Id quod omnia appetunt. Arist. 1. Eth. .  
3. Prop. The last end of all motions and actings in every reasonable nature, is the chiefest good: All, even natuturally desiring to be blessed and happy 
* Scot in 4. Sent. ●ist. 49. Q. 9 , though many do not distinctly know what happiness is, or which is the way to it.  
4. Prop. If there were no blindness in our understandings, that we could with clearness apprehend what the chiefest good were, nor any perversity in our wills to rebel against the dictates of our understandings, we should then particularly and distinctly aim at it, and rest in it.  
5. Prop. This chiefest good is God; being good naturally, independently, perfectly; and the only cause of all that good, which is any where else.  
6. Prop. God perfectly and disstinctly knows himself to be the chiefest good 
* Aq. part 1. Q. 14. Art. 2.3. , his understanding is infinite, Psal. 147.5. From all which it seems to look like an impossibility that God should aim at, or rest in any thing as his last end but himself. This is the Second. The blessedness of God himself is the enjoyment of himself before any thing else was, he was the blessed God, neither hath he received any addition to his happiness by the things which he hath made.  
Thirdly: The greatest misery of the damned in hell is, that they are denied the enjoyment of God 
* Biel exposit. Can. miss. lect. 33. e. ; this is enough to make a hell of itself, yea it hath ten thousand hells in the womb of it. What is that darkness which the damned are threatened to be cast into? not the absence of the light of the Sun; for the Saints in heaven have not this light, because they need it not, and how should such a darkness be any punishment to the condemned Angels, who never made any use of such a light? It is rather the absence of the light of heaven, which is God himself 
* See Willet Synops. count. 20. Q. 5. . Surely that the damned are said to weep and to gnash their teeth, doth proceed from the greatest of their torments, which Christ tells us shall be from this, when they shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, and they themselves thrust out, Luke 13.28.  
Punishment of sense, though it be infinite as to the duration of it, yet as to its extremity we may have leave to judge otherwise: for if it were infinite (not to mention how inconsistent this would be with that diversity of degrees in the pains of hell, which (with good countenance from Scripture 
* Mat. 11.24. Mat. 23.14, 15. Luk. 12.47, 48. ) is by many believed;) it would follow that God could not punish them a jot more, but it is a medium by which we are wont to prove the Lords omnipotency, that he never doth so much in reference to the creature, but that he is still able to do more 
* Zanch. the nat. Dei, l. 3. c. 1. q. 3. : So what the damned suffer in their pain of sense is but a finite evil, what they are excluded from in their pain of loss, is an infinite good. 'Tis in God's power to lay upon them a greater evil than what they suffer, 'tis not in his power to deny them a greater good than what they want.    

SECT. VI First Use, for information.  
LEt us from this Doctrine in the first place, see what may be concluded for the better information of our judgements. It follows,  
First, That God is of a transcendent and infinite goodness; both  
1. In himself: Many good things do we read of in the Scripture, and of many persons that are passed under that character 
* Act. 11.24. , and yet we are told again, that there is none good but one, that is God, Mat. 19.17. Are there contradictions in the Scripture? or is not this the meaning, that goodness is not any where at the rate that it is in God? 'Tis in God originally, 'tis in the creature but by way of participation; in him as in a fountain, in them but as in a vessel; in him universally, in them but to some purposes; in him an ocean, in them but a drop; theirs so deficient that they need something else to their happiness in earth; Gods so full, that we shall need nothing else to our happiness in heaven. How transcendently good is our God, that even in heaven itself nothing but himself can make us blessed! we have none in heaven but him, Psalm 73.25. and,  
2. To all his people, that he will bestow himself upon them: What he promised to the Father of the Faithful he will make good to all his children, he will be our exceeding great reward, Gen. 15.1. not causally in giving other things, but formally in giving himself, the reward and the rewarder shall be all one: Said the Angel to Abraham, Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me, Gen. 22.12. May we not a little vary the expressions, and send them back again? Lord, now we know that thou lovest man, seeing thou dost not withhold thyself, thine own self from him. Let out your understandings to the uttermost, and conceive if you can, what, and how great a good that is which is God himself 
* Aug. in manuali cap. 33. Quantum & quale est illud bonum quod deus est. .  
Secondly: That of those things which are afforded us here below, in such of them there is most of happiness, in which there is most of the enjoyment of God. In his Ordinances especially is God wont to communicate, and to offer himself to be enjoyed, there's his presence in the midst of us, Mat. 18.20. there he walks, Apoc. 2.1. there his beauty is to be beheld, Psal. 27.4. the God and King of his Saints may be seen going in his Sanctuary, Ps. 68.24. here is most of God; and see if the Scriptures do not place here, upon this account, most of happiness, Psal. 65.4. 
* Ministerii externi commendatio diligenter hic est observanda, etc. Mollerus in locum.  Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy Courts, he shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house; even of thy holy temple. Read the 84 Psalms, and if David may be judge there is more of heaven in the Ordinances, than can be enjoyed any where else, till we come thither.  
Thirdly, That those men give us a false draught of heaven, who do not place it in the enjoyment of God. The Heathens had their Elysium 
*— per amplum mittimur Elysium. Virg. Aen. 6. v. 744. , where they supposed good men's souls to take up their habitation 
* Vbi piorum animae habitant. , which some place in the earth, some in the Firmament, others in the sphere of the Moon, full of all delights that are imaginable 
* Vives in Aug. in civet. dei. l. 21. c. ult  but these poor souls knew not God. The Turks have their Paradise where they expect a felicity in the enjoyment of silken Carpets, pleasant Rivers, fruitful Trees, beautiful Women, Music, good cheer, and choice Wines, precious Stones, Gold and Silver, Plate, and such conceits as these 
* Rosse View of all Religions, §. 6. p. 146. . And what have 
* Vid. Martinium de verâ Religione in 8vo. p. 119.120.  some dreamed of even amongst Christians? Sure some of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a return of the soul into another body; some of an eternal life, somewhere out of the kingdom of God; others of a happiness made up of sensuality and the pleasures of the flesh, and many ignorant persons called Christians amongst us, have but a very little more refined apprehensions of the joys of heaven; supposing them no others than may very near be enjoied by the beasts of the field. This is a happiness fancied by those who cannot taste what God is, which must first be done, before we can so much as guess what heaven is.  
Fourthly: That amongst those many pretenders to a desire of going to heaven, the greatest number do it either not knowingly, or not hearty; for as much as they desire not the enjoyment of God. Is this a slander? oh how contentedly, how joyfully should I do penance for reporting it, did it not appear to be a sad truth.  
1. In some by their proclamation of defiance to the ordinary means and ways of enjoying God; and are not the Ordinances of the Gospel such? and how sufficiently these have been mocked, and buffeted, and spit upon, is too well known. Yea have there not been clamours that they might be crucified? How many will not at all own them, how many do seldom or never use them? there be a woeful number that will have nothing to do with preaching, or praying, that will not so much as call upon God once or twice a day in their families, you cannot mention an ordinance, but they are above it; do these men desire to enjoy any communion with God, who will neither hear him, nor speak to him? yea not so much as bid him good night, or good morrow?  
Object. There be many good people, who doubtless desire to enjoy God, who own not the Ordinances, etc.  
Sol. To that fancy of enjoying God here without Ordinances, I may speak something when I shall come to the second Doctrine, Sect. 2. In the mean time, as to the goodness of the persons, I shall lay before you these four particulars.  
1. Perhaps all the testimony they have of their goodness is from themselves, or from others very near of the same character, or at best from the mistaken charity of such as are godly indeed. However  
2. This is no expression of their goodness, being a sin against the precepts and directions of the Gospel. See 1 Thes. 5.17.20. Heb. 10.24.  
3. 'Tis not a goodness that good men formerly were wont to be guilty of. David was not. See Psal. 27.4. and 84.1, 2, etc. and 122.1. If these three, Noah, Daniel, and job were here, they would not do so. See 2 Pet. 2.5. Dan. 6.10. job 23.12.  
4. IT was not accounted goodness in the days of old, not in the time of Solomon, Prov. 28.9. nor of Isaiah, Is. 30.9, 10. nor of jeremiah, jer. 11.10. nor of Christ, Luke 11.28. nor of the Apostles, Acts 13.46. We must find out a new definition of goodness, or some other way to express ours than by laying aside the Ordinances of God.  
2. In others, by their trading in those practices which they cannot expect the enjoyment of God in. There be divers (even among pretenders to Religion) who walk licentiously and loosely, spending a great part of their precious time, in rioting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, for whom the Apostles character of those whom he could not mention without tears is as fit as if it had been made for them, Phil. 3.18. Do these men desire the enjoyment of God, who daily put themselves into an incapacity of it? are not these practices works of darkness, Rom. 13.12? and is not God light, 1 joh. 1.5? and what communion between these two, 2 Cor. 6.14? Pray read 1 joh. 1.6. and chap. 2. ver. 4.6.  
Fifthly: That the greatest enemies that a people can have, are such as would strip them of the means they have of enjoying God. See what broke Ely's neck, and his Daughter in laws heart, 1 Sam. 4.18. etc. And what ingredients made up the Churches bitter Lamentations, Lam. 2.6, 7, 9 Those are none of our friends who would put us into so sable a dress, to mourn over the Funerals of our Religion: Or if you will needs say you are, we beseech you express your friendship to us some other way.   

SECT. VII. The second Use, of Reproof to such as place their happiness in the enjoyment of the world.  
IF our highest happiness be in the enjoyment of God, where shall we find, or how shall we make a reproof sharp enough for their folly who place it in the enjoyment of outward things? whether there be any such or no, I shall not otherwise determine than by leaving every Reader to an application of these three things, viz.  
First: Do we look so fare as, and no further than the world, in our thoughts, studies, designs, etc. then is the world our happiness: if we thought it to be in any thing beyond it, we would look further; 'tis as possible not to be, as not to look every jot as far as we suppose any happiness may be found.  
Secondly: Do we spend more of the strength and spirits of our soul for the world than we do for God? hath it, not the ordinary actings, but the intention and utmost vigour of our hearts? our operations stretched to the highest pin? ex. gr. the highest search of our invention to find out means to get it? the highest reach of our reason and judgement, to determine whether this or that (suppose this sin, or that duty) be the nearest way to it? the exactest strain of our diligence to act according to this prudent determination? Do we move towards it with the strength of our affections? And be our fears and jealousies never so deep concerning any thing, as, lest we should miscarry about it? doubtless the mind would not be carried out at such a rate, after any thing less than a supposed happiness; where all our heart is, there is all our treasure.  
3. Are we wont to deliberate about owning of our God? whether it be safe, prudent, advantageous? but to be resolute, and never put it to the question, about prosecuting the things of the world? then assuredly is the world our utmost end; the very top of our felicity, it never comes under debate whether that which is our last end should be pursued, or no 
* De fine non est aeliberandum. . If any of us be found in this predicament, the Lord make us see our folly, to express it is not possible. Can any of these things here below make us happy? I shall call you out no further than experience. Is happiness  
1. In Riches? I do not remember you of their 
* Luke 8.14. 1 Tim. 6.10.  thorns whilst they stay; nor of their wings 
* Prov. 23, 5. , to be gone. Only you may not forget him who had more wealth than he knew what to do with, to have died a fool, Luke 12.17.20.  
In Pleasures? which way then went Dives into that place of torments, Luke 16.23.28? And what beast is it that may not be accounted happier than we?  
3. In honours? no English man, I hope, is so simple as to believe it, who hath seen the fountain of it dropping its last upon a scaffold, and most of the vessels filled by him, emptied into the dust. If you labour for these things, or aught else of the like nature, you labour for the wind, Eccl. 5.16. And to lay out for it time, strength, spirits, wit, wisdom, body and soul, must needs be a folly of the first magnitude.   

SECT. VIII. The third Use, of Exhortation.  
LEaving then out of our hearts those vain things that cannot profit us, let us be exhorted to fill them up with that which can, scorning to waste our spirits about the enjoyments of the world where happiness is not, let us employ all our strengthin labouring after the enjoyment of God, where it is, the more we can possess of this, the more we have of heaven. 'Tis doubtless our sin as well as misery, that we should need any motives to such a duty, indeed to such a privilege as this is; but because we do, I shall lay down this one, viZ.  
The transcendent excellency of this enjoyment above all others, and that both in regard of 

1. The Object, God.  
2. The Act, Fruition.    
First, in regard of the Object, God. In whom  
1. There is nothing that is not amiable, and ; whatever is not good, perfect, excellent, to be sure that is not God. Divine beauty is unmixed, look upon the choicest of the Creatures, 
* Est aliquid quod se dedecuisse putes.  and if there be beauty, there be also blemishes; not so our God, you cannot attempt to describe him, but removing from him all imperfection: If all beauty cannot draw out our souls, and melt them into ardent desires of fruition, than nothing can.  
2. There is in God every thing that is good and lovely. Divine beauty is complete and perfect, there is nothing in the world for an affection to close with, that is not in him: If it be Greatness, and Power, and Glory, and Victory, and Majesty, they are all his, 1 Chron. 29.11. If it be peace he is the very God of it, 1 Thes. 5.23. If it be wealth, the Heaven, even the Heavens are the Lords, Psal. 115.16. If it be love, God is love, 1 joh. 4.8. and what ever else you can imagine that is .  
3. These and all perfections else are in God, in an unparalleled way of eminency, not of the seize they are in us; that one Volume contains more, than the several editions of all the creatures, that are under Heaven, or in it: what is scattered elsewhere is but a drop to this Ocean. We may speak excessively of other things, but not of God.  
4. The Beauty that is in God, is permanent, 'tis everlasting, not fadeing and perishing as the Creatures is, out of whose garden every day plucks a flower 
* Florem decoris finguli carpunt dies. . Yea, the Heavens themselves, which for their pre-eminence of beauty, are called, praestantissimum Corpus, a most excellent piece indeed, and are by some supposed to consist of 
* Ex quintâ essentiâ.  a finer matter than any of the four Elements, which go to the making up of other beauties; even these glorious bodies shall wax old as doth a garment, etc. Heb. 1.11. 'tis God only that hath immortality, 1 Tim. 6.16. and in whom there is no variableness, etc. Jam. 1.17.  
5. All the beauty and goodness that is in the Creature, is of Gods putting there, and what ever is in the effect, is more eminent in the cause, how glorious is that Sovereign of the skies, the Sun, and that Queen of Heaven the Moon! There is beauty in the Heavens; how gallantly are they bespangled with Stars! there's beauty in the Earth, how finely is it embroidered with fruits and flowers! There is beauty in men, women, etc. how much more is there in God that made them? that little that is in the channel doth many times extremely ravish us, and we are sick of love till we can enjoy it, what should not that do that is in the Fountain? 
* Si sic in creaturis laboremus quid in ipso Deo?  if the Creatures have so much, their maker cannot challenge less than all.  
6. When we have said and imagined all that we can of the excellency of God, when we are swallowed up and and have lost ourselves under the contemplation of it, we come infinitely short of what is indeed in him. 
* Nullus intellectus creatus potest deum cognoscere ut cogn●scibilis, est Aq. par. 1. q. 12, Art. 7  God is in all his glorious perfections incomprehensible.  
Now truly if there be nothing in God that is not , nor a want of any thing that is; if what ever we dote upon in the Creature, be no more than a spark to that sun, and that too, let down from that Father of Lights; if all the beauty and goodness we can see in him, be short of what indeed it is, and all that is, be everlasting, to supply sufficient matter for our delight and complacency to all eternity; how excellent is the enjoyment, when this God shall be the Object of it.  
2. In regard of the Act, Fruition, which (as we have seen already 
* Sect. 2. ) is a cleaving unto God by love, for his own sake, as the choicest emanation of the soul, is love; so of all loves that which pitcheth upon God, which is then in its highest glory and excellency, when it carries out the soul after him, for his own sake; for the good that is in him, rather than the good that comes by him. This love hath most of excellency in it, whether you look upon. 

1. The kind of it.  
2. The degree.    
First, It's a love of a Nobler kind, flowing from higher principles, refined from those dregs that lie at the bottom of other loves. Ex. gr.  
1. We may love God merely because he is able to do us good, having all in him, that is wanting in us. This is but Amor indigentiae, a necessitous love, and hath something of self in the composition of it, and we may  
2. Love God merely that he may do us good; This is Amor concupiscentiae, a mercenary love, as like to theirs as it can look who followed Christ for loaves, joh. 6.26. and is not so much a love of God as of ourselves, and we may  
3. Love God because he hath done us good, given us health, peace, etc. this at best is but Amor gratitudinis, a thankful love, and may easily flow even from a good nature; but the love that is in Fruition, is of another character, when God is loved for himself. Then.  
1. The desires of the soul are carried out after him with a large wing, thirsting after him as a dry and parched land for rain, Psal. 63.1. and panting after him as the chased heart for the brooks of water, Psal. 42.1. to whom she thinks she can never be near enough; and there is not any way of Communion that she doth not ardently long to meet him in. To see him, and to gaze upon his beauty as long as she lives, Psal. 27.4. To hear him, his mouth is most sweet, his lips are like Lilies, and every syllable is Myrrh that droppeth from them, Cant. 5.13.16. To be in his arms, one hand must be under her head, and the other must embrace her, Cant. 8.3. Yea, to be in his very heart, and to be set there as a seal, Cant. 8.6. Yea all the familiarities that God affords her here do not satisfy; to be in the body is to be at too great a distance, and is upon that account a burden that she groans under, 2 Cor. 5.4. A dissolution is looked upon as far better, Phil. 1.23. towards a fuller enjoyment of him, no pace will serve but the swiftest, Cant. 8. ult. and her prayer is not only Come Lord Jesus, but come quickly, Apoc. 22.20.  
Where art thou Lord (saith Augustine 
* Soliloq. cap. 1. ) why dost thou hid thy face? Perhaps thou wilt say, No man shall see me and live: Eia domine moriar, ut te videam, if that, Lord, be all, let me die upon that condition. This now is amor unionis, a desire of enjoying God as immediately as we may. When God is loved for himself, Then  
2. The soul is possessed with a full contentment in God, as portion enough, Psal. 16.6. She will see more in him than in all the world beside, and there will rest 
* Ama illud bonum in quod sunt omnia bona, & sufficit. Aug. manual. c. 34  (see before Sect. 2.) this is amor complacentiae, a love made up of nothing but delight. And  
3. The soul will be inclined to all possible compliance with God, that love which ties us to him for his own sake, is an imperative affection, it will lay us at his feet, 1 Cor. 13.7. it will never give us leave to say of any duty that God commands us, that it is either dangerous, see Dan. 6.10. Acts 4.18, 19 or 
* Quid non cogit amor? nihil amantibus durum nullus labor difficilis.  difficult, Joh. 20.15. or tedious 
In eo quod amatur, aut non labor laboratur aut amatur. , Gen. 29.20. 1 joh. 5.3. or unprofitable, of so excellent a kind is this love of God; 'tis amor amicitiae, a friendly love. And  
Secondly; for the degree of it, it is a ravishment of spirit, 
* Raptus ex intuitu divinae pulchritudinis ortus.  even unto sickness, Cant. 2.5. begotten by a contemplation of divine beauty; 'tis amor inebrians, prevailing upon the soul even to a spiritual drunkenness; 'tis love intended to the uttermost, the highest strain that the heart can reach unto: Other things doth such a soul think may be loved too much, but the measure by which she loves God, is to love him without measure; 'tis love as hot as fire, not glowing a little in the ashes, but affording most vehement flame, Can. 8.6. nay heat in fire may be put out by a little water; many waters cannot quench this, Can. 8.7. as it was said of Laurence frying upon the Gridiron 
* Signior fuit ignis, qui foris ussit, quam qui intus accendit. , The fire without was less than the flame within; 'tis a love that moves our bowels which an ordinary qualm of affection can never do, Cant. 5.4. Such impressions can it make upon believers, when it is duly acted, who do bear about upon their souls (as Paul did in his body) the marks of the Lord Jesus, Gal. 6.17. but we cannot yet give over so sweet a theme, let me offer you a further taste of its excellency in these four particulars.  
1. God himself takes it into his proprieties, if it be not rather his very essence; God is love, 1 Joh. 4.8. and God is nothing but what is excellent.  
2. It is the womb of all duties else which we own to God, and 'twill bring them forth as occasion shall be offered, as Augustine 
* Domive dilige, & fac quicquid vis.  said to Christ, God doth freely say us, First love me, and then do what you will.  
3. All our abilities, all our do and sufferings will find no entertainment above, unless this love of God give them a certificate, that they came from her. See 1 Cor. 13.1, 2.  
4. 'Tis something that this will continue to be a duty, when most duties else shall be obsolete, and out of date; they are practicable on earth, this in heaven. They have their time, this its eternity.  
Now if there be so much of excellency in the Object, God, and in the Act, Fruition, this is motive enough, if the Lord will vouchsafe to set it on, to aspire after the enjoyment of God, above all the enjoyments else that are under the Sun.   

SECT. IX. Some brief Directions as to the forementioned Duty.  
IF the Saints would be as much in heaven as is here possible, and grow up more and more in this unspeakable happiness of enjoying God, they must follow these directions.  
First, you must endeavour to increase your knowledge of God, and your acquaintance with those excellencies that he is clothed withal. Much of that time which you spend in the study of other things, will be very well worth the redemption to be laid out upon this. 
* Incognitum non potest amari. Aug.  What you do not know, you cannot love, what you do not love, you cannot so much as desire to enjoy. There must be some appresion of the object before there can be any motion of the faculty toward it. See before Sect. 2.  
Secondly, you must endeavour to get and maintain an assurance of your interest in God; give all diligence to put this out of question, 2 Pet. 1.10. If there be never so much beauty, goodness, love, power, grace, holiness, etc. in God, you can never enjoy it, in case it be not, or you think it is not there for you. Fruition doth presuppose propriety, and some knowledge of it. He that is in his sins God will not own him, and he that is in Christ, and yet doubts it, will not easily be persuaded to own God; and be sure to build your assurance upon good grounds. I have read of a melancholy man, that supposed all the Ships in such a Haven to be his own 
* Thrasilaus' putavit omnes naves in Pireum portum appella ntes suas esse. ; and of a Gentlewoman in Mantua, who would not be persuaded but that she was married to a King 
* Marcel. Donatus de hist. med. mirab. l. 2. c. 1. ; as that poor man enjoyed those vessels which he had no title to an inch of, and that woman the husband whom she never saw, so do those men God who have no interest in him but in a dream.  
Thirdly, abate of your desires to enjoy other things. Love not the world; that is, Let not your hearts go out immoderately after it; if any man do so, the love of the Fathers is not in him, 1 joh. 2.15. A River let out into many channels, must needs run the shallower in some. 'Tis grown into a Proverb, that those persons who love overmany, are never wont to love overmuch 
* Alterius vires subtrahit alter amor. . The love of God and of the world are like two buckets in a Well, while one goes up the other goes down. We must leak our hearts, and let out all that is too much of our love to the world, they will then be the better at leisure to contemplate the beauty, and to be ravished with the excellencies of our God. Shall we suffer any thing to be competitors for our hearts with him? What is the enjoyment of a wife, a child, a friend, an estate, an office, a command, to the enjoyment of a God? Indeed what is any thing to him, before whom all the Nations of the world are less than nothing, Isa. 40.17?  
Fourthly, walk close with God; the nearer you walk up to him, the more you are like to enjoy of him. More particularly,  
1. Walk lovingly: Let all your do be done in charity, 1 Cor. 16.14. Let God's love in your souls be as a weight in the scale 
* Quod est pondus in librâ, hoc est amor in animâ. , carrying all your designs its own way. Let this love be the poise of all your actions, and go no other way but whither this shall lead you 
* Amor meus pondus meum, illo feror, quocunque feror. . Draw out the exercise of this grace, as far upward toward God as you are able. Love is a sociable affection, it will carry you into the company of God, and bring him into yours; you are promised so much in joh. 14.23. If a man love me, my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  
2. Walk beleevingly: Keep your eye of Faith as open as you can; you have no way else of seeing him who is invisible, Heb. 11.27. Neither is God wont to dwell in our hearts but by faith, Eph. 3.17. If this eye of our soul be shut or drowsy, we may say with Augustine, Mecum eras, & non eram tecum, God was with us, but we were not with him. We can have no converse, even with those friends that are about us, whilst we are asleep. In a word,  
3. Walk holily: This is to walk with God, Gen. 5.24. and to have our conversation in heaven, Phil. 3.20. then is God most enjoyed, when a gracious life shall go along an equal pace with a gracious heart; if the Saints cannot sin themselves out of God's favour, yet they may out of his familiarity. How often in Scripture is peace, and comfort, and the enjoyment of God, promised unto his people in a way of holiness? See Psal, 50.23. Galat. 6.16. Phil. 4.8, 9 Pretend what you will you converse but a little with God, who converse much with sin. See 2 Cor. 6.16. 1 joh. 1.6, 7.   

SECT. X. Of the enjoyment of God in Ordinances.  
BEcause the most ordinary way of Gods conversing with his Saints here in the body is by his Ordinances, as we have in part seen before Sect. 6. I shall inquire briefly into the causes why the Saints many times enjoy so little of God in them, that they may see and remove those abatements of their felicity. Is it not  
1. Because we do not seek God in his Ordinances? but think we may enjoy as much of him any where else? To how many are the Ordinances of God as indifferent things? If once it become indifferent to men, whether they eat and drink, or not; no wonder if they find neither their palates pleased, nor their bodies nourished.  
Qu. May not God be enjoyed, his goodness, love, and sweetness tasted, out of Ordinances as well as in them?  
Sol. If this may be, yet see whether.  
1. It be to be enjoyed by those that neglect his Ordinances? What did the King do, when such as were invited to his feast made light of it, did he carry, or send his Provisions after them, that they might far as well at their Farms, and Merchandise, as at his Table? you will find it otherwise, if you read Mat. 22.7. Or,  
2. It be so much of God as is wont to be enjoyed when we meet him in his Ordinances? if it be, why have not the Saints been contented with it? see Psal. 27.4. and 48.9. and Psal. 84.1, 2, etc. places that may better be tasted then explained. Or,  
3. It be not rather a retasting, and relishing again of that sweetness and comfort which was left upon the Soul, when God in his Ordinances communicated himself unto us, a making good of that gracious promise of Christ, in Joh. 14.26.  
Ob. But divers Saints that do constantly use the Ordinances, do yet complain how little of God, they enjoy in them.  
Sol. This perhaps may be:  
2. Because we do not seek God there; or not seek him principally, possibly we rest too much in them, and do not send up our souls to God thorough them, we do not carry our hearts high enough, but are ready to take in satisfaction merely from the work done, seeking that in the Ordinances, which we shall never find but in God. Let us rectify this miscarriage, we shall not undervalue the Ordinances to account them empty things unless God fill them, Wells of Salvation, but no Water there for us, Breasts of Consolation, but Dry ones, no milk for us, unless we can taste and feed upon God in them; if we would enjoy our God, we must be pleased with nothing, no not in the Sanctuary, unless we can see our God, and our King walking there, Psa. 68.24. Or,  
3. Because we do not seek God in all his Ordinances; some Christians are altogether for private Ordinances, and do despise the public; some for public Ordinances, and neglect the private, if we will not meet God in one, can we expect that God should meet us in another? if we neglect Christ's company in the midst of two or three in private, Mat. 18.20. may he not walk in the midst of the Candlesticks in public, & not suffer us to see him? Apoc. 1.13. pray consider that those Saints who have sought God in all his Ordinances, as their duty, have found him in every one of them to their comfort, see Psal. 42.4. and 63.5, 6. Cant. 3.1, 2, 3, 4. Or,  
4. Because we do not seek God there after a due order, 1 Chron. 15.13. with that frame and temper of spirit, that preparation of Heart and Soul which is requisite. Perhaps  
1. Prepossessed, too full, and too well satisfied with some thing else, now truly 
* Intus existens prohibet alienum. , if the Stomach be full, though it be but with husks that the Swine do eat, it will taste but little sweetness, even in that bread which is in our father's house: Or  
2. Without prayer, that God would let fall influences from himself, thorough his Ordinances upon us, do not we know that God expects some employment, as he is a God hearing prayers? Psa. 65.2. Ezek. 36, 37. We have not, because we ask not, Jam. 4.2. can we expect, that God should look upon those that will not so much as speak to him?  
This for the first part, our highest happiness is the enjoyment of God, we must now consider the quality of that enjoyment.    

Part. II.  
WE have seen in general, that the highest Happiness of the Saints is the enjoyment of God, it remains that we now inquire, what kind of enjoyment it must be, in order whereunto we shall take into consideration the  


2d Proposition. That enjoyment of God which is the Saints highest Happiness, shall be immediate, sole, free, full, and everlasting.  
Each of which five particulars, I shall endeavour to prove and apply, as they lie in order.    

SECT. I. That our highest Happiness shall be to enjoy God immediately.  
HEre below we enjoy God by means, not so hereafter, not in Ordinances, graces, blessings, or through any such Mediums, as we enjoy him now, all these, though they be great conducements to that happiness, which we are capable of on earth, they be yet great abatements of that, which we shall be crowned withal in Heaven, to enjoy a friend in his picture, letter's, tokens, is short of what we enjoy, when we have his personal presence; neither doth the Sun heat, or light us so comfortably through a cloud, as when the glorious body of it is open to us, without any interposition: our happiness in God will be without its perfection, till our enjoyment of God, shall be without means 
* Deus sine ullo mediatore aut medio causa immediata erit— & objectum immediatum nostrae felicitatis, Zanch. de nat. Dei. l. 2. c. 8. . Let us consider:  
1. Christ's Kingdom shall be delivered up, that God may be all in all, (i. e.) all Ordinances, and administrations, which are means of our enjoying God here, shall cease and expire, that we may be fully and completely happy,, Christ hath some things in his Kingdom, that bears an Analogy to the means and instruments of governing in the Kingdoms of men, and in each of them is God injoyable. He hath his Militia and his laws, with promises and threaten in the Ordinances of his Word; his Seals to confirm to his people, his free grants of privilege, in the Ordinance of his Sacraments; his Ambassadors and Offieers for the management of spiritual affairs in the Ordinance of his Ministry, the ceasing of Christ's Kingdom is the cessation of all these, that God may immediately succeed to fill up the measure of our promised blessedness to the full.  
2. All Rule, and all Authority and Power must be put down, ver. 24. which (
* Aqu. in locum Mr. Jo. goodwin's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 15.  divers expound of lawful government, and) are remoter means of our enjoying of God, by preserving to us, and protecting us in the use of those Ordinances which God appears in, and upon this account must even these be put down, That God may be all in all, that is, That our happiness may be completed.  
3. To enjoy God by means, is to know him but in part, and to see him in a glass darkly, in aenigmate, to have such apprehensions of God as we have of a Riddle, which we do not fully understand, but that degree of happiness which we shall be advanced to hereafter, is to see him face to face, to enjoy him immediately, and all this you have in 1 Cor. 13.12. and altogether as much, though in fewer words, in 1 John 3.2. that what we shall be in glory and happiness, above what we are, will be this, That we shall see God, as he is (i.e.) clearly and immediately 
* Dionis. Carthus. in locum. .  
4. Was it not the highest pitch of happiness which the Apostles so earnestly groaned after 2 Cor. 5.4.? and what was that but to be present with the Lord, v. 8? why had not these Saints the presence of God already? Sure they had in his graces and Ordinances, and they had the earnest of his spirit, ver. 5. they enjoyed God by these means, it was the enjoyment of God without them, it was his immediate presence which they groaned for; so Paul in Phil. 1.23. I desire to departed, and to be with Christ, which is far better, were not Paul and Christ together already? Sure they were near, very near, one to another; see Gal. 2.20. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, etc. he had the presence of Christ by faith, and this was very good; his desire to departed, was to have the presence of Christ by sight, to enjoy him immediately, this is far better.   

SECT. II. This Branch of the point improved by way of information.  
IT will follow from what we have now said.  
1. That the enjoyment of God by means, is but a little drop of that Ocean of sweetness and satisfaction, which the Soul shall be filled with, when she shall come to enjoy God without them. All the ravishment of our spirits in prayer, hearing, meditation, etc. is but a sip of those Rivers of it, which we shall have in Heaven, so that unspeakable solace of our Souls meeting God in an Ordinance, may something help us to guess at the inconceivable bliss of a Soul meeting God in Heaven. Will you stay then a little, and see what it is to be in Heaven below, to enjoy God by means and at a distance?  
If David look but upon the Sanctuary where God gave some evidences of his presence, he is transported with apprehensions of felicity in being there, oh how amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts? and some suppose the latter part of the 3d. v. to be an abrupt expression, not at all depending upon the fore going words, Thine Altars O Lord of Hosts, my King, and my God, as men are wont to express themselves concerning any thing that they are ravished withal, see also Psal. 27.4. and 43.3.  
If God in Ordinances be so desirable, so satisfying, so amiable, so ravishing; what shall God be without them? if the picture please so abundantly what will the person do? if so much bliss be cast upon the soul from a copy, what may we not expect from the original?  
The Saints here rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8. and yet doth this result but from our enjoyment of God by the medium of Faith, the degrees that will be added unto it by vision must needs render it inconceivable, and running over; if some of the Saints here are so swallowed up of Divine sweetness, that they desire God to forbear 
* Xaverius clamabat satis est, Domine satis est, nec enim mens mea in hâc vitâ, tantum gaudiorū pondus capit. referente. A Lapid. in Cant 2.3 , we can but (yea we cannot so much as) imagine what will be.  
The remembrance of God in a private meditation is sweet, Psal. 104.34. and if a gracious Soul can entertain herself with some conferences with her God, she is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, Psal. 63.5, 6. our entertainments below are a great feast, Luke 14.16, they are promised us as such, Isa. 25.6. we are invited to them as such, Isa. 55.1, 2. Prov. 9.5. they are fed upon as such, Ps. 34.8. Cant. 2.3. Psal. 119.103. we are cheered up at them as at a feast, Cant. 5.1. can a created understanding guess, what shall be provided for us above?  
In God's Kingdom of grace we are made to drink of the Rivers of his pleasures, Psal. 36.8. but when God shall immediately possess the Soul, and fill it; when the Soul shall immediately possess God, and be full of him; when this Kingdom of grace shall expire, and all the administrations of it (as so many Eclipses of our happiness) shall vanish away, shall we not then drink of the Fountain? surely feasts, and sweetness, and marrow, and fatness, are terms exceedingly too diminutive to give us any more than a small hint, of that incomprehensible satisfaction.  
2. That when the happiness of the Saints is at highest, then will be the time, when they shall be above any need of Ordinances, when you shall enjoy God immediately, than you shall have no need of means to enjoy him by; and when you shall so enjoy God, you shall be perfectly blessed.  
If any would vouchsafe to read this who pretend to the enjoyment of God, and yet deny it to be in the use of means; I would adventure to argue the case with them thus. If you do indeed enjoy God at all, it is immediately, and such as so enjoy him are perfectly blessed: and are you of that number? is every evil removed? have you never any pain, sorrow, affliction, sin? is every desire satisfied? do your appetites go out after nothing in the World? no body will believe it, and so you are not yet fully blessed and happy, whatever you may be, and by consequence your immediate enjoyment of God, is but the enjoyment of a fancy.  
The Apostle tells us, that now (i. e.) in this life, if we see God at all, it is in a glass, we have need of such mediums to do it by; the immediate vision of him face to face is reserved for hereafter (i. e.) the life that is to come, 1 Cor. 13.12.  
Add hereunto, that if you enjoy God here immediately, you so enjoy him, as you shall hereafter, and so not only your present, but your future condition is apparent, it appears what you shall be, as well as what you are: and, how then is it possible you should be accounted of their number, who are now the sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what they shall be, 1 Joh. 3.2?   

SECT. III. A further Improvement of the point by way of exhortation, against the fear of Death.  
YOu see that it must be an immediate enjoyment of God, that can let us in to the fullness of our happiness. Let us hence be exhorted rather to desire Death, then to be afraid of it, if the end be desirable, why should the means be dreadful? to be happy is to enjoy God immediately, which we shall never do except we die: There shall no man see God and live, Exod. 33.20. we shall not indeed see him till we be like him, 1 Jo. 3.2. nor be like him enough to see him, till we be sinless, nor be so, whilst we are alive, Eccles. 7.20. God as a founder, must melt us before we shall be sufficiently refined to come so near him, and the Furnace he will do it in, is Death. God pardons our sin by the death of Christ, but totally destroys it by our own: we die in sin, and to sin by a metaphorical death, but we only die from it, by a natural one, and this must be done, it's not enough that sin be totally pardoned, that it have no guilt, it must be totally abolished, that it have no being, before we shall be meet enough to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light.  
As Death destroys the being of our nature, so it is exceeding formidable, and the King of terrors: but as it destroys the being of our sin, to let us into the presence of our God it is exceedingly desirable. Socrates' professed himself willing to die upon this account, that he might enjoy those worthies that went before him, as Orpheus, Hesiod, Homer, etc. our encouragement is, we shall come to enjoy our God, after this the Apostles groaned earnestly, 2 Cor. 5.2.8. and if Christ say, surely I come quickly; the spouse will answer, even so come Lord Jesus. Apoc. 22.20. We should not be afraid of our passage into the immediate embracements of our God, which we then enter upon, when into his hands we commend our spirits; flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 15.50. we could not be happy, if we were not mortal.   

SECT. FOUR That our perfect Happiness shall be in the sole enjoyment of God.  
WHat ever others may suppose, we cannot but place our happiness when it shall be at the full, in the enjoyment of God alone, excluding the enjoyment of every thing else. Here below the Saints have their God, and this is their happiness; but they have withal something else, Wives, Children, Friends, Houses, Money, Lands, Honours, etc. and this is a diminution of their happiness, it will never be at highest till they shall enjoy God alone, God and nothing else. Let us consider:  
1. The phrase of the Text: God shall be all, we shall have nothing else: Himself 
* Premium virtutis erit, qui virtutem dedit.  shall be our exceeding great reward, Gen. 15.1. our draughts of Happiness shall be taken in immediately from the Fountain, and not be lessened by their conveyance to us in any channel.  
2. Then cometh the end, ver. 24. which is expounded of 
* Ego puto simpliciter intelligendum de fine mundi Piscat. Scholar in locum.  the end of the World, there shall be an end of all the accommodations this world was wont to afford, nothing shall remain that a heart may be set upon. When shall this be? 
* Resurrectione completâ Carthus. in loc.  When the Saints are entering upon the consummation of their blessedness. And why shall this be? Why shall there be an end of whatever might be an object of delight in the whole Creation? You are answered in the Text; then cometh the end, that God may be all in all, that we may be fully happy in the enjoyment of God alone.  
3, As all our happiness is in enjoyment, so much of our enjoyment is by love, as we have noted already [Part 1. Sect. 2.] so that the less we love God, the less we enjoy him, and as long as we have any thing beside God will not some of our love go out after it? so that what I aim at is easily concluded; we shall not be perfectly happy, till we perfectly enjoy God, nor perfectly enjoy him, till we perfectly love him, nor perfectly love him, till we have nothing to love else. So it is the sole enjoyment of God, which our Happiness when it is at the highest, shall consist in. And I think.  
4. This was David's meaning in Ps. 73.25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? he had in the former verse, expressed his confidence of Gods receiving him to glory, in this he declares what the glory was that he thirsted after, it was the sole enjoyment of God, God alone, and nothing else, and indeed, though while our love hath its infirmities, it hath other objects, yet 
* Perfecta charitas solum fitit quod summum est, Bern.  when it shall be perfectly healed, it will pitch upon nothing but God alone.   

SECT. V 1 Use of this Branch, by way of Exhortation.  
I Have some thing from the last mentioned part of the proposition to commend unto you by way of exhortation, I shall beseech you but to suffer these 4 words.  
1. Learn in whatsoever state you are, therewith to be content, Phil. 4.11. we should never grumble at any dispensations of our God, were we not guilty of some mistakes about the matter of our Happiness; are you in a mean condition, and have you but a little of the world? be contented, you must have less, you must have none; before ever you will be happy.  
You have not that Estate, Honour, Credit, greatness in the world which others have; and you whine, and sigh, and take on, and repine, and murmur: what ails you? are these things your happiness? nay, can you ever be truly happy, whilst you have any one piece of them? is not your blessedness alone in God? why then should it discontent you to want something, seeing you will never be contented as long as you have any thing? you will never have enough, till God shall be all.  
2. Let your Conversation be without Covetousness, Heb. 13.5. are you thirsty, immoderately thirsty after more and more of the earth? how foolish is such an appetite; the more we enjoy beside God, at the greater distance we stand from happiness. What ground have we for an insatiable desire of such things, which we cannot possess but upon condition of being miserable? it is an un-Saint-like folly to grasp after much of the world, as if we could not be well without it, when we know it is impossible for us to be well enough with it; even God himself in conjunction with other things is not enough, it must be God alone that can fully bless us: God in the creature (I desire to speak it with reverence) is an inconsiderable enjoyment, in comparison of God in himself.  
3. If Riches increase, set not your hearts upon them, Ps. 62.10. carry a holy jealousy over your souls, lest you cleave to them with a bird-limed affection. Beg God to keep your hearts lose enough, the world is a sea, and every lust is a Tempest strong enough to sink us, unless Christ enable us (with Peter) to walk on top of it; this we must do, or we shall be miserable: the more we love other things the less we have of happiness, because the more solely we love God, the more solely we enjoy him: the heart can have but a slender communion with him, if it be too much taken up with other company; he can but by halfs enjoy his wife and children, who is daily troubled with the entertainment of strangers.  
4. In your patience possess ye your souls, Luke 21.19. whatever losses we meet with in the World it is our folly, and our sin, that if we lose our friends or our goods, we have much ado to keep ourselves, as if we had never heard of the patience of Job; when a stroke is directed but to our goods, we are simple enough to direct it upon ourselves; like the Irish, who if they have a good Scymiter, rather than their weapon shall be hurt, will receive the blow upon their arm 
* Stamhurst. Hibern. hist. . This folly would be cured, if we would be persuaded, that we shall never be happy till we have lost all, till we have no friend no estates, no enjoyment but God alone.   

SECT. VI 2d Use of this same point by way of Instruction.  
IF our highest happiness be the sole enjoyment of God, we may take out some lessons thence for our instruction; these that follow seem to be very legible.  
1. That it is an impossibility to make the Saints of God miserable; because it is impossible to deprive them of their God, in whom alone is all their happiness. They may lose  
1. Their Liberty, as Joseph, Peter, Paul, Silas, etc. the primitive Christians, by the Heathen persecutors 
* In Carceres conjecti fideles, locis tenebrosis, etc. Ecclesiast. l. 5. c. 1. , and the Orthodox by the Arrians 
* Theodorit. hist. Eccles. l. 4. c. 22. , Christ himself may be imprisoned, Mat. 25.43. and Satan may make the mittimus, Apoc. 2.10. but this is not their happiness, this is not the glorious liberty of the sons of God, Rom. 8.21. their God will be in prison with them, Gen. 39.23.  
2. Their Estates, they may suffer the spoiling of their goods, Heb. 10.34. of a great part, or all, as it shall please their more potent enemies, of which we have examples 
* Socrat. Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. 11. Euseb. de vita Const. l. 1. c. 45.  enough in the History of the Church, but this is not their happiness, they have in heaven a better and a more enduring substance, Heb. 10.34.  
3. Their Lives, as the noble Army of Martyrs did. But this is not their happiness, they may sav to the proudest of their persecutors 
* Occidere quidem potestis, nocere non potestis. , you may kill us, but it is not in your power to hurt us; they have a life which is hid with Christ in God, Col. 3.3.  
Our happiness is not in any thing that the gates of Hell can reach unto; 'tis in God only and solely, and who can take away our God from us? what condition can leave us without him? pray ask the Apostle in Rom. 8.35.38, 39  
2dly. That (did we rightly improve it) the less we have of the world, the more we may have of happiness, this I doubt will seem a paradox to most, but yet before you be too peremptory in concluding it so, consider if happiness consist in the sole enjoyment of God; doth it not follow that the more solely we enjoy him, the happier we are? and may we not the better so enjoy God, the less we have to enjoy beside him? even the troubles of a family do so far unblesse us, that they hardly give us leave to attend upon the Lord without distraction, 1 Cor. 7.35. what then have they leave to do, who are troubled with more than this a thousand fold?  
Are there none of us, whose possessions and employments in the world are more than they were wont to be? it would be well to consider (if we have so much leisure) whether our enjoyments of God be not so much the less; whether a great part of that time, and those meditations which we were wont to lay out upon God, be not now wasted, and cast away upon other occasions.  
You that have but a little to do with the world, pray make much of that condition, it is your own fault if you have not the more to do with God; you have little else to take up your hearts, God may dwell and walk in them without disturbance. God and you may be together a great part of your time, and the sweetness of your communion not hindered, whilst others are casting up their accounts, you have leisure enough to say with David, how precious are thy thoughts unto me O God, how great is the sum of them; if I should count them, they are more in number then the sands! Ps. 139.17, 18. Whilst others are following their suits at a Court of Justice, you may follow all you have at a Throne of grace: whilst others are numbering their flocks and herds, all your Arithmetic may be employed to number your days: whilst others cannot get out of the clutches of the world, you may get into the embracements of your God: you may be in heaven whilst others cannot see it for the interposition of too much earth. Truly a mean condition seems to be capable of more happiness, then that which overloadeth us with outward things.  
3d. That little cause have the Saints to be troubled at the dissolution of all things: That all these things here below shall be dissolved, he cannot doubt that is a Christian, 2 Pet. 3.11. and the dissolution of them shall be by fire, the Elements shall melt with fervent heat, the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up, ver. 10. that glorious heaven which rolls over our heads, shall be rolled together as a Scroll; and all their Host shall fall down, as the Leaf falleth off from the Vine, and as a falling Fig from the Figtree, Isa. 34.4. and the earth under our feet the mother of so many good things, with her whole offspring shall flee away, neither shall any place be found for her, Apoc. 20.11. it moves our bowels to behold the rage of fire in some petty desolations; it will you will say be a melancholy prospect indeed, to see it bury the whole world in its own ashes. Well, suppose we should be of those, who shall be found alive at the last day; should it trouble or pity us that such a world as this should be destroyed? sure not a jot; unless we would continue to our prejudice: for this end must come, That God may be all in all, that there may be nothing for us but God, that is, that we may be perfectly happy.   

SECT. VII. Showing our happiness to constst in the free enjoyment of God.  
AS our happiness in the height and perfection of it, shall be to enjoy God immediately without helps, and solely without partners, so it will be as necessary that we enjoy him freely, without interruption or opposition: Here sin stands in our way with power and pollution, and Satan with his fiery darts, and the world meets us with a thousand contradictions, and whatever stands in the way of our enjoyment, stands in the way of our happiness, which will not be perfect till all these impediments be removed. Let us consider  
1. All enemies shall be subdued, v. 25, 26. Satan and sin amongst the rest, which are the great disturbers of our enjoyment of God, these shall trouble us no more; and the end is, That God may be all in all, that we may enjoy him freely without any contradiction.  
2. It follows rationally that if our enjoyment of God be not free, our happiness in God cannot be full: every disturbance of enjoyment is an Eclipse of happiness; every evil is not excluded, where there is any thing left standing between God and us, nor every desire satisfied, when one great desire is to have these rubs out of our way: we are so far from perfect happiness, as long as Satan, or sin, or any thing shall thwart us in our enjoyment of God, that we are indeed miserable and wretched men; and such an apprehension I think the Apostle had of this condition, in Rom. 7.24.   

SECT. VIII. A threefold use of this Point.  
IF we shall not be fully happy, till we shall enjoy God freely, and have nothing to oppose, or interrupt us  
First, It will inform us, that in case our sins should go up to Heaven with us, we should never be happy, because we should not be able to enjoy God freely: here they cross us, and do ever and anon interrupt our Communion, and would they not think you, do so there too? so those carnal persons that pray for Heaven, and yet would not part with their sins, do (like the sons of Zebedee) ask they know not what. To be in Heaven is to enjoy God 
* Vita ubi non est adversarius impugnans ubi nulla peccati illecebra, etc. Aug. meditat. c. 22.  freely, which neither the guilt of sin, nor the pollution of it, will suffer us to do.  
2ly. This doth teach us what course to take, if we mean to be as much in Heaven, as it is possible to be here upon earth: we must enjoy our God with all possible freedom. If you ask how shall this be done? pray consider, what you would do to enjoy a friend freely, from whose society you fetch much of your delight, would you not get yourself and your friend together? and exclude all other company? and in case of intrusion, would you not refuse to admit them? pray try ('tis a Noble experiment) if such a course will not bless your spirits with a more free enjoyment of God, than you do ordinarily attain unto.  
1. You must get God and your souls together, by walking with him, Gen. 5.24. and conversing in Heaven, Phil. 3.20. by sending up your faith and love, and bringing God into your hearts, to sup and walk, and dwell there: that you may look upon him, and hear him, and speak to him and throw yourselves into his Arms, and solace your souls in his Bosom as your God: when you stand, stand fast in the Lord, Phil. 4.1. When you walk, let it be in God's ways, Psal. 119.1. When you sit down, let it be under his shadow, Cant. 2.3. When he invites you go with him into his Banqueting house, Cant. 2.4. and eat and drink abundantly, Cant. 5.1. open your 
* Os corporis modica implet buccella, capacitatem animae solus Deus. Lor. in locum.  mouths wide, that he may fill them (Psal. 81.10.) with what ever his presence of grace brings with it, to feast your souls. But if you mean to do this freely, you must  
2. Exclude all other company, every care that is superfluous, and every thought that is carnal must be shut out of doors. When Joseph meant to discover himself to his Brethren, he cried, 'Cause every man to go out from me, Gen. 45.1. When Abraham went to sacrifice his Son, he said to his young men, abide you here with the Ass, and I and the Lad will go yonder and worship, Gen. 22.5. Joseph could not have unboweled himself freely, nor Abraham have met God in the Mount without interruption, had they not dismissed their company: so must we deal with all other businesses of the heart, cause every one of them to go out from us, and abide behind, if we would converse with God freely, The cares of the world, and the lusts of our hearts are obstreperous and turbulent, they will keep such a noise in our souls, that shall lose very much of that communion with God, which we come together for; they will provide us such avocations and distractions, that a great deal of our heart, which is all too little to be spent upon God, will go out upon these.  
3. If they offer to intrude themselves again, when God and the soul are in communication, you must by no means admit them. Carnal lusts are sufficiently saucy and immodest, they have impudence enough to thrust themselves into the soul, though she be never so private and never so busy in the company of her God: one errand or another will they pretend, and be importunate for audience if you give them admission, you are sadly interrupted. And because do what we can, these impediments will be, and will more or less disturb us while we are here. It is  
3dly. Matter of comfort to the Saints, that when their happiness shall be perfect, their enjoyment of God shall be free, without any disturbance at all: every enemy shall be subdued: 
Beatum nihil quod non caret peccato. Ambr.  when we shall stand before the Lord in in Heaven, we shall have no Satan at our right hand to resist us, his everlasting chains will eternally keep him at a sufficient distance; neither shall one of the lusts that haunt us here go along with us: it will be a world where dwells nothing but righteousness, 2. Pet. 3.13.   

SECT. IX. Our full happiness is in the full enjoyment of God.  
THe Fruition of God without means, or partners, or oppositition, though it amount to very much of our felicity; yet not to all, it must be full too without any defect: not as if the soul which is finite, could take in the whole Essence of God which is infinite, and so incomprehensible; but the soul shall and must be so full of God, as that it shall not be able to receive or desire a jot more. Let's consider,  
1. That the difference between our enjoyment of God here and hereafter, is but in degrees. Here it is inits infancy 
* Gratia est aetas infantilis gloriae.  there it shall be in its full age: Here it is in drops, there it shall be in the Ocean. Here 'tis 
* per modum passionis transeuntis.  as light is in the Air there it shall be as 
* Per modum formae permanentis  light is in the body of the Sun: Here we see Gods back parts, there we shall see his Face, not his second face (as some distinguish) which is grace and favour enjoyed by faith, but his first face which is, his divine Essence enjoyed by sight: it is the same love whereby we cleave to God here and in Heaven (love never faileth, 1 Cor. 13.8) only here it is love militant against 
 voluntas in presenti vitâ, infermitati non cedat, in futurâ infermitatem non habeat, & nunc recreetur iuvamine medicaminis tunc fruatur aeternâ plenitudine sanitatis Fulgent. l. 1. p. 8  many weaknesses, there it shall be love triumphant over al. And God loves us with the same love now, which he will love us with in Heaven; only here it is but upon its design, there it will be in Execution. In a word, the Apostle sets down the difference of our enjoying God here and hereafter to be in this, That now it is but in part, and then it shall be at full, 1 Cor. 13.12.  
2. As long as our enjoyment of God is not at full; we are capable of more, and as long as we possess more we can desire more, and so our happiness is not perfected, because every desire is not satisfied.   

SECT. X. The Uses of this Branch for Information and comfort.  
FIrst we may from what we last said, be informed, that the happiest sight we can have of God out of Heaven is that sight of him which we have in the Gospel, because it is the fullest. God is seen  
1. In his creatures. Here (at least) his eternal power and Godhead are legibile enough, Rom. 1.20.  
2. In his Law, we cannot but see his Sovereignty, his Holiness, and and his Justice, if we look here. But  
3. In his Gospel: our sight of God is much fuller. Here we see 

1. More of this.  
2. More than this.  
3. More clearly.    
First, More of this, than ever was seen before. I shall instance in these Particulars, viz,  
1. More of God's Power. Much of this, very much was evidenced in making the world, having nothing but nothing to do it withal. Put together the whole Posse of men and Angels, and allow them no preexistent matter, and see if they be able to make so much as one hair. To enlarge here were to suppose my Readers something worse than not christened: only thus, I will praise thee (O Lord) for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works and that my soul kuoweth right well, Psal. 139.14.  
But is there not more of God's power discovered in the Gospel? to pardon a sinner is an act of great power, Numb. 14.17, 18, 19 To quicken him, is an act of exceeding great power, Eph. 1.19. compared with chap. 2.1. The 
* Vtrum Justificatio impii sit opus miraculosum? Aq. 1ae 2ae q. 113. Art. 10.  Schoolmen do inquire, whether the Justification of a sinner be a miracle or no? a Question that could not proceed but from an apprehension of some, more than ordinary, evidences of God's power in this work. But what shall we think of the uniting of God and man in one person to bring this to pass? I shall not so much as endeavour to puzzle you, by enquiring into the mysteries that are in it. 
* Vid. Aq 3. part q. 1.2.3. etc.  If you study how little you are able to 
* O admirabila mysterium! O inenrrabile cōmercium● Aug. meditat c. 16.  apprehend of it you will confess a longer manifestation of power in this one act to redeem the world, than was put forth at first to make it. And where is this discovered but in the Gospel?  
2. More of God's Wisdom, whose design is to be advanced in the salvation of sinners. Now set aside the Gospel, and let all the men in the world and all the Angels in Heaven, lay their heads together, and tell you (if they can) by what means this shall be brought to pass, they are sinners that must be saved; this indeed will advance God's mercy, but what then shall become of his Justice? One Attribute of God must not go down, whilst another is set up, this were not for God to advance his whole self. There is no imaginable way for Justice to satisfy itself, but either upon the sinner himself, or upon some other in his stead, if upon themselves the design is lost, it must pay sin its wages, and so the sinner perisheth, Rom. 6.23. if upon some other, who should that be? if but a man, he cannot satisfy; if a God, he cannot suffer; if sinful he must suffer for himself; if sinless where shall such a one be found? if willing how should he be able? if not willing how were it just to lay it upon him?  
'Tis the Gospel that unriddles all this, and in doing so discovers an incomprehensible wisdom: hence are we told of this contrivement to save sinners, that it is, the wisdom of God, 1 Cor. 2.6. a wisdom that no natural or moral helps, or parts, can raise us to the comprehension of, 1 Cor. 2.6. wisdom in a mystery, 1 Cor. 2.7. A great mystery, 1 Tim. 3.16. a mystery which the Angels desire to look into, 1 Pet. 1.12. a discovery of the manifold wisdom of God, Eph. 3.10. there is more of this attribute opened in the Gospel, then in that immense volume the whole world. But one instance more  
3. More of God's Justice, much of this was set on work in not sparing the Angels that sinned, etc. 2. Pet. 2.4. do not they seem to suffer the severity of God's justice, who (for aught we read) sinned but once, and are yet under an eternity of wrath, without hope or means or possibility of restitution? and it was much of justice that fell upon the old world, in so dreadful a shower, that All in whose nostrils was the breath of life perished, Gen. 7.22. and upon Sodom read, Gen. 19.24, 25. and upon Corah and his company, read Num. 16.32, 33.  
But yet we have a manifestation in the Gospel of more justice than all this, here we have God not sparing his own son, Rom. 8.32. his only son, Joh. 3.16. the son of his love, Col. 1.13. the son of his bosom, Joh. 1.18. though he did no sin, 1 Pet. 2.22. though he fulfilled all righteousness, Mat. 3.15. yet having taken our sins upon him, he did not spare him though he offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, Heb. 5.7.  
Secondly in the Gospel we see more than this; that is, what neither the book of the creatures, nor of the law did ever discover unto us: you may look else where in vain; but look into the Gospel, you shall see God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them, 2 Cor. 5.19. quickening such as are dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1. bringing life and immortality to light, and offering it to the greatest of sinners, 2 Tim. 1.19. Act. 3.26. here we see a free grace, a full Christ, a general pardon, a way for sinful creatures to the enjoyment of a just and holy God. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, were not by way of eminency to be called by that name 
* Vid. Chemnit. loc. come. part 2. edit. 1594 in 4 to fol. 242. , were any thing else able to bring us glad tidings of these good things.  
Thirdly what we see of God in the Gospel, we see more clearly, than we can see it any where else, here below; and are therefore said to behold his glory with open face as in a glass, 2 Cor. 3.18. that the Jews under the administration of Moses had a clearer discovery of God, than the Gentiles (who saw him but in his works) is not to be doubted: and how much clearer ours is under the administration of the Gospel, then theirs was under Moses, is that we have produced the Apostle for. It is as much clearer, as the seeing of an object with open face in a glass, is a clearer vision then to look upon it, but thorough a vail: no picture can represent a thing so lively as a glass doth. So the happiest sight of God out of heaven, is to see him in the Gospel, because it is the fullest. I hope men will take heed how they carry themselves to such a Gospel as this is, and I will anon speak with them about it.  
Secondly, It is comfort for the Saints that their highest happiness shall be in the full enjoyment of God, your hungrings and thirstings after more of him, shall one day end in a complete satisfaction, you shall have as much of him as your souls can hold here, it is much of your happiness, to have some glimpses of his glory shining upon you, and some drops of his favour distilled into your hearts: hereafter it shall be all your happiness to have it poured in till you shall be able to receive no more; and because all your Lords joy cannot enter into you, to be sure of having enough you shall enter into it, Mat. 25. v. 21.   

SECT. XI. That the enjoyment of God in which our highest happiness shall consist is to be everlasting.  
ALL that we have said of the enjoyment of God, though it rise to very much, yet were it of any shorter date than eternity, it would not be enough for an absolute blessedness. He ce  
1. The Scriptures do every where express it to be everlasting and without end. We shall be ever with the Lord, 1 Thes. 4.17. and the pleasures at his right hand are for evermore, Psal. 16.11. our weight of glory shall be eternal, 2 Cor. 4.17. and our inheritance incorruptitible, which fadeth not away, 1 Pet. 1.4. and you know it is called life eternal and everlasting, in a multitude of Scriptures.  
2. Were it any thing short of this, two things would prove it short of its perfection.  
First, There would be a possibility of being one time or another miserable, and so every desire would not be satisfied. Misery, set it at what distance you will, is not only what we do not desire to come under, but what we cannot 
* Miseri esse non solum nolumus, sed nequaquam velle possumus, Aug. .  
2d There were then some places for fear, and so for pain, 1 Joh, 4.18. and consequently for evil, and that condition is not perfectly happy, which is capable of this, for every evil is not excluded.   

SECT. XII. This briefly applied by way of exhortation and comfort.  
WE have seen the immediate enjoyment of God, that nothing may shadow our happiness: the sole enjoyment of God; that nothing may abate it: the free enjoyment of God; that nothing interrupt it, we have seen it so full, that there is no room for more; and yet all this must and shall be eternal too, that we may 
* Beatitudo non est de eujus eternitate dubitatur. Aug.  never see the expiration of it. And shall we not hence  
1. Be exhorted, not to place our happiness in any thing that shall have an end? and (not to nauseate you with particulars) such are all that our eyes behold here below, the things that are seen are temporal, 2 Cor. 4.18. were there no other insufficiency in them, yet would this prove their enjoyment infinitely short of happiness, that they can be enjoyed but for a time, and upon this account the Apostles did not think them worth the looking upon, 2 Cor. 4.18. what a fool was he, that comforted his soul with goods laid up in store for many years? Luk. 12.19. it seems the enjoyment of God himself would not amount to an absolute beatitude, were it not everlasting; how much less the enjoyment of the creature, which to the happiest man under the sun, cannot be above a span long, Psal. 39.5.  
2. Is not here comfort for the Saints, in all their afflictions? these can be suffered but for a time, God shall be enjoyed to all eternity, are we a while groaning under a burden of sin? Rom. 7.24. we shall be loaded with an eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. have we a spirit full of wounds for a time? Prov. 18.14. we shall have a soul full of God, for an eternity. Doth God forsake us for a small moment, Isa. 54.7. We shall be ever with the Lord, 1 Thess, 4.17. Doth heaviness endure for a night? Psal. 30.5. joy shall come in a morning that hath no night at all, have we pains ever and anon? We shall have pleasures for evermore, Psal. 16.11. do we die daily? we shall live everlastingly. Saints, comfort yourselves, Comfort one another with these words, 1 Thes. 4.18.   

SECT. XIII. A brief Application of the whole.  
FRom all that hath been said of the quality of our enjoyment of God, when we shall come to be at the happiest. We may learn  
First, That not one of the Saints is perfectly blessed in this life, because not one of them doth enjoy God, either immediately, but what we do is darkly thorough a glass, by such mediums as do eclipse much of what, that Lumen gloriae, the light we shall have in heaven will discover unto us: or solely, but in conjunction with other enjoyments, which call out much of our hearts, and many Item's of our love, which hereafter shall be totally summed up, and all laid out upon one God: or freely; but are thwarted with a thousand impediments, which shall all be left behind us when we go to heaven: or fully, they are but part of his ways that we trace him in, and how little a portion is heard of him? Job. 26.14. we shall never see the compleatment of our happiness, until we go hence, and be no more seen.  
Ob. Why then do some persons say that they are as happy, and do enjoy as much of God, as ever they shall?  
Sol. Can I tell? perhaps it is too true in reference to some of them, others may be under a temporary delusion; but sure I am, they be none of the Saints, who have their portion in this life. Psal. 17.14. [See before Sect. 2.]  
Ob. 
Saints are happy in this life.  But why do the Scriptures so frequently call the Saints blessed and happy?  
Sol. I shall lay before you what I conceive of it in these 6 particulars. It's because  
First, 
1 Pretio.  The price by which we have a title to the happiness we have enquired into, is already paid and accepted of: the possession of God, is a purchased possession, Eph. 1.14. and the purchase is made to our use, upon which account our names are written in the book of life, to be of those many children whom God by the sufferings of his son meant to bring unto glory, Heb. 2.10. when a captives ransom is paid, he may be said to have his liberty, although his Manu-mission be a while delayed.  
2. 
2 Promisso.  God hath made us a promise of this happiness before the world began to Christ, for us, Titus, 1.2. and since the world began to us in Christ, John 3.16. to have any thing in a promise, is to be as sure of it, as if we had it in full possession; it being as impossible for us to miss it, as it is for God to lie, Heb. 6.18.  
3. 
3 Primitiis.  We have the first fruits of Heaven here upon the earth, Rom. 8.23. something of God drawn upon our souls, and so some converse with him, and influences from him, and it was never known that such as came so fare as to gather the first fruits, fell short of reaping the whole harvest.  
4. 
4 Dispositione.  We are put into a capability of this happiness, being (in some measure) made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, Col. 1.12. having our robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb, that we may be before the Throne of God, and serve him day and night in his Temple, Apoc. 7.14, 15.  
5. 
5 Spe.  We are saved by hope, Rom. 8.24. and by whatever we are saved, by the same we are made happy, hereafter we shall rejoice in possession, but in this life we rejoice in hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5.2.  
6. 
6 Sen.  The Saints have some taste here of that full meal of happiness, which they shall eternally be feasted with hereafter, Psal. 34.8. Cant. 2.3. and even this doth sometimes ravish them so abundantly, that they value one day's enjoyment of God, above the revenues of the whole world.  
In all these (and perhaps in some other) respects, the Saints are said to be blessed and happy; though they be not perfectly and fully so. And we may learn  
2dly That no nature below ours is capable of an absolute happiness, as not being capable of such an enjoyment of God: 
* Scot in 4 Sent. q. 8. dist. 49.  we own God very much for this benefit of our creation. I cannot tell whether it be not better than if he had made us Angels; they, it is true, were capable of happiness as well as we, and of losing it as well as we, but when 'tis lost, they are not capable of recovering it again as well as we, 2 Pet. 2.4. Jud. 6. however God might have made us any of the lower creatures: look upon a house, a tree, a worm, a heap of dirt, and say, Cur non ego talis? Why had not I been such? and we shall be worse than such, if we enjoy not God: other creatures attain to all the happiness they are capable of not so we. And we may learn  
3dly That they speak like Atheists, who said it is vain to serve God, Mal. 3.14. is such an enjoyment of God so? if you be indeed christians, pray be steadfast and  always, abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord, 1 Cor. 15.58.    

AN APPENDIX (Especially) To Part 1. Sect. 10. And Part 2. Sect. 2. and 10.  
HAving spoken in the precedent discourse, of the enjoyment of God here by means, and of that full sight of him, which is offered us in the Gospel, and observing how much this glorious Gospel is undervalved, and vilified, by the subordination of it to natural reason, or supposed Revelations; and the dishonour that is cast upon it by some other miscarriages. I shall here subjoin a consideration of these four particulars, viz.  

1. Whether we are bound to believe and rest in no more of the Gospel, than our reason will subscribe to?  
2. Whether we may be guided by any supposed inspiration, or impulse of spirit, that is beside or contrary to the word of God?  
3. What courses dishonour the Gospel; and the evil of them?  
4. What our behaviour ought to be towards it?   

SECT. I. Whether we are bound to believe and rest in no more of the Gospel, than our reason will subscribe to?  
TO this (having a purpose in each, to use as few words as may be) I shall only offer these  

Ten Conclusions.  
1. Conclusion, When Reason was in its primitive perfection, before it was purblinded by sin: it was a very much better guide than it is now,  
2. Conclus. Even in that state, as perfect as Reason was, we were not merely left to the guidance of it; but a Law was added to be our directory, Gen. 2.17. We were not left in the hands of single reason even when it was possible for it not to misguide us.  
3. Conclus. After the fall, all the reason that was left in the world, was not able to direct us into a way of restitution: If it was, why did Adam hid himself from the presence of the Lord God, amongst the Trees of the Garden? Gen. 3.8.10. Yea, so far is a way to life for sinners, from being discoverable by reason, that when it is discovered, if reason may be Judge, it is mere foolishness, 1 Cor. 1.23.  
4. Conclus. Where there is the fullest discovery of God, and is withal what himself doth limit us unto, that must be our rule, and we may not measure how fit it is by any thing else. Now such is the Gospel, and Christ speaking in it, Mat. 17.5. Act. 3.22.23. Gal. 1.8.9. We are not sent to natural reason for orders in spiritual things.  
5. Conclus. In things where reason and the light of nature can guide us; we are yet to be guided by a surer direction (in case it be afforded us) Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, is a 
* Principium naturaliter notum, in agibilibus. Dion. Carth. in Locum.  principle in Nature and Reason; yet is our obedience to it pressed upon another account; do it, not for this is rational; but for this is the Law and the Prophets, Mat. 7.12.  
6. Conclus. Reason even in men very rational is exceeding dark: Why else in matters of that cognizance, are wise and learned men so much divided? Truly then in matters of Religion, he that will be merely his own Scholar, is not like to have an infallible master.  
7. Conclus. What we rest upon by faith; from the credit of God the revealer of it in the Gospel, is more certain than what is demonstrable by reason: Because we conclude it from a higher and safer principle. Reason hath its evidence but from our own wisdom: Faith hath hers from the Wisdom of God. 
* Aliae scientiae certitudinem habent ex naturali lumine rationis humanae que potest errare: theologia ex lumine divinae scientiae quae decipi non potest, Aq. 1. p. q. 1. A. 5.   
8. Conclus. To believe no more than we have reason for is (in a strict sense) to believe nothing at al. Faith is an assent to what God reveals, not to what reason dictates, and doth then lose itself when it looks for grounds in natural reason, without which it will not bottom. So than if we will believe nothing but what we have reason for, and will indeed believe so much, we must believe that we believe nothing at all: for this is proved by reason. (See a relation of the conference between Laud and Fisher, Edit. 1639. in folio p. 75.)  
9 Conclus. To believe and practise what God to that purpose reveals in the Gospel, is the greatest reason, because the truth and certainty of it depends upon a wisdom that can neither deceive, nor be deceived: upon a light in which there is no darkness at all, 1 joh. 1.5. The Lawyers say, that natural reason may be alleged where the Law hath not determined 
* Ratio naturalis potest allegari ubi deficit. Lex. ; so it may where the Gospel is silent; but in other cases it must stand mute.  
10. Conclus. To take upon us to control the dictates of the Gospel by, or to refuse them upon their non-adaequation to our reason: a design of being wiser than the wisdom; the manifold Wisdom of God: a folly too ridiculous to have any residence in a sober imagination. I hope, the foolishness of God is wiser than men, 1 Cor. 1.25. In matters of Religion 
* Non aliam putes esse sapientiam, nisi veritatem. Aug. , nothing is wisdom, but what is truth; and nothing is truth for us to believe, to walk by, to subscribe to, but the Word 
* sapientia est sapida de Deo scientia. . Religious wisdom is a savoury knowledge of the things of God, and not to be attained by any other mediums then what God hath ordered to be written for our instruction, Rom. 15.4. and if any previous disposition be necessary to fit a man for it, it is to become a fool, 1 Cor. 3.18, to deny himself and all his carnal wisdom 
* Abnegando seipsum, & carnalem, suam sapientiam. Piscat. in locum. .    

SECT. II. Whether we may be guided by any supposed inspiration, or impulse of spirit, that is beside, or contrary to theword of God?  
THat I may not seem in the least, to limit the Holy one of Israel, I shall answer by laying down this Proposition  
In matters of Faith and practice, in case it were not the only way, yet it is the safer way to be guided by the Scriptures, then by any impulses suggestions, or revelations within us supposed to be from the spirit. Of this  
First in Hypothesi, in case it were not the only way, the contrary to which I am abundantly persuaded of, from these Grounds.  
1. Ground, It seems to me a truth sufficiently bottomed upon the Scriptures, that the Spirit of God doth not immediately reveal any thing (in these latter days) beside or above what is revealed in the Scripture. Because  
First, The Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation, 2 Tim. 3.15.16, 17. If an inspiration be for Doctrine or reproof, or correction, or instruction, or to furnish us to any good work, all this is done by the Scripture; and so the inspiration is not beside, or beyond it: If it be for more than this, it is for more than is necessary.  
2ly. There is a curse pronounced against adding any revelations or discoveries as of the mind of God, to those that are in the Scriptures already read Apoc. 22.18, 19 and note  
1. That this book is a discovery of the mind of God concerning the affairs and duty of his Church, cha. 1.1.  
2. That it is a discovery of what shall concern the Church of God from the time it was written to the end of the world, chap. 1.19.  
3. That it is a discovery of no more than is sufficient; therefore he is cursed that shall take any thing from it, Chap. 22.19.  
4. That (together with what we have in other Scriptures, for so I would in each particular be understood) it is a discovery of as much as is sufficient and all the discoveries we must look for; and therefore is he cursed that shall add to it 
* Vid. Art. & Forbes in locum. .  
2. Ground, What was unquestionable from the Spirit of God, was not yet imposed upon us any further than as it was confirmed by the Scriptures. That the Apostles spoke by in spiration, I shall take it for granted, (Gal. 1.1.11, 12.) Yet  
1. They were wont to prove their Doctrine by Scriptures, and that you may see the sweet correspondency that is between both Testaments (as they are called) I shall set you down these instances  

Rom. 2.24. Proved by Is. 52.5.  
Rom. 2.24. Proved by Eze. 36.20.23  
Rom. 4.5. proved by Psal. 32.1, 2.  
Rom. 9.7. proved by Gen. 21.12.  
Rom. 10.9 proved by Isa. 28.16.  
Rom. 11.7. proved by Isa. 29.10.  
1 Cor. 2.29. proved by jer. 9.23.   
That the Gentiles should be called the Apostle affirms was made known to him by revelation, Eph. 3.5.6. yet he proves it from Gen. 12.3. Gal. 3.8. And  
2. Those that would not receive these inspirations until they had examined them by the Scriptures, are passed with a noble character for so doing, Acts 17.11, 12. From these grounds am I convinced, that in matters of faith and practise our only way is to be guided by the Scriptures. However,  
Secondly. In these it is a safer way then to be led by any impulse, suggestion or revelation within us supposed to be from the spirit: which I am constrained to believe by these Reasons.  
1. Reason, Many have pretended to revelations from the Spirit of God, when there was no such thing: but the pretenders were either Impostors, and deceivers, or deluded by a lying spirit, and deceived, See 1 Reg. 22.23. 2 Thes. 2.11. 2 Tim. 3.13. of this we have examples of above 1500 years old, 
* Rosse his View of all Religions, sect. 7. p. 184. Martinium de vera relig. p. 58  and in our days, if there be two men pretending to an immediate inspiration from God, and the spirit that is in one be contradictory to the spirit that is in the other, one of them (at least) is a spirit of delusion: Whence a  
2. Reas. We cannot so certainly know whether it be God that speaks in us, as that it is God that speaks in the Scripture, in that we may be mistaken, 2 Cor. 11.14. not so in this, 2 Pet. 1.21. joh. 9.29. Heb. 1.1. Galat. 1.1.11, 12.  
3. Reas. Be the Inspiration or Impulse from whence it will, yet must the Word of God be obeyed before it. I argue thus: That Power that is supreme, must (caeteris paribus) be obeyed before that which is but subordinate: But the power of God's Word is supreme, and the power of Inspirations (as such) is subordinate to it; ergo, etc. the minor proposition only needs proving, which the definition of a supreme power will sufficiently do. Now a 
* Summa potestas est cujus actus alterius juri●n●n subs●nt. Grot. de jure belli, l. 1. c. 3. ect. 7.  supreme power is that which is not questionable by any other jurisdiction: But every Inspiration is so far under the jurisdiction of the Word of God, as that it ought to be tried and judged by it; for which see, Gal. 1.8. 2 Thes. 2.2. 1 joh. 4.1. Acts 17.11. And this hinteth a  
4. Reas. That which proves Inspirations to be true (in case they be so) must needs be more certain and infallible (at least) to us, than the Inspirations themselves. Else it were to prove ignotum per ignotius, a less obscurity by a greater: Or thus that which hath its evidence and certainty that it is such or such from itself, 
* Vera & perspicua censentur ea, quae non ab aliis, sed à seipsis fidem habent. Sanderson. Just. Dialect. l. 3. c. 2.  is more evident and certain than that which borrows it elsewhere; but the Scriptures (I speak to such as grant them to be the Word of God) have their evidence and certainty (viz. that they ought to be the rule of our faith and practice) from themselves: revelations pretended to be from the spirit have theirs elsewhere: [as before Reas. 3.] therefore the Scriptures are more evident and certain, and by consequence a safer guide.  
5. Reas. I am bound to follow the written Word of God absolutely, whatever contradict it; not so Inspirations, which in case they be contradicted by the Scriptures, I am to suppose them not to be from the spirit of God, which were not a spirit of truth, joh. 14.17. nor of holiness, Eph. 4.30 were it contrary to itself, to say one thing in the Scriptures, another thing in the Saints.  
This is my faith as to this particular; those Impulses that are indeed from the Holy Spirit of God will not; sanctified Reason will not, and (by the grace of Christ) carnal reason shall not tempt me from seeing as much of God as I can (where there is so full a sight of him) in the Gospel of his Son.   

SECT. III. What courses dishonour the Gospel, and the evil of them.  
I Shall not mention any thing of the language of those tongues against the Gospel, which have been set on fire of hell, and endeavour to fasten upon it a complexion as black as the mouths it drops from, lest I should teach what my design is to reprove nor the opinion that some persons have of such as esteem the Gospel of Christ, and profess to believe and practise by it, lest I should seem to accuse an age of very high pretences to religion and piety of suffering the definition of both to be turned in and out. There be three ways of dishonouring the Gospel, which I shall desire leave to complain of, viz.  
1. When we profess it, and walk answerable to it: when we do see so much of God in it, and do copy nothing of God upon our hearts, and practice from it; this exposeth it to the derision and contempt of the vilest men. Have not some of them said, Aut hoc non est Evangelium, aut hi non sunt Christiani, Either this is not the Gospel in which there is so much goodness, or these are not Christians in whom there is none at all? Did not one wish, Sit anima mea cum Philosophis, Let my soul be with the honest Philosophers who were Heathen, than these wicked and lewd men called Christians? Have not others ascribed the upholding of our Religion all this while to the excellency of our faith 
* Hall Christian Moderation, l. 2. p. 118. , being well assured that our works were so bad, they could never have done it. Who is it that hopes to be happy in the fruition of God, that can choose but make tears his meat day and night, to see that Gospel reproached, which is so full of this God?  
2. When we are not only lewd and licentious, but plead allowance for it from the Gospel, pretending the liberty it proclaims to be carnal, and a licence for us to sin, by turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, Judas 4. and expounding the design of it into a provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof. Is it not a damnable faculty those men have, to be able to fetch any thing of hell out of that Gospel where there is so much of heaven? Is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that great gulf 'twixt these two places removed, that they can raise such a line of Communication? This is to throw dirt in the very face of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 4.6. it is to accuse the Gospel of little less than panderism to our most abhorred lusts.  
3. When we measure the exhibition of our respects to the Gospel by our worldly interests; owning or disowning the truths and ordinances of it, according to what it is like to advantage or prejudice us in our outward concernments. 
* Joseph. Antiq. l. 11. c. 8.  It is the manner of the Samaritans when the Jews are in affliction to deny all acquaintance with them, they have no relation to any one of the Tribes; but if the Jews (as such) have any beam of prosperity breaking out towards them then the Samaritans are their nearest Cousins, they can derive their pedigree from Ephraim, and Manasses the Sons of Joseph. Those men no doubt have wit enough to make some use of this story, who have not grace enough to make a better use of the Gospel: A very foolish and sottish sin! Is not all that of God which is discovered in the Gospel a prospect worth the looking upon, unless you can see the world there too? Will you not have as much of heaven as you may, lest you should not have so much of earth as you would? Will you have nothing to do with God, unless you can enjoy him in conjunction with other things? Pray consider, whether the full enjoyment of God in heaven, be to be adventured upon, until we have studied, how it will suit our interest.   

SECT. IU. What our behaviour ought to be toward the Gospel.  
THis will not seem impertinent to the times we are fallen into (however it may to the precedent subject) if we have any sense how much we do underlive our most holy profession. Yet, this additional sheet not being in my first thoughts, I shall be as brief as in the rest of it, and only point at these Duties.  
1. Duty: Bless God for bringing you forth in Gospel-times, when Alexander was born, his Father Philip blessed such Gods as he had, not so much that he had a Son, as he had him in Aristotle's days 
* Diis gratias agere debeo, non quia natus est mihi filius, sed quod tuis temporibus ipsum nasci contingit. ; he was thankful for natural and moral discoveries. The Gospel is a discovery of God, yea it is a vision of him in the next degree of clearness to that which we shall have in heaven. The blessing of these gracious times is short of nothing else but the blessing of that glorious eternity. The Saints had their Hallelujah's for darker dispensations, Psal. 147. ult.  
2. Duty: In all your doubts and scruples have recourse to the Gospel. Never ask what the Pharisees or Rulers do. Sure where there is most of God, you are like to find most satisfaction.  
3. Duty: Acquiesce and rest in the determinations of the Gospel. Will you appeal from God? or is there more of him any where else?  
4. Duty: Love the Gospel. Is any thing amiable that is not here? Sure I am, if it be wisdom, here is the wisdom of God, 1 Cor. 2.7. Beauty, here's the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 4.6. the fairest of ten thousand, Cant. 5.10. Splendour, 'tis a glorious Gospel, 2 Cor. 4.4. Truth, 'tis the word of truth, Eph, 1.13, Goodness, 'tis the good Word of God, Heb. 6.5. Piety, 'tis a Doctrine that is according to godliness, 1 Tim. 6.3. Power, 'tis the arm of the Lord, Isa. 53.1. Peace, 'tis the Gospel of peace, Eph. 6.15.  
5. Duty: Take off by your practices whatever disparagements shall be cast upon the Gospel. Will any say it is not the Word of God, and so make it such an imposture as would cheat the whole Christian world of their precious souls? Pray confute this blasphemy, by giving it such a power over your hearts and lives, as none but the Almighty God can either challenge or exercise. Suffer it to sway you, simply without any quatenus or limitation, against any countercommand under heaven. Will any say it is not a complete Rule for belief and practice? You must disprove this slander, by keeping only and constantly to it; and by professing that you do so; that peace may be upon you and mercy, Gal. 6.16. because it is able to make you wise unto salvation, 2 Tim. 3.15. because you may not receive any other, though an Angel offer it you, Gal. 1.8, etc.  
6. Duty: Be not ashamed of the Gospel, Rom. 1.16. Will you be ashamed of your God, will you blush at any degree of heaven? 
* Timor justae vituperationis, & rei turpiter actae.  Shame is a fear of reproof for some unseemly action, and is it such to own your highest blessedness? It was a preamble to Peter's denial of Christ, that he followed him afar off, Mat. 26.58. and Nicodemus was but in the infancy of his Discipleship when he came to Jesus by night, Joh. 3.2. [Read 2 Tim. 2.12. Luke 9.25, 26.]  
7. Duty: Hold fast the Gospel: Do not part with one truth, one ordinance, one duty of it. You have sad experience of the Devils nibbling away of one piece of some men's Religion after another, till they have no more left than David's fool had, Psal. 14.1.  
8. Duty: Let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel, Phil. 1.27. So holy, humble, harmless, honest, sober, just, chaste, peaceable, as becomes persons owning a Gospel so full of a holy God. See Phil. 2.15, 16. 1 Tim. 6.1. Tit. 2.10. Why else do ye profess it? Answer that Quaere of Christ if you can in Luke 6.46. See Mat. 7.23. Mat. 3.10. The Christianity of those that live counter to this Gospel is but merely 
* Qui non vivit ut ipse docuit, certum id documentum est, non esse Christianum. Just. Mart. ad Anton. orat, p. 128.  titular, that which is indeed true, 
* Christianismus est similitudo Dei quantum possibile est humanae naturae. Basil.  is as fair and full a draught of God upon the soul as it is capable of in a body of death. For a conclusion take Phil. 4.8, 9    

The Table.  

PART. I. The First Proposition, viz. The highest happiness of the Saints is the enjoyment of God. This is  

1 Explained by showing.  
FIrst, What the enjoyment of God is made up of  
1 The knowledge of God, to let in Which he opens 

1 His face,  
2 Our understandings    
2 Influences from God  
3 Acquiescence in God  
4 Converse with God  
Secondly, What our highest happiness is viz. 

1. A perfect good.  
2. In possession.  
3. Excluding every evil.  
4. Filling every desire.     

2. Proved,  
1. By Scripture.  
2. By Reason, all that makes us happy, is in God only being a good 

1. Pure,  
2. Sufficient.  
3. Satisfying.    
3. Illustrated, by   

3. Particulars.  
First, All our happiness here, is in what we enjoy of God here, proved by 

1. God.  
2. The Saints.    
Secondly, God's blessedness is in the enjoyment of himself, Proved by 

1. Scriptures,  
2. Reason.    
Thirdly, The greatest misery of the damned is, that they do not enjoy God.   

4. Improved, by way of  
First, Information in five Particulars, viz. 

1. God is of a transcendent goodness, 

1. In himself,  
2. To his people.    
2. In things where there is most of God, there is most of happiness.  
3. It is a false draught of Heaven that is not made to consist in the enjoyment of God.  
4. Most men but pretenders to a desire of going to Heaven, as 

1. Defying the means where God may be enjoyed.  
2. Trading in practices, where they cannot expect it.    
5. Who are a people's greatest enemies.    
Secondly, Reproof, of such as place their happiness in outward things, where Their 

1. Character,  
2. Folly.    
Thirdly, Exhortation: To labour for the enjoyment of God, where  
First, Motives: From the excellency, 

1. Of its Object, God,  
2. Of its Act, in respect of Its 

1. Kind  
2. Degree.      
Secondly, Directions, viZ. 

1 Increase your Knowledge,  
2 Maintain your assurance.  
3 Abate of your love to the world.  
4 Walk close with God.    
Fourthly, Declaration why we enjoy no more of God in Ordinances, either we do 

1 Neglect them.  
2 Not seek God in them.  
3 Not seek God in all of them.  
4 Not seek after a due Order.      

PART. II. The Second Proposition laid down.  
That enjoyment of God which is the Saints highest Happiness, shall be immediate, sole, free, full, and everlasting.  

FIrst, That it shall be immediate, is. 

1 Proved, by 4 Particulars, viz. 

1 Christ's Kingdom shall be delivered up.  
2 All rule, etc. shall be put down.  
3 To enjoy God by means is to see him but in a glass.  
4 Gods immediate enjoyment groaned after by the Saints.    
2 Applied in 3 particulars, viz. 

1 The enjoyment of God by means, far short of what it shall be without them.  
2 When the Saints shall be above the need of Ordinances.  
3 Death desirable.      
Secondly, That it shall be Sole. 

1 Proved, in that 

1 God shall be all.  
2 The world shall be ended.  
3 Much of our enjoyment is by love.  
4 The Saints thirst is after God Solely.    
2 Applied, by way of 

First, Exhortation to 4 duties.  
Secondly, Instruction in 3 things, viz. 

1 It's impossible to make the Saints miserable.  
2 The less we have of the world, the more we may have of happiness.  
3 No cause to be troubled at the dissolution of all things.        
Thirdly, That it shall be Free. 

1 Proved in that 

1 All Enemies shall be subdued.  
2 Every disturbance of Enjoyment is an Eclipse of happiness.      
2 Applied, for our 

1 Information, No Heaven where any sin.  
2 Instruction, how to be much in Heaven here.  
3 Comfort, In Heaven we shall enjoy God freely.    
Fourthly, That it shall be Full. 

1 Proved, in that 

1 Our enjoyment here and hereafter, do but differ gradually.  
2 Else, every evil not removed, etc.    
2 Applied, To show us, that 

1 The happiest sight of God, out of Heaven is in the Gospel.  
2 The long of the Saints after more of God shall be satisfied.      
Fifthly, That it shall be everlasting. 

1 Proved, by 

1 Scripture.  
2 Reason, else.  
1 A posibility of being miserable.  
2 Some place for fear.    
2 Applied by way of 

1 Exhortation, Place not happiness in any thing that shall have an end.  
2 Comfort, afflictions short, happiness Eternal.      
The whole Applied very briefly. 

1 In what sense we are said to be happy in this life.  
2 No nature below ours, capable of blessedness.  
3 It is not vain to serve God.       

ERRATA.  
PAge 5. lin. 25. for all one, read alone, p. 7. l. 3 prefix to the beginning of the l. 5. p. 10. l 7. for without r. with our. p. 17. l. 22. for frownesse r. frowns. p. 30. l. 12. deal ha●● p. 30. l. 17. for come r. came. p. 31. l 13. for fond r. formerly. p. 46. l. penult. add 2.  
FINIS.